My Esprit V8 project time to post a thread

My Esprit V8 project time to post a thread

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s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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My Series 3 project before the modifications started……..


This will never do! Time to fit a V8!


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
I have done a massive amount of mods already, just wanted to do a thread to show my project, the engine install was done over a year ago. Will update with pics and more details soon.

s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
I am sure to ruffle some feathers as this may not be what the anoraks want to see, but it’s my car and my money, my blood, sweat and tears going into it, and if it would have been the dream car I always longed for it to be then would have been happy with it. But it fell short of being any thing like a supercar. They do say “don’t meet your hero’s” well I was very disappointed with the 4 pot engine, it really does not fit in with the look of the car.

My old series I that came with the rover v8 conversion parts, the engine was an old P6 lump, I was going to do some major upgrades but the s1 chassis, rear suspension. Drive shafts would never cope! So I pulled the engine out and sold the s1 and kept the conversion parts.



s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
I brought the s3 with a cracked exhaust manifold, it had a really nice body and paint work, but it was a horrible driver, no problem I had big plans ahead……
my new engine, TVR 4.5 v8 built by Rovertec (V8 developments) stage 3 heads, cosworth pistons, etc, fitted in a ex hill climb car.


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Gearbox adaptor

New Input shaft to fit the esprit gearbox to rover v8

Longer input shaft fitted in gearbox

Alternator is a tight fit, has to go down low


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Front housing was way to close to bulkhead, so the cutting begins!

From under the car you can see how close it fits, you have to use a remote oil filter and a P6 crank pulley

Bulkhead done


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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Cosworth nice surprise bonus

TVR (Range rover) sump will not fit you need to use SD1 sump.


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Lightened steel flywheel and adaptor fitted

Original conversion kit used a modified P6 starter, it was huge and heavy, so I cut the gearbox bell housing to fit a normal V8 starter motor, have seen this done before so must be ok?


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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Its in at last


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Nice porting on the heads

I fitted John Eales head stud kit (better than ARP) and billet rocker posts, also ported the inlet and gas flowed it to match the heads


mmgt

78 posts

127 months

Wednesday 16th July 2014
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Great project keep up the good work. I had an s3 v8 back in 1987 it was a fab car, converted an Excel to v8 power too, transformed the car Bit of a Lotus nut had a few over the last 30 years. Can't wait to see your car finished.

s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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Thanks, yes looking forward to that day!

s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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Made the exhaust from scratch, TVR manifolds (reversed) and the rest all big bore stainless steel, had to redo it twice as It was very, very loud! So had to fit some extra baffles, may take them out latter!

Lots more cutting………
I may be a sinner in the eyes of some Lotus Purest!


Still need to finish the rear floor, but its taking shape


It works! and the sound of a V8 is Awesome!


Some more work on the boot floor, I don`t plan on hiding the engine, but I will have a carpet boot.


s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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This was what I had to work with, she`s not seen many spanners or love….



Wheels brought on ebay, 17 inch, 9j rears and 8j fronts. 3 piece split rims made in japan from a Mercedes.
The offset for the fronts were perfect.

The hubs had to be re-drilled to correct PCD for the new wheels. The rears needed spacers.

Now have a much better choice in tyres, and no longer stuck with the sad 225 width rears.


But was not content with using the spacers, I didn`t like seeing them through the wheels.
Pulled the rears apart, and got some new outers made with image wheels.

That`s 11 ½ j wide! and now I have 315/35/17 rear tyres! again another ebay find, the chap I brought them from also has a Rover V8 esprit (twin turbo) and I got a full roll cage from him, I may need it!

Yes I am running air suspension, more on that latter………

Lets do the brakes then, as the ones fitted are hardly man enough even with the stock motor.
The rear discs were very worn, and are very expensive to buy. My solution Ford Mondeo rear discs.
They are near the same size and offset and a little thicker, plus you can get them very cheap.
I had to re-drill for the 3 lug fitting.


Carriers had to be ground wider, but as you may know now I`m not afraid to hack away what`s not needed!

The rear calipers I rebuilt, the hand brake mech was sticking, all fixed now and a lick of paint.

Fronts are much bigger 312 x 30mm from a Audi, I cross drilled them, god that took for ever! and the hubs machined to fit.


Front calipers from a Porsche 996, don’t think this setup would fit inside those little stock 15” wheels….



s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
quotequote all
Ok so lets look at the rear suspension, the shocks/dampers were rusty and old when I got the car so time for some upgrades.
I had already wasted time by cleaning and painting the old dampers, but they really needed changing. I got some Protec units from sjsports cars,
They looked nice but as you can see they are made wrong? They are longer and have less articulation, you can not lower the car by much and that was very disappointing. As I was planning to use air springs/bags and wanted to lower the car very low when parked.


The bags are easy to fit with some work to the lower spring seat.

Ok so some of you may want to look away! I have hacked the top spring mount off to allow the bag to bolt direct to the chassis.

That’s the rear bag sorted.

That’s with about 30 psi, should be able to get it drive like a dream with some final tweaking with pressures, and of course can adjust the ride height to what ever I like all from inside the car with a filick of a switch, well that’s the plan.

Air line fitted, good to go.


The front was a nightmare! More on that latter, get the pop corn ready…..

Le TVR

3,092 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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Some quite radical engineering here, don't worry if purists don't like it. As you say, its your car and your vision. Be interested to hear more about the air suspension.
Have you kept the original gearbox? I was just wondering how it would cope with the tuned V8 torque combined with those 315 tyres eek

bobfrance

1,323 posts

266 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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I think this is brilliant. I'd be very interested to hear what it's like with when all the modifications are completed.

The combination of Lotus Body and Rover engine, it's like a British DeTomaso Pantera. smile

tr7v8

7,186 posts

227 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
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One question, what happened to the hillclimber that donated the engine?

s1v8esprit

Original Poster:

207 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th July 2014
quotequote all
Le TVR said:
Some quite radical engineering here, don't worry if purists don't like it. As you say, its your car and your vision. Be interested to hear more about the air suspension.
Have you kept the original gearbox? I was just wondering how it would cope with the tuned V8 torque combined with those 315 tyres eek
Thanks, yes gearbox stock, and yes it is a worry! I don`t plan to do burnouts or drive it hard to start with. I do have UN1 gearbox with Rover V8 bell housing if it fails, or may go with a Audi box.
I know the gearbox is a weak link but time and funds are against me at the moment.