The Lotus Grand Tourers

Hi Everyone- new to Excel ownership having just sold my Elite and have acquired a basket-case of an Excel. Its a lovely car to look at, the bodywork is good, but that's where the good news ends! Much of the mechanicals and electrics are detached, undone, missing or disconnected and I think I will find most of the fasteners needed to put it back together are gone too! However I still think this is too nice a car to break and perhaps with a little TLC it can be coaxed back from the edge? Maybe I need my head examined? ... but I will try, and I suspect I will be haunting this forum for some time to come!

Perhaps I can start with some basics, I didn't get a fuel cap key with the car- any advice on how to remove it and whether I can replace just the barrel or need to find a new cap?

As for my plan- well I was going to start with the door and fuel cap locks so the shell is secure, then check the engine with bore-scope and for compression- if thats OK I will try to put all the bits back on, reconnect all the loose wires (nightmare-help!) fit a new cambelt and see if it runs. If these aren't OK then it will be either an engine-out rebuild or a straight swap for a good 'un (if I can find one). Then move on to transmission, brakes/steering and lastly interior. I suspect electrics will be an ongoing task throughout. Any advice on a better order would be appreciated too.

I am concerned in case this car has an immobiliser- was this standard on 1982/3 models? and for that matter did these have central locking?
Looking for a workshop manual although the parts list here is excellent and a great help.
Thanks all
Mike

All the lock barrels are easily removed - even the ignition barrel - and any competent locksmith should be able to either cut a key to fit, or match them to another key (key and barrels are all Toyota parts).

Getting into a locked filler cap may be tricky though as drilling the barrel will damage the cover for the key slot.

Central locking was standard on all cars and is a simple push-pull system controlled by the actuators and activated by the turning of the key in the lock (no control module anywhere). Immobilisers were not fitted by the factory so there's no common standard.

Mike,
I live in Yateley (small village ~20 miles north-west of Guildford). If you want to look at a workshop manual, parts manual or just poke around my Excel to see where things should go, feel free to drop over.
Tony

My door/ignition key also fits the fuel cap....doesn't yours?

Thanks all for the helpful and quick replies. Tony- I will certainly take you up on that- not sure how to contact you personally as only joined forum today but will find out.

The ign key does go into the fuel cap but doesn't turn- I hadn't wanted to force it but if there is even a chance if might be right I will revisit that with the aid of 3-in-one!

Failing that I guess it is down to the drill!
Cheers all
Mike

The lock barrels are pretty soft - softer than the "fingers" that the key moves. It might just be possible to force the lock to turn. It would result in scoring inside the barrel, but would avoid the cosmetic damage to the cover.

It's also possible that you have the right key, but the barrel is so corroded (mazac ) that it just won't move. I'd give it a good soak with a proper lubricating penetrating oil (rather than a water displacer) and let it soak for a day or two, then see if you can get it to start to turn with any key.

'... not sure how to contact you personally'
The 'pm' button at the bottom of the message will get a personal message to me.

if you only have one ignition key get another one cut before you try to force the fuel cap.

The key on my petrol cap is different to the ignition. It is, however, quite stiff and needs a 'positive' effort to open the lock.

Thanks all for the help. Problem now sorted with the aid of a drill and a new cap (blast!). I have at least started my Excel learning curve now and realise I could have sorted it better if I had known then what I know now!! Maybe that's a standard experience though Ah well onto the gritty problem of the door locks now.

Any advice on trim removal? I was going to base it on the Elite manual's description but I think the bits will be more complex.

majcd213 wrote:I have at least started my Excel learning curve now and realise I could have sorted it better if I had known then what I know now!! Maybe that's a standard experience though.

LOL - nearly every job you do will be like that... which is why so many people on here write their experiences and how they got there. Helping to save others in the process.

Mike,

I sent you a pm a couple of days ago.
Did it reach you?
(Since you're new to this forum you may not have noticed how to see you have a pm: Just below the Lotus Excel logo, top left, you'll see something saying '1 new messages', which you can click on and it will open the message).
Tony