[Docl]

The top finishing strip on my car has shrunk and I have a new finishing strip. I have the factory service manual and it doesn't provide good instructions. Is there a trick to get the old one out of the carrier without having to replace the carrier?

TIA.

 

[mpesik]

Funny.
I was just wondering about that today after going over the car.
Let me tell you, GOOP is no way to go!:facepalm

 

[lotus4s]

The finisher is fitted to the carrier and to the glass before the glass is installed. Theoretically you should be able to pull the finisher out of the carrier but I don't know if that's possible as I've never done it with the glass in place or heard of anyone else doing it. Have fitted them to new glass before.

The carrier strip is plastic and gets brittle over time and I wouldn't be surprised if it were to break while trying to remove the old finisher or install the new one.

If I was dead set on trying it, I'd gently try to pull it out from one end and then hope I could get the new one back in the channel using liquid soap or rubber bushing lube.

Let us know how it goes and maybe someone else will chime in who has had some experience with that.

 

[carbuff]

The black plastic finishers always shrink, don't they? So replacing it would be a temporary solution.

On my car, I pushed the side strips upwards to narrow the gap at the top, then put a "foundation" of black RTV at the bottom so that they would not slide back down. Still had a gap at the top, though...which I filled with creatively-sculpted black RTV (sorry Mike!).

 

[Docl]

Well those were not the answers I was looking for and it is just what I assumed. I tried to pull a little bit of the corner up and the carrier started to com out from under the windshield. I really don't want to have to remove the windshield to replace a $30 weatherstrip, but min has shrunken by almost 1/2 inch on both sides. I'll bring it to my bodyshop and have them take a quick look sometime.

Next question:

How do I replace the rear Lotus emblem?

I bought the factory service manual hoping that it would be a good resource. I never expected to have ask such simple questions here.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I hope to able to contribute something useful in the future.

-Doc

 

[Alansglide]

Whatever you do, dont crack the windshield.

It took 3 months and lots of phone calls between the insurance company,and myself to find a replacement when mine cracked.

Alan

 

[maxvelocity]

Well those were not the answers I was looking for and it is just what I assumed. I tried to pull a little bit of the corner up and the carrier started to com out from under the windshield. I really don't want to have to remove the windshield to replace a $30 weatherstrip, but min has shrunken by almost 1/2 inch on both sides. I'll bring it to my bodyshop and have them take a quick look sometime.

Next question:

How do I replace the rear Lotus emblem?

I bought the factory service manual hoping that it would be a good resource. I never expected to have ask such simple questions here.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I hope to able to contribute something useful in the future.

-Doc

The round emblem or the Esprit on the transom?

 

[Docl]

The round emblem or the Esprit on the transom?

The round one. I should have been more specific.

Thanks.

 

[maxvelocity]

I think you have to remove the license plate 1st. Then remove the rear plinth (the panel that holds the license plate. The remove the plinth there are 4 fasteners in each corner of the plinth that you access from the the trunk interior (might be covered up but on the rear wall of trunk). Once you remove the plinth there are 2 nuts that hold the round badge on. The V8 is double sticked on. The new emblems are available as it is the same as the nose badge that has been used is just about every model except for the oval one. The Black ones are the same size

 

[Docl]

I think you have to remove the license plate 1st. Then remove the rear plinth (the panel that holds the license plate. The remove the plinth there are 4 fasteners in each corner of the plinth that you access from the the trunk interior (might be covered up but on the rear wall of trunk). Once you remove the plinth there are 2 nuts that hold the round badge on. The V8 is double sticked on. The new emblems are available as it is the same as the nose badge that has been used is just about every model except for the oval one. The Black ones are the same size

That is a lot of work to replace just one friggin emblem. The previous owner put the black ones on the front and rear and I don't like it as much. Plus I'm an OEM kinda guy when it comes to rare car emblems.

This car really wasn't designed for the casual DIYer.

 

[maxvelocity]

This car really wasn't designed for the casual DIYer.

I don't think they expected a person to change badges a lot or to remove the plinth. Other than some people going to the black badge the only other reason to change or remove the badge was due to accident damage.

Many years ago a person asked me what was the most durable part of the Lotus and my answer "The round enamel Lotus badge was exceptionally well made compared to badges made by other car manufacturers". I have never seen a bad one except those involved in an impact.

Working on ones car does form a bond with the car. Like anything else I tend to know the peculiarities and sound that my car has. It makes me that much more aware and confident of the car when at triple digit speeds.

A V8 guy that likes to work on his car. That's good. You are in elite company. There are only a handful of people that do that.

