Fantastic, looks a great base for a project. With this Esprit and your "big cat" XJC, you are rebuilding what for many of us are dream cars. Looking forward to future progress and many thanks for sharing with us.
Looks great, what an exciting project! I've seen them in person and I just still think they have an incredible aura about them. Enjoy! I'll be watching for updates!
They do have an aura. I saw a newly restored one at a show a few weeks ago, & it looked amazing. Thanks for watching, I need to get on top of my other projects, but we’ll get underway with this asap.
Fabulous! Such an iconic car from my youth, and I think they look even more special these days. My friend has a white Series2 Esprit which while slightly different, is also a wonderful car. Keep posting please 😀👍
Great, am excited to follow your progress. Like to think I would do exactly as you are planning. Such a great car, deserves to be brought up to date with performance and reliability.
Thanks so much! I’m leaning towards going back to original Delorto carbs now. Everyone says the noise from them is a big part of the essence of an early Esprit.
The first thing I noticed about the car was the Marina door handles I believe that quite a few cars used the Marina door handles back in the day. beautiful looking car hope it all goes well mate
First time to the channel. But really excited and interested in this one. Grandfather knew and was friends with Colin Chapman. And actually worked with him at Lotus. What a car. Great to have that badge on the back. Don't see many of them about anymore. Best looking esprit in my eyes. Will be interested in what dash and what apolstry you pick. I think they done some of the best dash and interior work. Loved the elongated bubble one, which is just sat along above the steering wheel. Got a feeling your going to do this justice. Best of luck and best wishes. I also think Lotus perhaps has the most interesting racing history as well out of all of the British racing houses. With the greatest, took to soon Jim Clark. Fittipaldi and of course even a young Ayrton Senna. But what a car. Bob Holness would be proud!😁Bless you.
Thankyou! The resto has started, but I’ve yet to show it. The guy doing it for me also has a RUclips channel, so check out DIY Tuners. He’s really going for it!
Thanks! It will. I saw one at a car show last week that had just been restored and it looked amazing. I’m not sure when I can start , but it will be as soon as money permits. Thanks for watching!
Hello I really like the S1 ( being a certain age and watching James Bond like we all did) anyway I know what you mean about being overwhelmed. I often go in the garage and look at my Rolls and think what have you done ! enjoyed the episode and good luck with the car. I've subscribed 🇬🇧👍
Looks like you got a great project. Very complete and in fairly decent shape. As an American, I never liked amber lights combined with the taillights. 👍 Can’t wait to see you get on with it!
Looking forward to seeing how this ones goes, sounds like a great project and you are providing all the right info on how you get one restored. I was offered one of these 25 years ago for £5500 i didn't like the strange olive green body colour so I turned it down! i did think it was great value for money and i remember thinking they are likely to go up in price one day!
Thanks for the comment. Yes they’ve gone up, but not madly yet. I sold my last one for £75k but bitterly regret it (check out my previous video) thanks for watching!
What a beaut, you swam the channel on that one, it looks amazing and good price, I would deffo change the rear number plate surround to a uk spec and delete the side repeaters, if your going Bond replica , you have to go big or go home in my mind, especially if your going to put a PPW plate on it , I would almost want to change it to RHD , but I guess that would be a lot of work and cost , hey ho , I love the car 👍 can’t wait to see your restoration videos on this one
Interesting.. I’ll put some thought into that. Yes, I’m looking forward to doing this project on RUclips. I’ve done an S1 before so I’m quite confident. Just the ££££, but it’ll come. Thanks for watching!
Forgot to say at the end of the video about the range of the Tesla model Y. It wasn’t too bad actually, but an Esprit is very light. Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
I was just a kid when the movie came out and I went bonkers over the white wedge with its fat and skinny Wolfrace slotted mag wheels. Instant dream car even before it transformed into a submarine ;) Great to see this car in such good nick for its age.
Thanks! Yes it’s in good nick for its age, but I saw one at a show last week that was freshly fully restored and it was positively glowing. So I’d like to get it back to that. They look so amazing. Thanks for watching, subscribe to see this one restored.
It's my first time viewing this channel and I like your style so I've subscribed to the channel, i noticed the carb's are Stromberg's atleast i think they are so are they USA spec as they normally have Webber's, the car is a good example with loads of potential and at the price you paid for it i think it is a good deal.
