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Posted
On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 9:39 AM, espo said:
  • Your engine upgrade looks factory. Maybe that's the way it should have been done.

Thanks, David!!, I was surprised too at how well it fit-in, I always thought that this car DESERVED to be able to go faster.

Posted

Cool subject!  I have never looked into this kit, but I have enough other ones that will never get built.  First time I have heard of a dash molded with the body.  Is it Monogram?

Posted
2 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Cool subject!  I have never looked into this kit, but I have enough other ones that will never get built.  First time I have heard of a dash molded with the body.  Is it Monogram?

Yes it is a Monogram, Revells Diablo Roadster kits also have the dash's molded-in, as well as Aoshimas Pagani Huayra, but its better to leave that one right where it is.....or you'd be asking for trouble....lol

Posted
2 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

I could put a Japanese engine in it, but somehow that seems wrong to me......an Italian one feels ALOT less strange......cant really explain 

Hi,

Eh, just do what I do, lie about it :)

Actually some mods to the valve covers, heads and exhaust could make it more Italian Stallion etc..

Posted

How much do you charge to put one of these things together? LOL. I love the car, not so much the kit..Anyway, you can always LS it. There's lots of Chevy engines available... Ow, quit hitting me!

Posted
21 hours ago, aurfalien said:

Hi,

Eh, just do what I do, lie about it :)

Actually some mods to the valve covers, heads and exhaust could make it more Italian Stallion etc..

LOL!!!!……..I cant do it....lol

Posted
19 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

How much do you charge to put one of these things together? LOL. I love the car, not so much the kit..Anyway, you can always LS it. There's lots of Chevy engines available... Ow, quit hitting me!

I don't know how much i'd charge...lol, but I wouldn't put a chevy motor in it...…….cant stand GM after 1978.....

Posted
On 2018/06/03 at 1:09 AM, Dann Tier said:

I could put a Japanese engine in it, but somehow that seems wrong to me......an Italian one feels ALOT less strange......cant really explain 

Considering Lotus has been using Toyota engines for some time, first on the Elise & Exige and now on the Evora, using a Japanese engine would not be too out of place.

Posted (edited)
20 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

I don't know how much i'd charge...lol, but I wouldn't put a chevy motor in it...…….cant stand GM after 1978.....

Just throwing this out there, but the Chevy Corvette LT5 was designed by Lotus. As such I think it would be fitting in this Espirit. Especially as Monogram made 1/24 kits of both the Lotus and ZR1.

Per Wiki - "With input from GM, Lotus designed a new engine to fit in place of the L98 V8 that was powering the standard C4.[6] The result was what GM dubbed the LT5, an aluminum-block V-8 with the same bore centers as the L98, but with four overhead camshafts and 32 valves. Lotus also designed a unique air management system for the engine to provide a wider power band by shutting off 8 of the 16 intake runners and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, while still giving the ZR-1 375 hp (280 kW) when at wide open throttle."

 

Edited by Jantrix
Posted
1 hour ago, Jantrix said:

Just throwing this out there, but the Chevy Corvette LT5 was designed by Lotus. As such I think it would be fitting in this Espirit.

If this is so...it could be the way to go?

Posted

Thanks everybody, but I STILL cant stand GM stuff.....If it had better performance, then I wouldn't feel like changing it to begin with, so i'm sticking with the BETTER Ferrari engine. Thanks for all the input!

Posted

The Ferrari is a great choice Dann.  Personally I might have chosen a Ford. Ford and Lotus have had successful partnerships in the past. 

Image result for ford cortina lotusImage result for ford lotusImage result for ford lotus

Posted

BTW, the kit version of the LT5, or Aurora/Northstar, is available in the Shelby Series 1.

Posted
10 minutes ago, GerN said:

BTW, the kit version of the LT5, or Aurora/Northstar, is available in the Shelby Series 1.

The LT5 ZR1 engine was in the original Monogram ZR1 kit.   The Northstar engine is unrelated. 

Posted
10 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

The LT5 ZR1 engine was in the original Monogram ZR1 kit.   The Northstar engine is unrelated. 

Sorry - should have checked.  The A/N engines may have used the LT5 as a starting point.  Hard to find facts on this.

Posted
23 hours ago, afx said:

The Ferrari is a great choice Dann.  Personally I might have chosen a Ford. Ford and Lotus have had successful partnerships in the past. 

Image result for ford cortina lotusImage result for ford lotusImage result for ford lotus

You're right, JC, I wish there was a Ford/Lotus Cortina kit!!…...love those little cars!!!!

Posted
4 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

You're right, JC, I wish there was a Ford/Lotus Cortina kit!!…...love those little cars!!!!

It’s possible that Beemax or Belkits might do one... they had great rally/racing records back in the day, and they are still very popular on the Historic Racing scene. Some (well, two..) iconic racing liveries as well...

best,

M.

Posted
On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 4:26 PM, Matt Bacon said:

It’s possible that Beemax or Belkits might do one... they had great rally/racing records back in the day, and they are still very popular on the Historic Racing scene. Some (well, two..) iconic racing liveries as well...

best,

M.

I hope so, Matt......those little cars are sweet!!!

Posted

So what are you doing for the color? Please go for something other than british racing green!  I painted mine with Ford Medium Quazar blue, probably not spelling that right, but it looked great. Tamiya Mica Blue would be a close equivalent.

Posted
13 hours ago, DiscoRover007 said:

So what are you doing for the color? Please go for something other than british racing green!  I painted mine with Ford Medium Quazar blue, probably not spelling that right, but it looked great. Tamiya Mica Blue would be a close equivalent.

I'm gonna be crazy, and do mine Chrome Yellow …..autta be fun covering that green plastic   -i'll use a sealer.  Got any photos of yours?!

Posted
On ‎6‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 12:41 PM, DiscoRover007 said:

So what are you doing for the color? Please go for something other than british racing green!  I painted mine with Ford Medium Quazar blue, probably not spelling that right, but it looked great. Tamiya Mica Blue would be a close equivalent.

This is how mine will look.....

lotus-esprit-v8-se-c871708082016192618_4.jpg

Posted (edited)

Got a bit more done....started hacking up the rear suspension, and attaching plastic to help stabilize things. Had a great idea to use a plastic rod to help line-up, and keep the rear suspension squared-up as I lowered it. The suspension doesn't need to be lowered much,  just the diameter width of the front wheel spindles. I also cut-off that TERRIBLE lip on the top of the rocker panels, that isn't long enough to help, but is short enough to NOT go where its suppose to before your glue dries, and you end-up struggling with it until paint is chipping-off everywhere......its NOT even needed, the stronger glue-point is under it on the chassis, anyway. I will be changing out the shocks for better, shorter ones, and lowering the front suspension soon. The rear bumper went on without a hitch, and the interior/ chassis comes in, and out of the body pretty easily now. The seventh photo shows the edges of the fender wells that I had to sand flat so that the chassis pan would sit flat without "swimming" around back there...those of you who have dealt with this kit, knows what i'm talking about.

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DSCF5923.JPG

Edited by Dann Tier

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