The Lotus Grand Tourers

That will be nice with those vents blowing! . Is your plan to be able to rest your arm on it? That would be lovely

One step at a time.
First mission was to see if I could fit something and it look reasonable. I think that box is ticked, so for now, this particular project is going on the back burner.
Shame the vents are round. Not exactly in keeping with Oli's design concepts, but can't have everything - and I won't be sitting in the back to see them again anyway

Regarding resting my arm on it, would have been nice, but I think I'd need double jointed elbow and shoulder joints. We'll see just how far back it is when I refit things in the car. I'll post a picture when it's in, but don';t hold your breath.

Improvement opportunities : USB / Light in the box. I might think eventually of a way to move it forward and be OK as arm rest ( the rear and side trims I made will easily be modified. Challenge will be the front. Will probably need a bespoke gear lever gaiter, and the hand brake will need a cut out in the centre of the new Merc bit ) ---- But thats all for another day (or year).

Tony

From Brown to Gold
One panels still untreated. Pretty obvious which one. Even more noticeable in sunlight.



It's been a long slog to do it properly, but I'm very pleased with the results. Thats the drivers seat in the background ( the one with the big rip and very heavy wear).
The furniture clinic products are pretty damn good. Very impressed.
They matched the colour to a sample I took from under the centre console. It didn't look too different to the trim in the car on a small sample, but now I have a few panels resprayed and sealed, the difference is striking.
It is now a colour I could at least entertain as being called "Gold"

A lot of panels to go though
Tony

Great result! Looking forward to seeing it!

Pete

Looks really smart - nice job!

Tidy that B post up while it's off. Easier off.

Nice work, Tony. Much better colour.

Superb work - looking forward to seeing the completed interior.

Richard

Tidy that B post up while it's off.

Won't surprise you to know there's a plan in place.
It's going black leather for the time being ( as long as I can get the shape in where the seat belt fits). Might as well use what I have lying around.
Longer term, the roof lining all needs doing, so might change it back then, but that's for another year.

Tony

Oops. Went out to car yesterday to poke about a little, as you do, and next thing I know I'm holding the Offside C post and roof line trim in my hand. 10 minutes later, it's joined by the front roof trim and sun visors.

Really messy pieces that just can't be left so now definitely needing to do some work on the roof area.

Tidy that B post up while it's off.
Won't surprise you to know there's a plan in place.

So above plan of a black B post now might be changing.

Materials and colour. Now there's a dilemma

Tony

Materials and colour. Now there's a dilemma

Know that feeling, and I'm no interior decorator skilled bloke!

Neil

Pleased to report this winter project is now finally drawing to a close.
Typically, what started as an exercise to make the Dull brown leather a bit less monotonous, grew exponentially to include fully repair and recolouring of the leather, adding a few black highlights, replacing the headlining and a couple of custom mod's to the centre console.
A few before and after pictures, starting with the seat repair:




Good impression here of the roof lining:




And the revised centre console, courtesy of Mercedes:




And finally a general overview:


Tomorrow I'll take a couple of the dash area, but part of that's still in the airing cupboard tonight

All in all -- Well chuffed with the winters work.
Now what to do? - Oh, just remembered theres an Elite in the garage needing some TLC

Tony

Great work Tony - transformed!

Pete

Nice job. Added value!

A couple of pictures of the Dash re-work. I think it’s been previously commented that the Burr Elm dash was the thing to have back in the 80’s / 90’s, but is it really what the Excel needs today? Personally, I prefer a darker finish, particularly with all the black bits I’ve added, hence I’ve remade using a smoked oak veneer bought off Fleabay. Stuck to some 10mm MDF, quick run around with a router and then lacquer to hopefully provide a degree of durability. – and they are flat !!!!
Firstly where it all started:


And the revised:




The end of the journey? - Not really. Some may have noticed that the dash leather and the drivers door card are still a different colour!. Door card will be sorted in the next couple of weeks before LITP, but to do the dash properly, it needs to come out, so that’s on the back burner until next winter, along with other works like freeing up the heater controls etc. I also have to re-colour all the originals of the bits I’ve remade. Two pieces in this photo already done, just demonstrating once more the colour contrast.


One of my guiding principles was that this could all be easily reversed if I ever felt the need to return to standard. Who know’s, once the originals are recovered, I might even think there’s too much black and return a few items back to Gold. The circle of life with a Lotus.
Tony

Matches the overall colour scheme well, I think. Not sure it would have worked so well without the black leather highlights but definitely does with them.