Ho ancora fresco il ricordo di quella restaurata da Drew Pritchard arancio fuori e quell'incredibile mix di colori all'interno tra verde e tartan rosso... Ti auguro di arrivare a quel livello di risultato 👍
Yes that was a great car - Steve Fulcher trimmed that one too, just after he finished my last Esprit S1- He’s a brilliant trimmer. Thanks for watching! Subscribe to see the finished result ( though it may take a while!)
Just bought my own '84 S3 Esprit from an auction unseen. Waiting for it to be delivered still.. debating if I should document my process with the car. I'm 6'6", so i'll need to do some alterations so i can fit in the car. Love seeing the passion and admiration for the Giugiaro body design. A true classic 👌
Thanks! I hope your resto goes well! An 84 car should be a much more sorted car to start from, but yes a wee bit of floor work might be needed! Thanks for watching !
can t wait to see the finished product its one of my favorite bond cars of course after the DB5 , l do have a question can the gear box get swapped out for something better ??
Sorry if I missed it. But did you say which part of the states this was before in its history? Obviously East coast is a result California ways of course. And i apologise. I can see what's happening with the interior. Love their interiors. Hard to bloody please me. But this is so exciting, as it does looks like youve got a nice one there. Really happy for you and again goodluck. Can't wait!
Thanks for your great comment! The car was delivered in Florida but has been around the US since. I bought it from a chap in Philadelphia. Check out the RUclips channel DIY Tuners as he’s started on the restoration for me. Thanks again!
Is the body of the Esprit basically the same between the S1, S2, and S3? (I mean other than the bumpers, the tail lights, and the air scoops behind the rear quarter windows.) The S3 somehow looks quite different to me.
It’s basically the same, but the differences started building. The Rover rear lights and ears behind the side windows for cooling made the S2 look different and slightly less pure.
@@sportscarstory Thanks so much.. I have wondered about that for a long time. I always thought that the S3 was not as nice looking, but I figured it was likely about the same dimensionally as the other two variants.
I have always loved the way this car looks and I know they are fast even with a 4 cyl. I saw on Wheeler dealers Mike was redoing one. The car is very ruff for me and a lot of work is needed, costing 20k is more than I would spend. I found a few that were in perfect cond. from 25k to 33k. It's a shame anyone who was lucky enough to afford a dream car like this would let it sit and rot away like that. Good luck
Thanks for the comment. Yes they are beautiful cars, & fast enough even with a 4 cylinder. The question is: can I make it reliable? Subscribe to find out (but it’ll take a while!) thanks again! Pete
Hello, fist of all the shipping cost were suprisingly low…I shipped my Porsche Cayman in 2014 from New Jersey till Bremenhaven and payed the same amount… I was expecting the costs to be double by now. Second, I cannot understand how can someone keep/leave a car like that in such a bad condition?! You really saved this one’s soul. I believe you really made a good deal with it. It’s a LHD so I will be following the restauration and if you ever decide to sell it, I will be prepared because I live in Hungary. We drive LHD-s as you probably know. Once again, congrats on the deal and I’m sure that it will be a total succes and one of a kind restauration for this model. Cheers!
Thanks. Yes I thought the shipping was reasonable. I’m leaning towards making it look as European spec as possible but keeping it LHD. Thanks for watching! Glad u approve! Please subscribe & have a look at our other videos.
@@sportscarstory The only thing that will be a little bit strange is the rear licence plate space, would be nice if you could find a solution for that also, so that you can mount a Eu or UK type plate.
I’m looking forward to seeing your restoration unfold. Now, as for feeling sorry for US car owners having weird versions of overseas cars, I say it serves them right! Thanks to US regulations, we all have disfigured Fiat X1/9s, ungainly MGBs and Spridgets with stupidly high suspension and grotesque plastic bumpers, and so, so many other cars that have been rendered ugly thanks to their vehicle authorities, so they can just suffer the consequences!
It’s a shame to see the US versions of cars right enough! But most American classics can source euro bumpers etc, to make them right. Thanks for watching, stay tuned.
Looking forward to follow up videos on this car. Personally I would delete the US spec bits like the ugly front and rear side repeaters which spoil the beautiful clean design of the car. Good luck with this project.
I get that, just didn’t understand why it would it have to go back to the US.. I’m sure there are plenty of people in Europe that would take it off your hands if you were ever going to part with it. Cheers.
It’s coming on …. Slowly. I’m going to Image wheels next week to spec the wheels, Adrian’s been a bit bogged down with other jobs - including my brother’s Steed replica (he’s joined in) I’ll update soon!
