Not much has happened in the barn lately. When we last left the workshop, Dave had brought down some scrap rear shocks I will use to hold up the rear end of the car when I start test fitting the drive train. That day is coming soon, as I just placed an order for the rubber engine and gearbox mounts with JAE. I have also ordered a special bit of kit that was made for the Esprit Sport 300.
The Sport 300 was a special version of the Esprit that is arguably the best-handling road-going Esprit ever offered for sale. Roughly 64 Sport 300's were built in 1993. What made them special was uprated everything, from horsepower to torque, brakes to chassis stiffness. The only thing that wasn't uprated was weight - a couple hundred pounds were trimmed off. My engine will not quite reach Sport 300 performance, at least not until I can find a big-valve head and Sport 300 chargecooler. I have the right front brakes and can add the appropriate rear brakes to the hub carriers I already have. The '87 body of FrankEnSPRIT is already lighter than the Stevens body the Sport 300 started with, so weightwise I should be in good shape, maybe even a bit lighter overall.
The piece I have ordered is an engine compartment brace that is bolted to the top of the engine cradle. This brace, coupled with a stiffening plate at the opening for the gearshift lever and some additional gussets around the front crossmember is what gave the Sport 300 its exceptional handling. With a bare frame and a factory part, how could I resist? It will make access to the engine compartment a bit tougher and I may have to make some "adjustments" to the engine cover. Time will tell. But it should be worth it in the end.
Next step is to spend some quality time with the parts manuals and order up all of the fasteners I will need to bolt the gearbox to the engine and mount all of the new rubber bits coming from JAE. I like McMaster-Carr for stuff like this, as you can order stainless parts a bolt at a time and they charge you the same rate per part as if you bought a box of 100 pieces. Brilliant!
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1 comments:
McMaster Carr is an amazing outfit. My daughter, Emily, has worked there a couple of years in their upper management program. Fortunately, so far it has been a safe haven from the total economy meltdown. [knock wood]
You're fortunate in having so much help and expertise at your fingertips. No knowledgeable and talented Esprit owners in Western Massachusetts has prevented ownership for me. The next place I live will be partially determined by the existence of serious amateur Lotus technical help!
Love the job you're doing! Keep at it!
All the best!
GP
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