The birth of LotusRescue

[johnpwalsh]

22 hours ago, TBD said:

I really wish you all the success! I was seriously contemplating an end to my life long quest for the newest and meanest vehicle after the GTE and deciding on a venture most would say is more appropriate to my age.

Had LotusRescue been around 4 weeks earlier I might have taken the wise decision and go for the dream car of my youth (Esprit,what else). Instead I went for newest and meanest Exige Ex460.

Well, that's the last day of the year almost done and what an end to a year.

We have just delivered the S3 Turbo to her new owner and he is delighted, and as an added bonus, I get the job of getting her back up and running beginning of next year. Bonus. So been a busy day. Company organised to have a look at restoring the interior. Storage and a workshop sorted, complete with a ramp, what more could I ask for.

 

Thanks to all on here who have given fantastic encouragement to get LotusRescue going, and of course to the man who came out of the Blue to help make this possible.

As we say up here in god's country.

Lang may Yer Lum Rick an Yer Pooches Niver be Teem.

Happy New Year and all the Best To You and Your's for 2017.

John & Wendy.

[cbclotus]

Good on you John .Dontforget my na s3. Mike

[johnpwalsh]

It's top of the list Mike as I am sure your not going to let me forget. And of course as a reminder, the S3 is my all time favorite.

Wish I could have kept the one we delivered today, a real nice color combination of Ice Blue and powder blue leather interior with light Grey carpets, this is going to be a stunner when finished.

All the best to you and the family for 2017.

 

[cbclotus]

Thanks John .I really like the na s3 g cars .Dont see any for sale ...

[Barrykearley]

One for £18 large on eBay presently. 

Also a yellow one for £25k - shhh  can't see that selling in a long time with the story behind the dealers  (stealers) purchase of that car. 

[C8RKH]

That ice blue car is a stunner John. Nice rescue. Here's hoping you have a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Best of luck.

[johnpwalsh]

This one may be of interest to some of you officiants of all things Lotus.

LotusRescue have been offered the very first production Lotus Excel off the line. Fully documented as being the first car and confirmed by Andy Graham of Lotus Archives. As far as I am aware, the car requires full restoration. Hopefully, I will have some photographs once the current owner has sobered up enough from the New Year's festivities to send them on. The car is currently up here in the North east of Scotland and has been in secure indoor storage for a few years. The current owner had plans to do a full restoration on her but his general business does not give him the time to do the work, so he has offered it to us for sale.

Any interest, get back to me. Future investment with the way prices are currently climbing, must be.

 

John.

[johnpwalsh]

18 hours ago, C8RKH said:

That ice blue car is a stunner John. Nice rescue. Here's hoping you have a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Best of luck.

Yep Andy, she will be a cracker and has gone to a first time Lotus owner who has had a dream of a G car for years. We dropped her off yesterday afternoon, and by 6 pm we had received several photographs showing the seats, carpets etc had already been removed. Now the new owner is waiting for me to go back up North to check out the engine, do a belts and fluid change, compression check etc, then fire her up, so will be an exiting moment.

Thanks for your good wishes and fingers crossed, if it stays as crazy as it has for the past week, things should be good.

Currently have a list of 6 prospective owner's to find car's for and most of those required I already know off so onward and upwards.

Of course if anyone knows of any stalled projects etc, please let me know as I may be able to match it up with a prospective buyer.

 

 

[johnpwalsh]

Update on the first production Lotus Excel.

LotusRescue have been offered the very first production Lotus Excel off the production line. Fully documented as being the first car and confirmed by Andy Graham of Lotus Archives.

She has had previous work done but will require the interior looking at as someone tried to do a color match on the leather and color code part of the dash in Red.

 

[Bravo73]

Could http://www.coachtrimmer.co.uk/aboutus.aspx help you with the interior?

[ChrisJ]

My Excel went to http://cartrim.webs.com/ to replace the carpets. Will be going there for the interior sometime over the next couple of years.

[johnpwalsh]

Well look's like LotusRescue is of on the travels again back to deepest darkest Englandshire to collect a narrow body Excel. Requires mild refurb. It's an up and running car but will need all the fluids bet's, hoses etc changed after a 10 year hibernation. Should be back in god's country mid week and started on by the weekend. Will follow up with photographs later.

Update on the Ice Blue S3 turbo from the other week is the new owner has removed all the interior and rotten timber only to find a nice big hole in the top of one fuel tank. He is a luck man as he works in a fab shop that specialises in stainless steel so you can guess what he will be making up at little cost.

Couple of inquiries for Elite's and S3 Esprits so if you know of any stashed away in a pub car park, garage, shed, barn or spare bedroom, give me a shout.

 

[johnpwalsh]

Well the chronicle's of LotusRescue will remember this latest trip for a long time to come. 