@@sportscarstory TWO Steedmobiles??!! - I just have to come and see them when finished :) Incidentally, didnt know u r a Stag fan too :) I have had mine sice 78 :) Griff from 95 :) Plse keep us posted in 1080 as to progress on all projects :P)
Fantastic project! Have you considered removing those Strombergs and replacing them with Jenvey Heritage DCOE fuel injection? They’d look the part plus give you the benefit of fuel injection. Watching with interest! 👍
A car that beautiful belongs back in the UK where it was born. Does it have the dreaded Lucas electrical gremlins?.i had my DeLorean converted from Lucas relays to Bosch. Cheers from California. 😊
The Esprit was not available in 1975. The rear bumper is mounted too low to match the US rear valance, which accommodates the catalyst. The UK rear valance is different. The World Championship badge should be mounted on the rear hatch, not the rear plinth. The front badge should be black and silver, not green and yellow. The door handles should have a silver surround, not black. The waistline trim should be black all round, and the door has a waistline carrier mounted on it.
Oh great! I haven’t asked Mike that question yet. I’ve found out from RUclips comments that there’s a lot more bits available for an S1 the last time I built one. Thanks for watching, subscribe to follow the project.
Super! I won't be the only one to restore an 1977 S1. Mine Is yellow. But might turn it white ...I"ll will start in 2025 and will make a youtube video like you. I'll will be folling your work. Cheers
Yes. One day I’d like to park it next to one. Elon Musk really likes the Esprit, so it probably influenced the cyber truck. Thanks for watching, subscribe to see it come alive!
Stop it overheating and your winning mine always used to that little front grill looked great but did not work i then owned a mk 2 Essex much more reliable until when it was parked in Worcester and a truck wrecked it my lady and i where shopping and we came back to our poor lotus
I overcame my overheating problems, with a replacement ottoswitch, upgraded the original single "rear of radiator" fan with three slim fans "positioned millimetres behind the radiator", a carefully positioned "bilge blower" fan in the engine bay....I wired both upgrades to overide switches inside ( when the temperature guage would rise, say at a queue or hold up, I would switch on for a minute or two )....I also have a strong mix of Bluecol antifreeze ( and a bottle of Water Wetter too ) 21 years ownership 25,000 plus miles on, it is still in fine fettle 👍 Great video, I look forward to seeing your progress
Jesus your export costs, did you do all of that manual, or did you have someone else do that for you, as I was quoted way way more just to get a car to the US, and I'm looking around for alternatives and its not a Jag, or a TVR, its something I'd never thought I'd see for fair money ever again although in one of the most ironic turn of events, I could buy a project esprit for what you paid for it locally, catch is thanks to its title, it would always be junk as it was a theft recovery, and its not running right at all right now which is abit of a Hmmm type thing also with the materials of the dash, alot of that stuff was not rated for temps over 95 degree's I believe, I remember leno bringing it up with why GM dashes are so rubish on his WS6 like it might be worth uprating the materials of the dash itself to something that is more heat resistant, yet period correct, maybe even boat based given it was in florida, although ironically with number 27 he did a series 1 like this that was all original, and I swear the material they used, looked like my familes old old couch from the 70's like full on Fraiser's fathers chair spec that, like they might straight be from a furniture store that used to be down the road from lotus but overall it seems to be in really good nick, like theirs no sense in junking the motor for a K series if its that good, so as steady as she goes, and go for preservation and not restoration whenever possible, as this is a really nice basic survivor spec and you know someone saved this on purpose, and you can see why, like someone must have really loved this thing' also with the side trim, its a common thing overhere to take off the idiot bumpers and the like on euro imported cars, he might have been trying to make it more S2 like by simply cutting off the trim its a thing they do here, and also the mirrors, they might be the kind of thing you would find on VW's, like I got into ferrari 308's for abit and its amazing how many people put on EMPI mirrors from a VW or the Vitaloni ones and its possible lotus went for the cheapest option and put one of those on but the flag mirrors I think are manditory as part of our importation rules or laws like find one, flip the thing and look at the product code, it will probably be something generic they used on a moped in 1967 knowing those bunch of blokes also reliability wise, chances are the lotus has the same problem the delorean had, the alternator is probably too small and needs to be uprated, some of the delorean places might have something for that especially given what happened to carson with his, and electronic ignition when used on cars in period, namely the chrystler products would actually make up for the horsepower loss from the detuing for unleaded fuel on our big blocked cars and make them run way better, problem was, early electronics being what they were, some did catch fire from the change in 73 as they just werent cooled properly also be cool might have something that works for the air con, leno always mentioned those guys, but anything with him is usually megabucks and I dont know if he does lotus but a general rule of thumb with this, might be make everything that you know was a problem, 15 percent better, as lotus was always about just barely being above the breaking point but keep it within the weight limits of the original parts otherwise the balance and feel of an S1 that your going for will go out the window, as the trick here is going to be doing upgrades that make sense, that stay within the spirit of the car and dont ruin that also you dont want to do a number 27 with that detomaso pantera failure thing, which might mean accusump, dry sump, or a baffled oil pan too while your at it to keep the motor oiled in high G corners as I dont know how lotus did on this with that
Thanks. Yes it’s sooo mid seventies. I just want to make it work! Thanks for watching! Subscribe to see how I get on ( this one will not start for a while though)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Fantastic, looks a great base for a project. With this Esprit and your "big cat" XJC, you are rebuilding what for many of us are dream cars. Looking forward to future progress and many thanks for sharing with us.
