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Glyn
Harper's 1988
Glyn Harper from Isle of Man, UK owns a 1988 Turbo in White, with a Red interior.
Model:
Year: Colour: Interior: Driving Style: Miles per year: 2,000 Owned Since: Purchase from: Serviced at: Other Cars: Previous Lotus': Why an Esprit: Upgrades: Exterior
1. Sport 350 wheels
2. Front and rear V8 bumpers
3. V8 wheel arch extentions
4. Sport 350 carbon spoiler (painted body colour)
5. Later style wing mirrors
6. Clear front and side indicators
7. 2002 round rear light conversion
8. Twin exit V8 style exhaust silencer
9. Carbon sunroof painted body coloured (saved 4kgs)
10. V8 Tailgate
11. V8 side sills (Off Mike Sekingers Sport 350)
12. HID headlamp conversion
13. Carbon headlamp surrounds
Interior
1. Sport 300 carbon backed race seats
2. Harnesses (with stainless steel cross brace in the engine bay)
3. De sound proofed (saved about 20kgs!)
4. Sport 350 aluminium gearnob with titanium shaft
5. Re carpeted rear firewall
6. Blue LED lighting for the instruments (much clearer)
7. Carbon glovebox
8. Tinted windows
9. Sport 350 Momo steering wheel
10. Re trimmed roof panels in black alcantera
11. Pioneer stereo with Bluetooth
Mechanical
1. 4 pot High spec front calipers and discs
2. Removed air conditioning
3. Charge cooler using air con radiator
4. Fuel injection
5. Emerald M3D engine management system
6. Adjustable boost controller (0.7 bar to 1.3 bar)
7. Zeus later style cylinder head (ported)
8. GT3 Chrome topped pistons and liners
9. Distributor less ignition (using the Emerald ECU)
10. Aluminium fuel tanks
11. Aluminium custom made radiator and surround
12. Kenlowe fans (only 2 required to replace 3 original inefficient ones)
13. Adjustable rear link
14. Polyurethane rear bushes
15. K&N air filter
16. Electric charge cooler water pump
17. Aluminium header tanks
18. Aeroquip Kevlar braided fuel lines
19. Stainless steel clutch hose
20. Sport 300 short gear shift conversion
21. Adjustable suspension
I had the car weighed recently, and with half a tank of fuel, it came to 1160kg which is about 100kg lighter than normal.
Future modifications
1. Monster 6 pot front calipers and 321mm discs and bells
2. Rear brake upgrade
3. Change the older door handles for the later style
4. Change the dashboard and instruments for Sport 350 ones
5. Re trim the interior in black
6. Hybrid turbo
7. Re-map ECU for Shell V-power fuel
8. Polyurethane bushes all round
9. Lightened flywheelProblems: Info: See below
I've owned my Esprit for nearly 4 years now after paying £10,000 for it in Warrington, and it's been the best car I've ever had, or would want to own. I've wanted an Esprit since I saw 'The Spy who Loved me' and it took me 20 years to realise that dream. When I bought the car, it was a standard Esprit Turbo, but since then I've had lots of fun modifying it. The Engine was in a bit of a bad way, and so after only about 6 months, it needed and entire rebuild, including pistons, liners, bearings, and other nice items coming to about £3000.
The head had damage and needed to be welded then skimmed, but they skimmed too much and 3000 miles later is spat out another head gasket. I took the opportunity to fit a new zeus head. (No easy task). That was the second time in a year the engine had to be removed! After that the gearbox went, so that had to be rebuit, then the clutch pressure plate went, so I had to take the gearbox out again.
I could never keep the car in tune, and it was as rough as hell, so I fitted and Emerald ECU, and the car had been reliable ever since! (That was a year ago, and no problems since!) Now it's reliable, I've been able to spend money on 'fun' mods, not just keeping it on the road, so I've fitted Water injection, a Chargecooler that is plumbed through the old Air con Radiatior (the air con had been removed before I had the car).
I've also fitted a Sport 350 gear knob made by my engineer friend, a Sport 350 steering wheel, Harnesses, (properly fitted, using stainless box section behind the firewall to mount the mounting points to), S4 wheels and tyres, S4 wing mirrors (Mine had the Ford ones originally!), and a digital speedo. My more recent mods have been to fit a V8 tailgate, which will shortly be getting a Sport 350 spoiler fitted to it, that I made myself from a mould I took from an original. It looks better than it sounds, believe me! In fact, it is a better quality finish than the original lotus item I borrowed to take the mould off!
