Aussie S4 sad story...
Discussion
He is not really a shop. He sells updated 88's and SE's that look like V8's and sells them for more than the going rate for the cars without the body enchancments. He does seem to have the right parts including the side skirts and sells just parts. The LA club does know of him and some of the list members has bought parts off of him. SJ also has a full line of repro parts for your car to but it back to the original look. Do you have another car like yours nearby so a mold could be taken by a GRP shop? Let me know which way you decide to go? Is it to be original or updated look? Just remeber if you go to update you must totally cross over and not have one foot and the other out or it will look really strange to people who know the difference.
Calvin
Calvin
hi all,
just got the quote back and Jason, you were right on the money! they quoted at $15,000 for the parts and labour and up to $20,000 if the pressure tests on the radiators turns up some problems or the boot has a problem.... funny, we ran pool in the office and ppl guessed between $2,000-$7,000 with my girlfriend "out there" at $12,000 and none of us were even close...
parts apparently don't seem 2 b much of a problem, the longest wait is for an indicator light from melbourne (10 days) but this wont delay anything apparently... they still reckon 4-6 weeks or so, but have located and ordered the parts needed so far:
- front bumper (upper)
- front bumper (lower)
- 2x indicator lights
they showed me the hairline fractures in the boot and are exploring that this week... agree with them that they are minor, but still need to be assessed as the headlights are sitting a few millimetres off from the bonet....
i also forgot to ask them about the licence plate mount which went missing with the front licence plate though...
jason, any luck with parts? have they tried rick damelian in sydney? or perhaps SJ sportscars in the UK? i spoke with this mate who works in insurance and he said that there can be a lot of issues with changing to non-standard parts, even if only things like the side skirts and bumpers... apparently it is an issue to do with crumple zones, rgidity, etc and its relation to the changed nature of the car and hence their premium calculation and risk assessment... all sounded pretty technical, i guess basically, they r esaying that they consider it too significant a change to the car... dont know how true all this is though, it was just one mate's (in insurance though) opinion... is that what u have heard?
ant
ps. i'm getting MAJOR withdrawl from not driving the esprit!! i miss the car so much...
pps. apologies that i haven't had time yet 2 put some photos up yet... will try 2 do so asap!!
just got the quote back and Jason, you were right on the money! they quoted at $15,000 for the parts and labour and up to $20,000 if the pressure tests on the radiators turns up some problems or the boot has a problem.... funny, we ran pool in the office and ppl guessed between $2,000-$7,000 with my girlfriend "out there" at $12,000 and none of us were even close...
parts apparently don't seem 2 b much of a problem, the longest wait is for an indicator light from melbourne (10 days) but this wont delay anything apparently... they still reckon 4-6 weeks or so, but have located and ordered the parts needed so far:
- front bumper (upper)
- front bumper (lower)
- 2x indicator lights
they showed me the hairline fractures in the boot and are exploring that this week... agree with them that they are minor, but still need to be assessed as the headlights are sitting a few millimetres off from the bonet....
i also forgot to ask them about the licence plate mount which went missing with the front licence plate though...
jason, any luck with parts? have they tried rick damelian in sydney? or perhaps SJ sportscars in the UK? i spoke with this mate who works in insurance and he said that there can be a lot of issues with changing to non-standard parts, even if only things like the side skirts and bumpers... apparently it is an issue to do with crumple zones, rgidity, etc and its relation to the changed nature of the car and hence their premium calculation and risk assessment... all sounded pretty technical, i guess basically, they r esaying that they consider it too significant a change to the car... dont know how true all this is though, it was just one mate's (in insurance though) opinion... is that what u have heard?
ant
ps. i'm getting MAJOR withdrawl from not driving the esprit!! i miss the car so much...
pps. apologies that i haven't had time yet 2 put some photos up yet... will try 2 do so asap!!
Thanks Anthony,
I also have withdrawal. Work has been really bad and I dont know if its the combination but I have been one cranky fella. The repairer is pretty good and I dont want to stir him up but I dont get the feel he is in too urgent a mood. I just want my car back, its cost a fortune in Insurance etc and I cant drive it.
The cost does not surprise me. I certainly understand the insurance issue with not using original spares etc and I am still thinking this one through. Who are you insured with ??
