A Previous Owner's Comments
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Post by: stuartgb100 » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:24 am
Tidying up some paperwork this weekend, and came across a letter from a previous owner (not related to my Sprint).
Seems the PO had sold his +2, and wanted the new owner to have the benefit of his advice and experience.
I have no idea where this came from, nor who the two owners were, but thought it might be of interest - beats reading the usual stuff in the Sunday papers, anytime!!
Seemed to me you could feel just how hard it was for him to let it go !
Regards,
Stuart.
"Here are some notes on the car from the previous owner of 20 years !
Running:
Best not to use choke (takes about 5 miles to clear and run properly). Ignition on to start fuel pump, couple of dabs and start. May have to 'catch? it on the throttle.
I?ve always adjusted the carburetion for Winter (richer) and Summer use to make it easier to start when cold or hot. Do this on the idle screws ? they are currently set on Summer (1/4 ? ? turn anticlockwise to richen for Winter). If starting from scratch, 2? turns out from seated gets it running. I?ve always used Gunsen Colourtune to get in the right region then optimise on the road. Carb jets are fairly new ? after lots of rolling road setup and several sets of jets ? ended up with the standard ones !
Fuel: - I?ve been using exclusively Shell Optimax for the last 3-4 years ? The car is not converted for lead-free but I?ve been using Millers SVP both Octane boost and valve lubricant (the remains of my last order in the boot). This gives performance like it should have ? when you could still get 5* petrol ! It will run ok on standard LRP ( I used to use Esso as the best I?d found) but timing may need to be backed off a degree if it?s hot as it may pink a bit.
Oil ? Always used Duckhams (green) 20?50?s, filter changes at 3k, oil change at 5-6k (annual in Spring).
Tyres/pressures ? after much mucking about with a variety of modern tyres I?ve found that the car needs 2ply sidewall tyres. Single ply tyres make it twitch, the rear end coming out of bends as the carcass moves. 22-24 psi front, 25-28 rear. (I can tell when it is 2 psi out!). Ever since a friend of mine put his +2 through a hedge when a tyre lifted on the rim and deflated I?ve run the tyres with inner tubes.
Despite what it says in the manual I use light grease in the front suspension trunnions, oil lasts about 2 weeks ! Give them a squirt monthly to shift the muck. I only change trunnion bearings once ? then change the trunnions ? about ?15 each and 1/10th the price of new uprights ? when you can get them.
Modifications:
Engine ? fully blueprinted Big Valve. Much has been lightened and balanced. The jackshaft has been shortened (it wasn?t needed for driving the fuel pump ? electronic fitted) and lightened ? the oilways to the missing part blanked off. VJ5 cams fitted (these are Vegantune versions of L2?s) ? high lift and long duration. Timing is standard.
Vernier camshaft sprockets ? set correctly. The marks on both sides line up with the top of the front cover when fitting.
The carb to manifold spacers have been matched to port ? they are numbered. There is a heater valve fitted to the head ? Elan part ? as the heater has been modified.
Steering ? there has been an extra clamp fitted to the column to stiffen things up a bit. Bolts through the footwell top (penny washers near bulkhead). Shouldn?t affect collapsibility ? although I?ve not tested it !
Vacuum ? there is a nose cone tank (from Elite) instead of using the front crossmember.
Sills and all wishbones are Spyder. All Lotus suspension parts fit without modification.
Exhaust ? originally had a transverse rear box ? and a different centre pipe ? both of which became unavailable. The boot floor moulding was cut out and glassed in place for a later straight through box.
Heater ? was modified to allow a modern radio/cassette to be fitted. The temp control now operates the valve on the head (Elan) but the direction controls don?t work. Screen is on all the time ? use both eyeballs to direct or turn off cabin heating/ventilation. It?s actually more efficient than the original which used daft flaps ? you still fried in the Summer as the heater matrix was always hot.
Horn ? works from long momentary switch left of column ? couldn?t get a centre push. Other switch is a manual switch for cooling fan (there is a Kenlowe kit with stat and sensor in the boxes of spares which I didn?t fit). Washers are right of column.
Rear Suspension ? the later big bearing hubs have been fitted.
Access Panel ? behind the fuel pump in the boot there is a detachable panel. This gives access to the diff for filling, and the handbrake tree for lubrication. If you need to take the prop out it can be done this way by taking out the diff (inner rotoflex) ? much easier than than taking out the engine and gearbox !
Pedal Box ? the top of the pedal box has been made to come off. Lubricate pedals and the masters can be removed and refitted ? without taking the pedal box out ? which normally means taking the head off !
