New member - new owner

[Alan_M]

Good to hear things are getting back to normal and your wife recovering.

I repaired my beams by welding in new metal. If I recall it was about 1.6 mm thick.

One things for sure, if you have an Excel, you have a list. Good luck in progressing yours.

[Pete Boole]

The single fan in the SE is from a Toyota - above the passenger foot well. Does it work at any of the speeds?

I quite like the MG F seats or the Toyota MR2 - both fairly simple designs if you go for the right year.

Pete

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

And that was the weekend gone.............where I managed to achieve..................absolutely nothing on the Lotus. Sometimes you just have to accept defeat and look forwards.

We've realised that the wife isn't quite up to a full day's activity - that as much as she wants to carry on as if nothing has happened and get on with life.....right now she's not in a position to do so ..........which meant I had to carry more of the load on Saturday (in terms of the kids/cooking/sorting out our own sheep etc).

And then yesterday my son (16 last week) and I had agreed to help move some sheep for our cousins........and things went awry when the ram got out. Disaster. my son tracked him for nearly 2 miles (not trying to catch it just keep an eye on it and report in so we could corral him somewhere and then get him back into the field) - that sounds easy for a 16 year old but bear in mind he was in full water proof overalls/gear and wellies and that was a hell of a thing to do tbh. Running in wellies sorts the men from the boys, especially over fields and especially when there's no end in sight - you've got to catch the ram come what may. With it getting dark, things took on an urgency (our cousin is surrounded by farms full of sheep - we're surrounded by big dairy farms whom only use the fields to spread slurry and cut the grass for silage for the cows - so less of a concern if ours got out - anything that gets out, but particularly male, needs to be caught and caught quick).

When we finally cornered him (bear in mind he's 75kg and aggressive when cornered) I ended up rugby tackling him as he made a bid for freedom through the makeshift hurdles we'd set up to try to get him into the livestock trailer. He kindly dragged me 5 yards (bucking like no tomorrow) and then bucked me into the wheel of the nearest 4x4 we'd used to put him off a particular route of escape as a thank you for not letting go! I'm now feeling it this morning.......... My son is up and fine and dandy and can't understand why I'm groaning every time I pick my cup of coffee up!! oh to be young again.

Anyhoo.....all's well that ends well and we got him back to where he was meant to be..............thing is, that took over 5 hours all in so pretty much the entire day was lost.......and I was too done in to work on the car in the evening if i'm honest.

And the Lotus continues to sulk in the corner of the shed.......

'Til next week's update then!

[rbgosling]

These weekends happen! Sounds like you had quite an adventure anyway - when the soreness is gone you'll look back on it and laugh.

Fingers crossed you get a few minutes on the car next weekend... and also, of course, that your wife's recovery continues well.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Quick update; PNM have delivered back my waterpump (and have done a really good job too - v v impressed). And I've also bought a used window frame off ebay aswell.

I'm still trying to find the time to get the dashboard out.......mucking about with the binnacle at the moment..........does that come out with the dashboard or separately.

It's the one bit of the car I'm really not confident with/about tbh.

Other than that I've not done a great deal but I've been helping my son lamb his flock of sheep so had my hands full.......

Hope everyone is keeping ok.

[rbgosling]

I'm still trying to find the time to get the dashboard out.......mucking about with the binnacle at the moment..........does that come out with the dashboard or separately.

It's the one bit of the car I'm really not confident with/about tbh.

Check out my recent experience removing the dash at the NEC Resto Show. Hopefully this covers all you'll need to know, but do ask if anything isn't clear, or you need advice as you go along!

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Just to say a big thumbs up to Sheep Farmers.
I've lived in Swaledale for 37 years to-date and have developed huge respect for the hill farmers here. Would not want to see them disappear ..and I've been a veggie for 32 or those 37 years. I do still miss my dead mum's Sunday lamb with mint sauce mind you 🫕 .

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Thanks for your kind words - been offline again for a week or so..........combination of a friend buying an austin sprite (and the clutch giving up 5 miles after he bought it up in Aberystwyth) so my Lotus work took a step back so we could get the engine out and clutch changed on that first.

Such a cute, fun, car. 20hp i think? (same engine as in a massey ferguson tf20 if I'm not mistaken?) But anyway - a fun car to work on and looks alot cheaper to run than the excel too (but don't tell him but I prefer my excel....!)

Things, on mine are starting to come together. Lots of work (that I'm going to detail) are about to commence with the passenger door frame , engine, interior and some stuff underneath all happening.

Wondering if I can soak the leather of the dash in stuff they use on horses saddles to get the suppleness back - taking the dash out to sort that just feels like a long way around and if there's a way of doing it all in situ - would much rather do that. also need to test the internal air circulation too (heater/fans etc etc).

Oh and has anyone used shower sealant to seal the running strip underneath the windowscreen? Or sikaflex or something? Previous owner has used electrician's tape (which i'm surprised is still sticking down) but surely that's not the Lotus factory solution? Advice appreciated.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

For such a simple car she doesn't half like to fight you. I'm ready to put the engine back together........but before I do that I need to change the two marine-ply crash structures (got everything for them, good to go) but in order to change them I've got to get the U-shaped cover off (with the horns attached)..........but the nuts are rusted. So nut splitter I feel is the only option.

Once I've done the crash structures it's on to the new radiator then put the water pump back on, the new fuel pump on, get the engine started, pop a couple of exhaust nuts on that are missing, run her up, see if the engine's ok and then work will start in earnest on the interior.

