Hi Jon, very interesting to watch your video and to see the Esprit chassis up close, There is a very good chance I built that Chassis, I was part of a 4 man team (2 per shift) making the Esprit chassis, from 1988-1992 over 30 a week at the time. As production slowed on them we would build Excel, europa, elan, elan +2 etc for service and I remember some special Esprit v8 chassis for racing in the USA. In later making many many wishbones for Elise, Tesla and Vx220. Good times. Look forward to seeing progress on your car, I'm sure it will be amazing when finished.
Hi Ray, that's awesome - have you seen my other video where I did a design study on the chassis ? There were some hand drawn markings on the backbone/tunnel I was trying to understand. I was really impressed with the design and the work that went into the chassis, it's a shame it is so under rated which is part of the reason why I am doing this series - the more I dig into it the more impressed I am with this car.
@Jon Himself Hi Jon, I have only seen the one video so far, I will check the other later when I get a chance, I'm interested to see the markings, they must be I assume from the production line as after we had fabricated the chassis it went off to be zinc coated, so any markings would have been lost. We made the chassis in parts, front box, backbone and rear end, then all put together in main jig, along with the diaphragm, gussets etc.
Amazing content and what an awesome project. I came to your channel for 3D scanner advice but have since followed it for your work on the Lotus. Great job!!
Yeah about that.... still trying to get some decent 3D scanning stuff in. 2023 is going to be full throttle for me so I hope to be able to produce some more. Thanks for the kind comments.
Thanks for sharing all this, Jon, it’s an amazing project and since I can’t build my own just yet I’m living the dream of building my childhood dream car vicariously through you. Looking forward to more episodes as they come!
I've just binge watched your Lotus GT2 project video's. Awesome work. I'm looking forward to your future videos on this car. I owned a 70's Lotus Eclat and an S3 Turbo Esprit in my younger years. Thoroughly enjoyed those cars. Keep up the great work.
The level of detail is great, looking forward to it this year. The Esprit is a favourite of mine but always put off by the level of work needed to keep one going!
They're not so bad, the issue is there is a lot packed in so labour times are quite damaging. On this channel (or another) I'll be doing a maintenance series as well so hopefully that'll help people who want to get into ownership and no be too put off.
Brilliant work Jon, I am here to support you in any way I can from this side of the pond. Really looking forward to 2023 progress! I have down loaded the free Scaniverse app on my phone. Hoping it will be accurate enough that I can scale from it and get a CAD drawing for the sunroof and make a mold. If that works going to try the engine lid. Hoping to have the creaform file soon now that vacations are over. I dont mind the slide show apprach, I like the way you mixed it up with different types of shots, some slides and some video. Very high production quality - love the occasional jokes too!!
Fantastic as always! I just picked up an 86' with a 93' engine as a total basket case. Your videos are even more appreciated!! If you need any machine work or help with scanning I might be able to contribute to the cause.
Cool, I hope to get some more out this year and widen the subject to maintenance and so on, so hopefully of help. Most thing I have in sourced now - invested in my own tools, sadly they are only hobby level machines but I cant grumble really. The main thing that would have been a massive help is pro/inspection grade scanner for the shell - the little hand held ones are ok but not accurate enough for me. Probably don't need it now for the roll cage but there is another car project I have my eyes on where it is essential.... did I just say that bit out aloud ? ;)
@@JonHimself We all have our mountains to climb :) I am very lucky and I have a customer who let me borrow his creaform handyscan. It is truly amazing. I might have access to an X180R if you need me to take a close look at it...
@@charleswahlert3353 yeah I cut my teeth on Creaform and Faro stuff - really good products and VERY expensive :D I'm good right now, the tracing is pretty accurate and I'm just gonna go old skool on the design (there was life before 3D scanners 😂) Shame about the scanning tho - would have been really good to have gotten the data.
Thanks - yep these are priority jobs right now - expect the shifter mod to be around April 2023 and the roll cage needs to be started May 2023 for this project to get back on the time line.
Thanks for posting this up. The biggest take away for me has been to learn that I'm not alone in having been "Stiffed" a number of times by British companies claiming to do quality work. Sadly, the ONLY sure way to ensure that something has been done properly is to be allowed to see the process being carried out. If they won't let you see your parts being restored, walk away. As frustrating as it is, the consequences of their poor work is MUCH more frustrating. Good luck for 2023, I'll be following your project with interest.
