Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Lotusfab]

If the connectors I'm getting don't work will check out halfords. Had a missing side indicator lense L734 Lucas, easily found on eBay so bought some at a reasonable price. Hope the spares on this are easier to get than the S1! Am waiting till a few days off work then will try starting it after all the usual checks and the terminals arrive.

[TAR]

Get on with it man!

I would have had the battery out of my daily sat in the boot with some jump leads if necessary. 

You are sooooooo slow patient  

[Barrykearley]

You have the patience of a saint. I'd be canning work until I heard it run 

[Lotusfab]

Mmmm, I have some jump leads!????

[Barrykearley]

We need a "she's alive" video !!

[Lotusfab]

Yeah!

 

[Lotusfab]

Yeah!

And there's more!

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/BondsCars_FYEO.html

[Lotusfab]

Well will try and start the beast over the next two days. If the battery terminals don't come will get some from Halfords.

need to fix the windscreen but have to locate one first! If anyone has one lying around they would like to sell please PM me. Will try the usual suspects and get some Dinitrol! 

[TAR]

SJ Sportscars sell windscreens. I think LotusBits also have them.

There are two types, clear and green tint. I believe most Turbo's had green tint. Hold a piece of white paper behind the glass and you'll seee if its tinted.

 

[ChrisJ]

Well I never knew that. Will see what mine is over the weekend

 

 

[Lotusfab]

Well for all you Bond fans the car in the video above would seem to have been made by UK Sportcars. The Original I believe was a the UK Bond museum and bought by the Dezer collection USA. I believe someone took a photo of it at Hethel in 2011? Here is what I think is the original Turbo FYEO. The ski rack carriers are different to the UK car, although they made a good attempt. They also managed to find one pair of correct skis, a major achievement in itself!

Windscreens

After my fiasco on the S1 with the broken sidescreen (Ahhhhhhhh?) I have learned a lot. My Turbo has Sundym glass (stamped next to the triplex logo) this means it's tinted! It's sometimes difficult to tell with white paper as its only a very slight green tint. The screen fits really well and I would say original because of the outstanding fit. I have now sourced the screen from Lotus bits. Forgive me if I'm going over old ground here, but I will be using Dinitrol from an eBay supplier. Cutting the nozzle to the Lotus dimension is a waste if time. Make sure the Dinitrol is warm at room temp before fitting. Otherwise you'll make the biggest mess ever and get leaks! Use spacers around the frame to set the correct screen height and superglue them before fitting. Glue the trim on after and chuck the clips. Pay one of your kids £20 to help fit it, otherwise your on your own. Put it somewhere warm for the job and support the glass so it doesn't slide down after fitting! Cross fingers and hopefully it won't go wrong! I'll let you know!

[LOTUSMAN33]

Great stuff Fabian, good to see you have been allowed to start the recommissioning work, bet you get it painted next year! 

Original car before auction where it went to Cars the Star, note the damaged ski bracket.

With the Dezer collection in the U.S.

Home made Ski racks for another replica.

Have you decided how you are going to Fabricate yours yet Fabian? Not easy without dimensions unless you have a nice Miami holiday? This car was not at the 50 years of bond collection at Beauliea as I remember, I think only Wet Nellie was present? 

Dave  

[Lotusfab]

Will have to make them from the pictures! 

Well havnt managed to start the car! Two issues no fuel and the starter cuts out too quickly. Think sediment in the unused fuel tank may have blocked the pump. Really need to get the car into my garage for a full checkout! May have to remove the fuel tanks and refurb them! New starter may solve the other problem. I have a spare Dave gave me but not sure if it's the same model or if I can switch bits over?

[Choppa]

There are several places around Surrey/Hants  that will refurb your starter motor for you if you are going "original" like with your S1.

Interesting you think the SU pump is blocked, did it start ticking when you turned the ignition on? If not it's more likely that the points have stuck and all you need to do is give it a couple gentle taps with something like a small hammer while the ignition on and it should at least try and start pumping some fuel up to the carbs. Maybe you should also be checking /replacing the inline fuel filter if you think the tanks are full of sediment before you try again.

