I bet most of your electrical issues are likely just mild surface corrosion due to being stored for so long. I'd clean and coat all the grounds and polish bulbs and sockets. These '70s English cars can develop loose connectors where the blade fits loose inside it's jacket. With multimeter connected jiggle the whole circuit length one section at a time if you get an intermittent one. The carbs likely need attention if you are using the choke while driving. I haven't done Stroms but anticipate expensive flappy pointy bits might need cleaning/adjustment/replacement. To do work under the dash try removing the seat first. It's just four bolts and frees up a lot of room. And, thanks for bringing us along.
The brake light switch was the first job I had to do on my Esprit too. I think Lotus built the entire car around that switch, it was an absolute nightmare of a job. My spine has never been the same since that day 😂
What others had said, polish and remove to clean all connectors. You will burn out window switches too , but you can stop this by having the power go through a relay before the switch. I would hihgly recomend getting rid of the red original clutch line and running a braided. Other issues were the original engine mounts were bonded biscuits of rubber bonded to metal. Upgrade to the series 3 style mounts. Also, make sure you do carb maint as the carbs sit above the distributor on the 907 engine, many esprits burned down from owners neglecting the maintenence. Lets see Rear axle u joins need to be greased , id update to some made by the company spicer they are alot higehr quality and a direct fit in. Other than that, thats the big ticket items. The cam towers valve covers can leak onto your exhaust manifold but that can be cured, read up on it on the lotus forum it just requires patience and agood cleaning. Also ive heard of the original stick for your shifter can snap. I changed mine out on my car as i could totally see it happening. There is also an updated reverse cable to smooth your shifter out that sjs sports cars sells that tightens that all up, was a major difference
That is a cool Esprit, I had a 1988 Stevens S3 and I loved it…… always wanted an early one though. If you need any parts, try SJ Sportscars or Paul Matty Sportscars, both in UK, if they can’t get what you need it doesn’t exist.
Just found your channel and subscribed. If you sell it, I'd like a chance to buy it please. As for the interior, yes, you can and should dye the seats. A car with restored original interior should be more valuable than one with reproduction parts.
These Lotus engines really need new cam belts every 2 years. Conventional wisdom is if you don’t know the age of the cambelt change it before running it. If it snaps it can wreck the engine, even jf at idle speed. Great cars. Respray is expensive as to do properly old paint needs sanding off, then sealant then paint etc.
I really wanted one of those for the longest time…..then i drove one…..if you are over 6 ft. Tall forget it….you can never meet your hero’s, as they are destined to disappoint almost every time.
Dude, wear a mask when in the Lotus position under the dash! I had some insulation fall into my mouth when I was breathing in. I thought I was going to die in a ridiculous position.
Dude, as far as a barn find this car is nearly immaculate, you should be elated to find such a great example of your esprit. Very cool. It doesn’t even look like there are mice nests in it.
I can't remember teh name of the site (AMVS? It was letters lol), but you could look up your car and see how many shared the same spec. I had a 06 Grand Prix GXP and it said that mine was 1 of 9(!) Black with all options except navigation! I was shocked.
I had trouble finding any website that would accept a car with a 9 digit vin. www.lotusproject.co.uk has a wealth of info though. From what I gathered this is 1 of 6 with this color and interior combo in the states
Contemporary Ferraris had many of the grounds just via the body, so if the lights on the back of the doors stopped coming on your first move was to unscrew the self-tapper into the door and screw it back. But the corrosion would be back in a few months. At least Lotus had to use actual ground wires. Good job getting it running and the Euro carbs will be worth it!
I would suggest an upgrade to the shift cable. Changed it on my S2 and shifts perfect now. SJ has the able. The original linkage bowes and makes it difficult to change. Make sure the body is prepped correctly, if not cracks will reappear. If your guy is familiar with fiberglass bodies he will know that. I have a 8” long silencer that replaced the original - Sounds great - Awesome find. Good luck with the restoration!
Sounds great! Just like mine. Removing the cat will increase the exhaust note. Mine is loud. The Del'lorto carbs will make a huge difference according to my pal in California who has driven both.
