My Esprit V8 project time to post a thread
Discussion
Drove to work today in the Esprit, very interesting.........2 people thought it was a Lamborghini!! most people didn't have a clue and had never seen one before and a few knew exactly what it was but had no idea that the engine was not original? also my first drive in the dark and wet! no dash board lights! the headlights did work if you can call them working? and the back end was like driving on ice. If she keeps going with no major break downs could be my daily driver from now on (only local trips for now).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXCHrqcRd8M&fe...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIZSOW7skEo&fe...
just some quick vids will do some better latter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIZSOW7skEo&fe...
just some quick vids will do some better latter
Edited by s1v8esprit on Wednesday 13th August 11:10
I went under the car to tighten the fan belt and noticed some CV grease splatters around one drive shaft? first I thought the boot may have a split? but when I checked I found 2 of the bolts had missing heads? WTF! they have sheared off? I know the V8 has plenty of torque but really?
I have know replaced the full set with HT 12.9 grade bolts, which as far as I know originally are also 12.9? all torque down and checked painted so I can keep an eye on any moving! anyone else had any issues with bolts breaking? the guy at Allfix said it may have been down to age of the bolts and who knows how many times they have been undone and done up?
I have know replaced the full set with HT 12.9 grade bolts, which as far as I know originally are also 12.9? all torque down and checked painted so I can keep an eye on any moving! anyone else had any issues with bolts breaking? the guy at Allfix said it may have been down to age of the bolts and who knows how many times they have been undone and done up?
One of the main problems I have is heat in the engine bay and getting good cold air in and the nasty hot air out! I plan to make the side scoops (ears) wider as in sticking out more to scoop more air in. I also have brought some fans to mount in the engine bay. Also will be making a louvred rear hatch window like on the turbo but mine is going to be clear and adjustable.
I got some window louvre frames today as used in greenhouses and taken them apart and offered one side section up to the hatch glass. Looks like this has potential to make the adjustable rear louvre I want. I have some Polycarbonate to make the glass slats and window with and could fit a cable or a rod linkage to open and close it?
I got some window louvre frames today as used in greenhouses and taken them apart and offered one side section up to the hatch glass. Looks like this has potential to make the adjustable rear louvre I want. I have some Polycarbonate to make the glass slats and window with and could fit a cable or a rod linkage to open and close it?
Watchman said:
Chap lives in my road. Haven't had opportunity to talk to him about it but he's been out in it recently so I guess it's finally unfinished. Sounds amazing.
I'm not keen on the wild camber. Nor do I understand it.
I am not keen on the wild rear camber but thats how the rear suspension works? we dont plan it to do that it just does when the car is lowered really low when the air is out of the suspension. I DO not drive with it like that! it returns to normal when I inflate the suspension to drive it. I know Dean I was parked next to his car yesterday at the Retro Rides gathering.I'm not keen on the wild camber. Nor do I understand it.
Some really cool cars and was a great day out.
Watchman said:
understand what you're saying but this other Esprit *is* driven low and with the wild camber, and that's what I don't get.
That aside, it is THE most arresting car on the roads around here. Sounds incredible and looks so totally different to everything else driving around. The inlet stacks look so old-school sticking up in the rear window. It's certainly a professional-job.
yes some do drive it low! I dont, Deans car is great and he has done a really nice job on the engine install, agreed the stacks do look excellent.That aside, it is THE most arresting car on the roads around here. Sounds incredible and looks so totally different to everything else driving around. The inlet stacks look so old-school sticking up in the rear window. It's certainly a professional-job.
Dean has a Alfa v6 but please don't do that, he likes his car to be unique and me putting air suspension on mine has caused some upset. His was the first and only one to be bagged. Feel free to do the Audi V8 been done as has the Rover V8 so lots of guys to help out with advice. How about a Chevy V8 with one of the alloy LS range of engines that would rock!
Ok small update on progress, really just trying to improve air flow in the engine bay.
I have a few ideas and just trying some out to see how it goes.
One problem I had with alloy sheet covered in fibre glass was the fibre glass would soak up the heat and keep it!
I am now looking into removing the fibre glass and just having alloy. I have brought x4 8 inch fans, 2 will go at the rear of the engine bay and will suck hot air out. The other 2 will go at the side of the engine 1 each side and blow onto it.
I also plan to make an black alloy tonneau cover to cover it all and also make a heat shield to go under the air filter,
I can then use the ears as air inlet feeds to the side fans and also feed cold air direct to the air filter
I am going to box this in more so it will vent out the left side onto the exhaust
I know some of you have used bilge fans and did look into that put as I am not keeping my car stock, I didn’t won’t to restrict/compromise the air flow I could by using 3 inch fans. I shower extraction fan is small and noisy and not that efficient and I guess the bilge pumps are similar? These fans are quiet and flow a fair amount of air. I am going to have the thermostatically controlled and a manual override switch for those traffic jams! And yes it’s safe to say my confirmed fetish for holes!
