The Lotus Grand Tourers

jeff.fenton wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 13, 2024 16:26

Mine just pulled off the sticky pad after I had removed the screws (3?) through the base plinth into the chassis/floorpan. Maybe I was just lucky. Jeff.

D'oh!

There's SCREWS!!??

THAT must be why mine won't pull off!

jeff.fenton wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 12, 2024 14:31

Now several members have the model, I have a question. Do the small metal plaques underneath, in my case 001/120, refer to 120 in green plus 120 in red, or 120 total? My daughter is convinced mine is the first off the line, but I couldn't be that lucky? Also is the red one registered the same F135RPL, as the green, is this a currently registered car? Jeff.

Is yours the green one Jeff? My red one is 1/120 of the reds (presumably). if so it looks like there are 120 of each. Otherwise it sounds like some funny business is going on!

The red one comes as reg G296DPE, which shows as being an actual red Excel, currently MOT'd but on SORN.

if so it looks like there are 120 of each. Otherwise it sounds like some funny business is going on!

Yep : Funny business at play.

I didn't pre order, but prompted by the thread I decided to invest in a red one. Turned up today and very pleased with it, but it is 1 of 120 !!!! The detail even extends to a "flat" on the tyres so it would look like it's standing with some weight on it. Intentional or not ? I don't know.

The other thing I see is a noticeable raised symmetrical profile in the roof. You need to get the light reflecting right to see it, but if it is like it in the actual car, I've never noticed it. But then my cars roof has poor paint and lacquer issues so I don't get reflections from it.

Tony

MetBlue wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 18, 2024 22:58

Yep : Funny business at play.

I didn't pre order, but prompted by the thread I decided to invest in a red one. Turned up today and very pleased with it, but it is 1 of 120 !!!! The detail even extends to a "flat" on the tyres so it would look like it's standing with some weight on it. Intentional or not ? I don't know.

The other thing I see is a noticeable raised symmetrical profile in the roof. You need to get the light reflecting right to see it, but if it is like it in the actual car, I've never noticed it. But then my cars roof has poor paint and lacquer issues so I don't get reflections from it.

Tony

I must check to see if mine is also 1 of 120. It's getting as bad as the provenance certificates, 1 of 1 with this colour, that trim & a fart from big Geoff who cleans the windows at Hethel.

Noticed the profile on the roof also Tony, no such profile on the real thing, on mine anyway. Wonder why it's in the model

Dwayne

Thanks for the helpful replies, noticed the slight hump in the roof, wondered if it was deliberate to give some strength to a large thin flat(ish) panel made of resin? There isn't one on the Sunbeam. also resin, but that has a more rounded profile. Jeff.

I've got a few models (mainly Lotus) and I bought one of these as well in red and it seems like a nice model.

Like everybody else I've got the raised hump on the back of the roof although I didn't notice it until I read Tony's post. Also like everyone else I've no idea why it's there!

Mine also says "001 of 120" so I guess it just means 1 out of 120 and not number 001 in the production run.

I find it interesting that they chose to use real UK cars for their number plates so I had a quick look around to see if I could find out more info.

The red one - G296 DPE - comes up with a hit on classiccars.co.uk where it was for sale with 68k miles at £10k. Not sure when the advert dates from though - I'd guess at about 15 years ago. Also comes up on flickr dated 2016 with a Haydon Cars (dealer based in Lymington) sticker on it.

The green one - F135 RPL - is actually an SA, whereas the model version clealrly is not. It belongs to Will49 on this forum - there's a thread about it here: https://lotusexcel.net/viewtopic.php?p=104897. He could probably telll us more about its history.

One thing I notice is that both F135 RPL and G296 DPE have different rear badging from the model (and from each other) - see pic. Did Lotus change around the badges on the Excel at the back a lot through the years, there seems to be quite a few variations?

The rear badges on the models are correct, that's how the real cars left the Lotus factory.

It seems over the years owners reposition the badges and sometimes add a round Lotus badge. On my car I moved the Lotus script badge from the centre of the rear bumper where it looks out of place and vulnerable to a more obvious position on the nearside rear just above the rear lamp so that it matches the Excel badge on the offside.

KevW wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 21, 2024 20:25

The rear badges on the models are correct, that's how the real cars left the Lotus factory.

It seems over the years owners reposition the badges and sometimes add a round Lotus badge. On my car I moved the Lotus script badge from the centre of the rear bumper where it looks out of place and vulnerable to a more obvious position on the nearside rear just above the rear lamp so that it matches the Excel badge on the offside.

Kev. That's what I did too

Hi guys well I’m returning mine as I am not accepting rejects at any price. £400 pounds for both and you cannot correct the issue with the badges with out brakeing the models. Not happy at all.

Well after much procrastination I've decided not to take my model apart to paint it in the same colour as my real Excel. The model is clearly not designed to be taken to bits and after paying £146 for it I'd rather have an unbroken red one than a damaged blue one. I did run a little diluted Humbrol matt black into the panel openings to give them a more realistic appearance though.