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 Message Boards » » Noen's Lotus Stuff Thread Page 1 [2], Prev  
TKE-Teg
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Just looking at a few, like the Bugatti, Z4 and RX8, seems like the list is accurate (at least those instances)

12/21/2011 10:01:56 PM

sumfoo1
soup du hier
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My thoughts are, back in the day before advanced computer modeling torsional rigidity was a huge deal, but now we can model damned near anything and should be able to compensate for it in suspension design , although putting a damper on the cassis would be difficult. Lol.

12/22/2011 3:52:25 AM

theDuke866
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My Seven (Locost-type, turbo Miata drivetrain and IRS) is scheduled to be delivered on Friday.

Is that Lotusy enough to count for this thread?

3/31/2013 11:34:56 AM

Ahmet
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I don't know, but I do want to see a lot more of that car!

3/31/2013 2:51:41 PM

theDuke866
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I have a feeling that I will have my hands extremely full from behind the wheel.

I'll run it around the block with my GoPro once I get a little bit of a feel for it.

3/31/2013 3:18:24 PM

Ragged
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So you bought an expensive miata

3/31/2013 9:04:14 PM

Noen
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Fuuuck yes TheDuke. Post some photos! Love the seven, and with a turbo miata underneath, that thing should be a blast.

4/1/2013 12:59:37 PM

theDuke866
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OK, got the car. A few things have been rigged up in a half-ass way since the original builder got rid of it--the driver's seat was mounted uselessly far forward, and in an unsafe way (dime-sized booger weld through the sheetmetal floorpan was all that was holding it in. It had--no shit--two blocks of wood duct taped in behind the seat to serve as a spacer against the rear bulkhead (I talked to the builder; that was some rigged up shit that was done inexplicably after he sold the car).

I ripped the booger-welded seat mount out by hand, and drilled holes through the seat pan, floor pan, and frame of the car, bolting them all together with 1/4" grade 8 fasteners.) I'm still not really satisfied with how I have the seats mounted, but it's at least an acceptable temporary fix so that I can drive it.

I also adjusted the brake pedal to a more useable position. Unfortunately, I screwed up mounting the brakelight switch in the process, so it never disengages and illuminates the brake lights. Gotta fix that.

The battery was dead; I got a new one, but it doesn't fit. Gotta swap it out for a different size tomorrow.

The reason the battery was dead was because apparently the ECU is hard-wired and is powered all the time. Originally, the car had a battery cut-off switch in the passenger footwell, but I don't see it. I wonder if it has been removed, because the battery had the pinch bolt removed from the negative terminal, presumably so it could be easily removed from the battery post.

4/7/2013 1:02:18 AM

theDuke866
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I drove it a few miles around the block tonight...it has a lot of power, but it isn't unmanageably, terrifyingly fast like I thought it would be. I haven't really gotten the hang of giving it lots of power without breaking traction--the turbo power delivery seems to always break the rears loose in the lower gears when it spools.

It feels like a really big go-kart...turns in with serious authority. I've only hustled it around a couple of corners, but it seems to be very neutral, or maybe even just a little tail-happy.

Everything is manual; the steering is OK due to the car's light weight, but the effort required for the brake pedal is really excessive. It is REALLY firm in terms of pedal feel. I might look into what would be involved to boost the brakes.

I really don't have a good feel of how fast it is. It's so damned overwhelming to all the senses that it's tough to tell how fast it is and how hard it corners compared to, say, my Corvette.

4/7/2013 1:13:00 AM

sumfoo1
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Go pro that bitch I wanna see it

Sounds like a lot of fun!

What I'm reading is the car has a lot of drama but you can't tell if its because its crazy fast or because you are driving a high powered go cart.

I'm betting its both.

4/7/2013 7:05:44 AM

H8R
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If it breaks traction really easily, put more tire on it

4/7/2013 12:52:11 PM

Noen
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Finally got the Lotus back on the road today. It's been back and forth to the dealership now 4 times in the last 3 months.

I took it in last October because the brakes were getting dangerously mushy, the passenger headlight went out, and the small crack in the windshield has gotten big enough over the past year to become bothersome while driving.

While going in to fix the headlight, they tell me its had a hackjob HID kit installed at some point (previous owner) and it's a two week wait and a special order to replace it. So I wait it out.

Once the headlights come in, the car battery has gone completely and totally dead (the damn technician didn't use the cutoff switch in the trunk). So I had to RMA the battery and get it replaced, the dealership claimed it was defective (it wasn't, but whatever).

I finally get the car back again on Dec 3rd. One look at it, there's water in the headlight housing. Drive it 10ft and the brakes are dragging and sound horrific (like metal on metal).

The technician claims he drove the car an hour earlier and everything was fine. So we go out together to bed the brakes in (because I KNOW this isn't right). 15 minutes later he agrees something isnt right with the brakes. Service manager also agrees that while the headlights aren't sealed anyway, theres WAY too much moisture inside the housing.

So I leave the car again.

I get the call today to come back and pick it up. Turns out the technician installed one of the pads backwards. Which destroyed the rotor. They owned up to it completely, replaced it all at no charge, went back and resealed the headlights for me at no charge and apologized profusely. First time in 6 years they've ever not done a perfect job with the car, so after all is said and done, I'm not too upset about it.

On the bright side, the car stops on a fucking dime, the windshield is clean and clear, the headlights look great, all service was done (oil, transmission et al) at cost and I've got a car that looks and feels like new again

1/24/2014 12:24:15 AM

0EPII1
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Fastest and most powerful Lotus ever

http://www.worldcarfans.com/115021889023/lotus-evora-400-unveiled-is-the-most-powerful-lotus-ever

Evora 400, on sale in the fall



2/19/2015 7:17:24 AM

theDuke866
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Can't remember if I ever posted this, but I see someone requested GoPro footage.

The whole car has been repainted since this video. Also, this is on low-grip sealed asphalt.

http://youtu.be/-fChvdYFnSA

2/19/2015 12:41:59 PM

y0willy0
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i think you did, and its still awesome

A+

2/19/2015 12:54:49 PM

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