First impressions...
Discussion
OK, by now you're probably aware that I acquired a 20-year-old Esprit S3 back in February, as a 40th birthday pressie for myself....
Well, the thing is a shed. No two ways about it. But then, how many other cars that age, especially of this genre, wouldn't be?
It is mostly, as far as I can tell, original; which is to say that although it's had paintwork, I can't find where they've glued two cars together to make one...
There is a vast array of stress cracks, many of which I didn't spot until I used T-Cut to bring the gloss back up. Had this been my first GRP car it would have scared the hell out of me, but it isn't so it doesn't. It has the predictable bumper damage, plus some trauma to the driver's door - looks as though the check strap has tried to come through from the inside!
The interior too looks its age; the colour is not what I would have asked the factory to trim it with, but what the hell. It's evidently been sprayed with some dye (a good colour match), and the trim panel for the top of the dash (below the screen) is missing. Apart from that it's all there, just having that 'patina' as twatty classic car ads say....
Now I didn't buy this car to make it a concours example, but I would like it to hold together while I drive it, so I've been doing various tasks (for almost 4 months!), it's now MOTed and taxed and this weekend I actually got to drive it. Leaving out the blocked outlet for the right-hand fuel tank that stranded me temporarily in a layby, it all seems to work. Several problems are still evident: the gearchange is still atrocious despite lubing the swivels. It jumps out of reverse; reverse, 2nd and 4th take more effort to engage than the others, which suggests a fouling linkage. I've disconnected the links from the gearbox and I can get all the gears with a nice 'clunk' so it does point to the linkages. I could use any pointers to setting-up the linkages, in case there is a particular method. Don't fancy trial and error and writing-off the 'box...
Onto driving, then: bloody awful. In a masochistically enjoyable way... Crashy is a good word, as are rough, rattle and thump. The front suspension has been rebuilt, but I used the old dampers (although they do work), and the rear has a set of adjustable AVOs on that I thought were set up too hard for my taste (and spine!). I also found that dropping the tyre pressures from 29 front/36 rear made a significant improvement...
although there are some definite hard thumping noises from somewhere underneath through potholes. I can't see anything obvious such as pipe hitting chassis etc.
Leaving aside the crashy ride, the steering is great - very direct, like a gokart but lighter, although it weights up nicely in a corner. The car goes round like it's on rails, despite mid-corner bumps, in a way that my TVR could only fantasise about. Brakes have been adequate so far, though there's more initial pedal travel than I like - probably just needs some fettling.
Wind noise at 80 is virtually non-existent, unlike the TVR where conversation becomes difficult due to the roar. Road noise is also better than I expected for fat tyres, and you'd hardly know the engine is there. I'm finding it hard to believe you can sit 18" in front of a twin-cam and not hear it! However the exhaust does drone away, not exactly in the background but not too bad; certainly not as bad as the speed-linked whine from the transmission - or is it a wheel bearing I can hear? One thing that does concern me is a rattle that appears at about 2300 rpm, audible on a light throttle or overrun. I can induce it by blipping the throttle linkage while lying on top of the engine, and it seems to be coming from the front of the engine - timing belt tensioner perhaps? I'm hoping not small-end or piston slap.
The fuelling is not quite right: just above idle there's some hesitation, and do I detect some fuel starvation on hard lefthanders? Although I balanced the carbs, I didn't clean any jets, so maybe that or an ignition problem is the cause. Otherwise the engine seems to respond OK; I've been trying not to flog it as there's oil on the timing belt and I don't want to precipitate it snapping! I've been staying under 3500rpm as far as possible, with odd forays up to 4000 when I got carried away, and one memorable burst of 5000+ when I missed 5th and got 3rd instead - damn gearchange! So I've been up around 92 max, with some 70 and 80 cruising for a mile or two. But it was the constant 70 down a twisty country road that would have seen me dancing the Fandango in the TVR that impressed me most. It's easy to see why the Esprit has the reputation it does. I'm even starting to forgive it the driving position, which I initially thought was hellish. Apart from the bent right knee, and the need to ram the clutch through the floor, it's actually not too bad. I still can't see how Roger Moore fitted in there though....
Right, monologue over, I'm off to bed.... have fun, if you're out and about
Ian
Edit: typos!
>>> Edited by wedg1e on Monday 31st May 03:19
Well, the thing is a shed. No two ways about it. But then, how many other cars that age, especially of this genre, wouldn't be?
It is mostly, as far as I can tell, original; which is to say that although it's had paintwork, I can't find where they've glued two cars together to make one...
There is a vast array of stress cracks, many of which I didn't spot until I used T-Cut to bring the gloss back up. Had this been my first GRP car it would have scared the hell out of me, but it isn't so it doesn't. It has the predictable bumper damage, plus some trauma to the driver's door - looks as though the check strap has tried to come through from the inside! The interior too looks its age; the colour is not what I would have asked the factory to trim it with, but what the hell. It's evidently been sprayed with some dye (a good colour match), and the trim panel for the top of the dash (below the screen) is missing. Apart from that it's all there, just having that 'patina' as twatty classic car ads say....
