No drama, collectorama (CAUTION: shonky Lotus content) Now with OMG HGF!

[Guest Breadvan72]

No collectionatory threadage for this one, partly because the journey to buy it was almost exactly the same as my last one, the jalope being for sale five miles west of my last lunacy.  

 

1984, so only the 160 BHP version, not the 180 BHP SE, but still mucho quicko.   Exterior is quite excellent - almost unmarked and shinaaaaaay.  Interior is a bit shabby around the edges.  Decent Goodyears all round, two brand new.   Runs well, sounds good.  Oil pressure just a tad lower than I would wish, and coolant temp just a bit higher, but the temp was steady all the way home.  Oil change and rad flush first on the list.  Passenger elecky window is blocked by some snag in the door.    90s electric immobiliser of the usual weird design.  Uber rubbish 80s cassette player.   

 

Photos are from the advert.  I tried for the boggo petrol station shot (same station as last week), but shot blind into the sun and must have pressed the wrong bit of the screen (derr), so no photee.

 

I could have got a 1984 red one (with the lovely Eclat style wheels) for a bit more wong from a dealer in Chipping Camden, but for some reason I liked this one better.  The wheels are the Toyota Supra ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

NB: correct Excel headlamp poppage - first one, then the other.  Never known one not to do that.  

[skattrd]

That looks nice mate, it's good to see you've not gone boring after the last one.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I paid below the current market rate, and so took a risk, but the car seems OK.  The photos do not do full justice to how good the body and paint are.  The interior shot makes the trim look better than it is.  There is a lot of uneven sun fading, and some mouldy marks near the screen, plus torn fabric on the rear shelf.  The headlining has some marks, but is at least not hanging down like a whore's drawers.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I like the impression of Japanese quality and reliability that the Supra wheels impart, no doubt this will make the electrical and mechanicasl raise their game.

[garethj]

That's lovely, and red suits it.  Top purchasing once again!

 

Is 1984 very early for one of these?  Amazing to think that the Mini Metro had only just come out.

[Guest Breadvan72]

The gearbox, brakes and some of the electrics are Toyota, so they might even work.  

 

January 1984 is early for the Excel (launched 1982, IIRC), and this is the so called narrow bodied version.  Later ones have some flarey bits near the front, as well as a different panel, air con, and more horses.

[Skizzer]

Foof!  Hell of a week you've had there - well jel.

 

The interior looks just yummy:  maybe just wear dark glasses smeared lightly with Vaseline to make reality match it more closely?  And I like the white stripes.

 

Anyway, that's class.  Outstanding effort.  Bargainous, too, if I recall correctly.

[Ghosty]

EXCELlent.

[scdan4]

You're having a good week. 

 

Well done sir.

[Guest Breadvan72]

The probem is, my wife lurves the Dolomite but is a LOTIZ H8R.  Thus I have this to look forward to when the car comes home from the oil change:-

 

 

 

[scdan4]

The lady has taste. 

 

The Dolly is clearly betterer. It's yellow.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I took this shed for an early morning blat this morning.  Verdict:  me likee.  The engine feels more oomphy than the one in the SE version that I had a while back, the car is plenty quick, and the handling is just as it should be.  The oil pressure was fine today, but the coolant needle is still sat over to the right of centre, but doesn't go above three quarters up the scale.  The brakes are a tad underwhelming, so they will need looking at.   I may pop a couple of hundred quid on new carpets, to lift the interior a bit.  More difficult are the curled up bits of trim near the screen and pillars.  I may have to get these made up by some bloke.    

 

 

 

 

[skattrd]

Is that the 907 with twin dellortos?

I need to get me one of those at some point.

 

edit: I just noticed, single wiper, plus popup headlight = mucho win

[Guest Breadvan72]

912 with two Dellorto 45s.   The 912 was the developed version of the 907.  In this spec it is supposed to spaff out 160 BHP, which later in the model run went up to 180  (they footled with the gas flow, or summat).    Some people tune these to silly numbers, but I am a great believer in Lotus factory power to weight ratios.  Does bloke in shed know more than either Chapman or (he being dead), people whom Chapman hired?    I doubt it.  

[Guest Breadvan72]

Chris, there is a sub 4K SE Excel on sale at present - cool gunmetal colour, but may be dodgy as has Jag XJS seats and who knows what else bodgewise.  Various others in 3 to 5 range.

 

Green SE Celebration, one of very last ones made, on sale in Belfast for 8K. Levva, aircon, posh wheels, la di fookin da, etc.  Could be super lush, but has been on sale for suspiciously ages.   

 

Local dealer near me has a red one, asking 5. Another local dealer asking 9 for an SE.   

[danthecapriman]

That's a lovely looking thing. Well bought!

[warren t claim]

Weren't the early ones called summit like Eclat Excel Riverera? Doubtless named after Dr Nick Riverera in The Simpsons.