Our wonderful drive back from Englandshire with trailer on tow loaded with our latest find. On the way down winds gusting up to 90 MPH which created mayhem, and on the way back,

well follow the link
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/…/heavy-snow-lashes-scots…/
HEAVY snow has brought a “real taste of winter” to Scotland with blizzards battering the country and commuters stuck on gridlocked roads.
The whiteout arrived this morning swamping Lanarkshire, We know .We was in it from when it first started  before sweeping across the border down to Yorkshire, Manchester and Leeds.
Hundreds stranded on motorways as blizzards bring snow chaos.The Army has been drafted in to help the emergency services as efforts continue to rescue hundreds of motorists trapped in their cars on Scotland's motorways.
In blizzard conditions, the M8, M80 and M74 were gridlocked with accidents and stranded vehicles leaving motorists taking hours to travel just a short distance. Some were left with the prospect of spending the night on the roads
Image may contain: sky, car and outdoor.

So, we had it all, howling gales,fog, rain, freezing fog then everything else that could be thrown at us. We left at 8PM on Tuesday evening, with a plan to back here sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning, how wrong could we get.

The outcome is the Excel SA is home and in better condition than first expected. Pictures will follow later once we unwind from what I think is probably the worst drive of my life.

 

[Dan E]

Excellent effort John and doing that towing a trailer can't have been nice 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Sounds like hell John, glad you are home safe and sound with your prize intact!

Dave  

[C8RKH]

Pah! 

For God's sake. You're a man of the North. Not one of those metro soft southerners with their groomed beards and rugby collar turned up jessies...

I bet it was just like a walk in the park. A stroll amongst the trees. A meander through the meadow.

Good job all the same!

Now go and grab a Yorkie and a can of Tennants. You've earned it....

[johnpwalsh]

Andy, your getting confused in your senior years. Its Deep Fried Mars Bars and Iron Bru my friend. I did resort to a can of Red Bull, bloody disgusting stuff. Costa extra strong coffee work's fine for me.

The best part is when we got home the electrics were so soaked and covered in ice and snow that she would't start so we had to push her of the trailer. Typical bloody Lotus, don't you just love em.

 

[johnpwalsh]

On 1/6/2017 at 21:49, Bravo73 said:

Could http://www.coachtrimmer.co.uk/aboutus.aspx help you with the interior?

I have seen some of Nicks work which was carried out on a friend's S1. 100G no less and it was brilliant. Distance may be an issue for me though, so we have sourced a few local guy's who are expert's in vehicle interior restoration, leather being the most popular. One in particular, never advertises but specialises in RR restoration's and obviously does fantastic work. For paintwork I have a local guy who I have used for the past 10 year's and does a pretty good job. We now also have a tie in with MM Autospray in Purely. Michael, the proprietor and specialist is, a very particular guy and fussy is his byname. For example, if he were to do an Esprit, he demands the car for a minimum of three month's, he is used to working with glass fiber and understands the need for it too breath and properly cure between each process, hence his time requirements. So that kind of covers both ends of the country. We can have mechanical and paint work completed up here, or make recommendations for people further South safe in the knowledge that we will know the end product should be a perfect outcome. At the end of the day it will be down to budget and how far a customer wants to take it.

In the next day or two we will have confirmation of a very special car which is being repatriated from the States and if this one comes off then it will be a fantastic testament to what we should be able to achieve working with known specialist's in their own field to give a perfect result.

All will be revealed soon, and the story how this come about will be of a bit of a surprise to many, myself included.

[silverfrost]

Sounds very intresting..........you should be charging for the next instalment lol as i am hooked  already   Glad all is moving in the right direction, I have heard on the grape vine that Sir Roger Moore is your secret silent partner hence the global connections lol 

[johnpwalsh]

Cheer's Dan. The next installment will be an eye opener for sure with definite cosmopolitan and international connections which will involve one ocean, one sea, one channel, several nationalities and a fair few borders.

Remainder to be announced shortly.

But watch this space.

Oh, and it's white.

And I am excited.

Mr Connery, was that you that called. No, Oh it was you Timothy. Sorry, got to go.

 

John.

[oilmagnet477]

@johnpwalsh Found you - missed this thread from before so excited to read your news.

I'm well impressed - I wish you all the luck in the world mate.

Having been 'between jobs' myself since September, I've been looking at what I can do as a home based start up and you appear to have beaten me to it, not that I have the skills to offer the same level of services that you are.

I would however be glad to offer help with the development of a web site if it is of interest? PM me if you are interested.

Cheers and well done

[johnpwalsh]

This is my current project, an Excel SA, but by the end of the week I will be able to confirm a rather special one which will be coming from the States, so watch this space.

 The pics are the SA I am working on. I have spent a couple of ours on the engine bay removing 9 years of dust, cobwebs, and general gunk and a couple of hours on the interior, all looking good so far.

Next step is change all the fluids, hoses, belts, tires, service and carb tune up, then a brake overhaul and try for an MOT. Once that's completed she will be ready to go as a rolling restoration or take her to the next phase.

 

[johnpwalsh]

Well another fruitful day for LotusRescue. Went on a 6 hour round trip to collect a nice new windscreen for the SA, ( details will be added soon ) that's a step further on her restoration. While out we were asked to view what could be a nice 1985 wide body White Excel. This car has been part professionally striped in preparation for a full respray, but has stalled a bit due to more pressing project's and is now available for sale.

