New Member
Moderator: Board Moderators
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
New Member
Hi all
My name is Kemal and I am the proud owner of a 1987 Red Lotus Excel SE. My intention over the next 6 months is to restore the car to my taste whilst still being honest to the original. I live in the Gold Coast, Queensland OZ which allows for the car to be used as a daily driver. Having owned predominantly Aussie muscle cars with larege inline 6's or V8's its going to be an interesting learning experience for me to understand this high revving 4 cylinder, fibreglass bodied car.
Any assistance with where to get trim for the interior would be much appreciated as would extracting as much out oh this 2.2lt. I was thinking headers and stainless exhaust, cam - not sure if anyone has info on stroking the 2.2
DOC711
My name is Kemal and I am the proud owner of a 1987 Red Lotus Excel SE. My intention over the next 6 months is to restore the car to my taste whilst still being honest to the original. I live in the Gold Coast, Queensland OZ which allows for the car to be used as a daily driver. Having owned predominantly Aussie muscle cars with larege inline 6's or V8's its going to be an interesting learning experience for me to understand this high revving 4 cylinder, fibreglass bodied car.
Any assistance with where to get trim for the interior would be much appreciated as would extracting as much out oh this 2.2lt. I was thinking headers and stainless exhaust, cam - not sure if anyone has info on stroking the 2.2
DOC711
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- Senior Poster
- Posts: 3711
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
- Model: Elite
- Colour: Monaco White
- Year: 1974
- Location: Nottingham
Re: New Member
Welcome to the forum Kemal! Take a look at LotusBits website - there is a section about tuning the 900 series engines. It's the torque you will miss most! I'm hoping to gain more with a blower bolted onto mine. Any photos of your car? Nice and sunny there at the moment?
Pete
Pete
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
- Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
- Colour: Metalic Blue
- Year: 1974
- Location: Northampton
Re: New Member
Welcome Kemal.
I'll second Pete's suggestion of looking into the Lotusbits web site. Mike (who's business it) is has been extracting more power from the engines for many years.
No point in re-inventing the wheel.
You'll find plenty of support here on the site, but there can't be too many Excels in Oz, so I don't envy you trim parts searches. You are well placed for the parts from the Toyota parts bin though.
Tony
I'll second Pete's suggestion of looking into the Lotusbits web site. Mike (who's business it) is has been extracting more power from the engines for many years.
No point in re-inventing the wheel.
You'll find plenty of support here on the site, but there can't be too many Excels in Oz, so I don't envy you trim parts searches. You are well placed for the parts from the Toyota parts bin though.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.
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- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2196
- Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 20:01
- Model: SE x2 + Celebration x2
- Colour: Gold,blue and green
- Year: 1987
- Location: Norwich
Re: New Member
Hi Kemal, welcome both to the forum and to Lotus ownership.
I'll echo what others have said about how to get power, Lotusbits and others have shown the best way to get power is to start with gas-flowing the head, from there on it's then down to bigger crank stroke via a custom crank but yes all options need a decent free-flowing exhaust (Manifold is the biggest single restriction but ideally do as you've said and all through from headers to tail pipe).
As Pete says, you'll miss the torque, but to put that another way, you will need to get used to the idea that this engine only comes alive over 4k, and will run happily to 7k. Also, this isn't about out and out power, it's about the ability to manoeuvre without having to shed a lot of that speed, so not for doing a fast run to another part of Australia, but for any twisty roads/ junctions etc.
Have fun.
Andy
I'll echo what others have said about how to get power, Lotusbits and others have shown the best way to get power is to start with gas-flowing the head, from there on it's then down to bigger crank stroke via a custom crank but yes all options need a decent free-flowing exhaust (Manifold is the biggest single restriction but ideally do as you've said and all through from headers to tail pipe).
As Pete says, you'll miss the torque, but to put that another way, you will need to get used to the idea that this engine only comes alive over 4k, and will run happily to 7k. Also, this isn't about out and out power, it's about the ability to manoeuvre without having to shed a lot of that speed, so not for doing a fast run to another part of Australia, but for any twisty roads/ junctions etc.
Have fun.
Andy
- DavidOliver
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 688
- Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:18
- Model: Excel
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1985
- Location: Malaga Spain
Re: New Member
Hi Kemal, welcome to this very friendly Forum.
The Lotusbits document is titled Improving the Elite, Eclat and Excel, November 2007, 47 pages
and well worth finding.
Here in Europe we find Woolies a good supplier for interiors, postage to OZ may not be prohibitive.
