Lotus Elan, range rover, TR7, Streetka, mx5, minor,

Not much today, painted the door shut on the range rover then started looking at the fuel system on the Lotus.







Plan is to put the pump and filter king in the boot then push the fuel to the front through a kunifer line running inside the car.

Pulled the trim out of the boot.




Pump and filter are going where the alarm (which I fitted 25 years ago and has never realy worked properly) is. So I pulled that out.



Probably give it a lick of black paint first as well.

Then lifted the back seat out.



Plan is to take the new fuel line along the trans tunnel inside the car, the original route is inside the backbone and very close to many other things.

So I cut a slot in the felt.




But it was is crumbly so I ripped it all out and will replace.




I've ordered some bifucated pop rivets to fix it with .

I also took the fuel sender out to check the condition of the tank and wheather I can fit a pick up in it.

Tank looks spotless, just shinny steel, sender has enough space to drill a hole for a pick up pipe as well..



Finally Andrew picked up new wheels for the trailer, same as the ones on the Minor, even have the same 165 13 tyres.

It is a standard 1098, I would like to have started with a 1275 but they have got very expensive now.

It's difficult to say what is down to the megajolt and what is down to the new engine, it starts very easily, even on the handle from cold which it never would before is much quieter and smoother and idles very smoothly so much so that I sometimes think I have stalled it when coming to a junction. Torque is certainly much better, it will pull easily up hills in 3rd that used to need 2nd. Power is probably not much different but that will be because it's throttled by the standard carb and exhaust, if Andrew can get it insured with twin carbs and a LCB when it's due in October that may change soon.

It'll be interesting to see if he sorts the insurance, it has the standard valves but I did open the ports, up the CR to 9:1 and fit a piper 255 cam it would be nice to get mid to high 50's but as a road car improved mid range torque is probably more important anyway.

Bit more on the Lotus today, layed the fuel line in.

Inside the car.




And in the engine compartment.




Created a bulge on the end with my brake flaring tool and clipped it in the engine compartment where I can use nuts and bolts, the rest will be done when the rivets turn up.

I've now got to make a new bracket for the filter king and mount it and the pump in the boot.

They do admittedly look good, however, the typical 'log' BMC/BL intake manifold is apparently lousy for airflow (according to David Vizard), and I found they tend to give quite jerky progress in traffic, due to the inevitable play (by their design) in the linkages, even if they are perfectly balanced.

Wheras the HIF carb has a progressive cam mechanism to the throttle, allowing for smooth trickling along in traffic.

Plus, you only need to buy one air filter!

Decided the weather is about as good as it's going to get this year so I painted the wing on the Lotus at Lunchtime.






A few bits have settled on it and it needs flatting back to blend in but overall pretty happy.

Been away for 2 weeks, the first to Norfolk in the modern with the kids and out parents then a week on our own to the new forest in the mazda. Apart from the chaos caused by the insulation morons we had a great time. Stopped at Rian's on the way down to pick up a wind deflector then made our way down along the south coast, spent the whole week with the roof down in the sun, wind deflector seems to work too.

Fish and chips at 7.00pm in the forest.



Car performed faultlessly, Since I started using 97 octame fuel the low speed driveability has vastly improved as well, seats didn't give us backache like the fiesta had the the week before either.

Did remind mè of a few odd things to do, the exhaust (an aftermarket stainless one) is too noisy, I need somewhere to clip my phone as a sat nav and I have not fitted the new front speakers we bought a year ago.
Also picked up a parking ticket because they seem to have traffic wardens who struggle to read reg numbers when checking you have paid, he mixed the digits up so the ticket was for a red corsa last taxed in 2012, we have pointed out the error of their ways,though I suppose it would never have come to us anyway.


Got back and painted the back of the house then found a few minutes to finish wiring on the Lotus lights.





Need to get another headlamp from the lockup and fit it but otherwise it's all done.

Hopefully get the fuel system sorted out this week then I can finaly fit the new radiator and fan.

bit more on the Lotus, made some nut plates for the fuel pump and filter mounting.




then took the sender out and drilled it to fit a pick up pipe.





and re-fitted it to the tank.



just a matter of bolting all the components on and connecting them up now.

Also need to 3D print some new tell tail lenses for the foglamp covers, probably a good winter project.





Finally the guy turned up to fit the mazda windscreen, despite the first guy who came with the wrong screen telling me they wouldn't be able to source the correct profile of screen trim this one turned up with the right profile of trim so I now have a oem spare screen edge trim for ebay. Screen was also not right, the mirror doesn't fit, it appears it may be a JDM issue as the European ones have a different foot, given they are cheap enough second hand on ebay I have just ordered the correct one.

Finished the wiring and added a few clips. Engine started easily as well (it's been taking ages to prime the carbs recently).





Found the mice were building a nest under the spare wheel again as well so washed it all out with disenfectant, looks like I need to put the traps out again




Eventually the boot needs re carpeting and some better supports for the wooden floor, I will probably mount a piece of alloy angle accross the front for it to rest on, but for now I will continue with the mechanical work. So I removed the old fuel line at the tank which will need blanking.





Plan was to use the nut in the picture with a couple of copper washers but the nut has writing stamped on one side so that won't work, I'll have to go round my parents and turn up a spacer instead. Tomorrow I'll start on the radiator.