Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Fridge]

Hi Fabian,

The first draft of the FYEO ET alarm sticker is complete. However this daft forum platform will not allow me to post an image larger than 0.0000001KB or something from way back in 1992 when dial-up speeds were 9,600bps.

[Lotusfab]

Hi David. Wow that was quick. Think the problem might be a full forum account may be needed to put the picture on? I have pm'd you with a solution to post the pic for you. I'm looking forward to seeing this as are a lot of others on here. Thanks.

[Lotusfab]

Or Plan B joins as a full forum member.

[Lotusfab]

5 hours ago, Fridge said:

Hi Fabian,

The first draft of the FYEO ET alarm sticker is complete. However this daft forum platform will not allow me to post an image larger than 0.0000001KB or something from way back in 1992 when dial-up speeds were 9,600bps.

Reading this again I think I misunderstood. A software problem at the source? Can't help much I'm afraid.

[Lotusfab]

I shouldn't admit to this, but scanning through the channels Series 2 episode 23 Let it be me - of Kinght Rider I see a special edition 39 Copper Fire Lotus Esprit in the show next to KITT, which looked ivery similar to the Bond Car??? Didn't know there was a Special edition Copper Fire Car?

Ohh and it was the badies car as KITT got in front and stopped it! Itvgot even more surreal when David Hasselhoft started to sing an Elvis song!

[Lotusfab]

Just Googled the Sevilla edition 39 and it seems it stared in the Scarecrow and Mrs King???? Here's a picture?

[Lotusfab]

Finally started the ski racks. I am trying to make a plug which I will then use to cast the mould for the upper racks. 

I have been using styrofoam. The problem I have is the cutter I bought is not long enough and quite frankly rubbish! The heated wire end must be long enough to span between the template I have made from the photos. At the moment it isn't and doesn't get hot enough.  I have got the shape pretty accurate,  but the finish is no where near good enough yet. The main thing is now I have got the dimensions and angles spot on. I will make a much better heated wire cutter and produce another much better plug. You may be wondering why I am using styrofoam when it will melt with polyester resin? Well it's easy to shape and cut and after I have sprayed it in filler primer and UPOL it should be melt resistant! 

Pictures to follow once I have a presentable plug! 

Then when I have the plug I will make the moulds and cast the first rack. I will adapt this to house an lame tale frame. Will have to mod the design very slightly to make it practicle for real use. I'm heading back to the museum in Feb, so fingers crossed!

[silverfrost]

Very cool Fabian,,  looking forward to seeing how you get on with the plugs,  sounds like a great idea and hope all goes smoothly for you . 

  What are your plans for casting material ?  I know you have talked about strength,  have you considered a stainless steel thick wire/rods to be placed in the mould before casting to aid the whole structure for durability ?    As you use your cars quite a bit and add to that the wind resistance at motorway speeds,  your ski racks will be under a lot more strain that the bond ones had even been imo 

[Lotusfab]

Hi Danny,

was thinking about carbon fibre. But not sure it will be any better than steel, which is much cheaper and is used for other racks. So the plan at the moment is cast in fiberglass and then make steel brackets that fit inside and rest on steel plates, which are then bonded to the fiberglass. Essentially no load will be taken by the fiberglass. I am confident this can be done. I think the main issue is getting the plug correct. Having made the first one I'm sure with a little trial and error I can get a good result. It's like all things you have to keep doing the job until you find a method that works. My first attempt isn't up to scratch. Will have another go today.

[Lotusfab]

So far I have spent two days and am still far from completing a satisfactory upper plug. I have built a foam cutter from a piece of guitar wire B string. It works much better than the one I bought but the coefficient of expansion of the wire is too great. I need to get a different sort of wire. But as I am only cutting a few pieces maybe I should just make do? Here's the cutter.

[Lotusfab]

It works very well on styrofoam. I used the same method that's used to make model aircraft wings. Templates at either end, then the wire. The first plug was awful due the hot knife style cutter. The second much better. The trouble is the original was not very streamlined or curved, my one is looking like something of an aircraft! I will have to square up the edges. Here it is so far. I have to stress this plug is needing many more hours of work shaping and filling. I put it on here to demonstrate the idea will work.. You can see the end of my MK1 rack on the left, the MK2 in the front. 