I saw an email with a SE dude in Sydney having problems with Leatherique. I did my car just before it went in for the repair. I did not use gloves and got a burn like feeling on my face but not on my hands. I am not sure if it was the Leatherique or not but my skin went really dry (like a sunburn). Its now better and in fact my skin feels unbelievable, I feel 10 years younger, its so smooth. Need to find out if there is anything magical in it, I know a few people with leatherlike skin that could do with a touch up.
I am not expecting to get my car for 6 weeks which is pretty disappointing when I have already had it off the road for 4.
I also need to ask my repairer about checking the measurements that Calvin discussed in his email. If this is out they will right my car off for sure.
How did you get a crack in the boot (I assume you mean the back of the car??)
Jason
I also have withdrawal. Work has been really bad and I dont know if its the combination but I have been one cranky fella. The repairer is pretty good and I dont want to stir him up but I dont get the feel he is in too urgent a mood. I just want my car back, its cost a fortune in Insurance etc and I cant drive it.
The cost does not surprise me. I certainly understand the insurance issue with not using original spares etc and I am still thinking this one through. Who are you insured with ??
I saw an email with a SE dude in Sydney having problems with Leatherique. I did my car just before it went in for the repair. I did not use gloves and got a burn like feeling on my face but not on my hands. I am not sure if it was the Leatherique or not but my skin went really dry (like a sunburn). Its now better and in fact my skin feels unbelievable, I feel 10 years younger, its so smooth. Need to find out if there is anything magical in it, I know a few people with leatherlike skin that could do with a touch up.
I am not expecting to get my car for 6 weeks which is pretty disappointing when I have already had it off the road for 4.
I also need to ask my repairer about checking the measurements that Calvin discussed in his email. If this is out they will right my car off for sure.
How did you get a crack in the boot (I assume you mean the back of the car??)
Jason
hi jason,
yeah, even wen u dont drive it, u still have to pay insurance! i'm insured with shannons (the one with the gogomobile add).... AC&P who are doing my repairs reckon that they are on track for Oct 31st...they told me to call them once a week (each friday) and they update me, i also visit on saturday's occasionally just to have a look....
as for the cost, think i mentioned before, but if not...they quoted $15-20K depending on pressure tests....
hehe, go easy on your skin! doesn't sound too healthy doing that with leatherique!?!... i think the SE person that you mentioned is a guy named Reeves... really nice guy that I met a few weeks back.. he emailed me and we happened to bump into (not cars fortunately!!) each other in double bay (in Sydney) one lunch time on a sunday... great guy to chat with and has a great looking red esprit SE...
sorry for the confusion, the crack in the "boot" is actually the front "boot" with the spare tyre etc...the crack is tiny, but still has to be fully checked out...
anyway, without further ado, here are the photos (finally!!!)....
www.users.bigpond.com/anthony_lai/S4R.htm
overall, i guess it was a tiny accident really, and basically was just the bumper, however, this still translated to 6 weeks of no Esprit!! argh!
rgds,
anthony
yeah, even wen u dont drive it, u still have to pay insurance! i'm insured with shannons (the one with the gogomobile add).... AC&P who are doing my repairs reckon that they are on track for Oct 31st...they told me to call them once a week (each friday) and they update me, i also visit on saturday's occasionally just to have a look....
as for the cost, think i mentioned before, but if not...they quoted $15-20K depending on pressure tests....
hehe, go easy on your skin! doesn't sound too healthy doing that with leatherique!?!... i think the SE person that you mentioned is a guy named Reeves... really nice guy that I met a few weeks back.. he emailed me and we happened to bump into (not cars fortunately!!) each other in double bay (in Sydney) one lunch time on a sunday... great guy to chat with and has a great looking red esprit SE...
sorry for the confusion, the crack in the "boot" is actually the front "boot" with the spare tyre etc...the crack is tiny, but still has to be fully checked out...
anyway, without further ado, here are the photos (finally!!!)....
www.users.bigpond.com/anthony_lai/S4R.htm
overall, i guess it was a tiny accident really, and basically was just the bumper, however, this still translated to 6 weeks of no Esprit!! argh!
rgds,
anthony
When I don't drive my car for the harsh sub zero winters I drop the medical and the collision coverage. I keep the comprehsive part in case an unlikely event the roof of the garage were to fall on it or it were to get stolen. About the ABS on the cars. After chatting to other Esprit owners we have come to a conclusion. The ABS is fine for traffic panic stops in a straight line, but for performance braking in a turn it does not work well. Many an Esprit owner has had a scare going in to high speed turns and the ABS activates such as on track day. My 90 SE is not equiped with ABS and can complete certain turns cleaner and faster with drift braking techniqes to help bring the rear around while the ABS equiped cars are a bit slower on the same turns, sometimes ending up mowing the grass beyond the apron. A few owners have elected to install a switch to turn off the ABS for those occassions. I do not know first hand results of those modifications.
