83 Excel from from Finland

[Osku]

I was concidering changing the breakpads and wondered which yearmodel supra pads they are?
Is it the same as the car 83?

[Osku]

or am I miss informed and they ar not supra pads at all?

[Alan_M]

This will give the Toyota part numbers.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10684&p=81275#p81275

[Osku]

I still have the shock absorber issue on this car and I have come to the conclusien that they are shot. So I will change the shocks this winter. I still wonder wich kit I should chose, today I got an intresting option wich is not cheap but sounds like quality and that was from a company in finland that builds Bilsteins to speck. They would make them as a coilover set for aproximately 600 each total 2400€

Its a heafty sum but my experience with bilsteins is that they are usually worth it. Whats your thoughts should I go with the Bilsteins or some of the others like the ones SJS sels?

[bash]

Wow, thats alot of cash. Of course the choice is yours, but, one of the things that defines a Lotus is the suspension and going along the theory that Lotus really knew their stuff It took me years to get hold of some new old stock dampers so I could retain the standard springs too. Being lucky enough to come across some more is not an option unfortunately. However, there may be an option, Mike Taylor at Lotusbits has plans to get some original dampers replicated. Mike isnt good at replying to emails Im told, probably because he is so busy, so I would ring him to see where he is on this project. Mike really knows his stuff. If you have trouble getting hold of him it might be because the whole country is in lockdown until the 3rd of December because of Covid. If you have trouble getting to speak to him let me know and I will try on your behalf. A Lotus on full Lotus spec suspension has to be the best option in my opinion.
Bash

[Pete Boole]

I'll second Bash's suggestion. You will probably get all four dampers the the cost of one bilstein. The other problem with going with the Bilsteins is - who is going to provide them with the build spec? You may still end up with problems and be seriously out of pocket.

Pete

[Roadrunner]

As part of Lola's pretty comprehensive mechanical overhaul and rebuild by Lotusbits last year Mike supplied and fitted a full set of coilovers and I am very impressed with the result, particularly given that the car is now uprated to 2.5 litres. Steering is sharp and the ride well suppressed and the ride feels extremely stable. I recall that the total cost of the parts themselves was around £600.00+VAT. Lola is a 1984 narrow body and so probably not so very different from your '83.

[Hawaiis0]

LBs new front Eibach coilover springs go on the AVO adjustable shocks and I am finding them far superior to the older setup provided. IIRC they are 10 inch long with 3 inch iD ( previous 2.5 in) with bespoke spring carriers so are more in line with originals. The coils have been reduced by one or two over the length to give more room to 'bounce' without becoming coil bound. I have also swapped out the chocolate AVO poly bushes which readily disintegrate with powerflex replacements. Far better.

My rears are Protechs on standard springs.

[HC180]

https://spaxperformance.com/custom-shocks/index.html

[Osku]

https://spaxperformance.com/custom-shocks/index.html

And are the like what to drive and any other info on the spax?

[Osku]

So wich shocks from AVO did uou use and what pound rating did you have on the Eibach springs for the front? Wich powerflex bushes did you buy?

One more thing Where did you buy them everything over one counter oder did you buy one here and other there?

[Osku]

One more thing I thought I would just quickly do was to change the lightbolbs on the fuelcauge and rev counter. Well I alreafy knew how to remove the speedo and thought tha I would just stick my hand back there and remove the bulb..... No my hand do not fit back there well I have to remove the rev counter then,..... I got one of the nuts lose but cant get my fingers around the other one.

How should I oficially do this as I removed the stering column cover and the four philips head screws around the instrument suspecting that I could move them all at o se but the instrumenst are obviously not mounted with them.

[Osku]

Good to remember when you answere to the bulb question that this is the early dashboard

[Osku]

So I have been looking in the manual and it claims it should ease out just that it do not.

[Osku]

I put a fw pictures on the lotus forum as I do not seem to be able to attach them here.
https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/t ... ent-910478