Bonnet ? the nearside pivot bobbin ? seized in screw with broken head ? this now acts as a stud fitting. Undo nuts on both sides. Remove screw from inside offside wing ? the bonnet now comes off by lifting the offside and sliding off the stud.
Tools ? there are two spare spinners with holes in them ? these are the best way to remove rear hubs. Undo centre bolt. Attach slide hammer to spinner and screw on hub. Heat up hub and whack it off ! If you try a normal puller it will distort the wheelplate.
The bizarre looking spring compressor is about my Mk 5 to get TC valves out. And will work without damaging head faces. You just have to angle the compressor around the inlet stubs or thermostat housing. Most engineering firms will say you need a press.
There is a tool for fitting windscreen fillets ? took me about 5 years to find one of these !
The clutch alignment tool is set for the TC.
The angle iron in the boot is an engine stand. The engine mounts bolt straight on and the engine can be rotated.
Tip: If you have to remove a rotoflex (and not fitting new) ? use 3 jubilee clips fastened together and clamp the rotoflex as tight as possible before removing ? this makes it possible (not just easier) to refit. While we?re on rotoflex ? to get the bolts through rotoflex and driveshaft, it?s easier from the ?wrong side? (check which way they are on the bosses) ? cut head off old bolt and taper end ? knock this in then it will drift out as you tap in the bolt.
Seems the PO had sold his +2, and wanted the new owner to have the benefit of his advice and experience.
I have no idea where this came from, nor who the two owners were, but thought it might be of interest - beats reading the usual stuff in the Sunday papers, anytime!!
Seemed to me you could feel just how hard it was for him to let it go !
Regards,
Stuart.
"Here are some notes on the car from the previous owner of 20 years !
Running:
Best not to use choke (takes about 5 miles to clear and run properly). Ignition on to start fuel pump, couple of dabs and start. May have to 'catch? it on the throttle.
I?ve always adjusted the carburetion for Winter (richer) and Summer use to make it easier to start when cold or hot. Do this on the idle screws ? they are currently set on Summer (1/4 ? ? turn anticlockwise to richen for Winter). If starting from scratch, 2? turns out from seated gets it running. I?ve always used Gunsen Colourtune to get in the right region then optimise on the road. Carb jets are fairly new ? after lots of rolling road setup and several sets of jets ? ended up with the standard ones !
Fuel: - I?ve been using exclusively Shell Optimax for the last 3-4 years ? The car is not converted for lead-free but I?ve been using Millers SVP both Octane boost and valve lubricant (the remains of my last order in the boot). This gives performance like it should have ? when you could still get 5* petrol ! It will run ok on standard LRP ( I used to use Esso as the best I?d found) but timing may need to be backed off a degree if it?s hot as it may pink a bit.
Oil ? Always used Duckhams (green) 20?50?s, filter changes at 3k, oil change at 5-6k (annual in Spring).
Tyres/pressures ? after much mucking about with a variety of modern tyres I?ve found that the car needs 2ply sidewall tyres. Single ply tyres make it twitch, the rear end coming out of bends as the carcass moves. 22-24 psi front, 25-28 rear. (I can tell when it is 2 psi out!). Ever since a friend of mine put his +2 through a hedge when a tyre lifted on the rim and deflated I?ve run the tyres with inner tubes.
Despite what it says in the manual I use light grease in the front suspension trunnions, oil lasts about 2 weeks ! Give them a squirt monthly to shift the muck. I only change trunnion bearings once ? then change the trunnions ? about ?15 each and 1/10th the price of new uprights ? when you can get them.
Modifications:
Engine ? fully blueprinted Big Valve. Much has been lightened and balanced. The jackshaft has been shortened (it wasn?t needed for driving the fuel pump ? electronic fitted) and lightened ? the oilways to the missing part blanked off. VJ5 cams fitted (these are Vegantune versions of L2?s) ? high lift and long duration. Timing is standard.
Vernier camshaft sprockets ? set correctly. The marks on both sides line up with the top of the front cover when fitting.
The carb to manifold spacers have been matched to port ? they are numbered. There is a heater valve fitted to the head ? Elan part ? as the heater has been modified.
Steering ? there has been an extra clamp fitted to the column to stiffen things up a bit. Bolts through the footwell top (penny washers near bulkhead). Shouldn?t affect collapsibility ? although I?ve not tested it !
Vacuum ? there is a nose cone tank (from Elite) instead of using the front crossmember.
