what car thread - Lotus Edition

[Gavin]

Late to the party but glad you got what yu were after and now a wee bit into ownership, it appears you got a good one.

[Rich B]

Result (hopefully) - Steve Williams have squeezed me in next week!

Cars in with him at the moment… it’s been a while…

i feel another financial beating coming on….!

[V8Granite]

My diary is currently full until July but if you can wait till then I can help

Mechanicing is just nuts and bolts though, what’s that, £10 an hour and free coffee.

Dave!

[dan]

I am not a mechanic!

[V8Granite]

I am not a mechanic!

I’m afraid you are, you work out of a garage, it is what the public knows.

If you say what you actually do then they go all glassy eyes and say oh, so a posh Mechanic?

Dave!

[dan]

No I mean I am literally not a mechanic, I have none of the qualifications that would make me a mechanic and don't claim to be one, i'm just good at my little niche.

[Rich B]

No I mean I am literally not a mechanic, I have none of the qualifications that would make me a mechanic and don't claim to be one, i'm just good at my little niche.

So you’re an un-qualified mechanic? or a self educated mechanic? you run a garage and work on cars professionally - what else could you be?!

[dan]

An engineer, an engine builder, a gearbox builder, a product designer and manufacturer, a setup specialist, a wiring specialist and an engine tuner, amongst other things.

Bit like calling you a secretary because you type on a keyboard.

[ZedLeg]

No dan, you don’t understand. You own a toolbox and work in a building with a roller door. You must be a mechanic. Everyone else said so

[Rich B]

Bit like calling you a secretary because you type on a keyboard.

A promotion! i’ll be asking for more money now!!

Zed seems to think this is a serious thing - it’s not! i have LOTS of respect for what you do and it really doesn’t matter what you are called!

…but just for shits and giggles and talking crap in the internet, why do you not like the term mechanic? i’m guessing you’re not a qualified engineer either but you’re happy with that term?

[Mito Man]

Mechanics in my mind do routine spannering and replacing parts. Then you have the various specialists who take things to bits to repair and recondition. Then you have the people who actually design and engineer new parts or build them from scratch. And so on and so forth.

[Matty]

I'll get this back on topic and ask....

How was the geo, Rich?

[Rich B]

I'll get this back on topic and ask....

How was the geo, Rich?

Probably the right choice!

Yep, Steve Williams knew his stuff and aside from a couple of bolts needing to be replaced where they were rounded, it was smooth sailing. Geo’d up and ready for the track on Tuesday.

[Matty]

Does it feel any better? I still remember having my S160 done by the now-defunct Horizon Motorsport and it was like a different car!

[Rich B]

Not dramatic, though i’ve only really driven it 40 miles or so since to work and back, half on a motorway, half on shitty pot holed roads. from this, I don’t think it was actually far out before and this was more precautionary because various bits of steering/suspension had been taken to bits.

it definitely tracks nice and straight and has a nice neutral/direct feel. The (clearly summer) tyres (not really suited to 1°C roads) let go a little on one corner and did so in a nice, non-scary way pivoting around the middle of the car - so i think i’m happy - Tuesday will be the test.

I remember my e46 M3 was night and day different after a geo, it was really skittish before and felt like it wanted to oversteer very early, and not in a nice way. Then i made the dealer pay for one on my M2 because i wasn’t convinced it felt right and it was massively improved after.

[Rich B]

Driving on familiar fun roads in a nice sounding convertible with the roof off in the dark on a warm summer night…

There’s not a lot that beats it in my experience this evening. What a thoroughly lovely thing to do!

[Matty]

Driving on familiar fun roads in a nice sounding convertible with the roof off in the dark on a warm summer night…

There’s not a lot that beats it in my experience this evening. What a thoroughly lovely thing to do!

Just a shame you can't see where you're going in the dark in an S1

But agreed - along with sunny, winter afternoons. Beany hat, heater on blast.

[mik]

Big power feels great. But it takes an Elise or a Lotus-7-alike to open your eyes to how little it matters to making progress on “real roads” when you don’t have too much traffic to fight your way past.

[Rich B]

Driving on familiar fun roads in a nice sounding convertible with the roof off in the dark on a warm summer night…

There’s not a lot that beats it in my experience this evening. What a thoroughly lovely thing to do!

Just a shame you can't see where you're going in the dark in an S1

But agreed - along with sunny, winter afternoons. Beany hat, heater on blast.

i have LED lights, they’re ok!!

[240PP]

Driving on familiar fun roads in a nice sounding convertible with the roof off in the dark on a warm summer night…

There’s not a lot that beats it in my experience this evening. What a thoroughly lovely thing to do!

Just a shame you can't see where you're going in the dark in an S1

And because you’re sat so low you’re blinded by everybody’s headlights

I definitely concur with the experience though. The blue illuminated dials on the S2 were an added bonus.