Glad you appreciate paulw! Thanks for watching!
Looks great, what an exciting project! I've seen them in person and I just still think they have an incredible aura about them. Enjoy! I'll be watching for updates!
They do have an aura. I saw a newly restored one at a show a few weeks ago, & it looked amazing. Thanks for watching, I need to get on top of my other projects, but we’ll get underway with this asap.
Really enjoyed the timelapse at the end of you unloading the car, very please I stayed until the very end!
Glad u liked! It was a bit of a palava!
Fabulous! Such an iconic car from my youth, and I think they look even more special these days. My friend has a white Series2 Esprit which while slightly different, is also a wonderful car. Keep posting please 😀👍
Will do! Thanks for watching! Stay subscribed
Great, am excited to follow your progress. Like to think I would do exactly as you are planning. Such a great car, deserves to be brought up to date with performance and reliability.
Thanks so much! I’m leaning towards going back to original Delorto carbs now. Everyone says the noise from them is a big part of the essence of an early Esprit.
The first thing I noticed about the car was the Marina door handles I believe that quite a few cars used the Marina door handles back in the day. beautiful looking car hope it all goes well mate
Thanks, yes it will get going once I get on top of my other projects- check them out. Thanks for watching!
popular flush handle, however made from soft yet brittle alloy and can break quite easily - first car was a Marina! - Yet still loved it, as u do :)
First time to the channel. But really excited and interested in this one. Grandfather knew and was friends with Colin Chapman. And actually worked with him at Lotus. What a car. Great to have that badge on the back. Don't see many of them about anymore. Best looking esprit in my eyes. Will be interested in what dash and what apolstry you pick. I think they done some of the best dash and interior work. Loved the elongated bubble one, which is just sat along above the steering wheel. Got a feeling your going to do this justice. Best of luck and best wishes. I also think Lotus perhaps has the most interesting racing history as well out of all of the British racing houses. With the greatest, took to soon Jim Clark. Fittipaldi and of course even a young Ayrton Senna. But what a car. Bob Holness would be proud!😁Bless you.
Thankyou! The resto has started, but I’ve yet to show it. The guy doing it for me also has a RUclips channel, so check out DIY Tuners. He’s really going for it!
@sportscarstory I will check him out definatly. Bless.
What a fantastic project, I’ll be looking forward to each progress episode. Best of luck, I’m sure it’ll turn out to be a beauty 👍🏼
Thanks! It will. I saw one at a car show last week that had just been restored and it looked amazing. I’m not sure when I can start , but it will be as soon as money permits. Thanks for watching!
@@sportscarstory 👊🏼
I had to subscribe on the strength of this video, so looking forward to seeing the S1 come back to life! 🙂
Thank you! It may take a bit of time as there are other projects ahead in the queue, but it’ll happen! Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to the journey, just subscribed!
Always had a soft spot for the Esprit.
Thanks! I’ll get on with it asap, but it’s behind the John Steed car and the Lambo at the moment.
Hello I really like the S1 ( being a certain age and watching James Bond like we all did) anyway I know what you mean about being overwhelmed. I often go in the garage and look at my Rolls and think what have you done ! enjoyed the episode and good luck with the car. I've subscribed 🇬🇧👍
Thanks for subscribing! Yes you can get a bit overawed at times - don’t go in the garage if you’re feeling a bit tired!
Looks like you got a great project. Very complete and in fairly decent shape.
As an American, I never liked amber lights combined with the taillights.
👍
Can’t wait to see you get on with it!