Yup, moment someone hears you have an Esprit they think you're made of money - infact its the opposite, I'm not made of money because I have an Esprit 😂 A well known Lotus specialist tried to take me for a ride of over £1,000 once - didn't work, but this is why now I do EVERYTHING myself nowadays. There are some good guys out there, but I am super cautious and perhaps a bit too picky over quality nowadays. Thanks for your support, big push in 2023.
I am very happy about every new video regardless of the timespan since the last video. This is a big project and I am way more interested to see things done the right way instead of “the fast way” to meet a TH-cam release schedule. 99% of such builds disappear after sema and are never to be seen again just because such formats don’t produce well build cars.
This one is certainly not disappearing since it is now fully funded. I was completely wrong footed this year with expectations and time scales from 3rd parties, I had to make a lot of time up myself and re-route the plan - so it was either produce youtube videos or forge ahead with re-shaping the project - I chose the later 😋
Hi Jon, great in-depth detail on all your projects! I have turbo charged my S2 and now I'm at the point of reinforcing the shifter area as you have suggested. I have cut away the fiber glass today exposing the chassis . Just as you have discussed I was trying to figure out a way to reinforce it with out welding for the same reason you have mentioned. Really looking forward to your video on the roll cage . I will not be tracking the car but I would like better rigidity and safety. Ross
Hey Ross, I have yet to still do some research before attempting this mod - theoretically it should work very well BUT I cant prove it. I need to do do some physical tests and couple them with valid simulations to refine the design. Watch this space - it is a job I need to complete before April 2023 so it is urgent.
@@JonHimself Hi Jon thanks for the reply. I had a thought. In your situation where the chassis is all exposed, could you weld in the shifter saddle ( for lack of a better word).Then remove the coolant pipes and clean the inside of the chassis through the shifter hole (tight I know) of all welding remanence. Then apply the EM121? Also if you are going ahead with the roll cage, do you even have to worry about the shifter saddle?
@@rosscampbell7275 I could, but for two reasons. 1) When I have welded galvanised steel before, you have to grind off the zinc on BOTH sides or, if you're doing it properly, you get horrible porosity in the weld if there is a TINY amount of contamination bleeding in from the far side, once thats starts its a PIG to fix. Welding introduces warping as well and TBH my skills are not up to it - risk vs reward. 2) Bonding - always wanted to try it, 100% safe, no warping and stronger. You still need to remove the zinc (recommended) but only on one side and you're patching it with epoxy so it cant corrode. If the bond fails (which it shouldn't do as it'll be riveted as well....just like the Elise chassis) then you simply remove it and start again. Either solution would work but for me bonding has a distinct advantages, its cost effective and it furthers my knowledge. Yes the roll cage will help with stiffness but it doesn't hurt to do this as well and this is the best time to have a go.
@@JonHimself Hi Jon, doing some checking on epoxy bonding adhesives. 3M 0733 seems to be a good candidate. Very pricey. $140 Canadian. ouch! Of course by the time I get a welder in that knows what he is doing , I'm probably at that cost or more. If you find any alternatives please let me know. In the mean time thinking I better replace my coolant pipes based on the condition of yours. Kind regards Ross.
@@rosscampbell7275 Initially I was looking at 3M DP490 which is a room temperature cure but its cold outside and you do need the temperature above 30c even with two part epoxies to get a structural bond. So I was thinking since I was having to take heat to it I might use Permabond ES550 which is WAY stronger but requires 150c for an hour to cure which is difficult on the tunnel structure as you have two sides to heat. Ideally you need a paint curing IR lamp but I dont have one. Need to do some tests with a laser thermometer on how hot I can get the metal with the existing tools - this is the biggest hurdle right now. I'm going off 3M stuff as well, their data sheets are hit and miss, I much prefer Permabond's product selection and information resources - lots cheaper too.
Excellent video and series. Very much appreciated and inspiring for my own restoration work. Please consider sharing the name of that steering rack company, so that others may avoid their grifting? That was beyond shady. Much success to you in 2023!
