Esprit factory active suspension development car

[franjipane]

Tremendous car and what a project!

Sounds like you have the best contacts for the job already!  I have friends who have experience reverse engineering old chips and boards who may be able to help, give me a shout if needed. 

[Dan E]

Stuart, it is a massive task but also a very important one. Can I also vote you for garage of the year award

 

 

[hopo]

looks great. Interesting that it has Essex cam covers

[Loose Cannon]

Did it ever have the roof console? No doubt that was the first bit to go missing if it did!

[Stuart Monument]

I believe it did as no stereo slot in dash. Long gone I'm afraid. Lucky that the car is going back to period active look. So no worry about comps or stereo. I am on the look out for one tho as it's a nice thing to have l.!

[ramjet]

I was looking at all those wires into the front bonnet area, did they have just one box that looked after everything? What would it have been pilfered and used for? If it was dedicated to the suspension control program what else could it have been used for?

[stephenwhyte]

20 minutes ago, ramjet said:

What would it have been pilfered and used for? If it was dedicated to the suspension control program what else could it have been used for?

Probably in Senna's 99T that he used to win the Monaco GP in '87. If you look closely you can see it nestled away under at the back. 

Let's also be kind while we're here, and assume there was only one box.......and Nakajima never got one..

[Stuart Monument]

Joking aside I believe the guy who worked at team lotus has the original box so it may have been used in testing for the f1 car. Won't know for sure until the car is running again and it's time to get him to come and look to see what he can do. 

 

All a bit speculative at the moment .  The more people envolved from period will release yet more history . 

[swindon_alan]

2 hours ago, stephenwhyte said:

It is a bit worrying that he thought that he might crash on the right hand side and take the mirror out...

[RichardJGC]

Great to see this car in safe hands. Looking forward to seeing it progress as time allows.

Richard

[Steven162]

That is a great looking car. I used to walk passed it everyday when I worked upstairs, but I left 2 years ago. There is a story about the tailgate, I think its a new one made from a mold taken from another one, or something, I didn't take much notice at the time.

I also bought my car from Lotus, it too had a few pieces missing, main ones being the wiper arm and the service history

 

[Stuart Monument]

I think I might have a photo of your car if it's an ex development car. It might be in the work shop when they put this on display. I will see what I can dig out 

[Steven162]

1 hour ago, Stuart Monument said:

I think I might have a photo of your car if it's an ex development car. It might be in the work shop when they put this on display. I will see what I can dig out 

Hi Stuart, that would be good, my car is D779BCX, bought by Lotus in 2004 for development work and sold to me in Aug 2014. Greatest shame is they lost the owners manual and service history, although I have an email from Brian Angus saying it was with the car when they bought it. I looked for it as well as a few other people, it seems to have gone.

It had stood for 4 years when I bought it and was in a bit of a state, rear brakes stuck on, clutch stuck to flywheel, slave cylinder a rusty mess, rotten fuel pipes and carb diaphragms, cracked tyres and cracked belts. Its all good now, it passed its 3 MOT in my ownership on Monday!  

 

Steve

[swindon_alan]

Was the "development work" the factory suspension upgrade programme Steve? Interesting. A lot of of my accident repair parts came from the S4s to V8 dev + also suspension upgrade car but I didn't know that Lotus had bought older Esprit models for that work?

[Bibs]

They had @GordonMasson's 100G for about 5 years developing the suspension for earlier cars. Sadly due to money, it wasn't even ever finished. 

[Steven162]

9 minutes ago, swindon_alan said:

Was the "development work" the factory suspension upgrade programme Steve? Interesting. A lot of of my accident repair parts came from the S4s to V8 dev + also suspension upgrade car but I didn't know that Lotus had bought older Esprit models for that work?

Yes, suspension and tyre work. Google the reg. number, you will find a thread on here from 2006 about the car, and some other stuff about the suspension project. I believe it was also used for other things, developing alternative oil filter, starter motor, waste gate  etc.

[swindon_alan]

6 minutes ago, Bibs said:

They had @GordonMasson's 100G for about 5 years developing the suspension for earlier cars. Sadly due to money, it wasn't even ever finished. 

That is such a shame. I can't believe that. Projects like that should be end to end

[Stuart Monument]

Hi Steve,

 

PM'd you photo. Unfortunaltey it is only in the background.

 

[Steven162]

Cheers Stu, thats a good picture!

[RichardJGC]

1 hour ago, Steven162 said:

Hi Stuart, that would be good, my car is D779BCX, bought by Lotus in 2004 for development work and sold to me in Aug 2014. Greatest shame is they lost the owners manual and service history, although I have an email from Brian Angus saying it was with the car when they bought it. I looked for it as well as a few other people, it seems to have gone.

It had stood for 4 years when I bought it and was in a bit of a state, rear brakes stuck on, clutch stuck to flywheel, slave cylinder a rusty mess, rotten fuel pipes and carb diaphragms, cracked tyres and cracked belts. Its all good now, it passed its 3 MOT in my ownership on Monday!  

 

Steve

Steve

Nice photo of your Esprit on page 18 of Lotus Esprit - The Official Story (Jeremy Walton). A great read if you haven't already got it.

 

[Steven162]

Thank you. I actually have two copies of the book, I bought a brand new sealed one on eBay a few months ago for £30! and have another to read. The sealed one will stay sealed.

 

Edited December 22, 2016 by Bibs

[GordonMasson]

13 hours ago, Bibs said:

They had @GordonMasson's 100G for about 5 years developing the suspension for earlier cars. Sadly due to money, it wasn't even ever finished.

When we were at the “100 Esprit's Event” at Hethell, Brian asked if he could borrow 100G for a couple of months to do the suspension program for the S1 / S2's

The few months turned into 5 years and as Bibs says they got to the point where Lotus wouldn't commit to "pushing the button" and getting the springs and dampers manufactured as sales items. I am very fortunate to have the development set on my car. I remember seeing the Active Suspension car when I was visiting the factory once. It was through at the stair well and my car was in the reception. I'm not sure if I have any pictures of it from that visit but I will have a look. 

100G was used for various displays while it was there and also spent a period in the design studio, (apparently as a source of inspiration) and It was used as a backdrop when MJK retired. I also managed to get a few pics of it outside what used to be the front of the factory where the orange S1 was pictured. 

[PhilW]

Steven

 

Picture for you from 2012 sitting in the carpark at the front of the factory.  

[Steven162]

Thanks, I remember that. Danny insisted all cars in that row where lotus cars. Interesting it had a wiper at that time!

 

[Bibs]

No idea why that isn't the case now, used to look ace when you arrived.