Description
PAYMENT RECEIVED - sale complete - thank you for all your interest
STOP PRESS!!!!! Following the recent work carried out in early October by a respected and established local Lotus Specialist, their services have been engaged to fit a new replacement clutch.
STOP PRESS!!!!! - Update - The car has just enjoyed Lotus Specialist work this week with a genuine new Lotus cambelt and replaced tensioner bearing with a newly rebuilt adjuster. There was a slight weep on the water pump which has now been freshly rebuilt and refitted and the cross gate cable and gear change has been professionally adjusted to accommodate the new bushes. An observation was made that the clutch pedal was biting high. A front top suspension ball joint has also been replaced as the rubber seal was slightly split. The car is to be road tested and then MoT'd .
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Registered in late 1982, my magnificent Lotus Turbo Esprit in Copperfire metallic really is one of the last true Chapman-era cars.
As the amazing Lotus Emira heralds in a new dawn following the undoubted long-term success of the Elise over the past twenty-five years, the Turbo Esprit was and still is, a force to be reckoned with. Despite now being over forty years old, this iconic Giugiaro designed supercar still turns heads and starts enthusiastic conversations.
Having undergone a meticulously detailed and extensively catalogued restoration five or six years ago by the previous owner who is celebrated for his Lotus work, I bought the car because it was by far the most beautiful car I had seen in my extensive search for a Turbo. Next year the car will become road tax free and even exempt from MoT testing should that appeal.
With several comprehensive articles on the enthusiast’s site, The Lotus Forums, and a memory stick with circa 400 pictures detailing the work carried out, I was confident I'd found something rather special even though the vendor was now in the USA!
Although it was originally Calypso Red from the factory, by far the most popular Esprit colour in 1982 according to the Lotus Certificate of Provenance, the in-depth restoration brought with it the opportunity for a very comprehensive and detailed colour change to the esteemed Copperfire metallic, made famous of course for its appearance in the James Bond movie, ‘For Your Eyes Only’.
An almost identical car to mine appeared, albeit briefly, in the snowy Italian Dolomite Mountain scenes in Cortina D’Ampezza, and this gorgeous paint and interior combination has now become almost as desirable and respected in Esprit circles as the rare Essex racing livery of the earliest and most collectable dry sump cars.
Add some Lotus four stud hub conversions and a set of beautiful, fully rebuilt, and restored Compomotive CX500 split rim alloy wheels and the look is complete, save of course for the ski racks employed on the real Bond car and reserved almost exclusively for real secret agents!
The history from the previous owner is in a fat, multi leaf file with no end of bills and receipts for parts and specialist work. If you hunt out on the Forums the work by ‘Final Edition’ you’ll see to some extent what incredible work went on – from sonic cleaning of brake fluid reservoirs and new master cylinders to full carburettor rebuilds, and new brake discs - from electronic ignition replacement to cylinder head skims and rebuilds, a new water pump, correct Bosch fuel pump, new drive belts including the all-important cambelt of course, and a new replacement turbo with a genuine new- old-stock exhaust silencer system.
Many photographs also detail the refurbishment of the sharp Giugiaro penned body and the extent to which it was dismantled for the most comprehensive colour change. With doors, bonnet, tailgate, upper cant rails (now with new bright trims) engine louvres and light pods removed, the car has the correct new decals, and new carpets, and is now resplendent in that famous and special Copperfire finish.
In the three and a half years I’ve owned the car I have continued with a programme of more detailed improvements.
A blowing exhaust manifold was checked and refitted with new gaskets and a full set of correct studs, and nuts with special locking tabs added. The refurbished wastegate was fitted with specific stainless bolts and locking plates too from specialist Lotus suppliers.
A suspect rear wheel bearing led to a failed mot test which then led to a comprehensive rebuild and refresh of all the rear suspension using new original specification shock absorbers, new rear springs and two new rear wheel bearings and other drivetrain components.
Whilst underneath I replaced coolant hoses, all fuel lines including the tank crossover link pipe replaced with PNM’s stainless part, new lower engine mount heat shields, and of course the link pipe flexible elbows and body gaskets.
A new clutch slave cylinder was fitted and mated to the braided stainless clutch hose to minimize future issues and all the rubber bushings in the gear change linkage were renewed to sharpen up the action of the gearchange – a new cross-gate cable had been fitted prior to my purchase, but with new tight rubber joints, it would now benefit from some further adjustment to bring out the best in it. Worthy of mention here is that the through-chassis coolant pipes were also replaced - a difficult but important job and one that it’s nice to know has been completed.
The engine bay was refurbished, and the engine lid fitted with new stainless mesh and race car quality heat reflective foil and all stainless fastenings. Whenever I removed anything, it was either powder coated or replaced with stainless upon rebuild – I wanted this to be the best I could make it.
Both front and rear under trays were removed and refurbished, the Maserati airhorns serviced, and everything was replaced, again with quality stainless fastenings. Even the fuel tank breather hose system has been replaced in its entirety after much of the old system had perished over the years – a common problem and yet one that’s not often addressed.
A car like this is never truly ‘finished’ unless you have the grit, determination, skill and budget of some enthusiastic and fortunate owners who have even managed to fashion some proper ski racks for a superb and millimetre perfect Bond replica. That was not my intention here – I just wanted a special S3 Turbo, and with the Essex being way out of reach, a nicely presented Copperfire car was something i could perhaps achieve.
Only now for sale so I can chase another Lotus dream, there are inevitably some small areas left for improvement. If I were to keep the car I would refresh and rebuild the front suspension over next winter as I’ve done with the rear, and I’d try to improve some of the detail in the interior – it’s good, but the original nylon headlining is slightly baggy in places and I replaced the one in my Elite with a quality suede/ Alcantara fabric and that’s something that might look good in the Turbo, although I appreciate it wouldn’t suit the purist.
A full leather interior rather than the gold half leather would elevate the car to an altogether higher plane but that is not something I’ll do. Being really picky, the fine chrome gear lever emerges through a gaiter that I’d improve slightly but apart from that and a seam on the drivers seat, it feels a very special place to be. It drives quickly and quietly with that gorgeous burble and chatter from the turbo wastegate at every gearchange and it handles supremely as only a Lotus could.
All lights, gauges and electrics work as they should, and I’ve recently fitted a new old stock ‘fade to off’ interior light module to get the detail just right. Although the rear NCT’s are quite old now, the Goodyear front tyres are made of more modern rubber, and they all look great with raised white letters from Tredwear in The States.
With new oil, filters, coolant change and NGK plugs in May last year, I think that’s pretty much everything covered, plus the reference to the rebuild on the Lotus Forums that I can really recommend if you’re at all interested.
As recommended in the May 2020 edition of Classic Cars magazine, their journalist summed up his own Lotus Esprit test comparison like this:
“Today though, for me, it has to be the original Turbo Esprit; incisive Giugiaro styling, game-changing performance and reflective Bond cool all combine to make it my Esprit to buy now”
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
If I’ve missed anything or you’d like to query a particular detail of the car, please drop me a line or give me a call after normal business hours where I’d be happy to discuss it in detail with a like-minded enthusiast or newbie Lotus novice.
For the link to the Lotus Forums just google ‘Copperfire Esprit Restoration’ and the miracle of the search engine will take you straight there.
Please note: The cherished registration on my car does not form part of any offer of sale and has now been placed on retention. The car has reverted to its original registration number - thank you.
Offers invited