Much appreciated. Yes I was furious over the rack, its such a mission critical part - it took a lot out of me, chasing things up and proving my case to get the money back. My recommendation to people is always buyer beware, arm yourself with knowledge and insist on doing things your way. I've always been advised (legally) against naming and shaming. I've had a few companies try to con me in the past and a common tactic they use is to threaten legal action against you for defamation and set a court date, which you have to attend or refute legally - solicitors are not cheap! Either option requires so much time and/or money just to prove yourself right - sure you can claim expenses in court, but I'd rather build cars. Always use a protected payment method (VISA) and always inspect the work - or better still do it yourself. The last Lotus specialist who tried to over charge me by £1,500 gave me the incentive to get more hands on so it was a good thing really 😋
Hi Jon, I have completed the saddle install on my 80 Esprit . It went better than expected! I used the 3M 08117. I cleaned two pieces of .062 metal 1.5 " W x 3" L. Each piece had a 90 degree bend, off set from each other. Ground up the surfaces, cleaned with acetone and applied to both pieces ending up with about .062 thickness of glue. At first after 24v hours it seemed to be not soft but not hard, but after 3 days it got harder. Room temp. I put it in a vice and hit it hard with a hammer and it held up well. Finally I got pretty aggressive and with some help from a chisel it let go. It wont be experiencing anything like that in the car. I used 8mm Rivet nuts which worked great leaving me a .062 gap (perfect). I reduced the opening of the saddle for extra strength. Used 200ml tube which of course did the gluing part but the squeeze out and remainder covered the exterior of the saddle. so perfect amount for my dimensions. My garage is heated but it goes down to 0 degrees C at night. Canada you know. Next day all good. It may take more time but I'm sure as long as you are not twisting your chassis it will cure fine. Kind regards Ross.
Haha you beat me to it ! I'm doing some testing right now and the install video is coming soon. Ideally you need to cure at room temperature for 24hrs for a 2 part epoxy but the beauty of this is that if it fails you can always try again / improve the concept to get a better join without grinding metal. From the simulations I have done you should be fine - the glue is only stressed around the edges. Cold wont affect it after it's cured but it might suffer from heat from the radiator pipes. I'm going to lag mine around that area to stop the glue potentially weakening but again I need to investigate more.
@@rosscampbell7275 nearly done - just waiting for the weather to improve really to get the heat into the glue as it sets. Doubt it'll be much before April / May
@@rosscampbell7275 It's mostly ready to glue - except the temperature is still too low for the curing process to initiate. I could build a heat tent like I have done for the rear suspension but I'm in no major rush as the bottle neck now is the the weather which I need to come in to do the body restoration. Expect a lot of action around April / May time.
Great to see the progress Jon. I have been wondering what you ended up with in (re)treating the chassis and now I know. I am still considering trying to ice blast mine and see how it turns out. That groove that wore the metal down is something to keep in mind. What a shame on the steering rack. As frustrating as those stories are, it seems they are always part of builds like these. I think it comes with doing so much the odds are there will be bumps in the road for progression to happen. Also thanks for the tapered roller bearing note. I am excited to see your progress coming ahead, but take all the time you need. I finally should have some parts for mine show up hopefully any day as tracking says my parts have at least arrived in Canada now. It’s been months of waiting. It is a journey for sure. Also looking forward or seeing your gear lever modification.
Ice blasting was my 1st thought, it would have been the way I would have gone......... but as I found out to my distinct disadvantage this year, I couldn't pay anyone to do it !! It's like everyone just can't be bothered. Yep all the negatives have pushed me to just do everything my self from now on - the problem is "time" or lack of it, it's been the main lesson of 2022 and I wont be wrong footed again next year. Look forward to your progress.
Great video! I just started to restore a badly damaged Esprit with a bent chassis. Would it be possible for you to share the 3D of your chassis I could use for reference?
Hi Jon, very interesting to watch your video and to see the Esprit chassis up close, There is a very good chance I built that Chassis, I was part of a 4 man team (2 per shift) making the Esprit chassis, from 1988-1992 over 30 a week at the time. As production slowed on them we would build Excel, europa, elan, elan +2 etc for service and I remember some special Esprit v8 chassis for racing in the USA. In later making many many wishbones for Elise, Tesla and Vx220.
