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Renegade Hybrids LS V8 Esprit Conversion Kit/Pricing Info!

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60K views 223 replies 30 participants last post by  Erik L  
#1 · (Edited)
Hi All!
Just heard from Scott of Renegrade Hybrids.

Renegade Hybrids

They are the ones that did the G-body Esprit LS V8 conversion a while ago and since last year, have been talking to them about specs and pricing for a kit that the Esprit community can use to convert an Esprit to an LS V8 or a kit to do the Porsche Boxter S transaxle conversion that they use in their conversions.

Sadly, things were delayed due to a tragic accident last year, where they lost one of their own, but now they have pricing and info for those who prefer to do the conversions on their own. As always, they are still offering full conversions at their facilities in Las Vegas. Be sure to check out that Esprit LS V8 youtube link below as well.

Here's is the announcement and pricing, as well as contact info, that I received from him below:



Renegade LS-V8 Lotus!

Thank you for your interest in our new Lotus Esprit LS-V8 conversion kit. As of Spring 2017, we completed the engineering, construction, testing, and the first small production run of Lotus Esprit conversion kits. The test car you saw in the video used our production parts with obvious success. We are so pleased with the outcome to say the least!

Then came a very unfortunate and tragic delay...

The development team at Renegade Hybrids has consisted of a pool of engineers in Vegas at the shop, as well as two brilliant engineers/machinists/fabricator/consultants that have been contributors to our 30+ years of success from the beginning. Shortly after the first Lotus production parts were completed, we lost one of extended family in a tragic accident. It took us a 'second' to find our collective way back to this project with good reason. Thank you for your patience and your hundreds of emails.

Now, let's have some fun!


Here are all the parts we offer:


$3895 - Adapter Kit (Flywheel, Clutch Disc, Pressure Plate and Hardware)

- Rear Custom Lotus to Boxster S six speed Transmission Mount

- Front Custom Engine Mount uprights and rubber isolators


***REQUIRES*** Bolt-on outboard brake system from later Esprit


$995 - Custom Axle Kit

$995 - Electric Water Pump Kit


This kit requires the six speed Porsche Boxster S transaxle, shifter and stock cables, and may require an outboard brake conversion kit. The Boxster six speeds are readily available for roughly $2000 on Ebay or through your local salvage yards, and outboard conversion kits can be sourced for as little as $1200.

We use a front accessory kit to put the AC and Alternator up high from Dirty Dingo Motorsports GM LS Gen 3 LS1 Gen 4 Conversion Swap Engine Mounts and Accessory Brackets who specialize in front belt-drive serpentine systems. Some modifications will be necessary to make it shallow enough to clear the Lotus fire-wall.

If a reliable Lotus Esprit with loads of cheap power is in your dreams, let a Renegade conversion kit wake you up to reality:



Thank you for your continued interest, your patience, and your persistence. It's time to for Renegade to go British!

Sincerely,
Scott >>> Renegade Hybrids
Renegade Hybrids
702-739-8011
 
#220 ·
Thanks. I'm picking up the pace after a long time rewiring the entire car. Attached photos of the fabricated engine main and injector harnesses, Improved Racing oil catch can and breather hose routing, and installed Renegade F-block.

The alum F-Block collects two 1.5" hot side water feeds from the LS block into its chamber and outputs feeds to the rad and heater block tubes. I'll try running without a mechanical thermostat and PWM the Meziere electric water pump on demand. Not sure whether this approach will effect cabin heat from the heater block.

As Renegade doesn't offer a bracket for mounting the F-Block, I tucked it tight and low toward the engine block with a modified ICT billet alum bracket that's normally used to bolt up dry sump accessories.

Plumbing crank case ventilation for a normally aspirated LS typically entails venting the pressurized valley cover to a catch can and one or both valve covers to intake manifold vacuum--encouraging a smooth airflow from from intake vacuum into the top end and out through crankcase pressure below. There is no PVC valving in a Gen. 4 LS3. The various 10mm OD breather tubes with quick connects are metered down inside to 1-2mm orifices, which theoretically provides correct airflow without excessive oil discharge... Improved Racing has thought about all this and provided good parts and advice.

Though time consuming, the engine harnesses are compact and lightweight utilizing Raychem DR-25 and adhesive-lined SCL at the junctions. No time for concentric wiring...


 
#223 ·
In an earlier iteration of this G-car I installed two fans in the engine lid-- one to vent the engine compartment to negative pressure above the louvers, and another to pull air in to ram the fins of an air-to-air intercooler mounted on top of the cam towers. For the LS3 conversion that arrangement, together with the OEM internal lid baffles, have been replaced with one 9" Spal fan and a new thermostat switch. The refresh includes a 5x5 stainless steel screen and an anodized alum bezzle with a rain shield over the fan motor. It's a nice spot to place a Lotus logo...