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Skizzer’s Elite: Lotushite


Skizzer

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The Lancia is parked outside my house awaiting inspiration. The FTP was diagnosed as ignition module, but I've replaced that to no avail. Green Flag was supposed to take it 5 miles to Gonnella Bros in Catford for fixing but helpfully* dragged it 200 miles to mine instead. Next move will be to trailer it to my shed where I can have a look at the cambelts and/or get an autoelectrician on to it. Luckily I've found one with bravery and skills. Between Lotus and Lancia he'll need both.

 

 

 

I was wondering how you were getting on with your Gamma, not much progress on mine either.

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  • 2 months later...

Micro-update:  yesterday I finally managed to take a day off work to go and haul the Elite across Oxon and Northants from Chateau Breadvan to LotusBits between Leamington and Rugby.

 

Breadvan's excellent mobile mechanic, Mark, had traced and fixed the electrical fault that caused it to leave our former in-house lawyer stranded (an inappropriately sited earth, unsurprisingly for a plastic car) but the belts are ancient and I was flying solo so it was a trailer trip again.

 

38116469432_0fca72a236_z.jpg

1976 Lotus Elite 503 by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

The collection capers went well so it's now at LotusBits awaiting its turn for attention and proper recommissioning:  full service, belts, new bonnet frame, brakes seem to be binding a bit (another Elite favourite), plus a general check over to create the to-do list.  They are booked out into next year so it'll probably be months before I get it back but I'm excited already.

 

LB had a mint-looking S1 Elite in Lagoon Blue, the metallic colour mine was originally.   It looked stunning but the chassis is very rotten.  Mine looks a bit shit with its horrid flat paint, but is all shiny and galvanised underneath so yah boo to that.

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Nice. I owned an early Excel which I found to be a most reliable car and one of the most involving cars I've driven.

Excels are fairly indestructible thanks to extensive use of 1980s Toyota bits in the running gear rather than 1960s Maxi and Herald bits. An S1 Elite will probably only ever score 50% max in a reliable+involving exam... wins on brave 70s weirdness though, so more my thing.

 

And the news on the Gamma please?

The news is there’s no news, sadly. I do now have my trailer back though (it was with the Lotus) and have just acquired a second Big Shed next door to the first, so this weekend I’ll be hauling it off to dry storage where I can get it properly looked at by an auto electrician I’ve had recommended.
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How's my old Granny wagon going?

Ah. It arrived with a failed water pump, which we’ve now replaced along with the aux belts, but it’s failing a compression test. I’m hoping it’s only HGF, but it could be a cracked head or even block. It will have the heads skimmed and new gaskets in the next few weeks and we’ll see what that does, otherwise I’m probably looking for a donor engine.  

 

Not super-happy about it, tbh, but shit happens.  (Edit: for newcomers or anyone who's forgotten/missed the story, it was fine when Dan had it - the Granada has been through a number of adventures since then.)

 

It's currently still stored at BV's, looking handsome but not going anywhere;  Mark the mobile mech is doing the work for me as it's now mine-all-mine.

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I'd say several months wait for the Lotus is ideal Skizzer, you'll get it back for 'summer' and not be tempted to use it on the salty roads, plus I bet they have proper storage on site for customers cars?

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I'd say several months wait for the Lotus is ideal Skizzer, you'll get it back for 'summer' and not be tempted to use it on the salty roads, plus I bet they have proper storage on site for customers cars?

Proper-ish: it’ll be on hard standing but outdoors. But the the body’s not exactly rust-prone in these, and it doesn’t leak (much), so that should be ok. If needs be I can go and fetch it home on the trailer.

 

You’re right about getting it back for summer (spring?) though!

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If it's like most engines then the temp sensor is near the water pump and the bits that run the hottest are furthest from the pump, so you can cook the back of the engine while the front is still appearing ok.

 

I expect it's fixable, it's an old skool ford designed with hammers to be fixed with hammers.

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Think about how much abuse and damage these engines routinely take out on the banger track. Then once the cars finished out comes the engine to be slotted into the next Granny/Jag/Rolls/Yank etc etc!

They aren't sophisticated delicate engines, they're tough as old boots like Pinto's are.

I'm sure it'll be fine...

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Ah. It arrived with a failed water pump, which we’ve now replaced along with the aux belts, but it’s failing a compression test. I’m hoping it’s only HGF, but it could be a cracked head or even block. It will have the heads skimmed and new gaskets in the next few weeks and we’ll see what that does, otherwise I’m probably looking for a donor engine. 

 

WHAT???

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In that case I’m sure it’ll just be a head gasket blown, which is no big deal. I’m relaxed about it, as you say the Cologne V6 is made of indestructium, plus if the worst comes to the worst this one isn’t in the first flush of youth and it shouldn’t be that hard to find a refurbed replacement.

 

I’ll update in its own thread when there’s news.

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Check the cam while it's apart, from memory you can see it once the inlet manifold is off (as it'll have to be to remove the heads).

 

I've known a few of these wear the lobes off the rear cylinders.

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Ah. It arrived with a failed water pump, which we’ve now replaced along with the aux belts, but it’s failing a compression test. I’m hoping it’s only HGF, but it could be a cracked head or even block. It will have the heads skimmed and new gaskets in the next few weeks and we’ll see what that does, otherwise I’m probably looking for a donor engine.

Sounds like the ideal opportunity to fit a 302 V8 if you ask me...

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Think about how much abuse and damage these engines routinely take out on the banger track. Then once the cars finished out comes the engine to be slotted into the next Granny/Jag/Rolls/Yank etc etc!

They aren't sophisticated delicate engines, they're tough as old boots like Pinto's are.

I'm sure it'll be fine...

 

You're thinking of the Essex V6, a very different kettle of camshafts.

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