Lotus Europa Community

For a plaster mould you could do multiple applications of mould release wax. You can't use PVA release agent because the plaster is water based and it'll dissolve the PVA.

Me? . . I'd cover the area with kitchen cling wrap and go from there – fast and easy.
The part won't be as precise as one derived from a traditional fibreglass mould but well within usable parameters for a panel that'll require some finishing in any case.

Agree with My S1.

Plaster/gypsum/cornice adhesive is the safest way to take a form from an existing part and minimise risk to the paintwork.
I've used hessian cloth from the big box store to reinforce the mould . . a lot like working with fibreglass.

But now I'm curious about these hemp "bird's nests".

Richard,  you'll want to do a throwaway mold out of plaster.  In the past I used Hydrocal B11;  https://www.foamglas.com/en/products/adhevises/hydrocal-b11#  You'll need to buy a bail of hemp and a concrete mixing bucket.  If you decide to go that route I'll be happy to discuss the process with you in detail.

Basically, you will build a perimeter dam around the fender,  build a wooden frame with legs which will attach to the final plaster layer, coat the fender with a parting agent, brush down a 1/4' thick layer of hydrocal and after it mostly cures move onto the bulk of the mold.  The hemp is used to make "bird's nest" wads which will be saturated with plaster and layed down on the first surface coat to create the 1"-2" bulk of the mold.  Before it finally kicks off you attach the legs frame with hemp "ropes".

Plaster will make a very accurate and stable mold from which you can layup a small run of parts.  The main advantage of plaster over say, epoxy and tooling foam , is that it is very inexpensive and you won't feel bad about throwing it away.

Mine isn't built up as stock so I can't say for sure, BUT, the wiring harness should not be sandwiched between the shift tube and the coolant pipe.  Can you reroute the harness?

The classic cause of too much play is the failure of the plastic bushings between the gear lever and the first shift tube.

New spacers arrived today!  Took my time removing the old paper gasket and sealant from the block and fuel pump.  A little Brakleen and a soft touch with a scraper cleaned it up real nice.  Applied new sealant to the mating surfaces and snugged up the two mounting bolts to a rather low torque (under 5 ft lbs).  Covered the threads with loctite and am hoping that snug is tight enough.  Going to let the sealant set for a day and will start it up tomorrow with results to follow.