Esprit Stainless Steel Sill Plates
Discussion
I thought you might like to know that Stainless Steel Sill plates with an etched Esprit design are now available at about half the cost of the Lotus 2002 MY sill plates. The shiny new plates cover the full width of the door entry, so offer greater protection to shoe damage - especially those high heels on the passenger side.
You can see pics at www.lotusespritworld.com
Alan
You can see pics at www.lotusespritworld.com
Alan
I have always found it amusing how we keep making layers upon layers of protection for cars and then make them beautiful thus creating the need for further layers. For example:
- The car's engine needed protection from the elements, so a car body was built to protect it. Then people decided, might as well make the body pretty by having a designer style it.
- Well that pretty new body now needed protection from the elements so people decided to paint it. Well if you're going to paint it, might as well make it a pretty color.
- Well that pretty, colorful new paint job needs protection from the elements or it will oxidize, dull and scratch, so people decided to add a clearcoat. Well if you're going to have a clearcoat, you might as well have the "smoothest-as-glass" possible finish on it to make it pretty, so people use polishes and waxes to buff it out and protect it.
- Well that beautiful, smooth-as-glass finish needs protection from our feet when we enter/exit our cars, so people decided to make door sills. Well, along comes Alan (and others) and decides that you might as well make the door sills pretty.
- Well that pretty, new door sill happens to made of a shiny polished mirror finish so it will need protection from scratches as well. I wonder what new product we will need to protect Alan's sill/clearcoat/paint/body protector. I suspect an Armourfend product for the sill protectors will be next.
Regardless, great job on the sill, Alan. BTW: the Lotus door sills are the opposite in design from yours - i.e. the letters are mirrored and the background is matte. This may help reduce scratches. Something to consider...
Cheers,
Karl-Franz :-)
www.espritfactfile.com
- The car's engine needed protection from the elements, so a car body was built to protect it. Then people decided, might as well make the body pretty by having a designer style it.
- Well that pretty new body now needed protection from the elements so people decided to paint it. Well if you're going to paint it, might as well make it a pretty color.
- Well that pretty, colorful new paint job needs protection from the elements or it will oxidize, dull and scratch, so people decided to add a clearcoat. Well if you're going to have a clearcoat, you might as well have the "smoothest-as-glass" possible finish on it to make it pretty, so people use polishes and waxes to buff it out and protect it.
- Well that beautiful, smooth-as-glass finish needs protection from our feet when we enter/exit our cars, so people decided to make door sills. Well, along comes Alan (and others) and decides that you might as well make the door sills pretty.
- Well that pretty, new door sill happens to made of a shiny polished mirror finish so it will need protection from scratches as well. I wonder what new product we will need to protect Alan's sill/clearcoat/paint/body protector. I suspect an Armourfend product for the sill protectors will be next.
Regardless, great job on the sill, Alan. BTW: the Lotus door sills are the opposite in design from yours - i.e. the letters are mirrored and the background is matte. This may help reduce scratches. Something to consider...
Cheers,
Karl-Franz :-)
www.espritfactfile.com
Hey just looking at your tyres, what do you put on your tyres that make them look so glossy wet. I have tried a heap a sprays, tyre black you name it and it wears off real quick and the look dull again. I heard that linseed oil, or cooking oil is the business????
Hi Kylie,
I have tried tons of different tire products and I have had the most success with the ones that are "gel" based. I have noticed that gel products seem to last the longest and keep your tires nice and dark even after driving through puddles or in the rain. Another benefit is that gel products come with a foam applicator which makes it easier to apply evenly and cleanly. Sprays tend to be very messy and the overspray gets on the wheels and the car's body.
Here in the USA we have a product named Black Magic Tire Tint (www.blackmagiccarcare.com/exterior_body.htm). This is what I have been using for the past few years. It is a gel product that has millions of microscopic specks of metallic glitter suspended in the liquid. The glitter adds an extra dimension in shine to the tire.
The tint (glitter) is available in silver, green, red, and blue. I use the blue on my car. Looking at the link to their web site, it appears that Black Magic also has a version (Tire Wet Gel) that comes without the glitter. I don't know if either product is available in NZ.
Cheers,
Karl-Franz :-)
www.espritfactfile.com
karlfranz,
Oddly enough I have a cleaning polish called Shiny Sills to protect the sill plates.
I know my design is the opposite of the Lotus ones. I think the Lotus ones look dull and awful and are only in keeping with the style of the 2002 MY car. Mine are styled to enhance the cars up to 2002 and cost half the price of the Lotus ones. Mine also protect a much wider area of the sill where damage normally occurs.
I have the same mirror finish on sill plates that are 3 years old and there are no scratches on them yet - so I guess as long as people don't take an angle grinder to them they should be okay.
I've had several people admire my sill plates when I open the door and I feel it makes it look more like a Supercar - which it is.
Alan
Oddly enough I have a cleaning polish called Shiny Sills to protect the sill plates.
I know my design is the opposite of the Lotus ones. I think the Lotus ones look dull and awful and are only in keeping with the style of the 2002 MY car. Mine are styled to enhance the cars up to 2002 and cost half the price of the Lotus ones. Mine also protect a much wider area of the sill where damage normally occurs.
I have the same mirror finish on sill plates that are 3 years old and there are no scratches on them yet - so I guess as long as people don't take an angle grinder to them they should be okay.
I've had several people admire my sill plates when I open the door and I feel it makes it look more like a Supercar - which it is.
Alan
.... and they'll be in stock on Weds 14th May. Half the batch have already been sold- so if you want a set don't hang around. They'll be flying out the door.
Alan
See them on www.lotusespritworld.com in the News section
Alan
See them on www.lotusespritworld.com in the News section
Just ordered a set for my 90SE and can't wait to see them and get them installed. It took a couple of days to get my cheap butt to spend the money, but I showed my wife what they looked like and she said she liked them so that was enough to get me to spend that hard earned money. I will keep you posted when I get them. They should look really nice against the Black!!
P.S. I hope she don't ask how much I paid when they show up at our door!!
Bill
90SE
P.S. I hope she don't ask how much I paid when they show up at our door!!
Bill
90SE
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