[Lotusfab]

It's got an inline fuel pump, but think tank sediment has blocked it,  There been no fuel in there for nine years, unless the pump is actually broke. There a new inline filter with no fuel getting to it. The starter runs very slow and disengage almost as the engine has just started to crank? Could be a problem with either the solenoid, Bendix gear or the teeth on the flywheel. Will have to take it off and investigate. I have another starter but don't know much about it. What refurber would you recommend?

[910Esprit]

Fuel pump is a Lucas 4FP style (no points in these).    No need to pay 'specialist' prices as they are cheaply available.    I got a 'new' starter in the last Lotus sale for peanuts.   Maybe they still have them on offer?.   On the other hand you can replace the entire solenoid, or just the end capo/points if you have access to heavy duty soldering equipment.  

[Lotusfab]

That sounds good, where did you buy the starter? Was thinking of rebuilding the one I have, might just need a clean and grease. But as always new is better but it costs!

Need to keep the budget under control!

[Choppa]

 I used a company in Burghfield just outside Reading for my starter because it was close to my office. Turned out the armature on my one had started to fail which is why it was struggling to turn the engine over. Didn't realise the fuel pump was different on the turbos.

  One other thing I noticed is that those Olin's in the photo on the red turbo don't have any bindings on them, which suggests to me that the clip on the roof doesn't swing open to allow the skis to be fitted in the rack and you'd have to slide them  in through the slots on the roof. Not  much of a problem but anyone who skis will think it odd. Also  the edges even on vintage skis can be quite sharp and  I can confirm that ski edges are not very paintwork friendly so you wont certainly need to take care with an arrangement like that.The guy with the copper car obviously made do with vintage Atomic skis rather than Olin's who stopped making skis in the mid 80's

[Lotusfab]

Yep those Olins are difficult to come buy and expensive!

The starter is turning quite slowly so will have to investigate.

[Lotusfab]

She's Alive!!!!??????

Took the starter off. The Bendix gear mechanism was broke! Then I remembered Dave Noble gave me a spare starter in great condition. Fitted it and it worked perfectly. Then took all of the fuel system to pieces. There was no fuel coming from the tanks! The pump and filters are fine. The tanks need refurbing and the pipes replaced suspect they are blocked with dregs. Anyway made my own tank and put a pipe in it straight to the pump! A little bit of cranking and she burst into life. There no pressure indication on the turbo pressure gauge?  Seems to idle ok. After a while the turbo bit got quite hot and started to smoke? The gears are difficult to engage, especially first and reverse. Moved it to its new home at the bottom of the garden in my summerhouse. Now have to wait sheepishly for the wife to calm down!!

I will have to study the manual and learn all about the turbo bit. At least the clutch is pretty good and it sounds ok. Seems to guzzle fuel. Got through about 7 litres in 5 mins. Probably because all the bits had no fuel in them. Starts OK. And the brakes work. The handbrake is ropey. All fixable if the wife lets me out there! Looks real cool!

this is going o,be a long restoration, due the wife! 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Good luck with the better half mate, glad the starter worked fine. Tank refurb or new tanks? I guess it will depend what you find. Still must be a relief to know you have a sound engine.

Dave  

 

[Lotusfab]

Have to say I'm pressed with the condition of this car. The tanks look pretty good from the outside. So maybe just a flush and new pipes.

Bit concerned bout the gear change being difficult maybe the clutch is no disengaging as it should?

[LOTUSMAN33]

I had a terrible time with my first turbo (84) and a tight clutch, mine got worse when hot but was new as Gem Developments in Plymouth had rebuilt the engine just prior to me buying. I lived with it for about a year before removing the engine/box to investigate and reseal the leaking sump. I did not renew just removed, found nothing obvious and replaced. Like a new car after so mine was down to poor alignment when originally put together. 

Hopefully yours is easier to do, sounds like you have bought a good car so keep smiling, I am sure you will have it sweet as nut in no time!

Dave  

[Lotusfab]

Will slowly work through all the issues and learn all about the turbo!

[Paul Coleman]

2 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

this is going o,be a long restoration, due the wife! 

I've been married nearly 30 years so trust me on this... it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission