Long story short, we rebuilt the engine, replaced the clutch, put new shocks on, installed the new ignition system with REV limiter, and I started breaking in the engine. The summer was very hot, and the car tended to overheat when stuck in traffic on a hot day, so I didn't ride all that much. I only put on 480 miles. But I burnt a whole lot of gas, the car always smelled of gasoline, and gas dripped from the bottom of the tank.
Then one day about a month or do ago, I noticed a noise when I moved back and forth from first to reverse. It got worst in the next couple of days. Clack! I was afraid the gear in the differential had worn. So I took the car back to the shop.
It turned out the car was equipped with a Racing Gas Tank, with a rubberized fabric bladder enclosed in an unsealed aluminum enclosure. These bladder last 10 to 15 years, and the car was 30 years old! I had no choice, and we sent the tank to have a bladder custom made and fitted in. That took several weeks, and cost about $1200.
In the meantime, we figured out that the noise was actually coming from broken brackets attaching the frame to the rear end. Landers had some new heavy duty ones made and welded them on. That sounds simple enough, but in order to do all this, the whole back of the car had to be taken apart. Lots of labor...This car is a money pit!
I finally got the Lotus back last night, put the trunk lining back in place this morning, re attached the cowl and the hood
I am getting ready to go on a little test drive, fingers crossed. The weather is beautiful and cool, and I hope to ride the car through the winter when the sun is out. I will just have to wear my sheepskin jacket, and just got on eBay a "cool" warm matching Bomber Cap:
All I need now is a pair of UGG Shearling Gloves:
I am also definitely going to need warmer high top narrow Driving Shoes, and I just found exactly the right ones, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LOOKING, the "OMP Vintage Carrera High Racing Boot" in Brown:
Then one day about a month or do ago, I noticed a noise when I moved back and forth from first to reverse. It got worst in the next couple of days. Clack! I was afraid the gear in the differential had worn. So I took the car back to the shop.
It turned out the car was equipped with a Racing Gas Tank, with a rubberized fabric bladder enclosed in an unsealed aluminum enclosure. These bladder last 10 to 15 years, and the car was 30 years old! I had no choice, and we sent the tank to have a bladder custom made and fitted in. That took several weeks, and cost about $1200.
In the meantime, we figured out that the noise was actually coming from broken brackets attaching the frame to the rear end. Landers had some new heavy duty ones made and welded them on. That sounds simple enough, but in order to do all this, the whole back of the car had to be taken apart. Lots of labor...This car is a money pit!
I finally got the Lotus back last night, put the trunk lining back in place this morning, re attached the cowl and the hood
I am getting ready to go on a little test drive, fingers crossed. The weather is beautiful and cool, and I hope to ride the car through the winter when the sun is out. I will just have to wear my sheepskin jacket, and just got on eBay a "cool" warm matching Bomber Cap:
I am also definitely going to need warmer high top narrow Driving Shoes, and I just found exactly the right ones, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LOOKING, the "OMP Vintage Carrera High Racing Boot" in Brown:
