New(ish) car .. not really Lotus Content and a long wait..

[rossybee]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4864679172

Love the AirItalia livery, however it just does not sit right on a Lambo. Every time I look at it, I am always reminded it should be on a Lancia

Totally. I posted it for the comedy aspect

[renmure]

I think it looks ace apart from the driving lights.
(gawd, I hope I don't end up saying the same thing about mine!!)

[rossybee]

Nah yours *needs* the driving lights

[renmure]

I got a few more pics yesterday of the gearbox and engine after the rebuild. I also got the bill!!! Yikes!! To be fair, it was sort of in line with what I should have expected based on the quotes at the beginning of it all about 2 years ago but then when you add in the costs of additional strengthening work to the engine, gearbox and diff... well, it's easy to see how costs can grow arms and legs. At the other end of the spectrum I could have gone for a donor 2.5 litre Alfa V6 with mega miles taken straight from the scrappers for £300ish. Some folk have also gone for the 3.5 litre Toyota engine currently used by Lotus and a couple of folk have also gone down the supercharger route with that engine as well. Anyhow, I'm gonna keep my head in the sand about the costs for now

I'm going down to the workshop at the end of next week when the big step is taken and the engine, gearbox, mounts, fuel tanks and other stuff gets delivered to the car builder.

[scott_e]

Spotted this retropower article with a wee bit on the Stratos on PH news and thought it maybe of interest to this thread.

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph ... ower/39529

Have not read the PH article yet, sorry if its rubbish.

[renmure]

I think the whole "retropower thing" is to do things a bit off-the-wall almost to be different. It's certainly interesting tho.

Meanwhile... back in the workshop...



Things are coming together nicely

[campbell]

This has got to be one of the best threads on our forum, ever, Jim

Keep the pics and journal entries coming.

[Mike Scib]

Have been watching the build of the MK1 Escort on YouTube.

Spotted this retropower article with a wee bit on the Stratos on PH news and thought it maybe of interest to this thread.

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph ... ower/39529

Have not read the PH article yet, sorry if its rubbish.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[renmure]

This has got to be one of the best threads on our forum, ever, Jim

Keep the pics and journal entries coming.

Think you're being overly generous there Campbell

I've actually got a really detailed online info and build site on the go but have been asked by the builder to keep things fairly hush-hush at the moment. He is also working "full-time" on a fairly bespoke major project and that customer has already been an awkward git over time commitments so I've not linked to it anywhere in public. But.. when the time is right ...

[renmure]

An update of sorts...

Gawd, this is FrUsTrAtInG!!!

So, nearly 2 years on from starting this and paying a deposit it recently seemed like I was 24 months into an 18 month project with no real progress for the past 4 months, no real end in sight and the only thing moving was the upward spiral of potential budget creep.

LB keep developing aspects of the spec of the car and every time they do that an offer it as an upgrade it makes sense to go for that but it adds a delay. Additionally, the aggressive wide "square arch" GP4 bodywork for my car is a bespoke item (pretty much like it was on the original rally cars) and that's taken far longer than was planned to get right. Also, certain aspects of the build is now farmed out to specialists so in my case eg, rather than the trimming being done in-house it would be farmed out to the experts so more expense and having to fit into another business time scale. My original plan for Jenvey ITBs and Emerald ECU have been superseded by a more expensive but bespoke ITB setup based on a BMW M3 system which not only looks better but is visually similar to the original and comes with a bespoke airbox modeled on the original. Oh yeah, and a different (shock, more expensive) ECU. There's also a more expensive, custom, decat GP4 exhaust with tubular headers that's yet again modeled on the original.

Anyhow, we had a make or break meeting last week and agreed a new way forward. LB are quoting a 3 year (realistically 4 year) wait for a car if it was ordered today and ironically I could sell what I have at the moment and recoup all my outlay to date plus make a fair profit to someone keen to get to where I am in the process. But... I've come too far not to end up with the car so onwards we go.

LB are going to take my build back in-house so that should help coordinate things. The rolling chassis with the ITBs and exhaust etc all fitted are going to be a centerpiece of a display at a car show next month and there's a firm schedule of work in place that should mean that I get the physical car before the end of the year. I think they meant this year. Cars eh!! Pah!!

[renmure]

Some detail pics of my car and of the ITB set-up and the GP4 exhaust.


We've done away with the Alfa manifolds completely and have a full custom tubular exhaust fabricated to match the original Stratos GP4 twin exhaust, so no cats whatever and with minimal silencing at the end of the tailpipes. I'll need a spare silenced and catted replacement system once for IVA and then again for MOT but can live with that.

Engine management will be using an SCS Delta 800 ECU package with a bespoke ECU / Engine harness.

The throttle body conversion has BMW M3 ITBs with 6 injectors and Audi R8 Coil packs.

Vroom Vroom!!

















Fair to say it got a lot of attention

[campbell]

Hm. That’s an interesting cash flow model they are operating. I’m amazed they are still in business.

[rossybee]

Jim, do you get to keep the tennis balls?

[renmure]

I suspect I’ve paid for them

[douglasgdmw]

At least there is progress being made which is a good thing.

Looking at the 2nd picture I suspect the cabin is going to be pretty toasty