The Lotus Grand Tourers

I have been watching the series of videos put on Youtube by Neil Donaldson. Apart from personal opinion about his approaches to restoration I would draw attention to methods for jacking up the Excel and the need to ensure jacking under the body where it is vital to locate the jack under the body pil...

I have recently bought a high torque starter motor from SJS and fitted it including removing the Air Box for better access. When replacing the air box I could not clamp the outer half (filter holder) to the inner half as the lower left hand clamp was obstructed by the new starter motor. I have found...

The way to check if there is a difference or not between LHD and RHD mirrors is to sit in the passenger seat of a RHD, in a seat position similar to the drivers seat and (with a mate) operate the electric position control of the left door mirror and see if you get sufficient adjustment for rear view...

Question?
What is the difference between LHD and RHD mirrors?

Dave the cog.

The Excel body section top half was moulded with formwork on both sides of the fibreglass resulting in a smooth upper surface. To acheive the same smoothness on a new roof panel you need to cast on a mould placed upside down. To make the mould you need a very good friend with a non sunroof Excel. Pe...

Very hard to find. There are very few LHD Excels. none went to the USA (as new purchase). Let me know when you get one. These days you can computer copy a LHD Binnacle, change to LHD, and make a plastic mould for making the fibreglass binnacle If you have a RHD car and changeing to LHD you will also...

I have installed a d shape rubber seal on the u part of the door window frame. This helps seal the gap between window frame and body. Also I have filled with silicone (black of course) the area of door frame just behind the hinge to stop water running down the frame and into a leaky area. I would ad...

I have Lucas electric headlamp lift motors in my 85 Excel. A couple of months ago I had lifted the bonnet for some sort of job and did not close it fully. I then happened to work the headlights and did not notice the RH headlamp had not closed completely as it fouled the bonnet. The next morning I f...

The Butcher claims that the fibreglass roof was disintegrating, this will be the first time I have heard of fibreglass collapsing. If this really is the case the Butcher should scrap the lot as the only thing left after his ignorant hatchet excercise is the bottom half of the fibreglass body. We als...

The Yellow Elite should be declared by the Forum to be a very dangerous bodyshell and and in no way can it be compared with the Esprit configuration. The windscreen in an accident would guarantee the death of the driver by decapitation, assuming with an engine fitted it actually would not collapse b...

I strongly recommend you obtain the book How to Build and Power Tune Weber and Dellorto Carburettors by Des Hammil, Publishers Veloce Publishing. You can then see if you decide to do the rebuild yourself. It is always very gratifying and you will get a deep knowledge of how carbs work. One of the mo...

Hi KiwiPom I have a 1985 Excel LC with 15 inch wheels. I t has black saddle type cam covers, single coolant expansion tanks, no vacuum diaphragm distributor, no Air Conditioning (saves 8HP) and plain black instrument panel, all exactly as Colin Chapman intended. It is RHD on Spanish Historic plates,...

I wonder how this butcher intends to insure this wreck.
I do not think he will even get to drive it out of his yard without turning it into a bent banana!
Has he checked yet the possible rust on the centre part of the chassis (Sub-frame separator)?

Dave the cog.

It seems the biggest threat to this Elite is the new owner. He assumes the fibreglass bodyshell has no inherent strength and the steel chassis provides all the body rigidity. 2000 pounds for a Lotus chassis wil be the bait for very much more expense. The next episode will be at best interesting, sad...

Just for the book, the 85 LC distributor does not have vacuum advance.
My Excel goes fine without vacuum advance.

Dave the cog.