 

[amanda11270]

I did what someone else had mentioned, I debated pulling the finishing strips, however that is risky business on an exotic car. Mine were shrunk a good bit back on top and the sides. I used black silicone and sculpted it to the shape of the corner where the trim strips meet. It felt kinda half ass doing it on a car so nice looking, but at the cost of possibly having to find a new windshield, I could live with half ass. And you really dont notice it if you are any good at caulking tubs and the like.

 

[danutcha]

docl, where did you get the top finish strip from?

 

[sleekgt]

Despite my 88 living 14 years of its life in a heated/AC garage in Saratoga, CA (previous owner), the windshield edge strips - while 100% new looking, were shrunken about 1/2" on each top edge.

I left as-is. In summer of 2013, I drove San Jose to Los Angeles in 95F+ weather. What I didn't notice was the heat loosened the adhesive of the side strips. When I drove back (day trip), during the evening, the passenger strip fell off, the driver side strip fell off, but I saw it and grabbed it (at 65 MPH!).

I bought new strips from SJSports Cars in UK, but have yet to put back on (will do it when I replace the windshield someday). Yeah, if you know what you're looking at, it looks bad, but most non-Lotus folks don't even notice.

 

[Docl]

docl, where did you get the top finish strip from?

JAE. They are a pleasure to do business with.

 

[89.5 Esprit SE]

That is a lot of work to replace just one friggin emblem.

This car really wasn't designed for the casual DIYer.

I welcome you to the forum and to Lotus ownership!

As to your quote, you are correct, but that is true of most modern cars and about everything built after 2000. Even Jeep Wranglers have gotten hard to work on. There isn't much point for a car company to make cars for the DIYer, as that isn't who buys a new car.

The fact that the Esprit is largely hand built actually makes it easier to work on than many other cars.

I find the problem with the Esprit to actually be that because of its rarity there are so few pros who can do reasonable work on them, even though the car is no more complicated than other sports cars of the era. So the unqualified pros muck it up, and then well intentioned owners are left hanging.

Stay tuned, and we will chronicle a recent such saga.

Randy

 

[Eric Rogers]

That is a lot of work to replace just one friggin emblem. The previous owner put the black ones on the front and rear and I don't like it as much. Plus I'm an OEM kinda guy when it comes to rare car emblems.

This car really wasn't designed for the casual DIYer.

I am fairly new to the Esprit, so I haven't worked on that area, but what about just destroying the existing emblem to get it out and then using double sided tape to put on the new one?

Many manufacturers use double sided tape to hold on their emblems, so that part will work. Or silicon adhesive would do if the mounting area is not conducive to tape.

You could drill and Dremel out the old emblem while protecting the surrounding areas with masking tape.

Maybe that's what the previous owner did anyway, so it might be worth trying to pry it off before getting to aggressive removing it.

 

[Docl]

I am fairly new to the Esprit, so I haven't worked on that area, but what about just destroying the existing emblem to get it out and then using double sided tape to put on the new one?

Many manufacturers use double sided tape to hold on their emblems, so that part will work. Or silicon adhesive would do if the mounting area is not conducive to tape.

You could drill and Dremel out the old emblem while protecting the surrounding areas with masking tape.

Maybe that's what the previous owner did anyway, so it might be worth trying to pry it off before getting to aggressive removing it.

I appreciate your suggestion, but it's not the route I personally like to take on a very rare automobile. I don't like to destroy something because it's the easy way to do it.

I now know how to correctly access the emblem thanks to the advice given here, and it will be one of my next projects.

 

[maxvelocity]

I am fairly new to the Esprit, so I haven't worked on that area, but what about just destroying the existing emblem to get it out and then using double sided tape to put on the new one?

Many manufacturers use double sided tape to hold on their emblems, so that part will work. Or silicon adhesive would do if the mounting area is not conducive to tape.

You could drill and Dremel out the old emblem while protecting the surrounding areas with masking tape.

Maybe that's what the previous owner did anyway, so it might be worth trying to pry it off before getting to aggressive removing it.

Those are different approaches to suggest to DOCl who has by description a fairly pristine final edition Esprit. BTW drilling out the badge will take longer than removing the license plate and the 4 interior fasteners that hold on the plinth panel while needlessly exposing the car to possible damage. To suggest to drill or pry on such a procedure makes one wonder about alternative suggestions for the more advanced procedures and processes.

 

[Docl]

Those are different approaches to suggest to DOCl who has by description a fairly pristine final edition Esprit. BTW drilling out the badge will take longer than removing the license plate and the 4 interior fasteners that hold on the plinth panel while needlessly exposing the car to possible damage. To suggest to drill or pry on such a procedure makes one wonder about alternative suggestions for the more advanced procedures and processes.

I always determine risk vs benefit with any procedure. It's how I practice with my patients. The risk of drilling out the emblem certainly outweighs the benefit.