Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Andyww]

I might be wrong but I would suspect even a paint area kept in the dark on a metallic might still age owing to oxidization rather than UV. Probably the only way of getting an exact match would be to build a time machine and go back to 1981. That might delay the rebuilt though

 

[CHANGES]

3 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

They had used lamps for filming which had change the colour. When I found on set footage with natural,light it was obvious they were a stock colour.  

What you need to consider here is also the tinters used to create the original colour... You can get two samples of the same colour / finish matching perfect  in white light using different manufacturers and a variety of various tinters. This is what i was referring to as the metameric make up of the paint. when you take these two samples and place them in a different light , say fluorescent,  they will not be a perfect match.. This is due to the light spectrum picking up and filtering certain pigments..  So as andy said, unless you can get the same formulation using the same tinters from the same batch of paint manufactured from the same supplier, that has not sat on a shelf for 35 years ,then applied by the same method,  your buggered mate...   The best you can do is,  as I said, start with the code, tint to your approval on shade ,then test spray over base colour and primer colour to get the tint you desire , then set your spraying method to get the metallic effect you want.  All the lab will do is come up with a comparative formulation from a manufacturer, how you apply it and over what base colour will provide the finish tint, this may not be the same as the sample shade the lab gave you.. even though you used their formulation... You also have several paint manufacturers to choose from , they all react different.     I hate to say it but i feel you are looking far to deeply into this and you should leave it to your chosen paint shop to provide the finish /colour / tint effect you require..  Ask them to do test cards for you , then take them into different lights,  when happy with one , ask them to do a panel , say a bonnet , and make decision on that..  bearing in mind that they will still repaint the bonnet again with the whole car , as conditions and application may not be duplicated  even though its from the same paint tin , it may not be a perfect match..   This is why specialist paint work cost a fortune,  saying that the cheaper jobs usually end up the most expensive..    

[silverfrost]

2 hours ago, Andyww said:

I might be wrong but I would suspect even a paint area kept in the dark on a metallic might still age owing to oxidization rather than UV. Probably the only way of getting an exact match would be to build a time machine and go back to 1981. That might delay the rebuilt though

 

For gods sake do not give Fabian ideas,  given the choice of taking out Hitler with a sniper rifle before it all went Pete tong or getting the Tin from the Hethal paint booth in 1981, I know what Fabian would use the time machine on 

[Lotusfab]

Better get making some parts, Victorian Era I believe? Maybe Mr Wells has left some plans over at his house in Woking, sadly now next to ASDA! 

Times running out for this so if any one has a fine machine I could use a hand! ! May have to copy the fuel cap and go for the aged look, at least it will be close to a car from that era - will see what they all look like!

Have finished the brake pipes. Here's some I made and didn't use.

The tool does a good job!

[cbclotus]

_{Hi Fabian .I was looking at a old lotus book .Showing a left hand drive turbo in the bond  colour.1982 .Also saw a be with mini I a colour copper Fire metalic ...newish colour .Your chassis looks fantastic ....Mike}

[Lotusfab]

Thanks.

[Lotusfab]

Well I have bitten the bullet and ordered a new master cylinder from S and J. I am fed up buying parts that are not correct. They look they same as the Capri ones, but I can't be bothered wasting time. I bought all new brake hoses and they don't fit as they are for an 85 or later Esprit! 

I should have 99 per cent of the parts needed to finish this buy next week. I'm replacing the clutch hose with a braided one. The master cylinder is already new. Shouldn't take too long to bolt all the chassis bits back on, I hope! They are all zinc and powder coat.

I have to make the heatsheilds as well. There's always one thing else. I wanted to enjoy taking my time with this but a change at work means I have tongetbthe Chassis rolling, get the body on and store it, completing it late. So there will probably be a gap in this thread.

[silverfrost]

That chassis looks awesome Fabian 

[Lotusfab]

Cheers Dan, just sorting the links etc!small fortune for just these bushes!

[Lotusfab]

Just started to think about cooling hoses. Has anyone found a supplier that makes a set for a reasonable price or a silicone hose supplier you can Trust to provide decent pipe?

[Andyww]

Pretty much all of the hoses plus a reducing adaptor are standard off the shelf hoses. There is one though which is not, and the only one avaliable, from Lotus or SJ is rubber, which is the one which exits the head and turns downwards.

The others you can buy standard elbows or straight length and cut to size.

What is the condition of the alloy pipes though? All mine were totally shot once the hoses were removed, with pinholes under the hoses. This is caused by rubber reacting to the alloy, my dad was a leading corrosion expert (N Sea oil rigs etc) and explained to me all about this once in endless detail. This is another advantage of silicone hoses, they dont do this.

[Lotusfab]

The pipes look pretty good. Have been cleaning them in POR 15 degreaser internally and externally. Process is not yet finished. Will inspect the ends again. Did you go silicone for the whole thing?

[Andyww]

I used silicone for all the hidden ones except that one I mentioned, but I did leave the visible hoses including heater hoses as rubber as I am a bit OCD about originality. 