Good times. Look forward to seeing progress on your car, I'm sure it will be amazing when finished.
Hi Ray, that's awesome - have you seen my other video where I did a design study on the chassis ? There were some hand drawn markings on the backbone/tunnel I was trying to understand. I was really impressed with the design and the work that went into the chassis, it's a shame it is so under rated which is part of the reason why I am doing this series - the more I dig into it the more impressed I am with this car.
@Jon Himself
Hi Jon, I have only seen the one video so far, I will check the other later when I get a chance, I'm interested to see the markings, they must be I assume from the production line as after we had fabricated the chassis it went off to be zinc coated, so any markings would have been lost.
We made the chassis in parts, front box, backbone and rear end, then all put together in main jig, along with the diaphragm, gussets etc.
Amazing content and what an awesome project. I came to your channel for 3D scanner advice but have since followed it for your work on the Lotus. Great job!!
Yeah about that.... still trying to get some decent 3D scanning stuff in. 2023 is going to be full throttle for me so I hope to be able to produce some more. Thanks for the kind comments.
Thanks for sharing all this, Jon, it’s an amazing project and since I can’t build my own just yet I’m living the dream of building my childhood dream car vicariously through you. Looking forward to more episodes as they come!
I've just binge watched your Lotus GT2 project video's. Awesome work. I'm looking forward to your future videos on this car. I owned a 70's Lotus Eclat and an S3 Turbo Esprit in my younger years. Thoroughly enjoyed those cars. Keep up the great work.
Glad you enjoyed them.
The level of detail is great, looking forward to it this year. The Esprit is a favourite of mine but always put off by the level of work needed to keep one going!
They're not so bad, the issue is there is a lot packed in so labour times are quite damaging. On this channel (or another) I'll be doing a maintenance series as well so hopefully that'll help people who want to get into ownership and no be too put off.
Brilliant work Jon, I am here to support you in any way I can from this side of the pond. Really looking forward to 2023 progress!
I have down loaded the free Scaniverse app on my phone. Hoping it will be accurate enough that I can scale from it and get a CAD drawing for the sunroof and make a mold. If that works going to try the engine lid. Hoping to have the creaform file soon now that vacations are over.
I dont mind the slide show apprach, I like the way you mixed it up with different types of shots, some slides and some video. Very high production quality - love the occasional jokes too!!
Those bits will be a big help. Roll on 2023 !
Fantastic as always! I just picked up an 86' with a 93' engine as a total basket case. Your videos are even more appreciated!! If you need any machine work or help with scanning I might be able to contribute to the cause.
Cool, I hope to get some more out this year and widen the subject to maintenance and so on, so hopefully of help. Most thing I have in sourced now - invested in my own tools, sadly they are only hobby level machines but I cant grumble really. The main thing that would have been a massive help is pro/inspection grade scanner for the shell - the little hand held ones are ok but not accurate enough for me. Probably don't need it now for the roll cage but there is another car project I have my eyes on where it is essential.... did I just say that bit out aloud ? ;)
@@JonHimself We all have our mountains to climb :) I am very lucky and I have a customer who let me borrow his creaform handyscan. It is truly amazing. I might have access to an X180R if you need me to take a close look at it...
@@charleswahlert3353 yeah I cut my teeth on Creaform and Faro stuff - really good products and VERY expensive :D
I'm good right now, the tracing is pretty accurate and I'm just gonna go old skool on the design (there was life before 3D scanners 😂)
Shame about the scanning tho - would have been really good to have gotten the data.
Thank you for the great content. I'm very interested in chassis stiffening for my '89 SE, including bonded shift aperture bracket and roll cage.
Thanks - yep these are priority jobs right now - expect the shifter mod to be around April 2023 and the roll cage needs to be started May 2023 for this project to get back on the time line.
Thanks for posting this up. The biggest take away for me has been to learn that I'm not alone in having been "Stiffed" a number of times by British companies claiming to do quality work. Sadly, the ONLY sure way to ensure that something has been done properly is to be allowed to see the process being carried out. If they won't let you see your parts being restored, walk away. As frustrating as it is, the consequences of their poor work is MUCH more frustrating. Good luck for 2023, I'll be following your project with interest.