Carbs can be rebuilt with great success. We buy better quality rebuild kits from Eurocarb in the UK. As there are some very substandard aftermarket kits available. Fitting a proper upper air box and air intake ducting would be advised, not using twin air filters as is often the case.
You may be able to restore that headlining with very careful disassembly with the aim of using the original green material. Peeling it away from the scrim foam beneath, which will be dust and stuck to the roof. Replacing it with new scrim foam. The original green material will be better than what is available new. Which is very thin and difficult to glue, due to glue seepage. Similarly the sunvisors, which are often crusty
The engine slopes slightly towards the front of the car. Oil seeping from the exhaust cam cover gasket runs forwards and drips, though not exclusively, as it can drip from the rear. You will need to read the Lotus online forums for advice on fitting the gaskets, as there is a specific knack to that.
This is sooooo coool! I love people like you who have for one reason or another decided to take a car and bring it back to life. Made even more awesome by the fact that you found and or chose a 1970s Lotus. Neat man! There is something about the technology of this era and the 80s as well but it left a lot to the imagination of what it somehow made you believe the car could do....or what the future held. If there's a name for this 'type' of tech please let me know. Kind of like when they introduced digital gauges in some cars in the 80s. Maybe the word is gimmicky but you believed it made the car better as well the tech was new but people I guess at the time didnt know how to use it effectively. Whereas everything from the 60s and earlies just seemed pure and elemental though Im sure sports cars of the day were brutish. Point being....I love your car and thank you so much for sharing! Subscribed.
Thanks! After it’s been neglected for so many years I’m sure it’ll be even better to get it out on the road soon. I started my life with 70s American cars and then transferred to exotic stuff. So this is a perfect in between for me now. So easy to work on too
@@mitchellkohrmann Oh wow! Thats interesting that you said they are "easy to work on". Typically the stigma has always been that British cars are a nightmare when it comes to their electronics. However, aside from charm and handling and maybe their motors I've never heard it said that Lotus much less any British marque was easy to work on. Could you elaborate? I would be curious. Do you have plans to redo the motor? Thanks!
@@shmac96 I guess I’m just used to working on super complicated and cramped cars like the later v8 esprit, Audi v8’s, Range Rovers and so on. So it just nice having very simple and easy to trace electronics. As well as the mechanical mechanisms being super easy to figure out as well. The motor has perfect compression so I think I’ll just do some reseals of certain gaskets and swap the carbs and call it good to go
@@mitchellkohrmann Thank you for the insight. Really interesting. I look forward to more video updates. Especially the motor and hearing your own personal explanations of what Lotus motors are like. Cheers!
Thanks for all the advice you’ve given. I have a lot of things in the works for the car and will hopefully have a video update every other week or so. If you spot anything else I miss or mess up don’t be afraid to let me know!
Unfortunately I cannot take credit for the advice you've received mate as I have only just subscribed to your channel, must be another subscriber! lol@@mitchellkohrmann
Create an intro and an outro. Don't change anything else. You are doing a very professional job. I expect alot of people will find your series of videos on this car. Greetings from the Netherlands.
As a professional filmmaker I would suggest these type of hands on videos are best diving it to the action. But an identifying opening and closing title would be a good addition.
@@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur if the poster wants to build an audience regular updates of specific, useful content is what's required. Not finesse. That's coming from someone who has made a very nice living from finessing videos for the likes of Kawasaki and BMW. As a car restorer content is king, not bling.
You absolutely Don’t need CHOKE with those side draught carburettors, unless you’re going to live in Alaska. One pump of the throttle before starting, is more than enough to richen the mixture , with the built in acceleration pumps .
These strombergs on mine don’t like cold starts without the choke. I know it’s because they’re not dialed in perfectly but I have some dellortos I’m going to rebuild soon and replace them with
I bet most of your electrical issues are likely just mild surface corrosion due to being stored for so long. I'd clean and coat all the grounds and polish bulbs and sockets. These '70s English cars can develop loose connectors where the blade fits loose inside it's jacket. With multimeter connected jiggle the whole circuit length one section at a time if you get an intermittent one. The carbs likely need attention if you are using the choke while driving. I haven't done Stroms but anticipate expensive flappy pointy bits might need cleaning/adjustment/replacement. To do work under the dash try removing the seat first. It's just four bolts and frees up a lot of room. And, thanks for bringing us along.
Grounds are often the issue on fibreglass bodied cars 👍
Spot on! For most electrical issues, start by checking the connection to earth/ground. Fibreglass cars notorious for that.
The interior is so sick
Can’t wait to see it painted!
As long as I don’t get the usual painter treatment
Have you seen any of the SOUP videos on his incredible restoration process????
Thanks for sharing
"I wanted to show you a couple odd things" It's a lotus, EVERYTHING is odd
It has a normal door handle 🤷🏼♂️
Glad to see its in such good hands...Looking forward to seeing it in all its glory
I owned one and it was a nightmare only because I was young and didn't have the knowledge I'll watch because it is interesting to see one
It's good to know that all the issues were simple fixes. Looking forward to seeing it with a new paint job. I hope you keep the Carnival Red.
Crocs and tiny pedals don’t mix haha
The entire footwell is like 2 crocs wide
DeLoreans beautiful cousin.Dreaded Lucas electrical gremlins.
I'm so glad you replaced those ridiculous LED's with the correct lights. I run traditional tripod headlights on my MGB... LED's just don't look right!
The brake light switch was the first job I had to do on my Esprit too. I think Lotus built the entire car around that switch, it was an absolute nightmare of a job. My spine has never been the same since that day 😂
What others had said, polish and remove to clean all connectors. You will burn out window switches too , but you can stop this by having the power go through a relay before the switch. I would hihgly recomend getting rid of the red original clutch line and running a braided. Other issues were the original engine mounts were bonded biscuits of rubber bonded to metal. Upgrade to the series 3 style mounts. Also, make sure you do carb maint as the carbs sit above the distributor on the 907 engine, many esprits burned down from owners neglecting the maintenence. Lets see Rear axle u joins need to be greased , id update to some made by the company spicer they are alot higehr quality and a direct fit in. Other than that, thats the big ticket items. The cam towers valve covers can leak onto your exhaust manifold but that can be cured, read up on it on the lotus forum it just requires patience and agood cleaning. Also ive heard of the original stick for your shifter can snap. I changed mine out on my car as i could totally see it happening. There is also an updated reverse cable to smooth your shifter out that sjs sports cars sells that tightens that all up, was a major difference
That is a cool Esprit, I had a 1988 Stevens S3 and I loved it…… always wanted an early one though. If you need any parts, try SJ Sportscars or Paul Matty Sportscars, both in UK, if they can’t get what you need it doesn’t exist.
The ABS vac black plastics are very fragile, especially the rear light surrounds. Replacements are unobtainable, and remade versions are sub-standard.
Great project , I've subscribed and am looking forward to more videos. I worked for Lotus for 13 years , fantastic cars. Cheers from England.
Just found your channel and subscribed. If you sell it, I'd like a chance to buy it please. As for the interior, yes, you can and should dye the seats. A car with restored original interior should be more valuable than one with reproduction parts.
Fantastic project. Great vid. Thanks for posting.
step 1 buy cool euro 70's car, step 2 rewire it. I/m enjoying this.
Buy an ultrasonic cleaner too...small parts, carbs, degreasing bolts, etc...bigger is better
Super random, but has anyone ever mentioned that you look a bit like Floyd Landis (pro cyclist)?
These Lotus engines really need new cam belts every 2 years. Conventional wisdom is if you don’t know the age of the cambelt change it before running it. If it snaps it can wreck the engine, even jf at idle speed. Great cars. Respray is expensive as to do properly old paint needs sanding off, then sealant then paint etc.
cool car
id just have to paint it white though like the 007 lotus 😀
And give it diving capabilities! 😅
sounds perfect as it is...
I saw this vid was four months ago.
Any update??
I really wanted one of those for the longest time…..then i drove one…..if you are over 6 ft. Tall forget it….you can never meet your hero’s, as they are destined to disappoint almost every time.