[Lotusfab]

Trunnions

 No not a medical condition, but could lead to one!It's the pivot for the steering. It is supposed to be lubricated with EP90'gear oil and not grease. Does anyone do this with a grease gun full of EP90. Theres signs on mine it has been filled with grease which Inhave cleaned off ready for EP90. A bit messy though! 

Incidently the lower link Compomotive outer bushes are still available, but only from S and J!

[Andyww]

Yes I have had a grease gun filled with EP90 since the days I had a Europa which also had the dreaded trunnions. Awful things.

[910Esprit]

Me too, probably charge them every 500 miles, or whenever I can't think of anything else to do to it!.   I hang the grease gun vertically by its nozzle to stop the oil draining out. 

[Lotusfab]

Copper Fire

The Lechler paint lab has matched the fuel Cap colour but  I'm still waiting to see the results. They have matched the area that still has laquer and the area which is darker where the laquer has been removed. This area matches the very edge of the cap where the paint has not faded. Apparently the match is near on identical and the metallic finish is much closer than the stock A19.  I am waiting for all of the test cards to arrive and then will compare them all with the cap. I think I may go for the darker fuel cap match as I believe this with be the closest match to the original car, given all the limitations that have been pointed out on here. Once a decision is made I will get a component sprayed and then decide whether to spray the entire car or use the stock colour.

 

 

[Lotusfab]

I now have the test cards and I have to say I'm very impressed. With the fuel cap polished and comparing the edges ,where the fading effects are minimal,  Lechler made two paint samples one matches the darker edges and the other the polished centre. There is a very minimal difference between the two. It would be very hard to detect a difference even with two sprayed cars side by side. What is noticeable is the match is so much better than the other test cards and the A19 Lotus paint. The metallic effect looks identical to the original cap even in bright sunlight. I am probably going to use the darker colour formula that matches the very edges of the cap, as I believe this will be most failthful to the original car.

The paint is available from Neil at Thompson Body repair if anyone wants some as the formula has been recorded, the hard bit has been done!

The paint is not on the car yet, but If it turns out as per the test card I will be very happy! 

[TAR]

Thats great news Fabian. I'm looking forward to seeing it in paint  

[Lotusfab]

I recognise the limitations of a picture but I believe if all the colours are photographed together you can see differences. Here's what I mean. The first picture shows all the test cards. 

[Lotusfab]

The second picture shows the Lechler matched card on the left and the A19 lotus code in the middle. You can see the Lotus A19 bears no resemblance in shade or metallic. Now look at the bottom picture. The metallic and shade from the Lechler sample is almost perfect. Note this is the darker mix. The test card is very slightly darker than the front of the cap ,but a perfect match to the sides where light has been restricted. Paints and pigments do change over the years but I don't believe very much in this case. You can see from the above the Lotus A19 bears little resemblance to the original colour or metallic effect. Don't take my word for it though, judge from the end result. As I have said before if the car turns out as per this card, I believe It will be very very close to the original car. But when the cars finally finished come and see it and judge for yourself. It could always go pear shaped, but I am more than pleased with what Neil has achieved with the help of Lechler Labs.?????

Remember I have done the tricky bit,  being able to borrow Matts fuel cap and getting the match. So if you want the FYEO respray it's now easy give Neil a ring and get the correct paint! 

I have to say though, I personally think the A19 looks better and have considered using the colour. It makes the car look new and more finished where the original paint looks old and flat. Unfortunately for me I'm a Bond nut, so it has to look the same as the original whatever that is! 

[Lotusfab]

Also don't let the pictures fool you. They seem to exaggerate differences and the A19 looks much closer to the original than the picture would suggest.

[Lotusfab]

Here's a close up of the Bond car from the Deezer collection. 

[910Esprit]

There's too many threads on the subject to work out, but how do you know Matt's petrol cap is the same colour as the 'original' - or is Matt's car the original?!   PS This is just genuine interest from someone who has never watched FYEO (or the other one).   Did the colour of the 'bond' car pre-date production cars?   Could it have been a special, that was then approximated for the A19 production run?    I'd ask my wife which she prefers! 

[Andyww]

1 hour ago, Lotusfab said:

I have to say though, I personally think the A19 looks better and have considered using the colour. It makes the car look new and more finished where the original paint looks old and flat. Unfortunately for me I'm a Bond nut, so it has to look the same as the original whatever that is! 

But this is the part I am not getting (sorry!), surely it would be better to have the car looking factory fresh and in the condition it was used when the movie was made rather than old and flat, from matching to 35 year old paint which is, err old and flat?

1 hour ago, 910Esprit said:

There's too many threads on the subject to work out, but how do you know Matt's petrol cap is the same colour as the 'original' - or is Matt's car the original?!   PS This is just genuine interest from someone who has never watched FYEO (or the other one).   Did the colour of the 'bond' car pre-date production cars?   Could it have been a special, that was then approximated for the A19 production run?    I'd ask my wife which she prefers! 

The car shown in the picture above is from the Deezer collection and was a production car which was taken from stock after the movie was made and used for promotional purposes. So this would have had the standard Lotus paint code almost certainly.