Well thanks for your oppinions, it seems that personal taste will dictate what we do with are cars.
On reflection, knowing that so few excels were made it makes my choise easyier.
I haddent planed any major mods so subtulty will be the way forward once the major work is done.
thanks for your time
regards
Darren
P.S, dose any one know how many excels are left?
mods
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Ozzy_UK
- Senior Poster
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Re: mods
2550 or so where made, and theres at least 1/2 which have died...
I would be supprised if theres more than 200 on british roads...
As for mods, everything i have done is removable (harnesses) or purely mechanical (so not visible), that was my criteria for the car...
So my harnesses use the original rear seat belt mounting points with 4 extenders so the harnesses clip in and out in about 35 seconds, and the seats are on the original runners, and i have kept the old ones...
Oz
I would be supprised if theres more than 200 on british roads...
As for mods, everything i have done is removable (harnesses) or purely mechanical (so not visible), that was my criteria for the car...
So my harnesses use the original rear seat belt mounting points with 4 extenders so the harnesses clip in and out in about 35 seconds, and the seats are on the original runners, and i have kept the old ones...
Oz
Oran Maliphant
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Mercedes B250e “Tesla” 2015
MGF 1.8i Steptronic CVT 2001
Honda Civic Type R EP3 2004
Volvo V70 T5 2002
Lotus Excel 4.0l V8 1987 #2470
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Mercedes B250e “Tesla” 2015
MGF 1.8i Steptronic CVT 2001
Honda Civic Type R EP3 2004
Volvo V70 T5 2002
Lotus Excel 4.0l V8 1987 #2470
Re: mods
Hi oz
your car sound like the ultimate in add the best bits without remodeling. The sort of thing i would aim for. with so few cars left there has to be in my opinion compromise between getting the best from these cars and keeping them original, but if you want to turn a great car into a super car then may be you were born too late and should of been on the lotus development team, but good on them for there work !!
We all share one thing, a truly great mark
LOTUS!!!
Regards
Darren
your car sound like the ultimate in add the best bits without remodeling. The sort of thing i would aim for. with so few cars left there has to be in my opinion compromise between getting the best from these cars and keeping them original, but if you want to turn a great car into a super car then may be you were born too late and should of been on the lotus development team, but good on them for there work !!
We all share one thing, a truly great mark
LOTUS!!!
Regards
Darren
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Lotus-e-Clan
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4566
- Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
- Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
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- Year: 1989
- Location: Swaledale
Re: mods
In my 30 odd years experience as a Club Lotus member I've found not many are attracted by V8 converted Lotus...either as potential buyers or as Lotus admirers. It is very much a personal step and inevitably a step away from Lotus. You can already buy quite a nice Lotus with a torquey V8 and in the current economic climate, probably for less than it would cost to do a proper conversion on an Excel (to a standard that Lotus (or Colin) might approve) .
If you need the rear seats though then that's a different story!
If you need the rear seats though then that's a different story!
Peter K
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Lotus-e-Clan
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- Year: 1989
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Re: mods
I know what you mean. 
If you've got the development "itch" it has to be scratched!
And there are those in moderns who think an old school Excel will be a push over on the road......and it's nice to give them a shock, usually by out driving them on the twisty bits.
.....only to have them up your ass on the motorway....
But I reckon since Top Gear showed the Stig was faster round the track in a Diesel Astra than in an old school 'super car', the world and his wife likes to "have a go" when I'm in the Excel.
the hard part is ignoring them...
and to be fair to the old gal she defends herself well without too much trouble.
If you've got the development "itch" it has to be scratched!
And there are those in moderns who think an old school Excel will be a push over on the road......and it's nice to give them a shock, usually by out driving them on the twisty bits.
.....only to have them up your ass on the motorway....
But I reckon since Top Gear showed the Stig was faster round the track in a Diesel Astra than in an old school 'super car', the world and his wife likes to "have a go" when I'm in the Excel.
the hard part is ignoring them...
and to be fair to the old gal she defends herself well without too much trouble.
Peter K
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barker_001
- Senior Poster
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- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 19:50
- Model: Excel SE
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Re: mods
A difficult one... 
Much as I like the throb of a V8, I think I would be inclined to stick with the original engine. Tune it, uprate it, do whatever you like, but Lotus worked hard to develop their own engine and IMHO it's part of the character of the car.
steps down from orange box...
However, has anyone considered the possibilty of fitting an Esprit V8 engine? Is that engine, as Lotus originally intended, basically two slant fours joined together? If so, it would be a good fit. Again IMHO, you would also be keeping a degree of "purity" in the car.
I know there aren't that many potential donor V8 Esprits around, but surely a few must have been written off by now...
Much as I like the throb of a V8, I think I would be inclined to stick with the original engine. Tune it, uprate it, do whatever you like, but Lotus worked hard to develop their own engine and IMHO it's part of the character of the car.
steps down from orange box...
However, has anyone considered the possibilty of fitting an Esprit V8 engine? Is that engine, as Lotus originally intended, basically two slant fours joined together? If so, it would be a good fit. Again IMHO, you would also be keeping a degree of "purity" in the car.
I know there aren't that many potential donor V8 Esprits around, but surely a few must have been written off by now...
Bryan
1990 Excel SE
"Look, there's a Ferrari..."
1990 Excel SE
"Look, there's a Ferrari..."
Re: mods
the lotus v8 fitted to the esprit isnt the same generation as the 912, it isnt a 45 degree slant and has a flat plane crank so fails to give the usual V8 noise...
if you were to hunt about for an engine or block you would want to look for one from an etna (a 909 engine) some bits might look familure... there a pic here http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/Lotus_Etna.htm
if you were to hunt about for an engine or block you would want to look for one from an etna (a 909 engine) some bits might look familure... there a pic here http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/Lotus_Etna.htm
Re: mods
hi,
I have to agree with you all since I haven't driven a lotus yet!
. I do think each to his or her own so long as the lotus mark in all its incarnations keeps munching the miles, and that is something that I'm sure we all subscribe too
regards,
Darren
I have to agree with you all since I haven't driven a lotus yet!
. I do think each to his or her own so long as the lotus mark in all its incarnations keeps munching the miles, and that is something that I'm sure we all subscribe tooregards,
Darren