[mpesik]

Hi.
It's been quite cold here in the last week and a half. I refuse to work on the car at these temps. You just can't!

Right now Im going through an awful/expensive Custody Battle for my Son. What I experience brings me down considering the bias towards wombs.
Anyway. The car is in the garage and I go in at least once a day and open the door.
I am surprised by myself still. I end up smiling a bit going over this beauty.
I did notice that the drivers side intake screen is missing? .??Damn? How the heck?

I need to replace. I can fabricate something but how to keep in place? I have some nails and a good hammer though?
Looking over the paint, I see that my amg does Not have as smooth paint. Very nice.
Nice car.
Can't wait to use the car to rob banks.
But thats between us.

 

[89.5 Esprit SE]

The Driver's side intake doesn't have or need a screen as it is just cooling air for the engine bay, not intake air.

 

[mpesik]

Well it did along with rivets. Looks bad.

 

[MidLifeZ]

Clarify your no orange peel meaning please

 

[sleekgt]

Well it did along with rivets. Looks bad.

Hi Mike - As Randy pointed out, the driver side (left side when you're sitting in the car) doesn't have a screen on the intake. The passenger side definitely should have one to keep junk out of the air cleaner intake side.

I can't take a picture of my 88 to show you (it's still in the shop), but if you take a picture of your intake and post it, we can check out the rivets you mention - perhaps they were a PO mod?

To post photo

"Go Advanced" (bottom of 'Reply' screen)
"Manage Attachments"
"Browse" (and find your photo to attach)

 

[carbuff]

I think the rivets are for the ducting (elephant trunk connection) on that side.


As long as you are in there, inspect for cracks in the sealer. Seal as neccessary to keep water from running into the gas tank area.

Look at the Definitive Gas Tank topic.

 

[Type82]

Clarify your no orange peel meaning please

Ken,
'Orange Peel' is a slang term used in the body shop business. It means when a car has been painted the job is so bad the paint looks like it has the texture of an orange peel.

When I had my '74 Triumph Spitfire painted in '88 it was really bad. I told the owner of the body shop about it {after all they charged me 3k} and his reply "It's texture... all of the new cars have that." No they don't, it was a $hitty, expensive paint job. I told him to get wet sanding the paint down, after 20+ years of polishing the rest of it went away.

Of the Lotus cars I have seen, orange peel was never a problem, unless it had a respray from damage.

Robert

 

[MidLifeZ]

Ken,
'Orange Peel' is a slang term used in the body shop business. It means when a car has been painted the job is so bad the paint looks like it has the texture of an orange peel.

When I had my '74 Triumph Spitfire painted in '88 it was really bad. I told the owner of the body shop about it {after all they charged me 3k} and his reply "It's texture... all of the new cars have that." No they don't, it was a $hitty, expensive paint job. I told him to get wet sanding the paint down, after 20+ years of polishing the rest of it went away.

Of the Lotus cars I have seen, orange peel was never a problem, unless it had a respray from damage.

Robert

I know what orange peel is, was asking so he could clarify. The only Esprit's I have seen with any to speak of (granted have not seen as many Esprits as most of the folks here) had little to zero orange peel. If his has a lot would indicate repaint in its past..

What little mine had I polished out about 95% of it...

 

[e-spree]

Ken,
'Orange Peel' is a slang term used in the body shop business. It means when a car has been painted the job is so bad the paint looks like it has the texture of an orange peel.
Robert

Yes, but... GM (others mfg'ers?) used to orange peel rocker panels of some models in the 80's. The texture was noticeable at first look (it wasn't a subtle imperfection you'd see only if the light was right) and was done, they claimed, to make stone chips less obvious. I had an '82 Camaro from new; it would get rocker chips and I'd see them. Were they less noticeable than if they were on smooth paint. Dunno. Hot-rodderrs would use the technique just because they could. I applaud their free-wheeling let's-try-this-approach, but none of the results (that I can think of) is something I'd want to see on a Lotus.