You should NOT be using an air cleaner setup that draws air from engine bay as it gets hot in there. Great interior !!
The electrics on my British car completely baffle me at times.
Worst thing is, I used to be a British circuit designer 😂
Redid the throttle linkage in the footwell on my S1 Elise in the “Lotus position” too.
The brake light switch is an awkward beast to remove and refit. The pedal box as a whole is notrious!
get some No-Ox on those electrical connectors it wikll help a lot,earths on not metal bodied cars are usually the culprit.
Fiberglass car…. Clean all your grounds.
Replace the control stalk for the headlights and the main switch, that will help with the weak lift motor power.
The brake light switch is direct, and not fused.
cam belt cam belt cam belt
The first guy I've seen who coordinates his shirt with his car's seat covers 😀
Now that I think about it I do have an even closer matching flannel to wear next time
Dude, wear a mask when in the Lotus position under the dash! I had some insulation fall into my mouth when I was breathing in. I thought I was going to die in a ridiculous position.
What a way that would be to go out lol. My dash has been off at some point so it was remarkably clean under there thankfully
Dude, as far as a barn find this car is nearly immaculate, you should be elated to find such a great example of your esprit. Very cool. It doesn’t even look like there are mice nests in it.
I only found 1! Back behind the door panel, but yes I was extremely fortunate with this one
What a fun project! I'm envious.
I’m having a blast with it so far!
I can't remember teh name of the site (AMVS? It was letters lol), but you could look up your car and see how many shared the same spec. I had a 06 Grand Prix GXP and it said that mine was 1 of 9(!) Black with all options except navigation! I was shocked.
I had trouble finding any website that would accept a car with a 9 digit vin. www.lotusproject.co.uk has a wealth of info though. From what I gathered this is 1 of 6 with this color and interior combo in the states
Wow! It's such a cool car!
Contemporary Ferraris had many of the grounds just via the body, so if the lights on the back of the doors stopped coming on your first move was to unscrew the self-tapper into the door and screw it back. But the corrosion would be back in a few months. At least Lotus had to use actual ground wires. Good job getting it running and the Euro carbs will be worth it!
I would suggest an upgrade to the shift cable. Changed it on my S2 and shifts perfect now. SJ has the able. The original linkage bowes and makes it difficult to change. Make sure the body is prepped correctly, if not cracks will reappear. If your guy is familiar with fiberglass bodies he will know that. I have a 8” long silencer that replaced the original - Sounds great - Awesome find. Good luck with the restoration!
Sounds great! Just like mine. Removing the cat will increase the exhaust note. Mine is loud. The Del'lorto carbs will make a huge difference according to my pal in California who has driven both.
Carbs can be rebuilt with great success. We buy better quality rebuild kits from Eurocarb in the UK. As there are some very substandard aftermarket kits available. Fitting a proper upper air box and air intake ducting would be advised, not using twin air filters as is often the case.
You may be able to restore that headlining with very careful disassembly with the aim of using the original green material. Peeling it away from the scrim foam beneath, which will be dust and stuck to the roof. Replacing it with new scrim foam. The original green material will be better than what is available new. Which is very thin and difficult to glue, due to glue seepage. Similarly the sunvisors, which are often crusty
I always liked the Esprit. Specially the first editions looked really nice. Cool project. I subscribed and I look forward to future updates 🙂
Well done. Good, sensible fixes. Amazing how rudimentary is the engineering on such an avant-garde car. Good news for the home mechanic.
Only very early Esprit S1s pods (with a single lamp pod motor) foul the bonnet if open.
It sounds really nice! New Subscriber here.
The engine slopes slightly towards the front of the car. Oil seeping from the exhaust cam cover gasket runs forwards and drips, though not exclusively, as it can drip from the rear. You will need to read the Lotus online forums for advice on fitting the gaskets, as there is a specific knack to that.
No matter what ! 😮
❤you have a lotus 😁
I have a lots of car that does not work at the beginning
At the end wow 🤩
😘nice car
Everything take time 🎉
I had a mga that needed push rod inspection cover gaskets. The rubber ones leaked immediately. Cork works the best!