[Lotusfab]

I think I have solved the bracket problem of how to secure the skis. I plan to mimic the original design to a certain extent, but make it much much stonger. You can see here the original has fiberglass bonded to a metal strip. I plan to make a steel box section that is triangular and welded with fiberglass bonded to it to produced the upper shape. It will have  a better hinge and rubber jaws on the underside to clamp the skis. The nearside will have a locking mechanism with a key and it will be welded to a steel plate and bolted through the tailgate. It's taking a long time to sort this, but aI now have a plan, and the photos of the car. I'm returning to the Deezer museum at the end of Feb. I want the rack prototypes done so I can compare and modify them. I also need to check out the engine on the white car and photograph the vin plate on the Copper Fire. I'm also taking carpet samples! Should keep me bustpybfor a while!

[fjmuurling]

Picture of my foam cutter, it is a little big but can be made to any size.

In the middle an aluminium tube , both ends made flat, the left and right part are just a piece of broomstick with a slot in the middle fitted on the ends of the tube with one bolt/nut so they can swivel. below you can see the cutting wire, and the top wire is just a wire (i used a plastic coated steel wire) and a spring (with adjusting mechanism, ie long eyebolt and butterfly nut). The spring keeps the cutting wire " tight".

 

 

[silverfrost]

Fabian

 " I am returning in Febuary to Deezer museum"   I so much admire your enthusiasm chap.  

Those ski rack brackets on the bond car are a little disapointing to be honest build wise !    I am sure you will do a much cleaner finish as although original on that car,  they look like they have been made in junior school carpentry shop lol.  

Looking forward to your efforts on this custom job,  I take it you will be using epoxy rather than standard resin to bond the steel bits ?

Good luck regards Dan

[Lotusfab]

Wow that looks good! I'm thinking of using my chop saw to recut the angles. The original looks as if it may have been cut from a wooded block. The foam and wire cutis great 

Hi Dan,

yep it wasn't design for real use it to last forty years! Yep welding up metal underside and bolt and glue fiberglass. The originals had rivets in some places! True Lotus construction!

Necessary to return now I know how they are constructed and cover the bits I missed! My wheels are coming on. Sorted the centres and now blasting, spraying and assembly. The wheels and Compomotive suspension have been by far the most expensive and difficult part of this project!

[silverfrost]

Looking forward to seeing your finished comps   Did you try and list your spare centres on a porker forum yet  ?  

[Lotusfab]

Hi Dan, 

yep. I have also got another full set of Porsche racing wheels and 10 Lips and Barrels all 15 inch 20 hole. Will be listing them all soon! Just need to get rid of them as I can't move in my garage with three sets of wheels!

[silverfrost]

You should open a compomotive retro wheel shop by the sounds of it Fabian 

You could also try listing them on sites such as wheelwhores and such like,  plenty of folks always after retro goodness,  If you want to get rid of them quickly, sell them as is,  i.e not polished,painted etc,  the lads that go after such wheels for their rides like to do the hard graft themselves to save money on the purchase price 

[G_Reaper]

Hi guys

Just jumping back to earlier in this thread referring to Fab's photo of the Dezer Copper fire Bond spare car. Andy mentioned the Luminition box was in the wrong place. Looking at this photo of Essex No. 6 it appears that Lotus must have fitted the luminition box on the O/S rear wheel arch on the early cars so it looks to be an early standard factory fit position. 

However what the photo does show is the original white paint where the missing inertia switch should be fitted a further example of its previous white paint scheme.

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Dan, need to get some of the money paid out back on these wheels! Good spot Mike, hadn't noticed that!

[Lotusfab]

Scrapped the Mk2 ski Rack, here's the MK3. The filler reacted with the Styrofoam! Mk4 on the way!☹️☹️☹️☹️

My skills are improving and I have brought out the big guns, the Makita Chopsaw! Have been experimenting with the angles. The Mk 4 should be a big improvement I hope! The lower rack I think will be easier!

[Lotusfab]

Shame no one on here wants Porsche wheels they are stunning!

[stephenwhyte]

1 hour ago, Lotusfab said:

Shame no one on here wants Porsche wheels they are stunning!

Wow - they are stunning. Pity they won’t fit my my Turbo as I think I’d be forced to go non-stock for these beauties

[Lotusfab]

Yep, they would be non stock, shame!

[Lotusfab]

No comps.