I have a few ideas and just trying some out to see how it goes.
One problem I had with alloy sheet covered in fibre glass was the fibre glass would soak up the heat and keep it!
I am now looking into removing the fibre glass and just having alloy. I have brought x4 8 inch fans, 2 will go at the rear of the engine bay and will suck hot air out. The other 2 will go at the side of the engine 1 each side and blow onto it.
I also plan to make an black alloy tonneau cover to cover it all and also make a heat shield to go under the air filter,
I can then use the ears as air inlet feeds to the side fans and also feed cold air direct to the air filter
I am going to box this in more so it will vent out the left side onto the exhaust
I know some of you have used bilge fans and did look into that put as I am not keeping my car stock, I didn’t won’t to restrict/compromise the air flow I could by using 3 inch fans. I shower extraction fan is small and noisy and not that efficient and I guess the bilge pumps are similar? These fans are quiet and flow a fair amount of air. I am going to have the thermostatically controlled and a manual override switch for those traffic jams! And yes it’s safe to say my confirmed fetish for holes!
Ok been sick of my Lotus getting damp, going moldy and getting scratched by the kids on their bikes! Can not find a garage to rent near me over winter so have brought an outdoor Carcoon. Not cheap! But could be worth every penny if it does what the makers claim, time will tell……..
Not much done to the Esprit lately, I have been busy with other projects (Lamborghini Gallardo replica) and having a major clear out of engines, parts, and projects just too much to do and no space or time to work on them!!
Not much done to the Esprit lately, I have been busy with other projects (Lamborghini Gallardo replica) and having a major clear out of engines, parts, and projects just too much to do and no space or time to work on them!!
Ok it’s been a while? Yes I still have the Esprit and progress has been very slow! Have been tinkering with some bits and bobs and some parts have been removed/changed re-fitted, removed and some things are new to the project.
Have had some down time well in fact had a mental break down! which never helps and took a couple of months to get back to wanting to do anything with life and cars……..life sucks at times and things go to s
t.
The Carcoon was a bit of a disappointment I still had a damp interior and mold was growing again! But it did help keep the car paint and bodywork clean and protected, so its worthy of being used but shame it does not do what it’s claimed to do.
The air ride is still fitted and has been upgraded with a computer based control system which lets me store 3 ride heights into memory and can be remotely changed with a key fob (can’t wait to catch people out when it’s parked!) This works really well as I was having issues trying to set the front at a consistent height and having issues with tracking/bump steer. Now it can be set accurately every time with just a press of a button.
Once I get some more miles done and found the ride height I can live with I plan to get it all setup as its not right at the moment steering feels like a hyper sensitive go kart at 60mph and the slightest input/movement of the steering wheel is exaggerated to dangerous levels! The heavy steel air tank has gone and I have a twin pair of alloy air tanks.
Have extended the side ears around 15mm and made both just air inlet now, as the stock setup had the lower part inlet and upper outlet? The tailgate now has locking bonnet pins instead of the original catches, they kept undoing and the tailgate would open which was really annoying as the tailgate stays upright fully open when you get up to speed! I got stopped by the police and was oblivious to the fact the hatch was fully open while driving around! I can now lock it place (open a jar) to allow heat out.
Front radiator has been removed and in the process of fitting a bigger 60mm core Cosworth alloy rad, also changed the angle/rake of the rad. Engine bay boot floor area again has been ripped out and being redone, I think the issue with the rear hatch catches failing was due to the rear body flexing? I have made a steel frame to support the rear body, and rethinking the boot area again, was never really happy with the finished look so still working on that. Started to fit the new carpet, the hand brake gator is a total ass and just does not fit too good? These carpets are not cheap and never worth the money.
Will do a proper update soon with some pictures and more info.
Have had some down time well in fact had a mental break down! which never helps and took a couple of months to get back to wanting to do anything with life and cars……..life sucks at times and things go to s
t.The Carcoon was a bit of a disappointment I still had a damp interior and mold was growing again! But it did help keep the car paint and bodywork clean and protected, so its worthy of being used but shame it does not do what it’s claimed to do.
The air ride is still fitted and has been upgraded with a computer based control system which lets me store 3 ride heights into memory and can be remotely changed with a key fob (can’t wait to catch people out when it’s parked!) This works really well as I was having issues trying to set the front at a consistent height and having issues with tracking/bump steer. Now it can be set accurately every time with just a press of a button.
Once I get some more miles done and found the ride height I can live with I plan to get it all setup as its not right at the moment steering feels like a hyper sensitive go kart at 60mph and the slightest input/movement of the steering wheel is exaggerated to dangerous levels! The heavy steel air tank has gone and I have a twin pair of alloy air tanks.