You need to invest in some narrow trainers or Sparco Puma driving shoes. The pedal box is so narrow! I keep mine in the car.
Buy some nylon seat covers if retaining that interior (advised), as all Esprit interiors are fragile, especially the earlier models.
The proper headlights look so much better than that led crap. Love the dual lens pop-ups on the esprit.
This is a great show, something neat about low-tech solutions eh 👍
This is sooooo coool! I love people like you who have for one reason or another decided to take a car and bring it back to life. Made even more awesome by the fact that you found and or chose a 1970s Lotus. Neat man!
There is something about the technology of this era and the 80s as well but it left a lot to the imagination of what it somehow made you believe the car could do....or what the future held. If there's a name for this 'type' of tech please let me know. Kind of like when they introduced digital gauges in some cars in the 80s. Maybe the word is gimmicky but you believed it made the car better as well the tech was new but people I guess at the time didnt know how to use it effectively.
Whereas everything from the 60s and earlies just seemed pure and elemental though Im sure sports cars of the day were brutish.
Point being....I love your car and thank you so much for sharing! Subscribed.
Thanks! After it’s been neglected for so many years I’m sure it’ll be even better to get it out on the road soon. I started my life with 70s American cars and then transferred to exotic stuff. So this is a perfect in between for me now. So easy to work on too
@@mitchellkohrmann Oh wow! Thats interesting that you said they are "easy to work on". Typically the stigma has always been that British cars are a nightmare when it comes to their electronics. However, aside from charm and handling and maybe their motors I've never heard it said that Lotus much less any British marque was easy to work on.
Could you elaborate? I would be curious. Do you have plans to redo the motor? Thanks!
@@shmac96 I guess I’m just used to working on super complicated and cramped cars like the later v8 esprit, Audi v8’s, Range Rovers and so on. So it just nice having very simple and easy to trace electronics. As well as the mechanical mechanisms being super easy to figure out as well. The motor has perfect compression so I think I’ll just do some reseals of certain gaskets and swap the carbs and call it good to go
@@mitchellkohrmann Thank you for the insight. Really interesting. I look forward to more video updates. Especially the motor and hearing your own personal explanations of what Lotus motors are like. Cheers!
Stoked to see this series! There isnt a lot of Esprit content on TH-cam
Great job 👍 keep it up 😀🏴
Classic! Thanks for sharing this!!
The headlight swap made a huge difference
Loving the project so far! One of my favourite sports cars!
Thanks for all the advice you’ve given. I have a lot of things in the works for the car and will hopefully have a video update every other week or so. If you spot anything else I miss or mess up don’t be afraid to let me know!
Unfortunately I cannot take credit for the advice you've received mate as I have only just subscribed to your channel, must be another subscriber! lol@@mitchellkohrmann
Create an intro and an outro. Don't change anything else. You are doing a very professional job. I expect alot of people will find your series of videos on this car. Greetings from the Netherlands.
As a professional filmmaker I would suggest these type of hands on videos are best diving it to the action. But an identifying opening and closing title would be a good addition.
@@FridgeProductionsLtd with an intro and outro he can make shorter movies. Produce more movies. Maximize revenue. He is really gaining tracktion.
@@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur it takes more than intro/outros.
I politely disagree. @@FridgeProductionsLtd I like the content. An intro and outtro will give it some pezazzz.
@@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur if the poster wants to build an audience regular updates of specific, useful content is what's required. Not finesse. That's coming from someone who has made a very nice living from finessing videos for the likes of Kawasaki and BMW. As a car restorer content is king, not bling.
coming along :)
Hopefully it’ll be done by spring! I’ll be posting updates as it goes
I am in Niagara falls Canada I own a 1977 Esprit 199H
You absolutely Don’t need CHOKE with those side draught carburettors, unless you’re going to live in Alaska.
One pump of the throttle before starting, is more than enough to richen the mixture , with the built in acceleration pumps .
These strombergs on mine don’t like cold starts without the choke. I know it’s because they’re not dialed in perfectly but I have some dellortos I’m going to rebuild soon and replace them with