The Lotus Grand Tourers

Ah, spare time, beer, sun, plays tricks, that how my 'Europa / Esprit / V8' got conceived... 15 years and some considerable £'s later...all done, no regrets

Andy

Good news Tony - crack on!

Pete

MetBlue wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 09:22 Been away on holiday the last week. Time for some serious thinking.
This could turn out to be a pretty expensive holiday.

You can’t leave us in suspense - spill the beans!!


Ps
Hope the wedding has all gone off well and worth missing Hinckley show for !!

You can’t leave us in suspense - spill the beans!!

. I can .
Give me a few more days for a bit of research.

Did actually do some work on the car on Saturday. Many years ago, could be 10 but 20 wouldn't surprise me, I'd bonded the rear quarter lights in. Then a period later, realised you can't access the screw positions to fit the anodised roof rails .
So Saturday I removed them again. Also made a start on removing the windscreen which is cracked anyway.

Actual progress - wow

Fab - subscribed!

Pete

Who ever said you can't get a rocking horse to ****




It was lurking in a far corner of the garage roof.
Even found a receipt for it - £26.30 all in. Wasn't dated unfortunately, but I'd guess around 1992.

Happy days. Not so happy with the top trim though.

Show-off! Keep looking - see if you can find one for me

Good stuff Tony.

Pete

Keep looking - see if you can find one for me

Just sent you an email link Pete.
Says it's for LHD, but I don't see how they can be handed.

Who'd have guessed.
The lower windscreen trim IS handed. The wiper spindle is off set towards the drivers side by about 20mm.

You'd have thought Lotus would have been keen to keep as much common between LHD and RHD. There must be a good reason, but I can't think what it would be.

It's also offset on the single wiper blade Europa. Maybe to get the legislation required swiped area in front of the driver, as the (fixed) blade and arm length is limited by the screen 'height'?

Andy

For once I can report some genuine progress.
Last weekend was removal of the windscreen. Horrible black gunk that was still tacky and soft after 35 years, but probably made removal easier than cured Solbit. Screen out in one piece, but it was cracked before I started. A degree of clean up still required around the opening. I was able to offer in the replacement screen ( bought maybe 8 years ago) and it looks to be about the right shape and profile so happy days. The fitting method for Elites / Eclats looks pretty straight forward, so although a way off, maybe something I'll DIY.

This weekend moved onto the rear screen, on which the anodised trims were badly damaged along both top and bottom horizontal runs ( attack of the rouge wiper arm !!). Again, spares available procured many moons ago.
Previously I'd successfully removed the corner trims ( and on a spare screen the verticals), but soon concluded these damaged horizontals were not coming off intact. They are sure damaged now !!!! I took the approach of dremelling a groove along them then winding open like a can of old Spam.




New trims have been dry fitted and looking nice. Just need to work out how the little spring retaining clips are supposed to work.

I can't see the heated rear screen ever working again though. Much furring of the elements, which even after very delicate cleaning leaves very little silver evident ( small area just visible in the picture below, next to the trim and between the holes):



Anyone used the repair kits available with any degree of success? I'm wondering if I can mask off a narrow parallel line and paint in ?

Tony

Great to see you making progress! I'm not sure that I'm going to replace the brass clips on my rear screen - they just induce corrosion and the new trims will be permanently bonded on anyway. Not sure there will be any rear screen heating on mine either!

Pete

Great progress.
I can empathise - windscreen removal is a pane (sorry - couldn’t resist!)
Mine came off in about a 1000 pieces and used up a fair few plasters!
Does the Elite have the same little spacers at the bottom of the screen like the Excel?

I've used the paint on conductive repair paint in the past on a different car and it does work but it needs very careful masking and you can see it from the outside unfortunately.

Bash

Does the Elite have the same little spacers at the bottom of the screen like the Excel?

No. Slightly different. It has little plastic clips locating the screen up / down and should hold it correct distance from body for the bond.
Clip then also holds the anodised trim in position.

Manual calls up two sizes, lower outer 3 on each side should be deeper, but seems only the shallow one is readily available.
https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and- ... U0152Z.htm