I've also recently fitted an Ammal valve, controlled by the ECU. Basically, my ECU has an output to turn the cooling fans on and off. I wasn't using this feature, so I decided to use it to control an ammal valve, which limits boost in a 'high/low' type setting. It's a standard Ford Escort RS Turbo item! What happens is there is a switched earth on the ECU that switches the earth on when the water temp reaches 80 degrees. When it drop below 75, it turns off, which means the Ammal valve only allows full boost when the car is at full operating temperature. Also, the same feed goes via a switch on the dashboard, so if the weather is bad, or if I'm just driving around town, I can keep the boost on it's low setting.
Wired into the same system, is the water injection and chargecooler. I thought it sensible that if the boost is turned down, then you don't need water injection or the chargecooler. This has more benefits, in that it allows the air to stay warmer, which helps atomisation of the fuel. This helps driveability in town, and also helps the car warm up quicker, and also run a lot better when it's cold, as there is no fuel dropout. Once the engine is at full temp, you can turn it all back on. It's a super mod, and I think it'll save me on fuel, servicing costs, and also make the car a lot safer I believe. It all only took me about a day to fit.
My future mods are to fit the full fuel injection system, and replace my dellorto carbs. I have it all sat in my garage, I just don't want to take it off the road at the moment to fit it, as it's running so well as it is! I will do it before winter though, as that's when the carbs make it drive like a pig.
££££ How much for my Modifications ££££
The water injection was about £250, the chargecooler was from Derek Dean, about £100 or so (a favour I think) and the water pump for it about £80. The pipes were made by an engineer buddy, and so only cost me the materials, about £20.. All in, the chargecooler install cost me about £300 all done.The Ammal valve mod cost me about £80 including relays and the ammal valve, and switches.
The wheels I got from Derek Dean, in return for writing his old website!
The spoiler made myself from a copy borrowed from Derek Dean.
So far my engineer pal who made the uprights and endplates has charged me £150 for his time (about 20 hours so far!) but that includes time helping me with the mould. Materials to make the mould, about £30. Material for the actual spoiler, carbon and epoxy inner core was about £60, and fibreglass outer (it was being painted, so making the outside glass, made it easier to finish), £20. Painting cost £130, and the brake light about £20. The tailgate cost me £800, and the engine cover about £200. Painting was about £100 (My uncle did it.. he has a bodyshop in England. (I live on the Isle of Man)).
The sport 350 gearnob cost about £100 for my mate to make. (£50 of that was the fact that the main shaft is titanium to save weight). The digital speedo was abot £60. The ECU was about £280, and the sensors for it and wires and heatshrink to make the loom were about another £200 The dump valve kit, which was about £100 or so fitted? (Can't remember).
Also, got the Citroen CX Wing mirrors.. off a Citroen CX scrapper for free!!! Cost about £60 to get painted, and about £50 for the Lotus plinths to make them fit.I also got the full lowering kit; springs and dampers from SJ Sports cars for about £400. (Can you tell it's an inch lower?)
I hate to add up all I've spent on it since I've had it, but I think I could have paid for it twice by now, including repairing the engine and gearbox! But I love it, and that's why I bought it.. to have fun with. I don't smoke, I rarely go out drinking, so why not! What's the point having money in the bank. You can't take it with you, and I'm only 30!(at least for another week, anyhow!!)
V8 Bumper conversion
July 2006
As you can see, managed to fit some V8 bumpers and lower spoilers to my Esprit. More details soon.
Time for a Change of Colour
February 2007
As you can see, it's gone from white to black!
Update August 2008
Many hundreds of ££ and hours later, I have managed to get the 98 onwards interior into my 88 Esprit. The only real headaches were having to trace back all the wiring in order to fit the V8 cabin wiring harness, and making the steering rack work.
Luckily, the steering rack was easier than expected, as the old column main shaft can be cut down to fit inside the new shaft, and welded into place. It’s then a fairly easy job to make it fit the existing pedal box and UJ arrangement.
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