Did you know that later Excels have OZ wheels? Could be an eye-catcher for you.
Dave the cog.
The Lotusbits document is titled Improving the Elite, Eclat and Excel, November 2007, 47 pages
and well worth finding.
Here in Europe we find Woolies a good supplier for interiors, postage to OZ may not be prohibitive.
Did you know that later Excels have OZ wheels? Could be an eye-catcher for you.
Dave the cog.
- Hawaiis0
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4130
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: New Member
Welcome Kemal, 6 months eh?
Clocks ticking
LotusBits have a 2.5 litre crank conversion kit which might interest you
Stu
Clocks ticking
LotusBits have a 2.5 litre crank conversion kit which might interest you
Stu
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll put up some photos shortly.
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 10:17
- Model: se
- Colour: red
- Year: 1991
- Location: manchester
Re: New Member
Hello Kemal,
I came across this site a while back, they may be a bit closer to home for you.
cheers, ian.
https://lotusmarques.com
I came across this site a while back, they may be a bit closer to home for you.
cheers, ian.
https://lotusmarques.com
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Thanks mate, I've had a look and they do have some good stuff. Really keen on the stroker option but can't seem to be able to download the info from lotusbits.ianhateswork wrote: ↑Sun Jan 03, 2021 10:35Hello Kemal,
I came across this site a while back, they may be a bit closer to home for you.
cheers, ian.
https://lotusmarques.com
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Yeah mate, clock certainly is ticking. I have a 1971 Valiant VG Hardtop Pacer that is in at the panel n paint shop which I am expecting back in July, so I really need to be done by then.
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Cheers Dave, seems to be a very helpful bunch. I really do appreciate everyones help.DavidOliver wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:40Hi Kemal, welcome to this very friendly Forum.
The Lotusbits document is titled Improving the Elite, Eclat and Excel, November 2007, 47 pages
and well worth finding.
Here in Europe we find Woolies a good supplier for interiors, postage to OZ may not be prohibitive.
Did you know that later Excels have OZ wheels? Could be an eye-catcher for you.
Dave the cog.
Mate i have tried to download the info from lotusbits but it keeps going to a bad link page. Don't suppose you or any of the others might have a copy?
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Cheers Andy,AndyC wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 09:27Hi Kemal, welcome both to the forum and to Lotus ownership.
I'll echo what others have said about how to get power, Lotusbits and others have shown the best way to get power is to start with gas-flowing the head, from there on it's then down to bigger crank stroke via a custom crank but yes all options need a decent free-flowing exhaust (Manifold is the biggest single restriction but ideally do as you've said and all through from headers to tail pipe).
As Pete says, you'll miss the torque, but to put that another way, you will need to get used to the idea that this engine only comes alive over 4k, and will run happily to 7k. Also, this isn't about out and out power, it's about the ability to manoeuvre without having to shed a lot of that speed, so not for doing a fast run to another part of Australia, but for any twisty roads/ junctions etc.
Have fun.
Andy
I have booked it in to get a 2.5 inch Stainless system, with headers/extractors. I'll have twin pipes coming out of the back.
Yeah your right about the twisty bits, it is definitely the best handling car I have owned and that includes any of the new stuff.
looking forward to getting the most out of this.
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Sure is Pete, weathers been very kind to us.Pete Boole wrote: ↑Wed Dec 30, 2020 23:17Welcome to the forum Kemal! Take a look at LotusBits website - there is a section about tuning the 900 series engines. It's the torque you will miss most! I'm hoping to gain more with a blower bolted onto mine. Any photos of your car? Nice and sunny there at the moment?
Pete
Mate I would love to know what you are doing with the blower and the kind of mods you would have to do. Are the rest of the package ie Gearbox, brakes, diff able to handle it?
- ChrisJ
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 22:52
- Model: Excel SE
- Colour: White
- Year: 1989
- Location: Hertfordshire
Re: New Member
For the LotusBits document - use the wayback machine, I've found it at this address
http://web.archive.org/web/201807140104 ... _lotus.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/201807140104 ... _lotus.pdf
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- Junior Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:44
- Model: Exce SE
- Colour: Calypso Red
- Year: 1987
- Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Re: New Member
Thank you so much Chris!!ChrisJ wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 09:05For the LotusBits document - use the wayback machine, I've found it at this address
http://web.archive.org/web/201807140104 ... _lotus.pdf
Looks like Cam,Head,Exhaust first up and see where to go from there......