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If you have some Esprit News, email us at news@lotusespritworld.com
August 2005
V8 Radiator Update
Bob Metcalf from Philadelphia PA USA wanted to share this with users. Bob has a 98 V8 which he purchased new. This car has been driven and now has 51,000 miles on it. For some time the car had been running hot, never overheating but hot (110 stuck in traffic). Bob did all the usual stuff, water wetter etc. Anyway a couple of weeks ago his radiator started to leak and he had to get it replaced. This picture is what came out of his car. It's a wonder that it could run at all without overheating. This picture might be instructive as to how bad it can get so that other Esprit owners could be on the lookout for what obviously is a serious condition.
Information from Lotus
This radiator issue mention above is something that Lotus have been aware off for some time and there is a specific item in the Lotus Service Schedule. Under Cooling System the following instruction should be noted.Inspect radiator, oil coolers & pipework for damage or leaks. Clean all radiator finning.
The radiator fin cleaning was introduced for the reason we see on the failed radiator picture - the core blocked with road debris. According to the Maintenance Schedule - USA Esprit V8 (Section OF in the Esprit Service Notes) this operation should be carried out at every Service.
If this operation is not carried out there is a high possibility that the engine will overheat. This is typical of the kind of thing that can lead to failure of the Cylinder Liner seal.
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Ghostbusters Esprit on BritBallRun
We didn’t have all the bits in time for the Oxford meet but I thought you'd like to see the Ghostbusters Esprit for the Britballrun run this weekend. Its all for children in need & we have raised about £150 so far. I'll let you know how we get on.
Brit Ball Run's Website are setting up online updates so hopefully you can track where we are, we have had everything done to the Esprit, C service, brakes etc so it better not break down!
Garry & Mary (aka Splodge S4 & H )
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Footwear left at Oxford Meeting
If anyone's missing a left shoe, please contact us if you want it back! Not sure how it was left in the car park at Heythrop Park.–––––––––––––––
Oxford Meet 2005
Sunday's Oxford Meeting was a great success. Around 40 Esprits turned up on a very sunny Oxford morning. A great run through the beautiful countryside finishing at a spectacular country home. A wonderful meal followed by a very interesting talk by the Lotus engineers. One of the best meetings yet.A full guide to the days events will be on the site by the end of the week, as so many people where taking pictures, we want to use the best and need to give people time to email them in.
For 2006 we are planning on two Oxford Meetings and another Esprit Driver Training Day, which was a great success earlier in the year.
LEW would like to thank Dermot, Rob E & Paul C for organizing the event and Lotus Engineers Brian & Geoff for taking the time to join us and offer their vast experience.
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V8 Radiator
Bob Metcalf from Philadelphia PA USA wanted to share this with users. Bob has a 98 V8 which he purchased new. This car has been driven and now has 51,000 miles on it. For some time the car had been running hot, never overheating but hot (110 stuck in traffic). Bob did all the usual stuff, water wetter etc. Anyway a couple of weeks ago his radiator started to leak and he had to get it replaced. This picture is what came out of his car. It's a wonder that it could run at all without overheating. This picture might be instructive as to how bad it can get so that other Esprit owners could be on the lookout for what obviously is a serious condition.
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Gendan, who have had their products tested by LEW before (see here) are going to supply LEW with two new code readers to bring along to the Oxford meeting. These are new on the market and will be available to ClubLEW members at a discount price. So if you have a V8 and want to check out these code readers with a view to a possible purchase, then they will be available at the Oxford meeting. Below is a list of the code readers that should be available.
Gendan's new ISO TekMate package (USB PC-based diagnostics/dyno software) -
priced at £89.95 (inc) - again, we can probably do this at the 10% discount for LEW members
www.gendan.co.uk/viewproduct.php?product=TMISOGendan's new handheld fault code reader (OBDII/EOBD) - priced at £59.95 (inc) - again, probably 10% disc.
www.gendan.co.uk/viewproduct.php?product=GDEOBD–––––––––––––––
LEW Oxford Meeting Information
Sunday 21st August 2005 10.30amLotus Engineers Brian & Geoff will to giving a short talk at the meal around 2pm. This will be to give you an insight into what's going on at the factory and their thoughts on some of the modifications that are being made to Esprits with safety in mind. As ever, we thank them for their time and will be very interested in what they have to say. Remember, they are attending in their own time, so please give them a warm welcome and don't give them a hard time due to any problems you are having due to bits dropping off your car ;-)
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Oxford Meet DVD Deal
LEW will have a few copies of the 'Esprit: Addiction for Life' for sale at a special Oxford Meeting price of £19. First come first serviced as we'll only have a few with us.–––––––––––––––
Wedding Esprit
Simon Kerrison got married to Nicola on Saturday 13th of August 2005 and his S4S took prime position at the entrance to their reception although of course Nicola got far more looks than the Esprit!–––––––––––––––
Cracked V8 Exhausts
Lotus are looking for any V8 owners who have had their exhaust tailpipes crack on the standard or sport Lotus Exhuast System. Lotus are sorting out a new supplier and are after a broken example to help with improvements to the system. If you have one, contact us now. Better still if you're coming to the Oxford Meet, bring it with you.Hopefully with Esprit owners, Lotus and LEW working together, we can keep the Esprit what it should be. The greatest car in the world.