Now I didn't buy this car to make it a concours example, but I would like it to hold together while I drive it, so I've been doing various tasks (for almost 4 months!), it's now MOTed and taxed and this weekend I actually got to drive it. Leaving out the blocked outlet for the right-hand fuel tank that stranded me temporarily in a layby, it all seems to work. Several problems are still evident: the gearchange is still atrocious despite lubing the swivels. It jumps out of reverse; reverse, 2nd and 4th take more effort to engage than the others, which suggests a fouling linkage. I've disconnected the links from the gearbox and I can get all the gears with a nice 'clunk' so it does point to the linkages. I could use any pointers to setting-up the linkages, in case there is a particular method. Don't fancy trial and error and writing-off the 'box...
Onto driving, then: bloody awful. In a masochistically enjoyable way...
Crashy is a good word, as are rough, rattle and thump. The front suspension has been rebuilt, but I used the old dampers (although they do work), and the rear has a set of adjustable AVOs on that I thought were set up too hard for my taste (and spine!). I also found that dropping the tyre pressures from 29 front/36 rear made a significant improvement... although there are some definite hard thumping noises from somewhere underneath through potholes. I can't see anything obvious such as pipe hitting chassis etc. Leaving aside the crashy ride, the steering is great - very direct, like a gokart but lighter, although it weights up nicely in a corner. The car goes round like it's on rails, despite mid-corner bumps, in a way that my TVR could only fantasise about. Brakes have been adequate so far, though there's more initial pedal travel than I like - probably just needs some fettling.
Wind noise at 80 is virtually non-existent, unlike the TVR where conversation becomes difficult due to the roar. Road noise is also better than I expected for fat tyres, and you'd hardly know the engine is there. I'm finding it hard to believe you can sit 18" in front of a twin-cam and not hear it! However the exhaust does drone away, not exactly in the background but not too bad; certainly not as bad as the speed-linked whine from the transmission - or is it a wheel bearing I can hear? One thing that does concern me is a rattle that appears at about 2300 rpm, audible on a light throttle or overrun. I can induce it by blipping the throttle linkage while lying on top of the engine, and it seems to be coming from the front of the engine - timing belt tensioner perhaps? I'm hoping not small-end or piston slap.
The fuelling is not quite right: just above idle there's some hesitation, and do I detect some fuel starvation on hard lefthanders? Although I balanced the carbs, I didn't clean any jets, so maybe that or an ignition problem is the cause. Otherwise the engine seems to respond OK; I've been trying not to flog it as there's oil on the timing belt and I don't want to precipitate it snapping! I've been staying under 3500rpm as far as possible, with odd forays up to 4000 when I got carried away, and one memorable burst of 5000+ when I missed 5th and got 3rd instead - damn gearchange! So I've been up around 92 max, with some 70 and 80 cruising for a mile or two. But it was the constant 70 down a twisty country road that would have seen me dancing the Fandango in the TVR that impressed me most. It's easy to see why the Esprit has the reputation it does. I'm even starting to forgive it the driving position, which I initially thought was hellish. Apart from the bent right knee, and the need to ram the clutch through the floor, it's actually not too bad. I still can't see how Roger Moore fitted in there though....
Right, monologue over, I'm off to bed.... have fun, if you're out and about
Ian
Edit: typos!
>>> Edited by wedg1e on Monday 31st May 03:19
Lovely little story Ian 
Goes to show you can have lots of niggly problems with these cars, but they will never fail to put a smile on the dial when your out hooning around, makes it all worth while. They are a hobby car after all and seems that this car is lucky to have an owner like yourself who can work on them and make it glow again.
When I got my car it too had lots of little things I didn't like, but I just made a big list of problems needing attention and just ticking them off when done. I still have a few things to do, but I see how it looks now compared to before and the comparison is huge!!
Keep the great work up.
Cheers
Kylie
Goes to show you can have lots of niggly problems with these cars, but they will never fail to put a smile on the dial when your out hooning around, makes it all worth while. They are a hobby car after all and seems that this car is lucky to have an owner like yourself who can work on them and make it glow again. When I got my car it too had lots of little things I didn't like, but I just made a big list of problems needing attention and just ticking them off when done. I still have a few things to do, but I see how it looks now compared to before and the comparison is huge!!
Keep the great work up.
Cheers
Kylie
Rodger Moore... I'm not sure how tall he is but... Tony Dron (of Classic Car magazine) wiggled into one (see the 1996 May issue). I'm 6'1'' and I fit okay. I'll give you that you sit crooked - that's the Italian in her!
5 days of work is worth 1 hour of driving!!!
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
5 days of work is worth 1 hour of driving!!!
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
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