Classics Monthly +2 Project "cop out"

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I have to express my dissapointment with the latest decision made with regarding to getting the Zetec +2 project completed "on time"
For the past 18 months I've specially bought that magazine & read the articles with interest.
There were times when Jeremy whasisname employed proffesional help; which in the majority of cases was also interesting in order to see how they tackled the jobs "properly?"
I never thought that I would be shelling out for more than 18 months, still see to that the project was not yet finished.
What has upset me most is that he has handed over the remaining work to Spyder at this (the nitty gritty) stage.
This is the stage where we all find the horrible problems of bits not fitting, missing,not working etc.
A specialist like Andy at Spyder will romp through it & so many points are sure to be missed out on, in the following article(s)
That's my grump over for the minute.
Well it is Monday

[mikealdren]

John,
I fully agree, it was a great opportunity to show the less obvious details that make all the difference but they have failed at every turn and there have been all sorts of things missed that I would expect a home builder to highlight - I wonder how much Gerry has actually done himself. He seems more interested in contacting and mentioning suppliers - does he get cheap parts this way I wonder?

A typical example is the brake master cylinder. We're all interested in which cylinder he used - did he consider dual circuit brakes. Looking at the photos in detail, I don't think he did. In that case, why did he mention using a Tilton cylinder and not just Andy's off the shelf item?

Mike

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I also wonder if at the end of the project there will be details of all of the costs involved.
To be fair, in the name of the Magazine & the publication of manes of the companies involved in the work, I doubt if the full price was paid for any of the services.
Regarding the brakes thing plus other points; maybe I should have written:-
"A specialist? like Andy"
TAXI!!

[r.agnew]

I couldn't agree more. Gerry says he turned over the work to Spyder so it could be finished "on time". On time for what , I wonder? A rebuild like this could easily take 18 months or more by part-time amateurs like most of us on this forum, even allowing for farming out stuff to specialists, so what's the hurry? He now says he has to incur the expense of using professionals to finish "on time", yet apparently because of that very expense, can't keep the car for his wife as originally intended, & has to sell it to recoup his costs!! If he did the work himself & saved that money, surely he would be able to keep it for her. But then again, maybe that's just my skewed logic !!

[gerrym]

All, Jerry with a J

GerryM

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I think I remember reading somewhere that "with a J"
was having some trouble with his Editors & mention was made of them saying
"oh no not the Lotus again"
or words to that effect.
I don't think it's scewed logic at all.
It's a "cop out" at all levels.
It seems like everybody concerned has lost interest & want to get "it" out of the way ASAP.
Just sorry I spent my money on all of those magazines
John

[Jason1]

Hi

I first bought this mag when I saw the +2 dragged out of the barn on the front cover and have been buying it since. I agree with you guys, every month is disapointing as the level of detail in how the different parts are completed is very low. It seems that this guy has done very little but farm it out and write a very brief desription on each part

I also buy Practical Classics which I subscribe to and will continue to, I think I'll leave the other mag on the shelf from now on.

Jason

[hatman]

Sorry if I'm going off at a tangent but, never having bought the magazine and being unaware till now of the +2 project, I'm wondering if 'Jerry' is the Jerry (Gerry?) Thurston who used to be part of The Salvage Squad on C4 TV - if so, getting cold feet half way through the job sounds entirely in keeping with the prima donna character demonstrated in past efforts.

[Alex]

Spend 5 mins reading it in Smiths while the wife is shopping

[robcall]

Sorry if I'm going off at a tangent but, never having bought the magazine and being unaware till now of the +2 project, I'm wondering if 'Jerry' is the Jerry (Gerry?) Thurston who used to be part of The Salvage Squad on C4 TV - if so, getting cold feet half way through the job sounds entirely in keeping with the prima donna character demonstrated in past efforts.

The same..

[tower of strength]

I have only bought a couple of the issues, the rest I've borrowed from a friend who is messing around with a piece of cheese (esprit). From my perspective each of the articles , with the exception of the first, have been superficial and shallow, nearly all of the jobs have been farmed out with very little real detail ending up in print, in fact i seem to recall some of the processes use non lotus parts for the actual procedure as dear old Jerry didn't attend.

I think a great opportunity has been missed with this project, it could have become THE plus 2 and Spyder reference book if all of the articles were published together. The open cheque book approach, sponsored by the publishers and subsidised or even free services/parts supplied is totally un realistic, the end product will be a customised/modified/non original Plus 2 that would have cost the thick end of ?40K for any one else to achieve, christ! a restored Fezza 308 GTS/B isn't worth that!

A subtly modded and restored car would have been better in my opinion......I like the idea of throttle bodies and engine management on a twink and I'm not sure the "off roader" stance of the spyder(it looks like an Audi all road or volvo XC90 set up to me) suits the car, loosing the looks, the suspension geometry and the engine is just too far removed from the real thing for me.

a wasted oportunity and a sign, I think, of the consumable "want it yesterday" attitude of todays society.



RANT OVER!!!

Mark

[now....where did I leave my coat?!!]

[gordonlund]

I have bought a few copies of the same mag for Jerries articles on the +2 and thought he was dragging it out to sell more mags. I only bought the ones that interested me and have now lost interest. Parhaps he thought he would get most of the work done for nothing and all he had to do was take photos. Welcome to the real world. It took me 4 years to rebuild my Sprint from a basket case and my +2 has always been a running restoration (longest period off the road 18 months for the respray and another 12 months for a chassis change) OK like the rest of us I work for living. Done properly, part time it takes a long time.

If you are well off and retired with nothing else to do, that's another matter. If only.

Gordon