 

[Prolene]

Older Porsches had orange peeling on rocker panel areas from a clear coating sprayed on to protect that area. Had rubbery type of feel as well.

 

[carbuff]

The only Esprit's I have seen with any to speak of (granted have not seen as many Esprits as most of the folks here) had little to zero orange peel. If his has a lot would indicate repaint in its past..
.

Type82 and I toured the Lotus factory in one of Richard Paramint's groups ("Lotours") 'whilst' they were still making new Esprits. :bow:

Every car had small paint repairs done to them. Dunno if it was scratches, bumps, or assembly dings, whatever...


I can see the areas on my car that were repaired in this way.

There are also areas of overspray, and panels that are not quite right in some ways (the glint of the metallic, slight color variations), and areas where the panels needed to be sanded better before paint was applied.


I'm not gonna tell you where those blemishes are...you'll have to find out for yourself!

 

[4380r]

I thought the paint job on my 84 Esprit was great, one of the best I'd seen. FAR better than any of the 3 Elises or 2 Exiges I've owned.

 

[Vulcan Grey]

I've seen a new (at the time) Ferrari 456 that was a metallic burgundy (like Atwell's car), that had a lot of texture, what you would call orange peel. But at that time it really gave the paint depth and made it look more high end than the paint you would see on a Honda, for instance.

 

[Type82]

Rocker panels on 'most cars' were sprayed with a 'chip guard'. This stuff will have the orange peel... the exterior paint work should not have this.

Vulcan mentioned 'orange peel ' on the Ferraris... they are painted by robots. It's caused by laying paint down to heavy between layers, let's not get into 'fish eyes'.... because that is another story.



Robert

 

[Vulcan Grey]

The Ferrari 456 was 1994, pretty sure Ferrari wasn't using robots then.

This orange peel had to have been on purpose, for texture or depth, no way it would have left the factory if they didn't want that.

 

[Type82]

Type82 and I toured the Lotus factory in one of Richard Paramint's groups ("Lotours") 'whilst' they were still making new Esprits. :bow:

Every car had small paint repairs done to them. Dunno if it was scratches, bumps, or assembly dings, whatever...


I can see the areas on my car that were repaired in this way.

There are also areas of overspray, and panels that are not quite right in some ways (the glint of the metallic, slight color variations), and areas where the panels needed to be sanded better before paint was applied.


I'm not gonna tell you where those blemishes are...you'll have to find out for yourself!

I think you need to pull the fuel pump fuse... it's not the girls.... they would never take your car out. Lady P. ?

 

[greentengu]

Would that mine only had orange peel! The clearcoat on the removable top, the hood (bonnet), and along the ridge of the back hatch has burned or peeled away, leaving a flat-black coat (at least) of paint (or primer?) beneath--giving it a kind of "survived the smallpox" effect.

Furthermore, the passenger side ridge line (both quarter panels and the door) is missing tiny daubs and dabs of clearcoat trailing along the entire crease. The only thing I can offer up is that someone tried to remove a pinstripe with a sharp implement (instead of a hairdryer and wooden or soft plastic one) and just scraaaaaaaaaaped it off with bits-n-chips of clear. To what end, I have no idea.

From twenty feet away, it looks fine, but the closer you get...the more you can tell the 'pox 'as been at work on 'er!

--Scott

 

[mpesik]

Rocker panels on 'most cars' were sprayed with a 'chip guard'. This stuff will have the orange peel... the exterior paint work should not have this.

Vulcan mentioned 'orange peel ' on the Ferraris... they are painted by robots. It's caused by laying paint down to heavy between layers, let's not get into 'fish eyes'.... because that is another story.



Robert

WHAT ARE "FISH EYES".-eek-

 

[sleekgt]

WHAT ARE "FISH EYES".-eek-

They're on every Esprit - looks something like this:

 

[mpesik]

They're on every Esprit - looks something like this:

Must of been an option...............................................
ROFL.
rotfl:clap:
Thanks...I really needed that. No Prosac tonight.