Sills and all wishbones are Spyder. All Lotus suspension parts fit without modification.
Exhaust ? originally had a transverse rear box ? and a different centre pipe ? both of which became unavailable. The boot floor moulding was cut out and glassed in place for a later straight through box.
Heater ? was modified to allow a modern radio/cassette to be fitted. The temp control now operates the valve on the head (Elan) but the direction controls don?t work. Screen is on all the time ? use both eyeballs to direct or turn off cabin heating/ventilation. It?s actually more efficient than the original which used daft flaps ? you still fried in the Summer as the heater matrix was always hot.
Horn ? works from long momentary switch left of column ? couldn?t get a centre push. Other switch is a manual switch for cooling fan (there is a Kenlowe kit with stat and sensor in the boxes of spares which I didn?t fit). Washers are right of column.
Rear Suspension ? the later big bearing hubs have been fitted.
Access Panel ? behind the fuel pump in the boot there is a detachable panel. This gives access to the diff for filling, and the handbrake tree for lubrication. If you need to take the prop out it can be done this way by taking out the diff (inner rotoflex) ? much easier than than taking out the engine and gearbox !
Pedal Box ? the top of the pedal box has been made to come off. Lubricate pedals and the masters can be removed and refitted ? without taking the pedal box out ? which normally means taking the head off !
Bonnet ? the nearside pivot bobbin ? seized in screw with broken head ? this now acts as a stud fitting. Undo nuts on both sides. Remove screw from inside offside wing ? the bonnet now comes off by lifting the offside and sliding off the stud.
Tools ? there are two spare spinners with holes in them ? these are the best way to remove rear hubs. Undo centre bolt. Attach slide hammer to spinner and screw on hub. Heat up hub and whack it off ! If you try a normal puller it will distort the wheelplate.
The bizarre looking spring compressor is about my Mk 5 to get TC valves out. And will work without damaging head faces. You just have to angle the compressor around the inlet stubs or thermostat housing. Most engineering firms will say you need a press.
There is a tool for fitting windscreen fillets ? took me about 5 years to find one of these !
The clutch alignment tool is set for the TC.
The angle iron in the boot is an engine stand. The engine mounts bolt straight on and the engine can be rotated.
Tip: If you have to remove a rotoflex (and not fitting new) ? use 3 jubilee clips fastened together and clamp the rotoflex as tight as possible before removing ? this makes it possible (not just easier) to refit. While we?re on rotoflex ? to get the bolts through rotoflex and driveshaft, it?s easier from the ?wrong side? (check which way they are on the bosses) ? cut head off old bolt and taper end ? knock this in then it will drift out as you tap in the bolt.
- stuartgb100
- Fourth Gear
- Posts: 813
- Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Post by: thor » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:09 am
great read. Just the same with the PO of my +2S130 (26years!). he's not quite retired yet, and actually reads emails! One or two quick questions to him gives me a full page and a half back, with detailed answers on anything from radio fitting to cleaning. fantastic. Like your PO he also balanced/gas flowed and fitted VJ5 cams to the car....
This is one of the reasons for me to keep the car as it is, as because of such diligent maintenance the only major malfunction of mine since buying it in the summer of last year has been the COIL ! Anyone with a car being given so much love should be shot for doing a Zetec conversion to it..
This is one of the reasons for me to keep the car as it is, as because of such diligent maintenance the only major malfunction of mine since buying it in the summer of last year has been the COIL ! Anyone with a car being given so much love should be shot for doing a Zetec conversion to it..
- thor
- Third Gear
- Posts: 483
- Joined: 12 May 2005
Post by: Garibaldi » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:25 pm
Just the same with the PO of my +2S130 (26years!). he's not quite retired yet, and actually reads emails! One or two quick questions to him gives me a full page and a half back, with detailed answers on anything from radio fitting to cleaning. fantastic. Like your PO he also balanced/gas flowed and fitted VJ5 cams to the car....
This is one of the reasons for me to keep the car as it is, as because of such diligent maintenance the only major malfunction of mine since buying it in the summer of last year has been the COIL ! Anyone with a car being given so much love should be shot for doing a Zetec conversion to it..
I looked through your web page and read that you were going to change the color of your +2. You must really like Silver over Lagoon Blue,':wink:' because it is absolutely stunning in white!'8)'
Regards,
Garibaldi
Maine USA
- Garibaldi
- First Gear
- Posts: 38
- Joined: 24 Jul 2006
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Total Online:
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests
Site map
SitemapIndex
RSS Feed