Sorting, we are always sorting.
So when a client who previously had us sort his Bugeye bought this Lotus online, we had it picked it up in California and brought it to our shop for sorting. It was running on three cylinders, rattling, vibrating and shaking (all at the same time). For such a nice car, it sure seemed to need a lot of work.
Three months later, the car is a superior, and delightful to drive. These cars are of course super light, and it seems like every bushing that can wear out, did wear out. Once we restored the suspension and the engine and transmission mounts, the car became a dream once again.
Of course this car was never meant to be a daily driver, but it was very satisfying to double the foam volume in the seat base and bottom, which made the ride almost just about plush. Also, we put on a smaller MOMO wheel so you can get your legs into the pedal box without too much trouble.
The tonneau was also quite rewarding to fit, because it would withstand a heavy rainstorm and will also keep people out of the cockpit when the car is parked at the store. We put in the cockpit fittings, templated the cover, and sewed it all in house. And finally, we fabricated an aluminum heat shield for the muffler so the passenger would be less likely to get burned while getting in and out.
You can see a video tour of the car below. We got the pre-crossflow 1500 CC Cosworth running beautifully and now this race car in street clothing is ready to travel to Florida, and it’s new home.
If you have a British classic that needs sorting, we will be happy to pick it up in an enclosed trailer and bring it here for evaluation. This sort of work is quite routine in our building and we would love to help!
