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Chris Heath's 1989

Chris Heath from Hatfield, UK owns a 1989 NA in Calypso Red, with a Cream interior.

Model:

Esprit NA
Year: 1989
Colour: Calypso Red
Interior:

Cream

Driving Style: Normal
Miles per year: 0 – 1,000
Owned Since: 2006
Purchase from: Private
Serviced at: Now Esprit Engineering, have used SJ
Other Cars: Ford Mondeo TD and Honda 500 V4(25 years old)
Previous Lotus': None
Why an Esprit: Always wanted one and after 20 odd years still looks an awesome car on the road, there are no 2 Esprits exactly the same
Upgrades: Where do I start?? Front Brakes upgraded, Headlights up-graded, Radiator replaced with one courtesy Esprit Engineering, Starter Motor re-furbished, Roof Lining replaced with Alcantara , Drivers seat re-covered and centre consul courtesy of Shaun at Allon Whites Sportscars, Stainless Exhaust by Powerflow in St Albans, sounds awesome. Wheels re-furbished. Header tank shot blasted and powder coated, crank-case breather tank fitted, I personally think it is a must!!! all nuts and bolts I remove I replaced with stainless ones. Black Watch tartan put on front of engine cover and quarter panels, looks superb
Problems: None really except after being off the road all winter, 1st day out and the front off side spring broke, so my winter jobs this year were going to be doing all the suspension has been brought forward
Info: I am going to do do the suspension this winter that is remove all wish-bones links etc and get them shot-blasted and powder coated and change all the bushes for poly ones, that will be some job!

     

Update
June 08
After getting my Esprit back on the road I went for the customary road test round the block, as you do. I noticed clouds of smoke coming from the front off side, My front caliper had siezed solid and the rear one came out in sympathy. I thought well now is the time to do what I was going to do in the winter and set about stripping the front suspension to get powder coated and shot blasted plus ordered two calipers. I sent the front one away to get re-furbished which THREE weeks and the rear one I got from SJ took three days plus changed the brake hoses for stainless ones. You really have to be careful taking the old hoses off, mines had been on since the car was new, I replaced the top and bottom ball joints as well being mindful of were the spacers and shims were situated. Safety is paramount here while working under the car so I had to axle stands plus the jack. I found it easier to take the caliper off and sit it on a axle stand so as not to put any strain on the hose, whilst compressing the spring I found it better to use a pinch bar to lower it enough to free the spring/shocker assembly, you really need very strong spring compressors to do this job.

As you can see from the photos the before and after plus the improvement in handling and steering is quite superb like night and day from what thyew were like before.

  

Jake is holding the umbrella because I refused to give up no matter what the weather. We stopped for lunch the rain stopped we went back out it started again

So with a completely re-furbished suspension components, new shockers,(from the Lotus sale) new top and bottom ball joints plus new nuts and bolts all round and re-conditiioned calipers makes a vast improvement, I think the back one should be a lot easier to do

chris1.heath@ntlworld.com

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