1984 Lotus Excel
Discussion
Not much to report just lately, as I have been busy at work and buying an old Rover and an old Jag. The Lotus has been parked up in storage in London while waiting for a new fan and fan cowling, and these should be fitted this week, so I can start driving it again. The interior sortage will follow. I might start with some carpets.
I have been driving the Lotus a fair bit lately. This is despite it still having only one working rad fan, but the second fan goes in on Tuesday. It has also developed a split coolant hose, so there have been some exciting moments involving tape and glugs of coolant into the header tank (engine running, natch). Thus far no boilage, although close. I would replace the hose, but now CBA as the car will be in the garage anyway on Tuesday.
I have noticed that the car has an aircon compressor, but this has been bypassed by the fitting of a shorter alternator belt. The compressor is probably foutu, and in any event would run ye olde gas, no longer available. I might look into some sort of conversion or whatevs, but am not that bothered.
The gearchange is occasionally a tad balky from second to third. To be investigated, but thus far I have just got used to the change and compensate for slight balkiness with swearing. The choke cable is broken at the dash, but the choke can be set from inside the engine compartment for cold and damp mornings.
The radio is uber pants, and the passenger door trim is loose. Otherwise, the car is going well, and hoots and roars muchly. I left it at a pub yesterday, so am now donning my under used running shoes to jog over and retrieve it, cor blimey.
I have noticed that the car has an aircon compressor, but this has been bypassed by the fitting of a shorter alternator belt. The compressor is probably foutu, and in any event would run ye olde gas, no longer available. I might look into some sort of conversion or whatevs, but am not that bothered.
The gearchange is occasionally a tad balky from second to third. To be investigated, but thus far I have just got used to the change and compensate for slight balkiness with swearing. The choke cable is broken at the dash, but the choke can be set from inside the engine compartment for cold and damp mornings.
The radio is uber pants, and the passenger door trim is loose. Otherwise, the car is going well, and hoots and roars muchly. I left it at a pub yesterday, so am now donning my under used running shoes to jog over and retrieve it, cor blimey.
The Lotus now has a new fan and new coolant hoses and various other bits and bobs, but this morning on the M11 its ignition switch gave up the ghost, so it is currently running via a hotwire. This is very Grand Theft Auto, yo b
hes!
A well used DeLorean stopped by at the Fourwentways Shell Garage where the AA dude was setting up the hotwire. Lovely thing, not at all Back to the Futured, driven by a cool dude who also has a Norton or two back at home. I had never had the chance to look over a Delorean closely before - fun machine, especially when no flux capacitator fitted.
hes!A well used DeLorean stopped by at the Fourwentways Shell Garage where the AA dude was setting up the hotwire. Lovely thing, not at all Back to the Futured, driven by a cool dude who also has a Norton or two back at home. I had never had the chance to look over a Delorean closely before - fun machine, especially when no flux capacitator fitted.
The rear seat passengers have to fold themselves up a bit to get into and out of the car, but once they are installed they sit in reasonable comfort. If you packed lightly, you could do a weekend away with four adults in an Excel.
The alternator belt split the other night, but I was not far from home at the time and I made it home on dipped beams with the radio and fans switched off. I will go and buy a new ignition switch and belt at the local motor factors today.
The alternator belt split the other night, but I was not far from home at the time and I made it home on dipped beams with the radio and fans switched off. I will go and buy a new ignition switch and belt at the local motor factors today.
OMG HGF!
That head gasket had been pretty suspect for a while, I suppose, as the car had been running hot.
Should be no biggie to fix, especially as the engine is all alloy (famous last words...). The car is due into dry dock anyway, for all sorts of fiddly jobs.
SJ Sports Cars (reliable supplier of Excel bits) can now celebrate further and better ker-ching moments, so it's an ill wind ...
That head gasket had been pretty suspect for a while, I suppose, as the car had been running hot.
Should be no biggie to fix, especially as the engine is all alloy (famous last words...). The car is due into dry dock anyway, for all sorts of fiddly jobs.
SJ Sports Cars (reliable supplier of Excel bits) can now celebrate further and better ker-ching moments, so it's an ill wind ...
Update: The car sat around on its arse for some time, whilst I was busy with various real life blah. I then flogged it off very cheapo to a bloke who did it up a bit (mechanically), and he sold it to a dealer, who was selling it online the other week for what seemed to me a bit too much, as the interior is still (AFAIK) rather shonky. I wish that I had kept the car and got it done up myself, but selling it seemed the right thing to do at the time, because reasons!
Jonmx said:
It would seem your departed Excel's sister car is up for sale. Very similar vrm. Not that I've been browsing classifieds for old Lotuses I certainly can't afford or justify!
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/lotus/excel/21...
That is the car that I used to own. It's not at all a bad car in many ways, and has a particularly good bodyshell with very good paint; but the interior needs a total revamp. The photos do not show the extent of the fading and cracking. There are about fifty shades of beige going on. The seats are not torn, and the headlining isn't too bad, but you would need to redo (at least) the top of the dashboard, renew the door cards, change or refresh the carpets, and maybe think of recovering the seats. A pale leather interior would look good, but would be expensive. http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/lotus/excel/21...
The early Excels have a silly arrangement for the instruments and the steering wheel. The instruments are arranged for the two spoke steering wheel of the Eclats and Elites, but most Excels have what is called the "Personal" three spoke wheel, which is a better steering wheel than the two spoker, but it interferes with the view of the secondary dials. The later Excels have a rearranged instrument panel that works with the three spoke steering wheel.
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