Calvin 90 SE
Calvin 90 SE
Anthony,
The damage doesn't look too bad from the pics anyways. A pretty nice looking female auto body person in the first few pictures. I don't recall auto body repair places here that have employees like that.
Now this project car is a challenge. He has more guts than me and when he is finished restoring the car it will make him one of the most revered of the Lotus Guru's in the country. The last car he restored (an SE) could not be detected to have been involed in an accident.
www.usinternet.com/users/kyoung/lotus/s42/index.htm
Calvin
The damage doesn't look too bad from the pics anyways. A pretty nice looking female auto body person in the first few pictures. I don't recall auto body repair places here that have employees like that.
Now this project car is a challenge. He has more guts than me and when he is finished restoring the car it will make him one of the most revered of the Lotus Guru's in the country. The last car he restored (an SE) could not be detected to have been involed in an accident.
www.usinternet.com/users/kyoung/lotus/s42/index.htm
Calvin
wow! ok, now THAT is damage! (keen's project car) that would raise one to lotus god status!....i can't believe i thought having the front bumper replaced was a big deal, i dont even feel justified saying my car was damaged anymore, it was just a scratch by comparison....
oh yeah, if you look at a few other photos on my website, you will see that the fine young lady in the photo at the panel shop poking around the esprit is actually my girlfriend (yeah, believe it or not) and though she is an esprit fanatic also and her uncle is a legend mechanic, she doesn't do any panel work!
hehe...
the dim-witted looking geek with the cap in the photos at the panel shop and the "i stalk-women-and-hope-they-give-in-cos-they-won't-talk-to-me-otherwise" look on his face, is actually me... guess it proves, like bruce wayne says in the movie batman "it's the car, chicks dig the car right?"
anyway, we now are both waiting patiently till Oct 31st, when the car is estimated to be done by... here's hoping!
anthony
oh yeah, if you look at a few other photos on my website, you will see that the fine young lady in the photo at the panel shop poking around the esprit is actually my girlfriend (yeah, believe it or not) and though she is an esprit fanatic also and her uncle is a legend mechanic, she doesn't do any panel work!
hehe... the dim-witted looking geek with the cap in the photos at the panel shop and the "i stalk-women-and-hope-they-give-in-cos-they-won't-talk-to-me-otherwise" look on his face, is actually me... guess it proves, like bruce wayne says in the movie batman "it's the car, chicks dig the car right?"
anyway, we now are both waiting patiently till Oct 31st, when the car is estimated to be done by... here's hoping!
anthony
Anthony,
Yes Keen does know just about every single bolt, nut and screw in the 4 cyl. Esprit. I have gone to him many times to seek his words of wisdom. So nice to know that he is just across town. It is so handy to have a car in pieces to look at. After all a hands on view of a part or component one has a question about is so easy with the car in that state. I get to see areas of the car only seen at the factory. His projects sort of makes all of our problems seem so trivial. Your damage is so small it should not even affect the intrinsic value of the car although any damage to our car hurts us a lot inside. By the way, nice looking women on your web site. Makes me want to jump a plane down there. Well the I have a saying about cars. "The car might make it easier to get them in to the car, but the rest is up to you." Hope you get the car back on the road soon and she is as good as new. Oh almost forgot here is another interesting link to another near legend. He is the V8 Lotus Guru from the west coast USA.
www.theriens.com/lotus/
His name is Guy Theriens. His work is also amazing. He does it for a hobby as he could have easily just bought a working car. Both Guy and Keen talk to each other a lot and have formed a bond, a kinship through their work. They consider the journey more important than the destination and to make something from the wrecks and ashes as good or better than when it left the factory. I have only chatted with Guy using e-mail.
Calvin 90 SE
PS I think they are both nuts but am willing to help them out as my ability will allow. (More so, help Keen as he lives by me).
