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Garage / Re: S1 rolling restoration

« Last post by LotusEuropa on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:38:55 AM »

Quote from: EuropaTC on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:13:11 AM

If you haven't already done so, it would be worth contacting Andy Graham at Lotus to see if he's got anything to add. An early chassis such as that might have ended up either as a demonstrator for car magazines or as a racer.

The previous owner, a young man who had gotten it from his neighbour, was in contact with him. Andy was unfortunately only able to give the basic information as usual (I think there was this fire in the archives or something like that). Given what you've said, it might be worth digging a little deeper. It would be great to find this in an article.

Garage / Re: Newby's first request

« Last post by EuropaTC on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:34:25 AM »

Hi and

from (sometimes) sunny Lincolnshire !

Locked steering sounds very scary, you've dodged a bullet with that one.

I don't know for certain but would guess that the lock is most likely Triumph, the one on my '72 TC definitely is but I think the later cars had a re-designed steering controls ? It might be worth scanning the Rimmer catalogue to see if you recognise anything ? Personally I'd be tempted to take it off and remove the locking mechanism, no-one is going to steal these cars for a joy ride and if someone does want it they'll turn up with a low loader in the night. A steering lock isn't going to stop them.

As for brakes, there's a fair bit of info on this forum about pad material and I guess you'll know most of it from the Westfield. The summary seems to be Greenstuff for initial bite & dusty wheels, personally I've gone for Mintex 1144 pads without a servo but I guess everyone has their own favourite.

Brian

Garage / Re: S1 rolling restoration

« Last post by EuropaTC on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:13:11 AM »

If you haven't already done so, it would be worth contacting Andy Graham at Lotus to see if he's got anything to add. An early chassis such as that might have ended up either as a demonstrator for car magazines or as a racer.

My first view of a Europa was around that time when someone came in a yellow one to the school I was attending and gave a talk to the 6th form students. I remember them saying it had been racing the previous weekend at Oulton Park (local circuit) even though it looked like a space-age road car to us !

Garage / Newby's first request

« Last post by HoraceM22 on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:06:35 AM »

Morning all, My recently acquired, restored, '74 TCS has been undergoing a few bits of attention since buying it a couple of months ago, to make it more to my liking. I has a TC when they were new in '72.

Removal of the (Banks and others) gear linkage to check and tighten, etc. Making a reverse gear detente plate which works well (I'll put this on - with drawings - later for your appraisal). Refitting the reconditioned original Girling servo. Fitting the "H" clips to the rear brake shoes which were missing and now have a semblance of a handbrake, still to get the fronts to bite like I am used to with my supercharged X/Flow Westfield, any suggestions? The Westy has a AP Racing master cylinder.

Today's question concerns the steering lock. I had a scary moment the other day when making a gentle slow RH turn out of a garage when the steering suddenly wouldn't unlock and I went " slowly" careering clockwise across the road to the opposite kerb. Luckily there was no other traffic about. It needed a REALLY hard tug to get it to unlock. This has happened on a much smaller level a couple of times previously and I thought it was something at the rack end, but I couldn't replicate it back home. This time when I investigated I could hear a clicking around the steering lock, and I have deduced that the steering lock has broken down and this time the locking lug went into the column. Strangely, after a fiddle about, even with the key out, the lock wouldn't engage at all!

So, after looking behind the scenes, I can see that to replace this (or just remove the locking lug, if poss, I'll need the drill out the two snap-off bolts, but to get at them I need to undo the bolts holding the column to the chassis (I think). This in turn means I will have to remove the dash so EVENTUALLY I'm asking "is the dash just held by the screws around the edge of it? or is there something more sinister lurking?"
As it's the Kit Car show next Saturday and Sunday at Malvern and I'll be there with the Westfield, I might be able to get a replacement at the right price. Are the lock actually Spitfire bits? If I can get mine off in time I'll be able to take it along to
compare
Sorry to drag this out but as it's one of my first posts I thought I'd give a heads up on where I'm at. Dodford, Northants, UK as it happens.
I'm sure Some of you will be able to offer advice.
Many Thanks in advance
ATB all
H.
Horace Marks

Garage / Re: S1 rolling restoration

« Last post by LotusEuropa on Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:05:01 AM »

Concerning the VIN plate I also believe the current one isn't the original one. I think it was added sometime later, probably during the repaint some 20 years ago. I will reverse it to the original plate as soon as I have found a correct one for sale.
Unfortunately some information, e.g. if it really got rear ended, is missing as the car stood for several years now and most of the work was performed before. I cannot find anyone who did repairs or respray and therefore I cannot say what exactly happened in the past 57 year.

Garage / Re: PA Motorsport upgraded stub axles?

« Last post by Richard48Y on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 11:01:14 PM »

Outer axles being a weak link are why I wanted to get the upgrade posted above.
I've put off assembling my rear hubs waiting for a response.

Garage / Re: S1 rolling restoration

« Last post by EuropaTC on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 10:57:23 PM »

Quote from: jbcollier on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 04:00:01 PM

That serial number plate has me a bit jumpy. Never seen one like that before.

I think that's something added by a previous owner for a couple of reasons. Firstly, even though the initial production run was exported to Europe, I'd have expected the chassis plate to have been in English. Using German doesn't sound as likely as English or even French but of course with Lotus you never know for sure.

But even if Lotus had decided to stamp chassis plates in the country of export, I very much doubt they would have spelled "Norwich" like that.....

Of course the plate doesn't detract from the car, it's still a usable S1. But whoever fitted that plate would have been better to have contacted Lotus and obtained a genuine replacement considering the historic importance of the S1's. There's every chance the true history is even more interesting, a rebuilt racer for example ?

Garage / Re: PA Motorsport upgraded stub axles?

« Last post by 314159td on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 10:56:56 PM »

I've also had terrible luck with getting email replies from Lotus Supplies, but will attempt once more.

The similar part at work was $500 ea for qty 4; a bit worse than the pricing for standard replacement parts. I think if I did a medium run (10 car sets) it'd just be competing side-to-side on price with the other vendors, so it would need to be an appreciably improved design to bother.

For your viewing pleasure, perhaps some of the most blown out splines that haven't yet rounded out or been replaced. Right axle threads have some necking from overtightening, probably would have killed me if I didn't bother to check.

Off Topic Subjects / Re: 3D printing.

« Last post by EuropaTC on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 10:34:24 PM »

Quote from: surfguitar58 on Sunday,May 26, 2024, 11:11:36 AM

Recently, however, I bought a Bambu Labs X-1 Carbon, and it is amazing!

That's a seriously good printer, Bambu Labs are on my wish list for the day my Creality finally gives up the ghost or becomes not worth the cost of maintenance.

I think I'd agree on the development rate of printers. I only became interested 2-3 years ago when a couple of archery friends were talking about them at a club night. Even then I was surprised how much they'd dropped in price and increased print quality compared with a few years previously. I quizzed them about the market with a "I don't want something to tinker with or perpetually upgrade, just something that works out of the box" view and bought the CR6SE on their recommendations. At the time it was the best bang/buck for someone wanting a toy to play with.

I've since done a lot with PLA+, had some good prints with TPU and PETG but I think that's about the limit. So far I've changed the drive & bowden tubes after the OEM stuff cracked and replaced the hot end section (again) so a few months ago I started looking at the market for something which will be a bit faster. Even over 2-3yrs we've seen some great improvements and Bambu Labs seem to be the new kids on the block with good machines.

You mentioned PETG-CF, what are you making with this stuff ? Just curious......

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