Thanks, yes it’s as good as I hoped! I’ll get on with it asap. Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to seeing how this ones goes, sounds like a great project and you are providing all the right info on how you get one restored. I was offered one of these 25 years ago for £5500 i didn't like the strange olive green body colour so I turned it down! i did think it was great value for money and i remember thinking they are likely to go up in price one day!
Thanks for the comment. Yes they’ve gone up, but not madly yet. I sold my last one for £75k but bitterly regret it (check out my previous video) thanks for watching!
Lotus - Lots Of Thrills, Usually Sensational
Haha yes. Probably a more optimistic view! Thanks for watching!
Or, lots of trouble usually serious!
What a beaut, you swam the channel on that one, it looks amazing and good price, I would deffo change the rear number plate surround to a uk spec and delete the side repeaters, if your going Bond replica , you have to go
big or go home in my mind, especially if your going to put a PPW plate on it , I would almost want to change it to RHD , but I guess that would be a lot of work and cost , hey ho , I love the car 👍 can’t wait to see your restoration videos on this one
Interesting.. I’ll put some thought into that. Yes, I’m looking forward to doing this project on RUclips. I’ve done an S1 before so I’m quite confident. Just the ££££, but it’ll come. Thanks for watching!
I admire this man's enthusiasm.
Rather him than me!!
Thanks! It’ll come good!
Love the S1! Good to see you towing it without using a big truck (which is all people seem to use in the states).
Forgot to say at the end of the video about the range of the Tesla model Y. It wasn’t too bad actually, but an Esprit is very light. Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hahaha I never heard that before.
LOTUS stands for Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious...Brilliant !!!
Good luck with the restoration.
Thankyou! Stay subscribed cause it will be lovely to see some!
Love your channel! Another great story.
Thanks! Appreciate it! Hopefully I’m on the right track!
Congratulations, it looks like a great place to start.
Thanks! Hope so! Subscribe to see the result ! (Eventually!)
I was just a kid when the movie came out and I went bonkers over the white wedge with its fat and skinny Wolfrace slotted mag wheels. Instant dream car even before it transformed into a submarine ;)
Great to see this car in such good nick for its age.
Thanks! Yes it’s in good nick for its age, but I saw one at a show last week that was freshly fully restored and it was positively glowing. So I’d like to get it back to that. They look so amazing. Thanks for watching, subscribe to see this one restored.
Beautiful car, enjoy it.
Got to get it on the road first! It’ll take a while, but subscribe to see the day. Thanks for watching!
It's my first time viewing this channel and I like your style so I've subscribed to the channel, i noticed the carb's are Stromberg's atleast i think they are so are they USA spec as they normally have Webber's, the car is a good example with loads of potential and at the price you paid for it i think it is a good deal.
Thanks for subscribing! Yes I think the Lotus is a good deal, there’s a lot of work to do. But I’ll get there! I always do eventually!
Ho ancora fresco il ricordo di quella restaurata da Drew Pritchard arancio fuori e quell'incredibile mix di colori all'interno tra verde e tartan rosso...
Ti auguro di arrivare a quel livello di risultato 👍
Yes that was a great car - Steve Fulcher trimmed that one too, just after he finished my last Esprit S1- He’s a brilliant trimmer. Thanks for watching! Subscribe to see the finished result ( though it may take a while!)
Just bought my own '84 S3 Esprit from an auction unseen. Waiting for it to be delivered still.. debating if I should document my process with the car. I'm 6'6", so i'll need to do some alterations so i can fit in the car. Love seeing the passion and admiration for the Giugiaro body design. A true classic 👌
Thanks! I hope your resto goes well! An 84 car should be a much more sorted car to start from, but yes a wee bit of floor work might be needed! Thanks for watching !
can t wait to see the finished product its one of my favorite bond cars of course after the DB5 , l do have a question can the gear box get swapped out for something better ??
I’m keeping with the Renault gearbox, but it can be much improved ! Watch this space.
Sorry if I missed it. But did you say which part of the states this was before in its history? Obviously East coast is a result California ways of course. And i apologise. I can see what's happening with the interior. Love their interiors. Hard to bloody please me. But this is so exciting, as it does looks like youve got a nice one there. Really happy for you and again goodluck. Can't wait!
Thanks for your great comment! The car was delivered in Florida but has been around the US since. I bought it from a chap in Philadelphia. Check out the RUclips channel DIY Tuners as he’s started on the restoration for me. Thanks again!
Is the body of the Esprit basically the same between the S1, S2, and S3? (I mean other than the bumpers, the tail lights, and the air scoops behind the rear quarter windows.) The S3 somehow looks quite different to me.
