340r recommission

[Elisesport190]

Hello,

I have just acquired a lotus 340r which has been in storage for at least 15 years. The current mileage is only 1,160 miles. 

I have replaced the dead battery with a red top racing one, so at least in future it can be removed without taking the bodywork off the car....

I'm not sure how far to go with replacing parts to recommission the car. so advise is appreciated:

 

So far I will definitely replace the following:

brake fluid

engine oil

coolant

radiator pipes (as they are difficult to reach with body on)

cam belt

alternator belt

wiper blade

 

Will check and replace if necessary:

brake pads

brake discs

spark plugs

ht leads

tyres

suspension bushes

 

Not sure if the car was subject to any recalls etc, as the car hasn't even had its first service!

Let me know if i've missed anything.......

Steve.

 

[Ruxpin]

Sounds a fun project.

I would move tyres into the definitely change list - 15yr old rubber will be horrible/dangerous and the whole point of the car is the handling. AD08R for road and a bit of track work or R888R/ZZR for track use would be my choice.

Also spark plugs/HT leads as cost is low.

While the body is off I would be tempted to change the radiator to an all alloy one. Check fans and horn are in good condition.

 

Once you start to use it other things are bound to emerge but the body will be much easier to get off next time - fixings will not be corroded and you know how to do it better! 

Good luck!

[Dr H]

Defo tyres they will be hard as hell by now!

All the stuff Ruxpin has suggested makes sense. Use silicone hoses if you can. Also a water pump and belt tensioner might make sense for the small extra cost.

They did have an ECU recall to sort out a misfire in 2002, stops them setting on fire apparently http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=DC316C1BDC1B307000256BDB00311129&freeText=Blank&tx=

If it's on the original ECU it will also be touch and go on MOT emissions but should go through eventually.

The LCD displays on the Stacks tended to fail too. Lots were sorted  under warranty. If they go now it's a case of sending them back to Stack. Few hundred to get the LCD replaced. No way of telling if it will fail, it will just happen if it's going to.

Mudguard brackets are also know the fail, they issued a number of revisions over the years I think. Not sure where you'd get any now tbh.

Get on the 340R facebook group, they will help you to source bits if needed.

An amazing find - was it openly advertised?

[Elisesport190]

8 hours ago, Ruxpin said:

Sounds a fun project.

I would move tyres into the definitely change list - 15yr old rubber will be horrible/dangerous and the whole point of the car is the handling. AD08R for road and a bit of track work or R888R/ZZR for track use would be my choice.

Also spark plugs/HT leads as cost is low.

While the body is off I would be tempted to change the radiator to an all alloy one. Check fans and horn are in good condition.

 

Once you start to use it other things are bound to emerge but the body will be much easier to get off next time - fixings will not be corroded and you know how to do it better! 

Good luck!

Thanks for that. I hadn't thought about replacing the radiator, makes sense considering its position.

[Elisesport190]

1 hour ago, Dr H said:

Defo tyres they will be hard as hell by now!

All the stuff Ruxpin has suggested makes sense. Use silicone hoses if you can. Also a water pump and belt tensioner might make sense for the small extra cost.

They did have an ECU recall to sort out a misfire in 2002, stops them setting on fire apparently http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=DC316C1BDC1B307000256BDB00311129&freeText=Blank&tx=

If it's on the original ECU it will also be touch and go on MOT emissions but should go through eventually.

The LCD displays on the Stacks tended to fail too. Lots were sorted  under warranty. If they go now it's a case of sending them back to Stack. Few hundred to get the LCD replaced. No way of telling if it will fail, it will just happen if it's going to.

Mudguard brackets are also know the fail, they issued a number of revisions over the years I think. Not sure where you'd get any now tbh.

Get on the 340R facebook group, they will help you to source bits if needed.

An amazing find - was it openly advertised?

Thanks for the suggestions.

The car is on the original ecu. There is no cat though as its on the sports exhaust with de cat. I wonder if the lotus dealer can reprogram the ecu or if I would be better off with an emerald...

LCD's are fine at the moment. The interior paint is very soft though and comes off easily, not sure if this can be sorted as it will look a dogs dinner after the car is used a few times.

The mudguard brackets are ok at the moment with no corrosion, I guess these can be sorted if and when they fall apart.

The car hasn't been advertised on the open market. It belonged to my father-in-law who no longer wants the car and preferred to have the space in his garage back, he parked it up 15 years ago and never used it again....mainly due to the flat battery and no lotus dealers near him in france.

[Dr H]

Hope you got a family discount

ECU was swapped I think, rather than re-programming but I could be wrong. Emerald would make it more driveable as the original Lotus map isn't great. I have one fitted to mine with a set of verniers and had them timed and the car mapped at Emerald. Made 198hp on their dyno and was totally driveable whilst keeping the vast majority of the VHPD's character.