Have extended the side ears around 15mm and made both just air inlet now, as the stock setup had the lower part inlet and upper outlet? The tailgate now has locking bonnet pins instead of the original catches, they kept undoing and the tailgate would open which was really annoying as the tailgate stays upright fully open when you get up to speed! I got stopped by the police and was oblivious to the fact the hatch was fully open while driving around! I can now lock it place (open a jar) to allow heat out.
Front radiator has been removed and in the process of fitting a bigger 60mm core Cosworth alloy rad, also changed the angle/rake of the rad. Engine bay boot floor area again has been ripped out and being redone, I think the issue with the rear hatch catches failing was due to the rear body flexing? I have made a steel frame to support the rear body, and rethinking the boot area again, was never really happy with the finished look so still working on that. Started to fit the new carpet, the hand brake gator is a total ass and just does not fit too good? These carpets are not cheap and never worth the money.
Will do a proper update soon with some pictures and more info.
Edited by s1v8esprit on Sunday 14th June 02:31
Thanks, yeah ready to get back to it
Here are some pictures of the stock Esprit rad and the new alloy Cosworth rad, it’s a bit bigger and the core is much wider so I will gain more water capacity and hopefully improve the cooling.
Fitting fans to the new rad is easy as it has more brackets unlike the original item
Picture of how I had the original Esprit rad laying near flat due to clearance issues with running a low car.
Here are some pictures of the stock Esprit rad and the new alloy Cosworth rad, it’s a bit bigger and the core is much wider so I will gain more water capacity and hopefully improve the cooling.
Fitting fans to the new rad is easy as it has more brackets unlike the original item
Picture of how I had the original Esprit rad laying near flat due to clearance issues with running a low car.
Mounting the rad is simple with the stock Cosworth side lugs, I just made up some mounts from alloy U section. Not yet finished, have some spare time today so hope to get it done today.
When fitting the rad I have decided to change the angle and have it sloped forward as apposed to backwards I have seen other cars like this? Not sure why it may work better? this actually worked out better fitting the hoses and fans with it angled forward, I cut the front lower floor to gain more room and to enable the rad to stand up a little more to increase the amount of air forced into it.
Also checked clearance for fitting the A-Frame and made sure it fits wouldn’t want to remove the rad every time I towed it! Yes I expect break downs! The car has given me no reason to trust it to be reliable………its still an old Lotus with Lucas and British Leyland parts at best. I still love it and still get a buzz from seeing it every day which is why we do it.
While I was under the car at the front I noticed a little leak from the small hose feeding the heater matrix, the joining tubes were rusted to hell and the other just fell apart when I tried to remove the retaining clips. That was a lucky escape catching that in time as that would have caused a major break down with all the coolant pumping out! All fixed now with stainless tube and new stainless hose clips.
When fitting the rad I have decided to change the angle and have it sloped forward as apposed to backwards I have seen other cars like this? Not sure why it may work better? this actually worked out better fitting the hoses and fans with it angled forward, I cut the front lower floor to gain more room and to enable the rad to stand up a little more to increase the amount of air forced into it.
Also checked clearance for fitting the A-Frame and made sure it fits wouldn’t want to remove the rad every time I towed it! Yes I expect break downs! The car has given me no reason to trust it to be reliable………its still an old Lotus with Lucas and British Leyland parts at best. I still love it and still get a buzz from seeing it every day which is why we do it.
While I was under the car at the front I noticed a little leak from the small hose feeding the heater matrix, the joining tubes were rusted to hell and the other just fell apart when I tried to remove the retaining clips. That was a lucky escape catching that in time as that would have caused a major break down with all the coolant pumping out! All fixed now with stainless tube and new stainless hose clips.
On my quest to improve cooling getting more cold air into the engine bay is the biggest problem due to engine location and lack of space, engine size and exhaust. Lotus only fitted small intakes on the side of the car often referred to as “Ears”.
This is what the intake\outlets look like without the cover (Ear), as you can see the lower hole is for cold air intake and the upper for air out.
I have made both holes now cold air intakes and made the outside cover (Ears) spaced out 15mm from the body to increase air flow into the inlets. The bottom hole is going to flow air towards the engine (exhaust manifolds) and the top hole is going to feed cold air to the air filter.
view from rear, most people may not even notice the difference at first glance
also painted the fuel caps satin black, never really liked the colour coded nonsense
not sure if I am going to leave the fronts open or fit some sort of grill/mesh. Keeping them open will make life easier and less hassle cleaning the car.
This is what the intake\outlets look like without the cover (Ear), as you can see the lower hole is for cold air intake and the upper for air out.
I have made both holes now cold air intakes and made the outside cover (Ears) spaced out 15mm from the body to increase air flow into the inlets. The bottom hole is going to flow air towards the engine (exhaust manifolds) and the top hole is going to feed cold air to the air filter.
view from rear, most people may not even notice the difference at first glance
also painted the fuel caps satin black, never really liked the colour coded nonsense
not sure if I am going to leave the fronts open or fit some sort of grill/mesh. Keeping them open will make life easier and less hassle cleaning the car.
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