1981 Lotus Eclat 2.2
Discussion
I have to drive the Lotus from London to Oxfordshire today so that my mechanic can diagnose how fooked the door is. Cable ties and tape may be deployed to stop the door falling off on the M40. If it is the door beam that has failed I can get a replacement for fifty quid from Lotusbits, but fitting it may be a right old faff.
It is a good sign, I think, that the workshop services of Lotusbits are in high demand. SJ Sports are also good, but are in Devon, whereas Lotusbits are just up the road from my country pad. The West London old Lotus fixer upper dudes have closed down, sadly.
The door is still not quite falling off. It is locked and taped and whatnot. I enter and exit the car by doing limbo dancing via the passenger door. There are now footprints on the headlining, but not for the usual enjoyable reasons (the damage that Christian Louboutin heels can do to the headlining of a Jensen Interceptor is a story for another time).
I may or may not be driving the car tomorrow to go and look at a Series 2 Esprit, but I couldn't possibly comment on that.
The door is still not quite falling off. It is locked and taped and whatnot. I enter and exit the car by doing limbo dancing via the passenger door. There are now footprints on the headlining, but not for the usual enjoyable reasons (the damage that Christian Louboutin heels can do to the headlining of a Jensen Interceptor is a story for another time).
I may or may not be driving the car tomorrow to go and look at a Series 2 Esprit, but I couldn't possibly comment on that.
Breadvan72 said:
It is a good sign, I think, that the workshop services of Lotusbits are in high demand. SJ Sports are also good, but are in Devon, whereas Lotusbits are just up the road from my country pad. The West London old Lotus fixer upper dudes have closed down, sadly.
The door is still not quite falling off. It is locked and taped and whatnot. I enter and exit the car by doing limbo dancing via the passenger door. There are now footprints on the headlining, but not for the usual enjoyable reasons (the damage that Christian Louboutin heels can do to the headlining of a Jensen Interceptor is a story for another time).
I may or may not be driving the car tomorrow to go and look at a Series 2 Esprit, but I couldn't possibly comment on that.
This post reassures me we haven't lost the patient. The door is still not quite falling off. It is locked and taped and whatnot. I enter and exit the car by doing limbo dancing via the passenger door. There are now footprints on the headlining, but not for the usual enjoyable reasons (the damage that Christian Louboutin heels can do to the headlining of a Jensen Interceptor is a story for another time).
I may or may not be driving the car tomorrow to go and look at a Series 2 Esprit, but I couldn't possibly comment on that.
Just for fun this is my current desktop image. Borrowed off the internets.
Breadvan72 said:
Satan, avaunt!
How about we go halfsies and keep it in a shed near you? I know of an S3 for sale too. NB non turbos for less angst.
Meanwhile: Loads Of Taped Up s
te. But NB tape bought in shop very near to Hethel, so is correct Lotus tape as specified by Chapman in person.
Alas I need to get the Boxster sorted first, and now I have two student Pilots in the family (and still can't afford to fly myself) How about we go halfsies and keep it in a shed near you? I know of an S3 for sale too. NB non turbos for less angst.
Meanwhile: Loads Of Taped Up s
te. But NB tape bought in shop very near to Hethel, so is correct Lotus tape as specified by Chapman in person. but I see Blue skies through the tears in my eyes: I only have 6 months left of double school fees, so she will either then go into the BA Cadet pilot scheme or head off to Uni, either way a grand payrise pour moi
Update as in not much of an update. The car had its driver's door beam replaced by Lotusbits in April 2018, and since then has been sat in a dry barn while I ponder whether to do it up, or to sell it on as a project. It's engine runs but is smoky (from the engine, not the exhaust). Whether this is because of something minor or something serious I do not presently know. I cannot decide what to do with this car. I could have had it done up this year, but instead bought an old sporty Fiat, so I am still pondering. Head says sell, heart says keep, or is that the other way around?
By the way, after taking the photos above at Hethel in early 2018, driving the car back from Norfolk with its door falling off was a bit of a mission. I ended up with the door sort of lashed on, and had to keep the window open. It was a freezing cold day in February. Luckily I had my ski gear in the boot so suited up in many layers, put the heater on full blast, and arrived home pretty much frozen stiff but just about able to pry my gloved hands from the steering wheel. A bit like motorbiking in winter. No matter how much kit you wear, you get cold.
The door is now fine and sits well, but the car is looking a bit sorry for itself in a dark barn that has too much assorted tat in it. Barn rash includes a dinged side light (my fault). But it could probably scrub up and might well start if jumped
The door is now fine and sits well, but the car is looking a bit sorry for itself in a dark barn that has too much assorted tat in it. Barn rash includes a dinged side light (my fault). But it could probably scrub up and might well start if jumped
Mr Breadvan, Sir? I think I've either a) found your stash, or b) found your long lost twin's stash.
Passing a yard in a rural hamlet yesterday I spotted, among tractors and modern agricultural equipment, the following items...
A Russian military lorry.
An early Range Rover, two-door, in white.
A Triumph Acclaim.
An MG Midget.
...how do you plead? Guilty? Or Not Guilty?
I won't disclose the location, but suffice to say that unless you live there or are passing through on a bridleway then you wouldn't just "happen upon it". Further into my bicycle ride I spotted an Austin 7 jacked up outside a cottage deep in the woods, with a Morris 1000 parked next to it.
Sorry to put this on your Lotus thread, but the eclectic mix of cars in the yard immediately made me think of you! There was plenty of barn space for other cars, including the Lotus, too...
Passing a yard in a rural hamlet yesterday I spotted, among tractors and modern agricultural equipment, the following items...
A Russian military lorry.
An early Range Rover, two-door, in white.
A Triumph Acclaim.
An MG Midget.
...how do you plead? Guilty? Or Not Guilty?
I won't disclose the location, but suffice to say that unless you live there or are passing through on a bridleway then you wouldn't just "happen upon it". Further into my bicycle ride I spotted an Austin 7 jacked up outside a cottage deep in the woods, with a Morris 1000 parked next to it.
Sorry to put this on your Lotus thread, but the eclectic mix of cars in the yard immediately made me think of you! There was plenty of barn space for other cars, including the Lotus, too...
The place that you saw was not my place. I am still trying to decide what to do with the Eclat. It is hard to put a price on it as a project car, especially as Covid makes markets for many things somewhat uncertain. I keep spending the money that I should spend on the Lotus buying other cars, and they in turn need their expenditure on fixing and improving. I should probably try putting an ad on PH and a few other places to see if anyone wants it the car as a fixer upper. If no one wants it like that, I suppose that I may eventually get the urge to spend the money and get it fixed it up myself.
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