It’s basically the same, but the differences started building. The Rover rear lights and ears behind the side windows for cooling made the S2 look different and slightly less pure.
@@sportscarstory Thanks so much.. I have wondered about that for a long time. I always thought that the S3 was not as nice looking, but I figured it was likely about the same dimensionally as the other two variants.
I have always loved the way this car looks and I know they are fast even with a 4 cyl. I saw on Wheeler dealers Mike was redoing one.
The car is very ruff for me and a lot of work is needed, costing 20k is more than I would spend. I found a few that were in perfect cond. from 25k to 33k. It's a shame anyone who was lucky enough to afford a dream car like this would let it sit and rot away like that.
Good luck
Thanks for the comment. Yes they are beautiful cars, & fast enough even with a 4 cylinder. The question is: can I make it reliable? Subscribe to find out (but it’ll take a while!) thanks again! Pete
Great episode
Thankyou. I’m trying to improve in some way each time. More coming!
It's always a hit , it's a piece of art.
It really is! Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to seeing what becomes of this car.
Thanks! It’ll happen. It may take a while. !
Hello, fist of all the shipping cost were suprisingly low…I shipped my Porsche Cayman in 2014 from New Jersey till Bremenhaven and payed the same amount… I was expecting the costs to be double by now. Second, I cannot understand how can someone keep/leave a car like that in such a bad condition?! You really saved this one’s soul. I believe you really made a good deal with it. It’s a LHD so I will be following the restauration and if you ever decide to sell it, I will be prepared because I live in Hungary. We drive LHD-s as you probably know. Once again, congrats on the deal and I’m sure that it will be a total succes and one of a kind restauration for this model. Cheers!
Thanks. Yes I thought the shipping was reasonable. I’m leaning towards making it look as European spec as possible but keeping it LHD. Thanks for watching! Glad u approve! Please subscribe & have a look at our other videos.
@@sportscarstory The only thing that will be a little bit strange is the rear licence plate space, would be nice if you could find a solution for that also, so that you can mount a Eu or UK type plate.
The seats pattern inspired Noddy Holder Slade
It’s pretty psychodelic ! Thanks for watching!
Wonderful iconic styling
Yes absolutely pure, beautiful, Italian styling.
I’m looking forward to seeing your restoration unfold. Now, as for feeling sorry for US car owners having weird versions of overseas cars, I say it serves them right! Thanks to US regulations, we all have disfigured Fiat X1/9s, ungainly MGBs and Spridgets with stupidly high suspension and grotesque plastic bumpers, and so, so many other cars that have been rendered ugly thanks to their vehicle authorities, so they can just suffer the consequences!
It’s a shame to see the US versions of cars right enough! But most American classics can source euro bumpers etc, to make them right. Thanks for watching, stay tuned.
Great car! Great vid! 👍😊
Thanks ! Subscribe to see more!
Lots Of Thrills, Usually Sublime! :D
Haha! Yes. Plenty of thrills when the bills come in… thanks for watching!
Good luck. Always liked the car nearly as much as Mrs Ringo Starr (Russian Bond Girl)
Be great when it's finished
Thankyou! I’ll get on with it asap. Subscribe to see!
If you don't mind me asking, what shipping company did you use?
It was CFR Classic
A chap called Martin Robles
50 seconds in and there is a Mustard Yellow TR7. Subbed.
Yes. Should have mentioned it ! Thanks for watching. I had a TR7 in 1984. Rusted around me but I loved it.
It was badged a TR8😏
Cool Project 🇬🇧🏁😎
Thanks! More coming!
Looking forward to follow up videos on this car. Personally I would delete the US spec bits like the ugly front and rear side repeaters which spoil the beautiful clean design of the car. Good luck with this project.
. Do you think if I delete the side indicators it’ll be allowed back into the US? Thanks for watching I appreciate it !
I get that, just didn’t understand why it would it have to go back to the US.. I’m sure there are plenty of people in Europe that would take it off your hands if you were ever going to part with it. Cheers.
Nice, white suits it too....now then....how's the steedmobile? :)
It’s coming on …. Slowly. I’m going to Image wheels next week to spec the wheels, Adrian’s been a bit bogged down with other jobs - including my brother’s Steed replica (he’s joined in) I’ll update soon!
