Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Choppa]

@Bibs My mistake - I should of course have said "Bibs could have touched their offices with the extra long selfie stick he used to get that aerial shot at MBW"

[Bibs]

[Lotusfab]

Compomotive Conversion.

This ain't going to be cheap but it's totally necessary. Any advice or detailed information from anyone will be much appreciated. Here's my shopping list.

upper and lower radius arms, shorter than the BBS.

two radius arms. (May have one)

front hubs

rear hubs

Its still unclear to me if the hubs press on the splines??? I will know more when I have it all in pieces.

Anyone who has done this I would be very grateful for any help, photos etc.

I've moved heaven and earth to try and get a set of rolled edge Lips. I have the front, but not the rears. I have a choice wait and hope or buy a set from Image wheels with standard edges. If anyone has one of two going I'm your man. If not I may just us the image ones as they will look great and be new without scuffs. 

 

[RichardJGC]

There is a Compomotive thread within this great forum which details the conversion Jonny carried out. 

Lotusbits have remanufactured much of what you will need and have it sitting on their shelves. I think their upper/lower links may be able to take the later bushes....unlike my originals :-).

Will be putting mine together as soon as bare chassis comes back to me.

[Lotusfab]

Hi Richard. Thanks have just read Johnny thread. Was hoping to see some pictures and more detail. The links and radius arms are pretty self explanatory. The hubs I'm not sure about. Is it as simple as sliding the front and rear five suptuds off and the four studs on?

[Lotusfab]

Here's the rear assemblyto convert to Compomotive parts one must have four studs. Does the Lotusbit part just slide on?

front conversion. Two parts listed different hub wheel? What does it look like?

[RichardJGC]

Part 8 is different??? ?

That would explain how the difference in the rear links is compensated for. 

Hmmmm....haven't got any of those......panic stations!!!!

Re. fronts am guessing the stud for the hub is listed seperately though comes as part of the hub assembly.

[Lotusfab]

Sorry Richard, my bad I deleted that as I think I misread the parts manual! 

[RichardJGC]

Phew!!!

Still haven't worked out how the difference in link lengths between BBS and Comps is compensated for?

Do the hubs somehow do that?

[Lotusfab]

Presumably by the wheel offset?

To me it seem like the New four stud Hub would slide on the rear. The front looks much more complex. What parts are needed? The S1 set up is nothing Like It?

[RichardJGC]

Well....the links pull the hub carrier at least an inch closer to the gearbox but it uses the same driveshafts and stub axle?? Yes....the wheel will compensate for the offset but the overall length of drivetrain remains same? Confused.

7 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

Presumably by the wheel offset?

To me it seem like the New four stud Hunan would slide on the rear. The front looks much more complex. What parts are needed? The S1 set up is nothing Like It?

It's only the hub assembly that needs changing on the front...as far as I can see.

[Lotusfab]

Presumably part eight has enough room to stick an inch further out of the hub and the design of the new hub and wheel compensates? Don't know because I havnt seen the four stud hubs from Lotus bits. We really need Picts on here of the parts. I will post pictures and details of the whole lot when I have redone it all, but it may be a while!

[Andyww]

1 hour ago, RichardJGC said:

Well....the links pull the hub carrier at least an inch closer to the gearbox but it uses the same driveshafts and stub axle?? Yes....the wheel will compensate for the offset but the overall length of drivetrain remains same? Confused.

It's only the hub assembly that needs changing on the front...as far as I can see.

Thats correct. Not an issue with the driveshafts as they use CV joints which have plenty of endfloat.

[RichardJGC]

Thanks Andy. 

Could never figure it out and was hoping the reassembly would make things clear.

[RichardJGC]

Comparison of an adjustable BBS upper link (at shortest setting) and a Compomotive one.

 

[RichardJGC]

Front Compomotive hub

 

Rear Compomotive hub (mine have spigot rings which are non standard) 

 

[Lotusfab]

Thansk Richard!

[Lotusfab]

So the front hub is a straight swap - it bolts to the disc and replaces the original. The rear is the same it just slides on the spline?

theres a lot of size difference on that upper link, shame they're not the same that was my plan for the links!