Yes Keen does know just about every single bolt, nut and screw in the 4 cyl. Esprit. I have gone to him many times to seek his words of wisdom. So nice to know that he is just across town. It is so handy to have a car in pieces to look at. After all a hands on view of a part or component one has a question about is so easy with the car in that state. I get to see areas of the car only seen at the factory. His projects sort of makes all of our problems seem so trivial. Your damage is so small it should not even affect the intrinsic value of the car although any damage to our car hurts us a lot inside. By the way, nice looking women on your web site. Makes me want to jump a plane down there. Well the I have a saying about cars. "The car might make it easier to get them in to the car, but the rest is up to you." Hope you get the car back on the road soon and she is as good as new. Oh almost forgot here is another interesting link to another near legend. He is the V8 Lotus Guru from the west coast USA.
www.theriens.com/lotus/
His name is Guy Theriens. His work is also amazing. He does it for a hobby as he could have easily just bought a working car. Both Guy and Keen talk to each other a lot and have formed a bond, a kinship through their work. They consider the journey more important than the destination and to make something from the wrecks and ashes as good or better than when it left the factory. I have only chatted with Guy using e-mail.
Calvin 90 SE
PS I think they are both nuts but am willing to help them out as my ability will allow. (More so, help Keen as he lives by me).
Regarding your brake failure, I had a simular problem with a Grand National that I once had. The problem was the powermaster booster. The electric pump failed and hence I had absolutely no power assist. I changed the accumulator and all and it all led to the powerbooster. The cure was for me to get a Monte Carlo Vacuum assist unit and get rid of the Powermaster setup. After this, it all worked great!
Dindo
Next time I get a chance, I will see if this can be done on my Esprit S4. The only challenge is getting the right Vacuum Source to charged the Booster. All I would have to do is try to run an aluminum tube through the tunnel as so forth.
Dindo
Next time I get a chance, I will see if this can be done on my Esprit S4. The only challenge is getting the right Vacuum Source to charged the Booster. All I would have to do is try to run an aluminum tube through the tunnel as so forth.
The following is ABS brake banter between Marsala and Roland from the turbo list that might highlights problems for you ABS equipped cars that are contemplating pad, rotor, and caliper changes. I do not know or have first hand knowledge the changes or operational effect after mods to ABS equipped cars.
Calvin
It is not uncommon to have ABS problems after rotor and pad upgrades. If the system does not remain balanced this occurs.The ABS software measures the wheel speed from all 4 tires. It them makes desicions based on how much they differ. If you change the amount or speed of braking front to rear the software assumes that something is wrong and tries to correct this. The V8 ABS is much more refined than the earlier ABS systems but it still can be confused.
Even changing tire diameters can help to confuse the poor computer....
ARG &*%$
-Larry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland Besserer"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 5:44 PM
Subject: Re: [turboesprit] S4s Brakes - was S4s Chip Upgrade
Well, that sounds good but it's not just the rotors and pads - it's the damn ABS. I have cross drilled aftermarket rotors and racing pads which are great on the street :-) Stomp on the brake and nothing
happens for a second or so and then it's like tossing an anchor. Still, that doesn't solve the problem of the ABS kicking in every time I break hard over a bumpy surface, that it's a substandard system that pulses and shakes the car like a bastard, and that it kicks in way too early and has atrocious modulation.
I just drove a Mercedes E320 rental car in Europe a couple of weeks ago and had a couple of opportunities to try out its ABS - damn it's a beauty. Fine modulation - you almost can't tell it's active. In
comparison the Lotus unit (probably a GM part, right) is like manually throwing the on/off switch.
What's needed is has a complete break replacement including the ABS.
roland
Calvin
It is not uncommon to have ABS problems after rotor and pad upgrades. If the system does not remain balanced this occurs.The ABS software measures the wheel speed from all 4 tires. It them makes desicions based on how much they differ. If you change the amount or speed of braking front to rear the software assumes that something is wrong and tries to correct this. The V8 ABS is much more refined than the earlier ABS systems but it still can be confused.
Even changing tire diameters can help to confuse the poor computer....
ARG &*%$
-Larry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland Besserer"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 5:44 PM
Subject: Re: [turboesprit] S4s Brakes - was S4s Chip Upgrade
Well, that sounds good but it's not just the rotors and pads - it's the damn ABS. I have cross drilled aftermarket rotors and racing pads which are great on the street :-) Stomp on the brake and nothing
happens for a second or so and then it's like tossing an anchor. Still, that doesn't solve the problem of the ABS kicking in every time I break hard over a bumpy surface, that it's a substandard system that pulses and shakes the car like a bastard, and that it kicks in way too early and has atrocious modulation.