Everything is there and the shell is in pretty good condition with no obvious damage. The mechanics of the car were first class prior to the work being started, hence the reason for the respray, to bring her appearance up to as good as her mechanical condition. Any interest in this as an project half done for you.
PM me for further details. It will be at a keen price.

Well, this is the Nice Blue SA I picked up last week. Her story is that the father of the previous owner had bought her for his son's graduation. He then put the car into a garage in the London area for a full service and check over. The son graduated and then went off to the States for work and simply never came back to the UK. The car then sat in the garage for several years before being taken back home by the father. The car then sat in his garage until it was decided that it should be sold about a month ago. As far as I can tell it has been 9 years in storage, but in good dry conditions which is obvious going by the condition of the paint etc.
This is where I became involved, I made contact with the garage who had been entrusted with getting the car up running so that it was at least starting and subsequently sold. The car had suffered from a cracked windscreen and a few paint scars during her years of storage, and the usual roof cloth saga. I have had her up and running and in fact drove her onto the trailer to bring her home. The garage in London drove her round the block a couple of times before I picked her up, and she ran fine, other than a bit bumpy as the tires had flat spot's with sitting and the carbs were off as well as the petrol. The original keys and service books have been lost by the father which means I currently have the ignition lock disconnected to allow me to start her and move her when required, I have sourced a new lock assembly, I have also just sourced a NEW windscreen which I hope to collect tomorrow and will have fitted once I have everything else done as it will be far easier to fit the new roof lining with the screen out. My plan is then have her put through the MOT so that she is then a good option for a future buyer. My second option is to continue the restoration and have he paintwork seen too then put her back up for sale. She has one fairly big scratch on the rear offside quarter and some light crazing just above the front bumper, all simple fixes', the guy who does my paintwork is due to give me a quote for the work in the next day or two. The engine bay has been cleaned down as it had year's of dust etc on it and it can be clearly seen all the previous work had been carried out as all the gaskets can be seen as new with no oil residue etc on them, I have have given the interior a quick clean out and other than a couple of places on the bolsters of the front seats which are faded a little and two small areas at the back of the rear seats where the stitching has come undone, the interior is in pretty good condition in light Grey leather complimented by light Grey carpets, the carpet has the foot well section missing from the passenger side but is easily replaceable.
Recorded mileage is showing as just over 80k miles. Which I would say going by condition and evident wear would be correct.

[johnpwalsh]

Purchase confirmed by our client and shipping organised via Seakargo. Delivery due mid April.

But. The client is so happy with his purchase, he has now gone and bought a second S1 we sourced for him.

So here's the story on the White S1 coming from the States.

This 1978 Lotus Esprit Series I has been in the seller’s family for 25 years and was purchased in the early 1990s. The car was then upgraded by the seller’s father with fibre glass European bumpers, front spoiler extensions, and rear hatch louvers. Additionally, the seller’s father completed a full rebuild of the 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four around 15 years ago including a swap to twin Dellorto carburetors.
It has mostly sat since 2012 and is now offered as a running project with a spreadsheet covering parts purchases during the previous restoration and comes with a factory workshop manual.
Being a Series I car, this Esprit features the mostly uncluttered wedge design penned by Giugiaro. The body was completely re-sprayed in the early 1990s with the euro bumpers, front spoiler extensions, and rear hatch louvers were added by the seller’s father to give the car an updated, more-aggressive look.
In these photos, the body all look's good with some stone chips in the nose and bonnet, the rear windshield had minor scratches so was covered by the added louvers
The car was a frequent participant in Seattle’s All British Field Meet car show and has won 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place multiple times according to the seller.
14″ Wolfrace alloy wheels with factory Series I centre caps look to be in good condition. They are wrapped in older BF Goodrich Radial T/As with decent tread remaining, though will need replacement due to age.
Inside, the seats, door panels, and top of the instrument binnacle were reupholstered during the restoration, while the dashboard and carpeting are original. The 23,531 miles displayed on the odometer are close to accurate according to the seller, though the speedometer stopped working a few years ago. The car has been driven lees than an estimated 100 miles since.
The air conditioning system was not re-installed during the restoration process, but all related parts are included with the car.
The previous owner’s father was an active member of the local Lotus Car Club and a collector of other Lotus cars for many years. Around 15 years ago, he completed a full rebuild of the 2.0 liter n/a en gine including a change to the twin Dellorto carburetors.

 The surrounding engine bay carpeting and cover were recovered during the restoration.
Around four years ago, the engine developed a slight issue where it will reportedly start and run for hours, but once it is warmed up and at-speed, it struggles to achieve power and the revs drop. The previous owner has attempted to resolve the issue by removing and cleaning the carburetors, draining the gas tank and putting in new fuel, and replacing the in-line fuel filter.

So the work starts soon.

As for the second S1 in bright Yellow, I will post once I have all the details.

A double whammy for LotusRescue. Who could have predicted this 6 months ago.

 

[ramjet]

Hi John,

Maybe it's just me, but I am not much in the look of the lip spoiler on that. Just doesn't look right.