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Stocks Coachworks Website
Body and Paint Specialist, Crash Repairs, Insurance Work, Collection and Delivery Available
Stocks Coachworks Car Body Repairs of Highwood, Chelmsford was established in 1990. They specialise in all aspects of car body repairs, both for the trade and public. They are a relatively small body shop which means they can offer very competitive prices to all Lotus customers. Because of their size they are also able to offer an entirely flexible approach to any work they undertake.
They have one Low Bake Burntwood gas fired oven and the latest hi-tech spraying equipment. P.P.G and Max-Meyer 2K acrylic paint which offers the highest matching qualities available..and are now listed as one of LEW's Paint Specialists.–––––––––––––––
LEW Oxford Meeting Information
Sunday 21st August 2005 10.30amHere the provisional timetable:
10:30 am onwards meeting at Peartree Services.
11:45 am grouping of cars
12:00 am Depart on Run
1:30 pm Arrive Heythrope Pk
1:30 pm-2:00pm assemble cars for photo
2:00-3:30 pm lunch + talks
3:30 pm onwards depart at leisure–––––––––––––––
New Esprit
www.autoexpress.co.uk
Both Dopson and new(ish) Danish CEO Kim Ogaard-Neilsen insist 'The Esprit replacement is our number one priority, and all the work we're doing currently within the company and with our dealer network is in preparation for its launch.'With the basic ingredients of the Esprit now decided, a dedicated team of 160 engineers has just been assigned to the project. The key components of its chassis centre on Lotus's Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA), which uses cast aluminium corner pieces as its bedrock - chassis rails, crossbeams, and other parts of the platform can then be used to connect the corner pieces in a variety of lengths and widths depending on what sort of car you're intending to make. The Esprit, of course, will retain a mid-engined layout, but such is the flexibility of its VVA base, a front-engined saloon or even an off-roader could be spun off its platform.
Though neither Dopson nor Ogaard-Neilsen will divulge any further details about the Esprit, it's expected to have a V8 in its middle and a price tag of approximately £60,000 - eight cylinders is essential for the all-important US market and the Americans are also more sensitive to 'base' prices than you might think. As for the car's shape, a sneaked glimpse of a clay model in the Lotus design studio suggests that the styling rendering pictured above is pretty close to the mark.
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Esprit Turbo Screen Saver for Windows
Download from Tucows.com. We can't test is because we don't use windows!.–––––––––––––––
FreeScan Packages
LEW's popular FreeScan Packages, a must for 4-cylinder injection Esprits, are back in Stock at the E-Shop. Read more here.–––––––––––––––
Esprit on UK TV!
Ken Baird's Lotus Esprit S1 will be on "Movies Greatest Cars" – sky one at 9.00pm on Sunday 7th August 2005.–––––––––––––––
LEW Oxford Meeting Information
Sunday 21st August 2005 10.30am
This years Oxford Meet will be a little different from previous years, as the normal meeting place and pub is unavailable. We will now be meeting in the carpark of the Peartree Services on the A34 ("peartree interchange" on the A34, which is where the A44 meets the A34). There is plenty of parking there plus a little chef for anyone who wants breakfast or a coffee, plus obviously toilets and there is also a shell petrol station for topping up with optimax.www.multimap.com enter postcode OX2 8JZ
After the usual chat, we'll start the run around 11.30am. The run will be a little different this year too, as we are ending up at Heythrop Park.
Lunch at Heythrop will be £15 per head. We will have to give them a deposit and we will need numbers in advance. Dermot has offered to collate the numbers, so can you mail Dermot if you want to eat. Everyone who wants to have food has to mail in advance - you will not be able to just turn up on the day and expect to eat.
dermot.ohare@chemistry.oxford.ac.uk
We should have two Lotus Engineers with us for the day, they will be available for questions, but remember not to hog them, as plenty of people will want to speak to them. Also no questions about the new Esprit, as there'll be snipers in the trees to take you out. They will also give a short talk at the lunch about what's going on at Lotus with regard to the (old) Esprit.
Keep an eye on the news section for more information about the day.
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LEO
The Lotus Enthusiast's Organization (LEO) is an enthusiastic group of Lotus owners who live in the New York, New Jersey area. They meet a few times a year for to take spirited drives, compare cars, talk tech, commiserate on the idiosyncrasies of the marque, and have fun. Have a look at their site by clicking on the logo above.–––––––––––––––
Bell Gearbox Upgrade and the 200mph Esprit
This Gearbox upgrade was not used on the Fifth Gear 200mph Esprit. Although Derek was contacted in regard to the project, his kit wasn't fitted into the V8 Esprit used for their TV show. We have spoken to a few people who were contacted in view of helping on this project. From what we hear the team involved in this project had been advised on how to reach 200mph, but decide to go a different route, which has left them with a broken Esprit that won't do 200mph. This project has only brought bad publicity to Lotus, the Esprit and owners of Esprits. Derek Bell's Gearbox Upgrade has also been tarnished with the same brush. Bad Project Management is to blame for the current state of this project and neither LEW, Lotus or Derek Bell have been involved with it.Getting the Esprit V8 to 200mph isn't rocket science and can easily be done. You just need the right people to do it.
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