Back again

htiek · Post by **htiek** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 00:39

Hi folks,
Just a quick line or two to say I'm back. Been lurking for a few years since I sold my last Excel following a house move. She went to Sweden and I have been following her ups and downs via the forum. (Hope the ups have beaten the downs Stefan!)
A change of job and need for a private car again has got me back into Lotus and I'm now running around in a Calypso red '87 SE.
I've also recently dabbled with the 'dark side' and aquired a '92 Esprit SE. You don't half appreciate how easy the Excel is to work on until after you try and do almost any servicing job on an Esprit!
Anyway, I'm sure I'll be a more regular visitor now.

I don't know how we managed before the internet and all the technical knowledge available on these forums came along!

Cheers,
Keith

Dr_G · Post by **Dr_G** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 22:56

Are you using the Excel as a daily driver Keith? Is it a nice one?

htiek · Post by **htiek** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 23:23

Hi Dr-G,

Yep, the Excel is pretty much my daily driver. She's in not bad nick for a 99.000 miler. At the moment everything is even working oh..except for the fan motor speed resistor pack. There are a few little niggles, exhaust rattles off the floor no matter how many times I adjust it, windscreen de-laminating, sun-visors split...just the usual stuff.
I have an old Suzuki jeep as well so between them they share the 180 mile a week commute to work. Lotus is first choice though!
On these recent frosty mornings I've found that the Excel's windows freeze up both inside and out and being lousy at getting out of my bed I never seem to have time to defrost her properly! Afraid the jeep's seen more action recently.
I do make sure that the Excel gets run at least two days a week though, leave her sitting for two long and she rebels! Don't know if anyone else has found this with their car, but the more I've run her, the better she feels (and behaves!).

Cheers,
Keith

Lotus-e-Clan · Post by **Lotus-e-Clan** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 09:43

htiek wrote:Hi Dr-G,

There are a few little niggles, exhaust rattles off the floor no matter how many times I adjust it
Cheers,
Keith

I thought that was the case for a year or two before discovering that the two chassis bolts behind the petrol tank were loose. It sounds like something is knocking on the bodywork in the rear seat area, particularly at low speed on uneven roads. You might have to move the tank slightly in some cases to get a socket on the bolts but it has proved a permanent fix. This is a known problem, there are other threads on this issue on the other forum (and possibly this one, IIRC).

I do have a real exhaust rattle at the mo though. The local exhaust shop patched the centre section and bu$Gered the orientation so its hitting the lefthand rear lower link...and it's much worse with a passenger onboard, and it happens at any speed.

htiek · Post by **htiek** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 23:29

Hi Peter,

That's interesting. I'll check those bolts first chance I get. The rattling/drumming noise is really not too bad, just annoying me because it's there! Mechanically she's pretty much sorted so it would be great to get rid of this last gremlin. Probably just in time for the next one to come along...!

Keith