Arrrival Parts Chassis Engine Surprises Paint Assembly Interior Test Drive Shows Vendors

The Arrival: The 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 arrived over the cold Thanksgiving weekend in 2002. She rolled slowly up the driveway on a tow dolly, accompanied by two pickup-trucks full of "spare" parts. This car had an interesting history, starting life somewhere in Colorado (as the expired Colorado plates and title testified) and passing through the hands of three other optimistic owners in Texas. As even the most devout Lotus lover will admit, the main flaw with these gorgeous cars was their "underpowered" engines: the original Lotus Type 907 engine officially produced 160hp. Although this fiberglass car only weighs 1900 pounds, it certainly requires more than 160hp for enjoyable performance. This car had only a dummy block installed on the day she arrived. The massive collection of parts which were part of her purchase price included two Buick 266 engines, an extra set of mags and a frightening turbo charger. Because the Buick engine would increase the horse power from 160hp to roughly 250hp (while only increasing the weight of the car by 47 pounds), this modification was an urgent and necessary improvement. Let the fun begin! - - - - - > > >