[skattrd]

Cheers G, but at present I'm not in a position to buy a Lotus, however if I'm down your way at some point I may ask for little spin in yours

[Guest Breadvan72]

Spinnage request duly granted!

 

The Eclat Riviera was the last version of the Eclat, sold with a lift out roof and some fancy stripes N shiz.  Early Excels were sold as Eclat Excels, but the Eclat name was dropped soon afterwards.  All Excels, right to the end, are Eclats on their V5s, because Lotus were too fookan tight to get a new type approval. 

 

An early Excel is externally the same as an Eclat to the B pillar, and changes a bit from there to the rump.  Later Excels, so called "wide bodies", have some flarey bits up front. The wheels went up a size, and there were several different alloy designs available, ranging from uber cool to quite dull really.  The tyre size is a boogah to find, but luckily is the same as for an Ur-Quattro, so you go tyre shopping on German websites  (German websites are, of course, best for everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING) .   The Excel started with the same engine as the series 2 Eclat, but later got a power tweak.  Other signs of progress were discs all round, replacing inboard drums at the back, better rear suspension that did not use the driveshafts as suspension members, a mucho robusto Toyota gearbox, better* electrics, a new steering wheel, and stuff. 

[xtriple]

Well bought! I had one of them back in the 80s (electric blue met) wiv lever and all sorts of goodies. It was a MUCH better car than the Eclat I had before (but it was bright yellow so for winners!) but still tried to bankrupt me with alarming regularity!

 

I like yours very much but as I am now a coward, I applaud your bravery   .

[Guest Breadvan72]

Here is the Hethel heap practising for being covered in foam by the fire brigade when it goes WOOMF on the motorway.  Actually, it's at the local Romanian car wash.  They are short staffed at present.  The bloke in charge says that he may have to hire some Greek dudes as his fellow Romanians are now too posh to wash cars (oof, bit of current affairs controversy, think I got away with it).  

 

Note amazing details like the red lights on the doors actually working.  Note also the slightly shonky and not entirely well matched interior trim, as original.  

 

Temp needle still a bit high, so car in local garage tomorrow being prodded by blokes with spanners.

 

 

 

[Taff]

The probem is, my wife lurves the Dolomite but is a LOTIZ H8R.  Thus I have this to look forward to when the car comes home from the oil change:-

 

I've got a vacancy for the female, if that helps.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Do we already have a thread for "what does that mystery switch/button in your chod do"?

 

This Excel has a mystery switch near the bottom right end of the panel.  The Eclat had one that did the washer pump (the one on the stalk being brokken).  The Excel one had me puzzled, but I now discover it is a fan switch - a most desirable thing.    The smallish rad has two fans.  The oil cooler looks newish, I notice.

 

 

Tomorrow the Excel, which has new oil, is going to NORFOLK, where all Lotuses go extra fast.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I was VERY disappointed that it took the Lotus well over a week to misbehave.  Standards are slipping!  The two electric fans have stopped turning.  I noticed this before the car boiled (I was in heavy traffic on the Westway), and stashed the car in an underground NCP just by Marylebone.  One 10 Amp fuse  had blown, and I didn't have a spare, so there ensued a comedy cab ride all over NW London looking for a garage or motor factors that sells fuses.  No petrol stations do nowadays, it seems.  Eventually I got one from a Audi dealership, plus some jokes about crap old cars.  The fuse popped as soon as I put it in and tried the fan (which has a manual override switch).   Fan Fail light on dash came on.  I tried a 30 Amp just to see where the tripping point might be, but still no fan (or radio -seems to be on the same fuse), although that fuse has remained intact.

 

As the traffic was very heavy I decided not to risk driving fanless to the M40 and left the car overnight.  Now pondering either driving it home at 3AM in cool and quiet, or getting the AA to come over and have a shuftie.  Will do the latter probably, but am stuck at work at present.  

 

Any shiters in London who know lecky and fancy a paying/ beer related fixer upper gig?

[purplebargeken]

Electrics are scary. I am of no use whatsoever.

[skattrd]

I'm not in a position to help, but what I have done before in this sort of situation was to directly wire the fan to the battery so it is always on. You can disconnect it when you stop the car or are on a clear stretch of road.

If you don't have the tools or wire then go to Maplins, buy some wire and some crimps.

 

Something like this should do the job http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/crimping-tool-kit-a33qw  don't get rj11/45 telephone crimpers

[Skizzer]

The fans are members of ASLEF and the manual override switch is in the RMT.  They'll start working again on Friday morning.  

 

Unite in struggle, brothers.

[Guest Breadvan72]

The battery is in the boot.   

[anonymous user]

The battery is in the boot.   

A longer wire, via the passenger cabin, with a handy switch by the driver?