TLC on 1990se

[andy b]

I am going to take the élan of the road at the end of the month i have just finished an 82 turbo esprit re commissioning after getting it of ebay. only been 2years that will teach me.
anyway what should i look for on the élan with ref to rust i have had it for 3 years and never had an issue with the mot. I have to take a look at the s/rack i have play on the steering arm inner joint which i have asked about with little response. should i remove the wishbones and blast plus paint is the rear end more prone to problems than the front any advice would be appreciated.
andy b

[cliff]

Hi Andy

There are lots of threads on here including mine and Jeemy's, to mention 2 recent ones, which go into a lot of detail about what we found when we started looking closely at our cars.

viewtopic.php?f=79&t=19040

viewtopic.php?f=79&t=20848

Depending on how far you want to go, I would recommend checking the suspension thoroughly. If they are in good condition, it is always a good idea to have stuff like wishbones blasted. You can then apply the protective finish of your choice, powder coating, POR 15 or whatever. Don't use Hammerite, it is carp!

I don't know if the rear is more prone to problems or not, my rear wish bones were shot but one of the front TCA's had a serious weld patch on it so that was junked as well. I guess everything has to be treated on condition.

Only the upper raft bushes on my car were reusable, I had to replace the rest. The rear disks were beyond saving but have now upgraded the brakes front and rear. Power steering hoses, cooling hoses, radiator, condenser, brake pipes, master cylinder and alternator had all seen better days and were replaced.

This might sound like a lot but as I said, depends on how far you go and also, what you find. As you have spent 2 years on an Esprit then I guess you know what you are letting yourself in for. There is a lot of advice and help on this forum, don't hesitate to ask or PM.

I now have a car which handles and stops, look gorgeous and have been using as a daily driver in Europe for the last 3 months. So the engine is ready for a rebuild and there are other things I want to do but in the end, it is worth it.

Good Luck!

[andy b]

Thanks for the reply YES HAMMERITE IS A BIT FISHY LOL I AGREE CRAP.
The car drives great i love the thing I took off the green stuff pads and fitted cheep pads now the car stops well as you say i will find out when i start looking hard i will keep you posted.
andy b

[andy b]

Cliff
A great read thanks for the link's i would never have thought of lifting the carpets so used to fiberglass. I think i will remove the clam as well as looking underneath.
they are great cars it makes me smile when i tell people i am coming in an élan and they all sigh when i ad m100 they really don't know what they are missing these cars are so cheep ay the moment they are an absolute bargain.
I took a lotus friend to castle combe the other week and he said ohhho i thought we would be in the esprit. He is working in his esprit and he was saying his wife was giving him stick for using her car. so he was looking for a car to use while he worked on the esprit. He must have been impressed with the élan he emailed yesterday an he has bought an m100 ha ha another convert they all chops front wheel drive rubbish until they drive one.
andy

[andy b]

Out of the blue i have been offered a j reg élan se all complete with chassis rusted out at the rear how hard is it to fit a replacement chassis or is it a spares donor car it has a sweet motor i am told.
I am a lotus enthusiast i don't like to scrap loti but if the spares are needed i may be persuaded.
andy b

[GeoffSmith]

I am a lotus enthusiast...

I'll vouch for that!


How's the Alby going Andy. Turns out mine is a bastardised Mk 3 (#631) with a 1500 lump.

[norman lovie]

you've clocked the outriggers ref: your post

ref: chassis - you need to determine whether the rust is
a) cosmetic = surface prep and paint - chassis in the car
b) Rot = Chassis out of the car - to effect a proper repair
The Rot area's on the chassis i've seen - ref: the post rusteration -- where the rear brake valves are located on the chassis = give this area a really good inspection - poke with a chipper - any sign of the outer skin buldging = there's rot between the skins - along the front bulkhead ( below where the power-steering rack bolts) at the bottom of the chassis bulkhead it is double skinned and prone to rot - hard to check without dropping the chassis

in the engine bay, have a good chip along the underside of the longeron's + the underside of the front top cross member - - these parts are an easy restoration after removal

The lower front radiator support = will need TLC

TBC - the question is - to do a restoration confidently, I'd recommend you plan to drop the chassis, its not a big job, but its the only way you can get to all the area's

not sure about replacment chassis - when I was in need, they didn't exist within my budget
I looked at x 2 2nd hand ones and both were in need of TLC - so I stuck with my own one - its a bit of a catch 22 ref: 2nd chassis - if its good - why was the car scrapped = crash = is it bent, if its not been crashed, then its been scrapped because its crap = rust

[andy b]

albatross is running great good fun.
still have to look at my car ref rust got worried now about the condition i will have a look when it comes of the road the end of this month.
ref second car i am going to look at it tomorrow it is really rotten on the rear that is why i asked about do we need spares if so scrap it or should it be fixed with another chassis.
when i say rusty the chap, who has it, jacked it up now the n/side door does not shut as the body is detached from the chassis.
andy b

[Ian T]

Everything is fixable, but that one sounds damaged as well. A lot of spares there, still seems wrong to break it unless you would like to convert it into £2k cash from selling some of the parts.

Ian.

[andy b]

I went today and looked at the élan se j reg it is a scraper nothing on it was better than mine like hood door seals and the like it has got s/steel exhaust good wheels tyres red w/bones are good one is galve it has done 150000 miles but the engine sounds fine. no crash damage paint is peeling red in colour sorry can't post pics got a problem with my bt mail the price is £1400 Half leather trim not to bad anyone want it. i am on 07831136802 andy b