@@sportscarstory splendid :)
@@sportscarstory TWO Steedmobiles??!! - I just have to come and see them when finished :)
Incidentally, didnt know u r a Stag fan too :)
I have had mine sice 78 :)
Griff from 95 :)
Plse keep us posted in 1080 as to progress on all projects :P)
Very nice indeed 👌
Thanks! I hope to make it nicer. I saw one out of a complete restoration last week and it really popped!
Fantastic project! Have you considered removing those Strombergs and replacing them with Jenvey Heritage DCOE fuel injection? They’d look the part plus give you the benefit of fuel injection. Watching with interest! 👍
Thanks for the comment - I’ll look into Jenvey heritage fuel injection
Nice car! 950 ovean freight?? What shipper?
CFR Classic. Thanks for watching!
Trim has fallen off , it’s just glued on . What chassis number is yours ? Mines a west coast S1 in white as well. Good luck with the restoration.
Thanks for the info re trim & SJ. I couldn’t get quite a few parts last time, maybe that’s changed cause that was 10 years ago. I’ll check with SJ.
Any chance you can contact me direct via @sportscarstory on twitter? I’d like to chat about the US / UK differences.
@@sportscarstoryI don’t have Twitter , are you on Instagram ?
@@sportscarstory I'm not twitter, are you on instagram?
A car that beautiful belongs back in the UK where it was born. Does it have the dreaded Lucas electrical gremlins?.i had my DeLorean converted from Lucas relays to Bosch. Cheers from California. 😊
Yes plenty of Lucas bits. Will try and replace the vital bit. Thanks for watching!
@@sportscarstoryIt's like a Matchbox or Corgi come to life! 😊
So the US market, which sustained so many British sports car makers, is not where the car belongs?
Hope you've checked for a fish in the footwell 👍👍
Haha yes! No fish! Thanks for watching!
The Esprit was not available in 1975. The rear bumper is mounted too low to match the US rear valance, which accommodates the catalyst. The UK rear valance is different. The World Championship badge should be mounted on the rear hatch, not the rear plinth. The front badge should be black and silver, not green and yellow. The door handles should have a silver surround, not black. The waistline trim should be black all round, and the door has a waistline carrier mounted on it.
Thanks! Really useful detail. How do you know? Do you have one? Thanks for watching!
Well done for getting this far, very best wishes on the build
But apart from all that it is ok? 😂
As an Elise S1 owner in Aus, I imported my car when I emigrated, I prefer Loads of Technology, Unique Styling. Looking forward to the updates.
I can hear the bond intro already
Yes. I hear it every time I look at it! Thanks for watching!
Subbed this motor my generation as a kid UK
Glad u like. Thanks for watching
So why didn't you do all these mods on a car that you already had.?
Should have done. I sold it to get a McLaren, then immediately regretted it.
you can still get the championship badges from lotus bits
Oh great! I haven’t asked Mike that question yet. I’ve found out from RUclips comments that there’s a lot more bits available for an S1 the last time I built one. Thanks for watching, subscribe to follow the project.
I'd park it on my front lawn and just stare at it all day. 😊
Yes, that was my plan B. Thanks for watching!
Super! I won't be the only one to restore an 1977 S1. Mine Is yellow. But might turn it white ...I"ll will start in 2025 and will make a youtube video like you.
I'll will be folling your work.
Cheers
Cool! Look forward to your videos too! Thanks for watching!
I understand that filler caps are TR7
Thanks! I think you’re right. I had a TR7 & completely forgot it had a cap like that. Thanks for watching!
Personally, I thought the Ford Anglia engine was the give away 😂
Well it’s similar, but it does have a big valve head!
Nothing that couldn’t be sorted with a little Soup!
Haha! Yes
The bumpers on your car are eurospec . Not federal. I wouldn't change the single motor. Single motor is stronger the the S2 2 motors
Interesting thanks. I didn’t know the single motor is stronger. Thanks!
All those parts are available from SJ 👍🏻
It’s been 10 years since I did my last S1, so SJ have probably filled in the gaps since then. Thanks for watching!
LHD👍👍
Yes. Great for European touring. We’d like to tour Holland as soon as this car’s finished. Subscribe to see how we go with this. Thanks for watching!
This is the one of want.
So do I ! Thanks for watching!
If only it was PPW 306R!
Maybe the DVLA will give me a number close to it when I register it. I wish! Thanks for watching!
It looks like a Tesla cyber-car.
Yes. One day I’d like to park it next to one. Elon Musk really likes the Esprit, so it probably influenced the cyber truck. Thanks for watching, subscribe to see it come alive!