Yup, moment someone hears you have an Esprit they think you're made of money - infact its the opposite, I'm not made of money because I have an Esprit 😂
A well known Lotus specialist tried to take me for a ride of over £1,000 once - didn't work, but this is why now I do EVERYTHING myself nowadays. There are some good guys out there, but I am super cautious and perhaps a bit too picky over quality nowadays. Thanks for your support, big push in 2023.
I am very happy about every new video regardless of the timespan since the last video.
This is a big project and I am way more interested to see things done the right way instead of “the fast way” to meet a TH-cam release schedule.
99% of such builds disappear after sema and are never to be seen again just because such formats don’t produce well build cars.
This one is certainly not disappearing since it is now fully funded. I was completely wrong footed this year with expectations and time scales from 3rd parties, I had to make a lot of time up myself and re-route the plan - so it was either produce youtube videos or forge ahead with re-shaping the project - I chose the later 😋
Hi Jon, great in-depth detail on all your projects! I have turbo charged my S2 and now I'm at the point of reinforcing the shifter area as you have suggested. I have cut away the fiber glass today exposing the chassis . Just as you have discussed I was trying to figure out a way to reinforce it with out welding for the same reason you have mentioned. Really looking forward to your video on the roll cage . I will not be tracking the car but I would like better rigidity and safety. Ross
Hey Ross, I have yet to still do some research before attempting this mod - theoretically it should work very well BUT I cant prove it. I need to do do some physical tests and couple them with valid simulations to refine the design. Watch this space - it is a job I need to complete before April 2023 so it is urgent.
@@JonHimself Hi Jon thanks for the reply. I had a thought. In your situation where the chassis is all exposed, could you weld in the shifter saddle ( for lack of a better word).Then remove the coolant pipes and clean the inside of the chassis through the shifter hole (tight I know) of all welding remanence. Then apply the EM121? Also if you are going ahead with the roll cage, do you even have to worry about the shifter saddle?
@@rosscampbell7275 I could, but for two reasons.
1) When I have welded galvanised steel before, you have to grind off the zinc on BOTH sides or, if you're doing it properly, you get horrible porosity in the weld if there is a TINY amount of contamination bleeding in from the far side, once thats starts its a PIG to fix. Welding introduces warping as well and TBH my skills are not up to it - risk vs reward.
2) Bonding - always wanted to try it, 100% safe, no warping and stronger. You still need to remove the zinc (recommended) but only on one side and you're patching it with epoxy so it cant corrode. If the bond fails (which it shouldn't do as it'll be riveted as well....just like the Elise chassis) then you simply remove it and start again.
Either solution would work but for me bonding has a distinct advantages, its cost effective and it furthers my knowledge.
Yes the roll cage will help with stiffness but it doesn't hurt to do this as well and this is the best time to have a go.
@@JonHimself Hi Jon, doing some checking on epoxy bonding adhesives. 3M 0733 seems to be a good candidate. Very pricey. $140 Canadian. ouch! Of course by the time I get a welder in that knows what he is doing , I'm probably at that cost or more. If you find any alternatives please let me know. In the mean time thinking I better replace my coolant pipes based on the condition of yours. Kind regards Ross.
@@rosscampbell7275 Initially I was looking at 3M DP490 which is a room temperature cure but its cold outside and you do need the temperature above 30c even with two part epoxies to get a structural bond. So I was thinking since I was having to take heat to it I might use Permabond ES550 which is WAY stronger but requires 150c for an hour to cure which is difficult on the tunnel structure as you have two sides to heat. Ideally you need a paint curing IR lamp but I dont have one.
Need to do some tests with a laser thermometer on how hot I can get the metal with the existing tools - this is the biggest hurdle right now. I'm going off 3M stuff as well, their data sheets are hit and miss, I much prefer Permabond's product selection and information resources - lots cheaper too.
Excellent video and series. Very much appreciated and inspiring for my own restoration work. Please consider sharing the name of that steering rack company, so that others may avoid their grifting? That was beyond shady. Much success to you in 2023!
Much appreciated. Yes I was furious over the rack, its such a mission critical part - it took a lot out of me, chasing things up and proving my case to get the money back.