 

Are they all supplied by Lotus bits?

[RichardJGC]

Lotusbits sell the front/rear hubs and the shorter rear links (remanufactured).

I think Jonny managed to retain his original radius arms. 

I luckily managed to get mine OEM years ago.

Worth contacting Paul Matty if you want original radius arms as they were still listed when I last looked.

Wouldnt take much to modify a BBS upper link and convert to a shorter adjustable type...and benefit from the polybushes available. (Bushes for the original Comp setup are a smaller diameter) 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks to Dan I hope to swap the suspension bits to dry sump. Mike at Lotsbits will be supplyinhpg his expertly engineered hubs for both the front and rear. It appears they do "just slide on". But we all know this is a Lotus and nothing on this car is ever that easy! Only need to sort rear 4 inch lips with a rolled edge the proverbial Rocking horse sh... Like all of these things, somewhere on this planet is a massive hord of them -I just have to find it! 

At last it feels as if this project has a chance, I'm going up a ladder on the Lotus resto game of snakes and ladders. Who knows maybe Bond will be back in a fully restored FYEO car! 

[RichardJGC]

1 hour ago, Lotusfab said:

Thanks to Dan I hope to swap the suspension bits to dry sump. Mike at Lotsbits will be supplyinhpg his expertly engineered hubs for both the front and rear. It appears they do "just slide on". But we all know this is a Lotus and nothing on this car is ever that easy! Only need to sort rear 4 inch lips with a rolled edge the proverbial Rocking horse sh... Like all of these things, somewhere on this planet is a massive hord of them -I just have to find it! 

At last it feels as if this project has a chance, I'm going up a ladder on the Lotus resto game of snakes and ladders. Who knows maybe Bond will be back in a fully restored FYEO car! 

Im sure out there somewhere is a nice set of Comp rear wheels........you can have the rims and I will have the centres! :-)

[pete]

Thought Tocus was selling his compomotives

[Lotusfab]

He is but they're very expensive! Image wheels can make all of the Lips to any size for a very reasonable price. They don't have rolled edges,but will be pristine condition. As we have discovered some of the dry sump Turbos don't have rolled edges either(previous pictures). I'm still debating what to do,

With the very sad passing of Roger Moore I am determined to make this the best James Bond Turbo I possibly can. Goodbye Roger!☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

[Lotusfab]

The sample arrived from Connelly and I can confirm the beige dry sump leather sample I was given matches the Lotus Gold sample sent buy Connelly. To recap,at the time of the dry sumps there were only three colours available and only one of the three was a beige colour. Therefore the Bond Turbo had a Lotus Gold interior. QED.

This also means anyone with a dry sump that has a beige looking interior has the same interior colour as the Bond Turbo!

congratulations to those of you that have. It will cost to convert mine????

 

[Lotusfab]

Time to stop tickling and paint! I'm thinking of taking the body off. Think I strip it pretty quickly and the job may speed up.   Still not decided as the wife won't be happy. C'est La vie! ??????

I have now found the Chaps I want to spray the car. They did the S1 and I can't fault the paintwork. They do high end work but are fair and do an excellent job. There's not many people I would trust to spray this to the required standard. They will match the paint on Matts fuel cap so hopefully this will be an awesome resto! 

I have decided I need the Fulcher touch on the interior so will entrust the Roger Moore legacy Turbo to Steve Fulchers magic touch. We have the exact colour and will be replicating the full leather seats and arm rests using the original hide. 

I need to get one of them engine hoists, can anyone recommend one that will get the job done and has a long enough reach. Of course when the engine and gearbox is out I have another dilemma. The engine was rebuilt and I have receipts for parts, but I didn't do the work. Do I leave it or take it all to pieces and go through it again? It was aledgedly rebuilt by an F1 resto guy. I prefer to do things myself for piece of mind. I may get the itch when it's out and strip it again! 

I have no receipts for the gearbox so will send that off to a specialist. I believe the clutch and bearings are new but will get them checked willmthe flywheel just in case. 

Better get on with it then!