I'm going to go with 205/50/15's I think for the moment - budgetary constraints mean I can't quite get the 215/50/15's for the correct factory OE spec.

I've got the lights back together - although they needed fettling - went with Landrover internals (far cheaper and I just didn't feel the Lotus OE gave a substantial uplift in a solution compared to the £ saved with going with landrover innards.

I just want to drive her and get her out. Oh. And I've got one final thing to buy (well, two actually but a bit of pipe for the exhaust doesn't count in my eyes.....!) and that's the seat belt bit of metal that goes under the car, drivers side. Not sure what you call it but Lotusbits stock them from memory.

I've also been looking to see if there are any OE brake upgrades - looking at toyota celica ra61 upgrades in america etc etc.........but not having much luck on that front and I'm not going down the PNM route (yet) for the moment. If I had that much spare I'd throw it at a set of OE tyres of course. I don't think the brake discs came off an RA61 (the calipers did) however. Still spending far more time than I should on that, whiling away time at night on the Lotus, as usual.

I've managed to re-route the choke cable back through the cabin and out to the carbs - that I inadvertently pulled the stopper-end off - I didn't even tug it hard but there we go - which is a small job done.

I've also got get the tank out .......but that's a two man job I've found out to get to the nuts - to fix the stuck fuel level sensor (or float?). But again - total nightmare to do.

Onwards!

[bash]

Ive gone 205/55 r15, same rolling rad as 215 and the deeper sidewall gives a better ride, and, almost same price as 205.
Bash

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I've gone to the darker MRCOOLA side.

I have a set of 4 new 215 45 15 Toyos from Camskills waiting to be fitted - £200 for 4 inc delivery.

Earlier this year, I bought a suite of very basic tyre fitting / balancing equipment, so I can fit them at home. Fitted a few tyres now and, so far, quite easy and convenient to do at home.

Will post pictures of process/equipment after I've fitted them. Hopefully Jerry was right about the 45 profile ...

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

I've looked at that option too (215 45 15) but was concerned that perhaps the slightly smaller sidewall would have a disproportionate effect on the ride. Be v interested to hear your thoughts.

I'd also looked at 205 55 15's (and even 195 55 15's) but thought there was more choice at 205 50 (and yep, cheaper too!). I know I shouldn't skimp at such an important piece of equipment but I've got the feeling there's a lot more to be spent yet.

In other news - have done everything I can to put off taking the dash out and I've also bought a passenger-door frame (2nd hand one) too as the door frame needs fettling/changing.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Morning everyone..................progress is quietly being made. It's all centred around the crash boards this last 4 weeks or so. I've made my own (by using the one good one as a template - even though much of the lower element was missing. I simply started out with too much board and cut/offer up/cut/offer up etc etc until I'd got there.) I had some 7mm marine ply lying around from another job so was able to save costs.

I then sealed it, varnished it, painted it (each board) and once it's in will use some german waxoyl stuff to protect it too. That'll be done over the next 10 days or so, which means I can then put the new radiator in, put all the gubbins back (that I had to take off to get to the Boards in the first place (the horns work.....) and then I can get my man to fit the new waterpump (refurbed by PNM - excellent service, nice bloke - forget whom I spoke to on the phone), then it's fit new fuel pump, put all the electrics in the dash back (another story) and ............eventually start the engine.

I know it works (had it running for about 90secs before I bought it but the waterpump was knackered and we didn't want to risk it any longer than that) but I'd like to get it running an then I can concentrate on the interior - much of it was taken out to fit a new roof lining.........but I'm not happy with it.................but contemplating just putting it all back to together - it's serviceable after all - and then get an mot. Major milestone if I do that.

Needs 4 tyres, the wheels refurbing, I'm sure a light's gone in the rear lights (bumper off?) and the boot interior linings need some love (which I can do).

Oh. and the passenger door needs major work too. And the dash itself.............

Lots to do.

[rbgosling]

Rear lights are easily accessible from inside the boot - no major disassembly there at least!

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

And so.............progress has been a tad quiet recently but stuff is definitely happening. It's been too cold to fibreglass the crash boards in (in my opinion - might be wrong) but there's better weather this week so that's the plan. Then i can get the new radiator in - there's a bit of fettling to do to the new one (old tabs off existing radiator on to new rdiator) and then we can button up the rest of the front end - install the light pods (I've changed the lights) and then move on to the engine and get it started and running (after refurbed waterpump is fitted).

Once that's done I'll tackle the passenger door. Don't want to tackle that until I know the engine works (we've had it running - I know it works but.........I still want to see it run for more than 90 seconds...........).

Just a couple of images for you - the eagle-eyed of you will note the bottom lip is missing - there's a crack in it so that needs sorting with some fibreglass matting too.

Oh - and need more chicken wire for the bits of wire that are missing!

She needs new tyres, alloys refurbed, suspension going through (lots of rubber bits need doing and I'm pretty sure the dampers are shot on the front, definitely on the back) and brakes too (both discs and pads), plus the interior needs sorting and I'm not happy with some of the bits in the boot too (and the fuel level in the tank isn't working right but what a hassle getting the tank out - two person job to get the nuts loose?) and the rear passenger seatbelt metal thing is terrible and needs replacing - another phaff getting that off - nut looks like it winds out from inside?..............But.....I'm getting there!

Going to stick to OE sizes for the moment (autodoc have them for about £20 - the discs) and as there's no rush on them might buy them now and let the slow boat from....Germany bring them over.





Excuse the mess - There's a lot going on in that shed.............!

Take care everyone - weird times at the moment - look after yourselves.