My recommendation to people is always buyer beware, arm yourself with knowledge and insist on doing things your way.
I've always been advised (legally) against naming and shaming. I've had a few companies try to con me in the past and a common tactic they use is to threaten legal action against you for defamation and set a court date, which you have to attend or refute legally - solicitors are not cheap! Either option requires so much time and/or money just to prove yourself right - sure you can claim expenses in court, but I'd rather build cars.
Always use a protected payment method (VISA) and always inspect the work - or better still do it yourself. The last Lotus specialist who tried to over charge me by £1,500 gave me the incentive to get more hands on so it was a good thing really 😋
Hi Jon, I have completed the saddle install on my 80 Esprit . It went better than expected! I used the 3M 08117. I cleaned two pieces of .062 metal 1.5 " W x 3" L. Each piece had a 90 degree bend, off set from each other. Ground up the surfaces, cleaned with acetone and applied to both pieces ending up with about .062 thickness of glue. At first after 24v hours it seemed to be not soft but not hard, but after 3 days it got harder. Room temp. I put it in a vice and hit it hard with a hammer and it held up well. Finally I got pretty aggressive and with some help from a chisel it let go. It wont be experiencing anything like that in the car. I used 8mm Rivet nuts which worked great leaving me a .062 gap (perfect). I reduced the opening of the saddle for extra strength. Used 200ml tube which of course did the gluing part but the squeeze out and remainder covered the exterior of the saddle. so perfect amount for my dimensions. My garage is heated but it goes down to 0 degrees C at night. Canada you know. Next day all good. It may take more time but I'm sure as long as you are not twisting your chassis it will cure fine. Kind regards Ross.
Haha you beat me to it !
I'm doing some testing right now and the install video is coming soon. Ideally you need to cure at room temperature for 24hrs for a 2 part epoxy but the beauty of this is that if it fails you can always try again / improve the concept to get a better join without grinding metal.
From the simulations I have done you should be fine - the glue is only stressed around the edges.
Cold wont affect it after it's cured but it might suffer from heat from the radiator pipes. I'm going to lag mine around that area to stop the glue potentially weakening but again I need to investigate more.
@@JonHimself How are you making out Jon with the chassis saddle?
@@rosscampbell7275 nearly done - just waiting for the weather to improve really to get the heat into the glue as it sets. Doubt it'll be much before April / May
@@rosscampbell7275 It's mostly ready to glue - except the temperature is still too low for the curing process to initiate. I could build a heat tent like I have done for the rear suspension but I'm in no major rush as the bottle neck now is the the weather which I need to come in to do the body restoration. Expect a lot of action around April / May time.
Good stuff, following this closely 🙃
Hopefully I can make better strides in 2023!
Great to see the progress Jon. I have been wondering what you ended up with in (re)treating the chassis and now I know. I am still considering trying to ice blast mine and see how it turns out.
That groove that wore the metal down is something to keep in mind.
What a shame on the steering rack. As frustrating as those stories are, it seems they are always part of builds like these. I think it comes with doing so much the odds are there will be bumps in the road for progression to happen.
Also thanks for the tapered roller bearing note.
I am excited to see your progress coming ahead, but take all the time you need. I finally should have some parts for mine show up hopefully any day as tracking says my parts have at least arrived in Canada now. It’s been months of waiting. It is a journey for sure. Also looking forward or seeing your gear lever modification.
Ice blasting was my 1st thought, it would have been the way I would have gone......... but as I found out to my distinct disadvantage this year, I couldn't pay anyone to do it !! It's like everyone just can't be bothered.
Yep all the negatives have pushed me to just do everything my self from now on - the problem is "time" or lack of it, it's been the main lesson of 2022 and I wont be wrong footed again next year.
Look forward to your progress.
Try Gary Kemp over near Hull for lotus 912/910 engine knowledge.
Great video! I just started to restore a badly damaged Esprit with a bent chassis. Would it be possible for you to share the 3D of your chassis I could use for reference?
Very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's Lotus chassis.
🤣🤣🤣
Great videos watch all your Project GT2, not sure if we can be of help to you but if you need parts or just a chat give us a call. PNM Parts limited.