1987 Lotus Excel project :D

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NigelD
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Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 19:45
Model: SA
Colour: Mediterranean Blue
Year: 1987
Location: High Wycombe
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by NigelD »

Great story and lovely to hear of a car that will be really treasured!

I am in High Wycombe, currently learning how to respray my SA which has 'sloughed' large areas of clearcoat. 😠.

Welcome to this friendly forum, an immense source of friendly advice that I have benefitted from.

It looks like you have a great starting point for a superb car. 👍🙂
Elan S4 DHC 1970
ELan +2S 130 1973
Elan +2s 130/5 1973 (Project)
Skoda vrs

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ChrisJ
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Year: 1989
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by ChrisJ »

Great to read people's personal stories about their car.

We are just waiting for the picture recreation of you sitting in the car now.

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

NigelD wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 08:45
Great story and lovely to hear of a car that will be really treasured!

I am in High Wycombe, currently learning how to respray my SA which has 'sloughed' large areas of clearcoat. 😠.

Welcome to this friendly forum, an immense source of friendly advice that I have benefitted from.

It looks like you have a great starting point for a superb car. 👍🙂
Thank you Nigel she has thrown a couple of issues my way but nothing that i have not managed to sort out. Now waiting for the shops to open so i can get some more cutting discs lol.
ChrisJ wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 09:06
Great to read people's personal stories about their car.

We are just waiting for the picture recreation of you sitting in the car now.
Dont worry that will be done when she is road worthy my partner really wants to make it as she loves doing that kind of thing :)
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

Bit of an update. I have just ordered my parts for the lotus and WOW what an amount i have just bought lol. From Lotus bits i got new rear shocks (there standard ones), ball joints top and bottom and front wheel bearings which all came to £192. Then from SJ i ordered full service bits including cambelt and all other belts, new dampers for the front, inner and outter tie rods, top control arm bushes x4 and new bolts to hold the ball joints in place, new shock bolts at the bottom front and back and the brake hose from caliper to pipe, disc and pads all round that was £710.10 OMG what a spend and i am just about to ship the front calipers off to Reds which is another £135. An expensive day lol.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

Pete Boole
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Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Pete Boole »

But at least you'll be able to tell the difference when it's done - money well spent :D

Pete

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MetBlue
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Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
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Year: 1974
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by MetBlue »

Call it an investment.
If you can get an Excel on the road for around a grand, that's one hell of a return on investment😜.
Look forward to that first drive. You won't regret it.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

MetBlue wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 18:04
Call it an investment.
If you can get an Excel on the road for around a grand, that's one hell of a return on investment😜.
Look forward to that first drive. You won't regret it.
Tony
Yes you are absolutely correct its a bit of a OMG moment but like you said an investment. She will be amazing when she is up and running and the first drive like you said will be amazing. She might not look the best on the outside but to me she is stunning and when i am able to she will get a full respray and have the body work corrected.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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Hawaiis0
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Oh, did we say you have to be finished by the next bank holiday weekend?
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

Hawaiis0 wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 19:31
Oh, did we say you have to be finished by the next bank holiday weekend?
You did say we need to have it done within a month only thing is the front discs are going to take a month to come into stock :( so she will not be ready to be honest. But i could do with your help with doing some of the bits Stu if your happy to come down. I need to sort the fuel out if you would be able to talk me through what you were one about. Also what was it i needed to purchase to stop boot smelling of fuel.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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rbgosling
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by rbgosling »

I just bought 5m of this (which is probably way too much) for £5.99, not yet fitted. Fitting it is going to be the fiddly bit. At least my rear bumper is off anyway for a respray, so that's one difficult bit sorted. Apparently the other difficult bit is getting your hand in to fit it at the filler neck end - I might ask my wife, who has smaller hands, to have a go!

PVC Tube Clear Plastic Hose Pipe Fuel Oil Water Car Aquariums Air Water
"Farmer" Richard

1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

Well i got the first box of bits today. Ow shinny things :D.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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MetBlue
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by MetBlue »

Lovely. Very nice when the shine bits start showing up.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

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Well there isnt much more i can do to the front end now its all about waiting for the parts to turn up. I had to remove the control arms as i made a pigs ear of the ball joint. However, i didnt want to remove the ARB as it looked a mission so looked at the control arm for a few seconds and though hand on i can remove this without removing the ARB and hey presto its removed :D.
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Plus if you can see the inner tie rod which i got a tool from amazon was a bit of tough and go but they came off :D.

From looking at the control arm centre bush do they look like they need to be replaced as the do look a bugger to change but made me thing as i am doing most of the bushes why not do them all so i know they are done.
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The back ones are pretty shot.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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Sparrow
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by Sparrow »

Another update chaps quite a biggy. My father in law bless him is going to take my control arms and top control arms away sandblast the control arms paint them and put the bushes in along with the bottom control arms bless him so thats great news. Also on another amazing news is that my beautiful girl really wants to get back on the road as i keep forgetting to do something with her and so 15 minutes ago i went out got in and put my foot on the clutch to put into gear. She is as free as a bird so i am so lucky there.
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I haven't seen daylight in 17 years now i have been finally rescued :D

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bash
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Re: Hello from Oxfordshire

Post by bash »

You obviously like to use a wheelybin as a workbench like me. At my last house it was covered in saw cuts as an instant dust catcher too. Keep at it.
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

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