Interior paint was probably Lotus's worst decision. For an open car that will see the worst of the elements, be it sun or rain and that needs 'climbing' into it's a stupid choice. I sorted mine out but it was a bif job. Body off, car dismantled and interior paint removed. Then redone in a proper 2 pack satin paint (black). Much harder wearing and very easy to repair if i gets scratched. Silver interior paint isn't great either, it has a soft touch lacquer on it that attracts dirt really efficiently....

I spent many many hours and copious amounts of money on mine getting it 'just right'. Then I sold it.....

This is it on the day it went....

 

If you have any questions or want any advice just drop me a message, happy to share my experiences and help where I can.

Cheers

 

[Elisesport190]

Thanks Dr H. Your car looked fantastic!! Love the wheels.

The silver soft touch lacquer is terrible, there has also been some rubbing from transporting it back to the UK due to the blue cover. I think its all gone soft due to being stored in a hot garage.

I notice your car had a split in the bodywork. I guess so the front section could be taken off independently. Was this a standard factory fitment or a mod?

I'm tempted to go with the emerald ecu and get one for my S1 Elise sport 190 too as that is a difficult drive below certain revs. I think the new one can have a couple of programs, I wonder if it has a VW style mot emissions beater map?

[Martin R]

A few people had the body split to ease getting it off. AFAIK they were all done after leaving the factory. The later Emeralds allow you to fit a 3 position switch for different maps, including an MOT one. If you are doing the cam belt, when you remove the crank pulley, get the aircon bit machined off. It makes access to the nut next time far easier.

[The Cakes]

Mine’s on the 190 ecu and runs absolutely fine. I had a conversation with Gav about it at Unit 4 and we both agreed that they must have done something different to 340r’s set up because my 340r is a different animal to my Exige (same 190 ecu etc). Saying that they are all different and have their own personality. You’ll already know that owning a 190. I would see how it runs after you’ve sorted everything and go from there, as you might be spending on an Emerald for no reason. 

 

[The Cakes]

Plus I’d keep the body in one piece. You can do the belts with the body on, when the time comes again. 

[The Cakes]

4 hours ago, Dr H said:

Hope you got a family discount

ECU was swapped I think, rather than re-programming but I could be wrong. Emerald would make it more driveable as the original Lotus map isn't great. I have one fitted to mine with a set of verniers and had them timed and the car mapped at Emerald. Made 198hp on their dyno and was totally driveable whilst keeping the vast majority of the VHPD's character.

Interior paint was probably Lotus's worst decision. For an open car that will see the worst of the elements, be it sun or rain and that needs 'climbing' into it's a stupid choice. I sorted mine out but it was a bif job. Body off, car dismantled and interior paint removed. Then redone in a proper 2 pack satin paint (black). Much harder wearing and very easy to repair if i gets scratched. Silver interior paint isn't great either, it has a soft touch lacquer on it that attracts dirt really efficiently....

I spent many many hours and copious amounts of money on mine getting it 'just right'. Then I sold it.....

This is it on the day it went....

 

If you have any questions or want any advice just drop me a message, happy to share my experiences and help where I can.

Cheers

 

What do they say Leigh, better to have loved....

Such a good looking car. 

[DeanB]

I sincerely hope some of these 340Rs are coming to Lotus in the Peak.  Imagine 3 or 4 parked next to each other like an exotic little island in the middle of a sea of Lotuses

😁😁😁

 

Dean

[The Cakes]

18 minutes ago, DeanB said:

I sincerely hope some of these 340Rs are coming to Lotus in the Peak.  Imagine 3 or 4 parked next to each other like an exotic little island in the middle of a sea of Lotuses

😁😁😁

 

Dean

I’ll bring mine 👍🏻

[Dr H]

Cutting the body allowed the removal of the rear in about 15 mins and made working on the engine dead easy. It would also allow the front to come off without having to mess about unbolting and tipping the roll bar forward etc. But now I'd probably not do it if you're bothered about originality and value. Having said that I only decided to do mine as it is reversible. Easy to glass it back together and repaint it tbh.

Wheels were TMR. V expensive but probably a bit more robust than the Techomags. Also the techonmags are so rare now that it was worth keeping them in the garage rather than on the car. Only needs one pothole to damage them and you're stuffed. You just can't get replacements. The TMRs were exactly the same weight as the technomags funnily enough.

When I did my Emerald you had to cut the original ECU plug off the loom and wire on the Emerald one. Now they do an adapter loom so it's a simple plug in and totally reversible. I think it made a big difference and mine did have the 190 kit on it before I did it. An original 177hp car would be an even bigger difference as the 190 kit was an improvement over the standard car anyway.

I ended up having my silver interior plastics repainted and lacquered, as with the inter tub it made it much more hard wearing.

 

 

 

[DeanB]

43 minutes ago, The Cakes said:

I’ll bring mine 👍🏻

Nice one buddy!

Come on Ruxpin get your name down  😊