I just drove a Mercedes E320 rental car in Europe a couple of weeks ago and had a couple of opportunities to try out its ABS - damn it's a beauty. Fine modulation - you almost can't tell it's active. In
comparison the Lotus unit (probably a GM part, right) is like manually throwing the on/off switch.
What's needed is has a complete break replacement including the ABS.
roland
jason, calvin, dindo and the gang..
got my update on friday from the panel shop and they haven't realy done anything this week, the fiberglass work was meant to be done, but wasn't, and the radiators were meant to be sent, but werem't, i think it was because the assessor needed to come out and ok everyhting.... anyway, he did come out and take a whole stack of photos and ok it, so they will be commencing fiberglass work next week and sending the radiators for testng.... i guess this mean one more week's wait... the panel shop said they woudl have a better idea when it would b ready next friday, meaning it will probably be later a few weeks later than 31st Oct... oh well, wat can i do....
calvin, if u do jump on a plane and head down here, let us know as the aussies down here, we can definately show u that australia is one of the greatest places in the world to visit!! we're all a bit stunned here after bali, but we're not going to let that put our spirits down... i'm actually going to visit NY over new years with my girlfirned and a few friends... love NY! just like sydney, NY is one awesome city!
thanks for all the info on abs systems guys! yeah, the guys in the panel shop said the abs light is permanently on and they are sure that was wat caused the problem, but that won't be addressed till the end wen all the panel work is done, the computers are the last thing to be reset and checked before i get the car back... also, the lotus mechanics at rick damelian told me there is no log of when the abs was activated (like a black box) so there is ABSOLUTELY NO way of knowing for sure if that was wat caused the problem... also becasue the service records and maintenance are perfectly up to date, the records are there, the car was in mint condition and had been looked after so well (the best of everything, oil, tyres, etc) they think it was just one of those things that will be impossible to ever know...oh well, guess as long as the car is fixed, that is all that matters...
sigh...i'm getting serious esprit withdrawl!!!
anthony
ps. calvin, haven't had a chance to hook up with the lotus clubs here yet, work keeps me so busy and travelling a lot and i have only had the car for about 6 months...
got my update on friday from the panel shop and they haven't realy done anything this week, the fiberglass work was meant to be done, but wasn't, and the radiators were meant to be sent, but werem't, i think it was because the assessor needed to come out and ok everyhting.... anyway, he did come out and take a whole stack of photos and ok it, so they will be commencing fiberglass work next week and sending the radiators for testng.... i guess this mean one more week's wait... the panel shop said they woudl have a better idea when it would b ready next friday, meaning it will probably be later a few weeks later than 31st Oct... oh well, wat can i do....
calvin, if u do jump on a plane and head down here, let us know as the aussies down here, we can definately show u that australia is one of the greatest places in the world to visit!! we're all a bit stunned here after bali, but we're not going to let that put our spirits down... i'm actually going to visit NY over new years with my girlfirned and a few friends... love NY! just like sydney, NY is one awesome city!
thanks for all the info on abs systems guys! yeah, the guys in the panel shop said the abs light is permanently on and they are sure that was wat caused the problem, but that won't be addressed till the end wen all the panel work is done, the computers are the last thing to be reset and checked before i get the car back... also, the lotus mechanics at rick damelian told me there is no log of when the abs was activated (like a black box) so there is ABSOLUTELY NO way of knowing for sure if that was wat caused the problem... also becasue the service records and maintenance are perfectly up to date, the records are there, the car was in mint condition and had been looked after so well (the best of everything, oil, tyres, etc) they think it was just one of those things that will be impossible to ever know...oh well, guess as long as the car is fixed, that is all that matters...
sigh...i'm getting serious esprit withdrawl!!!
anthony
ps. calvin, haven't had a chance to hook up with the lotus clubs here yet, work keeps me so busy and travelling a lot and i have only had the car for about 6 months...
