Lotus Elite: Lots of Trouble....EXCELlent news P33

[callumaspinall]

This lotus is going to be amazing i love it already!!!

Keep the original wheels they're the nicest wheels iv seen for a long time they look brilliant on every car iv seen them on especially polished up there different from the spoked splits(bbs style) that are on every show car new or old in every scene I'm so bored of them

Them supra wheels you have on the rascal van would look good also get a pic with them in the arches!
(only my opinion though)

[Mystery Machine]

So I'm currently at Area 52 sorting a few bits out for the Teenage Dirtbag and end up chatting to the guys from the garage next door. The conversation somehow got onto the Lotus and I mention the plans for the electric power steering. Two minutes later one of them appears with this asking if I could find a use for it:



A brand spanking new electric PAS pump from a 106 or Saxo. If I find it fits where I want it, I can have it for £30. Today looks like another one of those lucky 'chance encounter' days! Happy? Me? You bet.

[mk14dr]

Really though, how do you do it?

[maf260]

Any chance of this weekend's lottery numbers? PM me!

[Mystery Machine]

Haha....I wish I could. If I ever won the lottery I'd actually buy the whole unit Area 52 is located in and expand massively, have the doors open for people to drop in every day and just LIVE Area 52 while playing on old cars and sipping beer, cooking random food and having a laugh with mates.

Talking of lucky days, this apeared on the ever so AWESOME Build Threads website this morning: The Advertures of Mystery Machine

I got a PM from Anth, the owner, a few days ago to ask if I'd mind him posting up an 'interim' report on what I've been up to. How could I refuse such an amazing and very kind offer?

If you are on Facebook or Twitter at all and like the article, please click the Like button within the article (possibly for the Area 52 & Teenage Dirtbag ones too that were featured back in January). ;D Also, if you haven't had a good look around the website before, please do, it's flipping brilliant! I can't wait for the day that Anth can make it over from Australia and come along to Area 52.

Thanks Anth, I LOVE the article!

[hairnet]

has small baldy headed gentleman that lives next door got a thing fo you ;D

thanks andy LLOLOLOLOL

[mk2cossie]

just gone through the thread (after seeing a link on Build Threads), and I'm loving the Lotus almost as much as THAT land rover

with regards to the leccy pump, ive got one on my granada and can report it works perfectly ;D
only real issue is when you need to frantically lock to lock at idle and theres not enough charge to keep it fully spinning up

[darrenh]

May 4, 2012 9:45:07 GMT mdh said:

The turbo runs on exhaust pulses and they can cancel each other out or degrade once all the pipes are long and merged into one.

technically, most of the energy driving the exhaust turbine is heat, which will degrade along with gas speed by the end of an exhaust run (due to radiating out of the pipes and expanding in the silencers) i'm surprised these systems at the back of the car even boost tbh, must be typically undersized or only work at high rpms.

[xbo11ox]

The driving force comes from the pressure drop across the turbine, the pressure can be largely maintained along the exhaust pipe up to the rear-mount turbo. But, whatever pressure drops occur in the long pipe between the engine and the turbo will waste energy that would otherwise be driving the turbine and will be 'consumed' as pumping losses, basically making a less efficient set-up. Not to mention the bother of setting up the oil feed and return. I think a rear-mount turbo is a lousy set up.

[marsden1968]

The upsides are you move the heat out of the engine bay.They can also come in handy if you're short of room in the engine bay. The length of the pipe can also mean that you can get away without an intercooler. It is inefficient but if you really want a turbo it sometimes is the only way.
P.S. loving the thread, hope all the hard work is worth it ; ;D

[mdh]

I word - lag.

Lots of it!

[Deleted]

How things change
Only a short while ago it seemed that keeping the engine was the worst thing you could do and now its turbo locations.
Class project, lucky find. Fair play to ya!

[mrluke]

Saw this and thought of you lol

[mdh]

Patience all used up - need an update!! ;-)

[dougie1142]

Very into this MM. Keep up the great work as always!

[korteix]

Hi, I'm a french guy restoring a 1975 Elite, you have done a lot of work! I'm jalous because of your white leather intérior... but not because of your chassis

I have the original wheels and shock absorbers on mine, you're right the back of the car is high, you should try to find shorter rear wheel arms if you want to get it down (or enlarge the body...).

Sorry for my bad english...

[mdh]

Your english is fine, and your car is even better!!

ps More pics please!

[Mystery Machine]

Thanks for all the comments about turbo set-ups and power steering. Things are afoot that might have an impact on the whole build...but more about that if/when it happens. In the meantime I've been having a little play with turbo locations in the engine bay and have pretty much finalised a 'rough' location (pending manifold routes, pipework space and mounts etc...) but I think where I have chosen is going to be the best option considering all the criteria needed for fitment, functionalilty, heat etc...

I also have a good location sorted for the power steering but that is dependent on another factor which I won't know about for a while. It's like a big jigsaw puzzle that I'm still waiting for a few pieces to arrive before being able to continue.

So what have I done in the meantime? Not a lot really....other than take a BIG gamble and sold my wheels!

Yep, these beauties are now in the hands of a new owner:


I thought they were pretty much perfect for the car and was going to move heaven & earth to make them fit. However, I discovered a design of wheel recently that I think will suit the car even more. But here's the gamble; in order to try out the new wheels, I need to buy them first. In order to buy them I need to raise some money...so the only thing I could think of was to sell my beautiful girlfriend the Compomotives.

So why is that a gamble? Because if I find the new wheels don't suit the car how I imagine them to, I've no longer got the lovely Compomotives to fall back on. I've sold a dead cert in order to try out something that I am sure will look awesome, but as we all know, wheels can look totally different once on a car. Totally.

I was informed this morning that my 'gamble' wheels are now on their way over from the States. It's going to be a waiting game and I really hope it pays off? My theory, if you want to win big you have to take the odd chance.

I've yet to see another set of these wheels in the UK (for sale anyway) so I had to buy from the US just to be able to try them out. Oh...and they are a PCD that's a long way off being a simple fit. And they have an extra stud to account for...and PCD adaptors aren't available in this combo. I do like a challenge even if I generally hate gambling!

[Mystery Machine]

May 21, 2012 13:59:36 GMT korteix said:

Hi, I'm a french guy restoring a 1975 Elite, you have done a lot of work! I'm jalous because of your white leather intérior... but not because of your chassis

I have the original wheels and shock absorbers on mine, you're right the back of the car is high, you should try to find shorter rear wheel arms if you want to get it down (or enlarge the body...).

Sorry for my bad english...

Hi there Korteix, welcome to Retro Rides

I like the look of your Elite, it looks very much like my white/patchy one. Only better! As Mark says, please post up more photos of the car, it would be great to see it from different angles.

If you want white leather, I might have most of the interior for sale soon. I don't have door cards and the passenger seat has a tear in it, but if you are interested at all, most of it could be sold. The offer is there?

As for your English, it's VERY good. It puts my grasp of French to shame by a long, long way. I look forward to hearing more from you and seeing more of your car.

Regards,

Bruce.

[Clement]

I can't wait to see what wheels you have in mind! If they don't look as good as they should, you can always put the original wheels on, they are awesome enough aren't they

korteix : Excellent de voir une Elite en France, tu l'as depuis longtemps ? Je suis basé sur Clermont-Fd, si tu es pas loin fais-moi signe j'adorerais voir ça !