• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Lotus mods.

Share this page

W

wa6rxm

Freshman Member
Offline
Please see "calif. newbie" post here.

I am a new Lotus Turbo Esprit owner (1991 SE), although I have this type of car (a 1985) before.

Only "mods" to date - if you can call it a "mod" - is new TIRES. I got TOYO Proxie 4's. Nice tires. I thought they might rub on the body (225/50/15's in front) but no problems.

What I am curious about is the efficasy of the "engarge and straighten the ram air duct" mod that I have seen posted on other Lotus sites. Also the replacement of the mechanical water pump for the chargecooler with an electric version.

It seems to me that both of these mods could be accomplished fairly inexpensively, and would both help to get more (and cooler) air into the engine. I currently have a mod (stainless steel cat back Magnaflow one into two exhaust system - a modified Camaro/Firebird one) to get the engine exhaust out more efficiently.

Has anyone here tried one or both of these mods?
 
Adding to the above, has anyone ever installed CRUISE CONTROL in an Esprit?

If so, which unit did you use? Audiovox? Tach, speedo, or vaccum pegged? I know it's perhaps a sacreligious mod to an Esprit, but I am planning on using the car to some extentas a "freeway cruiser" (my other car is an MGB w/only a four speed tranny) and it would be a nice add-on FOR ME, if feasible...

Only news to report is that I recently got TOYO tires for the 1991 SE, and like them very much. The 225/50/15's fit in the wheel well fine without rubbing. Also tried some Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil on my leather - VERY good product.
 
wa6rxm said:
<snipped an' such with respect> What I am curious about is the efficacy of the "enlarge and straighten the ram air duct" mod that I have seen posted on other Lotus sites. Also the replacement of the mechanical water pump for the chargecooler with an electric version.
Click to expand...

Anything to get better air & water flow thru that engine is a "good thing"! :wink:

The water pump conversion seems to be the better of the two. Likely less expense as well.
 
hi , i bought a 1990 se 2 years ago and went through the same thing with the impeller on the charge cooler pump . i put a pump for a boat live well that pumps 4 gallons per minute , no more , no less . contact wc engineering llc in monee,il . phone : 708 534 7968 , they sell a plug to go where the pump is for around $20 . mount the pump on the passanger side of the transaxle cross mount and run your hoses. wc was a big help in getting this done . when it comes to the leather there is none better than leatherique . check out there website.
 
Thanks for the tip, Robert.

Did your live well pump have specs indicating that it could handle HOT fluids?

Or maybe the coolant in the chargecooler system never really gets that HOT (e.g. as hot as the regular engine coolant?)

I note, for example, that the radiator cap for THAT system vever seems nearly as warm as the engine one.
 
I am also curious if any older Esprit owners have found a source for the Magnolia leather (very light tan with a hint of yellow to it). I would prefer an American source for this, due to the high cost and dollar/euro ratio currently extant. I realize that it won't be "Connolly hide" but if I can match the colour with Italian or American material that would be fine.

F.Y.I. I understand that a Company called UKHide bought up Connolly's stock of hides after they lost the Jaguar account in 2002, but they do not seem very responsive to my E-mails. Maybe it's just that they are not interested in private owners looking for small amounts of the material.

My leather on the 1991 Espprit SE is in pretty good shape, EXCEPT for the shift and parking brake gaiters, and the center console piece. That's all that I am looking to replace at this time - probably requiring only 2 or three square yards - but I might buy a larger amount if that's all that is available and use the rest to re-cover the two seats which are now in fairto good shape, but undoubtedly will need it eventually.
 
Back
Top