Anthony,
Wow both you and Jason have had your cars only a short time. That makes it even more unfortunate about the accident. When the time gets closer for your trip to NY, I will get you in touch with the Lotus people from NY, maybe you can somehow meet up. I always wanted to go the Austrailia, I used to meet many Aussies from the surfing amd sailing circuit when growing up in Hawaii. A lot of tourists from down under used to visit Hawaii too. I thought the price the panel shop charged was a bit high until I figured the exchange rate. Even so it seems awfully high. Must be the import duties or do you guys pay the VAT that the Brit's pay. That VAT is nasty. Everytime I try and order things from the UK they try and charge me VAT and I remind them that I am exempt as I am in the USA. We are are shocked by Bali also, we heard many Aussie's were victims, a few from the USA too. Austrailia is a good ally of our country. The USA will seek it own form of justice soon.
Regards,
Calvin
Wow both you and Jason have had your cars only a short time. That makes it even more unfortunate about the accident. When the time gets closer for your trip to NY, I will get you in touch with the Lotus people from NY, maybe you can somehow meet up. I always wanted to go the Austrailia, I used to meet many Aussies from the surfing amd sailing circuit when growing up in Hawaii. A lot of tourists from down under used to visit Hawaii too. I thought the price the panel shop charged was a bit high until I figured the exchange rate. Even so it seems awfully high. Must be the import duties or do you guys pay the VAT that the Brit's pay. That VAT is nasty. Everytime I try and order things from the UK they try and charge me VAT and I remind them that I am exempt as I am in the USA. We are are shocked by Bali also, we heard many Aussie's were victims, a few from the USA too. Austrailia is a good ally of our country. The USA will seek it own form of justice soon.
Regards,
Calvin
greetings all, update time!
just spoke with the panel shop (just couldn't wait till tomorrow!) and they have almost completed the fibreglass work, it will be completed tomorrow and saturday... painting is 2 b done next week and radiators sent away next week with a day at rick damelian's (lotus dealer) for computer checks, so all up, they reckon another week and a half all up, pick up could be as early as the 6th Nov (7 weeks + to fix a bumper?)... not bad i spose, about a week or 2 longer than expected, but not 2 bad....hopefully no complications with anything that will delay it any longer... can't wait!
yeah, the pricing on the repairs and parts is kinda high i thought, but the assessor was happy with it and has been signing off and taking his pictures every week, so i guess it is normal and ok... i pay the excess and that is it as far as i know....
yep jason and i r relatively new espirt owners, but like most, i have always had a thing 4 the esprit... calvin, thanks 4 the heads up on the NY esprit owners! will let u know closer 2 the day when i head over there, my girlfriend has our whole trip planned out, but i'm sure i can talk her into a bit of esprit action...can't wait 2 go 2 NY as well, my sister was living there with her husband for about 8 yrs and she loved it over there also... she also lived in chicago and we have some relatives in washington, LA, NY, so the US seems like kind of a 2nd home sometimes....
calvin, if u ever get down 2 sydney australia (where i live), we would be more than happy to show u around... funny u mention hawaii, that is one destination that every beach going aussie (probably 98% of the population) wants 2 or does go 2 some time in their lives... i went there a few years back and loved it! bali was kind of australia's little getaway-from-it-all island, we're still sorta recovering and holding tribues and ceremonies down here as it appears that about 95% of the victims were aussies (mostly footy players and their families) and it has really rocked us down here...anyway enough of that....
so the the news is "anna" (my esprit) is doing well and coming home soon.... i am going to try and head out this w/end and have a look and if i do, i'll try 2 get some more pics up...
rgds,
anthony
just spoke with the panel shop (just couldn't wait till tomorrow!) and they have almost completed the fibreglass work, it will be completed tomorrow and saturday... painting is 2 b done next week and radiators sent away next week with a day at rick damelian's (lotus dealer) for computer checks, so all up, they reckon another week and a half all up, pick up could be as early as the 6th Nov (7 weeks + to fix a bumper?)... not bad i spose, about a week or 2 longer than expected, but not 2 bad....hopefully no complications with anything that will delay it any longer... can't wait!
yeah, the pricing on the repairs and parts is kinda high i thought, but the assessor was happy with it and has been signing off and taking his pictures every week, so i guess it is normal and ok... i pay the excess and that is it as far as i know....