Stop it overheating and your winning mine always used to that little front grill looked great but did not work i then owned a mk 2 Essex much more reliable until when it was parked in Worcester and a truck wrecked it my lady and i where shopping and we came back to our poor lotus
I feel sorry for your Essex. I wonder if I can get the cooling without changing the look of the front grill? Thanks for watching!
@@sportscarstory Triple core radiator and triple 7" Spal fans cool ours perfectly.
I overcame my overheating problems, with a replacement ottoswitch, upgraded the original single "rear of radiator" fan with three slim fans "positioned millimetres behind the radiator", a carefully positioned "bilge blower" fan in the engine bay....I wired both upgrades to overide switches inside ( when the temperature guage would rise, say at a queue or hold up, I would switch on for a minute or two )....I also have a strong mix of Bluecol antifreeze ( and a bottle of Water Wetter too ) 21 years ownership 25,000 plus miles on, it is still in fine fettle 👍 Great video, I look forward to seeing your progress
A lotus without twin 40s just doesnt seem right to me .
Food for thought. I’ll think about it. I want it tractable though!
Killer Klones R Us
Yes
Jesus your export costs, did you do all of that manual, or did you have someone else do that for you, as I was quoted way way more just to get a car to the US, and I'm looking around for alternatives
and its not a Jag, or a TVR, its something I'd never thought I'd see for fair money ever again
although in one of the most ironic turn of events, I could buy a project esprit for what you paid for it locally, catch is thanks to its title, it would always be junk as it was a theft recovery, and its not running right at all right now
which is abit of a Hmmm type thing
also with the materials of the dash, alot of that stuff was not rated for temps over 95 degree's I believe, I remember leno bringing it up with why GM dashes are so rubish on his WS6
like it might be worth uprating the materials of the dash itself to something that is more heat resistant, yet period correct, maybe even boat based given it was in florida, although ironically with number 27
he did a series 1 like this that was all original, and I swear the material they used, looked like my familes old old couch from the 70's
like full on Fraiser's fathers chair spec that, like they might straight be from a furniture store that used to be down the road from lotus
but overall it seems to be in really good nick, like theirs no sense in junking the motor for a K series if its that good, so as steady as she goes, and go for preservation and not restoration whenever possible, as this is a really nice basic survivor spec
and you know someone saved this on purpose, and you can see why, like someone must have really loved this thing'
also with the side trim, its a common thing overhere to take off the idiot bumpers and the like on euro imported cars, he might have been trying to make it more S2 like by simply cutting off the trim
its a thing they do here, and also the mirrors, they might be the kind of thing you would find on VW's, like I got into ferrari 308's for abit and its amazing how many people put on EMPI mirrors from a VW or the Vitaloni ones
and its possible lotus went for the cheapest option and put one of those on
but the flag mirrors I think are manditory as part of our importation rules or laws
like find one, flip the thing and look at the product code, it will probably be something generic they used on a moped in 1967 knowing those bunch of blokes
also reliability wise, chances are the lotus has the same problem the delorean had, the alternator is probably too small and needs to be uprated, some of the delorean places might have something for that
especially given what happened to carson with his, and electronic ignition when used on cars in period, namely the chrystler products
would actually make up for the horsepower loss from the detuing for unleaded fuel on our big blocked cars and make them run way better, problem was, early electronics being what they were, some did catch fire from the change in 73 as they just werent cooled properly
also be cool might have something that works for the air con, leno always mentioned those guys, but anything with him is usually megabucks and I dont know if he does lotus
but a general rule of thumb with this, might be make everything that you know was a problem, 15 percent better, as lotus was always about just barely being above the breaking point
but keep it within the weight limits of the original parts
otherwise the balance and feel of an S1 that your going for will go out the window, as the trick here is going to be doing upgrades that make sense, that stay within the spirit of the car and dont ruin that
also you dont want to do a number 27 with that detomaso pantera failure thing, which might mean accusump, dry sump, or a baffled oil pan too while your at it to keep the motor oiled in high G corners
as I dont know how lotus did on this with that
Thanks for all your good advise- especially re cooling. I have to go over the top on that. Thanks for watching!
Don't start a project if you can't finish
I agree. I’ve got a plan.
My experience of Lotus Esprits …..is wobbly plastic ! 🥴
Haha interesting. The fibreglass on this one seems really thick? Thanks for watching!
"Look what Q's brought for us" Love this car even if its a nightmare to get in and out.
Thanks. Yes it’s sooo mid seventies. I just want to make it work! Thanks for watching! Subscribe to see how I get on ( this one will not start for a while though)