What did you do to your Lotus today...

Post by: **vstibbard** » Wed Mar 13, 2019 12:26 pm

From what i've seen I think its Bourne made body's one bolt and lotus made 2... basis for this is I've seen early S1 shells with 1 and late S1's with 2 and all S2 with 2

Post by: **Quart Meg Miles** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:29 pm

I torqued down the head again and changed the oil and filter to flush out any vestiges of coolant (following my diesel incident) and it started on the button and drove perfectly

In October, following the head gasket failing from diesel use, I had had the head skimmed (0.004") and changed my usual assembly method: I coated the bottom of the gasket and the top of the block with Wellseal and fitted them together, dropping the dry head on for a few minutes to bond them. Then I removed the head and coated it and the top of the gasket, dropped the head on and bolted it up normally. The 4-branch manifold fitted easily when in two pieces and I fitted and sealed the whole exhaust system. Etc

It was a few days before I got round to starting it, which let the exhaust filler set hard, and in 500 miles since then there have been no exhaust leaks and no coolant leaks (which had been chronic). So after the retorque it is ready for trouble-free motoring again. Watch this space!

Post by: **elansprint71** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:20 pm

Got my Sprint back on the road after changing the clutch slave cylinder (horrible job with a Spyder chassis, exhaust off, etc). Great to be driving it for the first time in 2019- roof off, of course.

Post by: **Mazzini** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 7:09 pm

Drove my Sprint with the roof down in summer of February 2019...very strange.

elansprint71 wrote:Got my Sprint back on the road after changing the clutch slave cylinder (horrible job with a Spyder chassis, exhaust off, etc). Great to be driving it for the first time in 2019- roof off, of course.

Post by: **mark030358** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 7:01 pm

Not today, but last month... and not the Sprint...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4mWhJdVEg

Cheers

Post by: **paddy** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:25 pm

Took part in the Absolute Lotus Elan group test, due to be in the issue in a couple of weeks' time:

It was a 250 mile round trip, all on motorways. The only drama was when the throttle stuck open for about 30s as a result of the spring working loose and getting caught on the side of the carb. It freed itself just as I was about to kill the ignition.

Paddy

Post by: **elansprint71** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:59 pm

mark030358 wrote:Not today, but last month... and not the Sprint...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4mWhJdVEg

Cheers

And not in the right place. :twisted:

Post by: **elansprint71** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:01 pm

I went out for another little half-hour drive, to see if anything was falling off... clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight but... after five minutes it was raining (not enough to put the roof up). Ah; the joys of a maritime climate. :roll:

Post by: **elansprint71** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:03 pm

paddy wrote:Took part in the Absolute Lotus Elan group test, due to be in the issue in a couple of weeks' time:

chateau-impney.jpg

It was a 250 mile round trip, all on motorways. The only drama was when the throttle stuck open for about 30s as a result of the spring working loose and getting caught on the side of the carb. It freed itself just as I was about to kill the ignition.

Paddy

Did they have a fixed-head Elan in the absolute group?

Post by: **paddy** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:07 pm

elansprint71 wrote:Did they have a fixed-head Elan in the absolute group?

No

Paddy

Post by: **elansprint71** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:32 pm

paddy wrote:
elansprint71 wrote:Did they have a fixed-head Elan in the absolute group?

No

Paddy

Not "absolute" then? :twisted:

I bumped into these people at Race Retro, introduced myself as a Lotus owner and professional Motor-sports photographer since 1970; said that I might have a couple of interesting "snaps" for them (didn't try to sell them anything). They tried to sign me up for a subscription!
At Christopher Neil today I flicked through a copy of the magazine and saw a very famous photograph (not one of mine) described as "archive". Presumably the Copyright Lawyers will take them out of business... in due course? That is if anyone gives a flying shite about theft of property these days. :roll:

Post by: **mark030358** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 1:08 pm

elansprint71 wrote:
mark030358 wrote:Not today, but last month... and not the Sprint...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4mWhJdVEg

Cheers

And not in the right place.

Sorry Pete

Post by: **david.g.chapman** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:06 pm

Yesterday I changed the oil in my +2 (more Halfords classic 20/50) and put a new clutch slave cylinder in. My old one had lasted 18 years and 60000 miles, with several seal kits replaced. I had tried to refinish the old cylinder bore but the fluid was still turning black - and was starting to leak out again.

So now the fluid is clear. Hopefully it will stay that way! My wife and I are off in the +2 to Shrewsbury from Essex on April 1st on our spring break. Let's hope the date doesn't mean anything!

Dave Chapman.