yep jason and i r relatively new espirt owners, but like most, i have always had a thing 4 the esprit... calvin, thanks 4 the heads up on the NY esprit owners! will let u know closer 2 the day when i head over there, my girlfriend has our whole trip planned out, but i'm sure i can talk her into a bit of esprit action...can't wait 2 go 2 NY as well, my sister was living there with her husband for about 8 yrs and she loved it over there also... she also lived in chicago and we have some relatives in washington, LA, NY, so the US seems like kind of a 2nd home sometimes....
calvin, if u ever get down 2 sydney australia (where i live), we would be more than happy to show u around... funny u mention hawaii, that is one destination that every beach going aussie (probably 98% of the population) wants 2 or does go 2 some time in their lives... i went there a few years back and loved it! bali was kind of australia's little getaway-from-it-all island, we're still sorta recovering and holding tribues and ceremonies down here as it appears that about 95% of the victims were aussies (mostly footy players and their families) and it has really rocked us down here...anyway enough of that....
so the the news is "anna" (my esprit) is doing well and coming home soon.... i am going to try and head out this w/end and have a look and if i do, i'll try 2 get some more pics up...
rgds,
anthony
We just finished the North American Lotus convention that we call LOG (Lotus Owners Gathering). I met many people from all the major cities. We Lotus owners do have a tradition of hosting a get together of visiting Lotus owners if they announce their arrival times. Usually at a informal pub of some sort where we can all swap Lotus stories and show each other pics of our cars. Many times we show fellow owners around town in our cars. Any owner is always welcome in our cities to meet up local enthusists. Any time you any others are going to be in town I will get you in touch with the local Lotus club for a few drinks. Many of the cities you mentioned are all hot beds of Lotus activity. Chicago, NYC, LA, SF,Miami,Denver even in the Northern area where I live the Lotus club is very strong 45 members in our club with 41 cars(more than in some countries). I enjoyed meeting all the Aussie's when living in Hawaii. They were so much like us as they loved the water and the related activites. Many were surfers who wanted to see many of the famous surfing beaches they had heard of since childhood, it was like some type of pilgrimage to some holy site for them. Those were my Elan and Europa years. I'm not sure I would enjoy the Esprit as much as the speeds in Hawaii are really slow there, nice twisties though. I really enjoy driving the Esprit in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the hilly dairy roads with no speed enforcment to speak of and the hwy speeds where many go 80mph routinely in regular cars so bursts of 100+ on a weekly basis are not uncommon for the Esprit. Oh I think everyone who has an Esprit here has taken it up to 150+mph at least once. Rules of engagement with speed enforcement is a one on one activity here. None of that nasty unmanned radar/camera cr*p that those poor UK folks have thats called Gatso. I think thats what it is called? Did I spell that right? Well hope you are one the road soon.
Calvin
Calvin
wow, didn't realise there was such a following over there... i guess there probably is down under, but i haven't had the chance to follow up yet cos so busy with work and stuff...
yeah, as u mention, i guess the lifestyle and cultures of the US and AUS are pretty similar, cars, surf, girls, pubs, football, basketball, etc. etc. all the fun things in life!! work hard, play hard, hehe... the annual motor show in sydney was just last week, so upset, i went and there was no lotus didn't have a stand!!!!! couldn't believe it!!! i have serious withdrawl! i thought it was great not seeing another esprit on the road and being so unique, now i'm suffering! (no kidding, u c an esprit only once every few months, and i drive everyday to and from work! i c 911s everyday, 355s/360s/NSXs about once a week, but esprits, hardley ever! they r that rare here...)
in terms of speeds here, 80% of roads are limited to 60kmh... our interstate freeways only go up to 110khm in some places, that is pretty much it.. not much speed happenin here (except on tracks), we mostly just cruise, the roads here are pretty badly maintained here, potholes everywhere... not 2 mention radar traps (speed radar guns) everywhere and radar detectors are illegal!
update: the fibreglass work is taking heaps longer than expected, the 1.5 weeks is actually gonna b about 3-4 weeks more! oh well, guess it is good as they keep saying they want their work to be perfect...
ant
yeah, as u mention, i guess the lifestyle and cultures of the US and AUS are pretty similar, cars, surf, girls, pubs, football, basketball, etc. etc. all the fun things in life!! work hard, play hard, hehe... the annual motor show in sydney was just last week, so upset, i went and there was no lotus didn't have a stand!!!!! couldn't believe it!!! i have serious withdrawl! i thought it was great not seeing another esprit on the road and being so unique, now i'm suffering! (no kidding, u c an esprit only once every few months, and i drive everyday to and from work! i c 911s everyday, 355s/360s/NSXs about once a week, but esprits, hardley ever! they r that rare here...)
in terms of speeds here, 80% of roads are limited to 60kmh... our interstate freeways only go up to 110khm in some places, that is pretty much it.. not much speed happenin here (except on tracks), we mostly just cruise, the roads here are pretty badly maintained here, potholes everywhere... not 2 mention radar traps (speed radar guns) everywhere and radar detectors are illegal!
update: the fibreglass work is taking heaps longer than expected, the 1.5 weeks is actually gonna b about 3-4 weeks more! oh well, guess it is good as they keep saying they want their work to be perfect...
ant
North America is the largest Lotus market we have thousands of cars.
Check out these many pic's
www.lotuscarclub.org/Photos/LOG%2022/Compressed1/index.htm
Radar detector illegal??? Wow!
I have built in detector with elements front and rear mounted under the bumpers and cabled to the stereo pod where the visual alert LED panel is located. Then I have small piezo speakers for the audible alert mounted behind the driver seat left speaker for front and right speaker for rear. The alerts tell me what type of radar is used so I tell if it is state or local traffic enforcement, what direction, how far they are away, and if the radar is closing or moving farther away. It is equiped with a panic alert that every single alert and lights go off when someone is pointing at you. At that point I must alter my speed drastically by 3-5 mph per second to prevent a radar lock from occuring. So if radar detectors are illegal than stealth devices are totally illegal. The ones they make in Minnesota are so good that they are even illegal in this state and are for export to other states only. These are not the simple interference white noise generators that produce blank readings this one has a dial on them to send out the exact speed you want the radar to read. It hooks up with a detetor and sends the false signal out only when something beams. I wish it was the old days when we could have those devices. Oh well until then we must be careful or go a few states away where just about let us do whatever we want like Montana where day time speed restrictions are sometimes not even posted. Well let's hope you have a perfect repair on your car.
Regards,
Calvin
Check out these many pic's
www.lotuscarclub.org/Photos/LOG%2022/Compressed1/index.htm
Radar detector illegal??? Wow!
I have built in detector with elements front and rear mounted under the bumpers and cabled to the stereo pod where the visual alert LED panel is located. Then I have small piezo speakers for the audible alert mounted behind the driver seat left speaker for front and right speaker for rear. The alerts tell me what type of radar is used so I tell if it is state or local traffic enforcement, what direction, how far they are away, and if the radar is closing or moving farther away. It is equiped with a panic alert that every single alert and lights go off when someone is pointing at you. At that point I must alter my speed drastically by 3-5 mph per second to prevent a radar lock from occuring. So if radar detectors are illegal than stealth devices are totally illegal. The ones they make in Minnesota are so good that they are even illegal in this state and are for export to other states only. These are not the simple interference white noise generators that produce blank readings this one has a dial on them to send out the exact speed you want the radar to read. It hooks up with a detetor and sends the false signal out only when something beams. I wish it was the old days when we could have those devices. Oh well until then we must be careful or go a few states away where just about let us do whatever we want like Montana where day time speed restrictions are sometimes not even posted. Well let's hope you have a perfect repair on your car.
Regards,
Calvin
Ant1
I am in Perth, WA and here is the only state that detectors are legal. Mine even talks to you - tells you if it's laser, speed camera, radar gun, etc. I have the newest Bell and it's awesome. It even picks 'traces' of the cameras so it can literraly pick it for about 500 metres, even around a corner. Unlike the older ones that gave you a 40m warning.
Oh, and the roads here are a million times better than what you have there. I grew up in Melbourne, so I know
Calvin - do you have more info on that scrambler? It sounds absolutely awesome. So, you can, say, type in 60 and be doing 160, but the cop will only get a 60 reading???
I am in Perth, WA and here is the only state that detectors are legal. Mine even talks to you - tells you if it's laser, speed camera, radar gun, etc. I have the newest Bell and it's awesome. It even picks 'traces' of the cameras so it can literraly pick it for about 500 metres, even around a corner. Unlike the older ones that gave you a 40m warning.
Oh, and the roads here are a million times better than what you have there. I grew up in Melbourne, so I know
Calvin - do you have more info on that scrambler? It sounds absolutely awesome. So, you can, say, type in 60 and be doing 160, but the cop will only get a 60 reading???
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