Escape

Being able to take the HGV test for articulated straight away is definitely a good step forwards! It will not only save time, but money as well. I had to pay twice for what was essentially the same lessons to get my CE. As for HGV drivers from Eastern Europe, that is a problem over here as well. I understand them wanting to make a living, but it's unfair competition for local companies and drivers and conditions are often far from great for them as well.

That actually makes some sense!

Can't you get it sent on? Or will it be returned to sender automatically if there's no one to pay and receive it?

To each his own, 'grace' is not something I'd ever use when talking about an L322. I do like the look of the Sport, reminds me of a P38. Not convinced by the interior, and like in most modern cars I'm annoyed by all the beeps etc when driving one. Very glad to see the Sport go back to the owner, now there's nothing in the yard from this millennium. 🙂 Most recent resident is a '99 P38 that is marked to be stripped in favor of a 1996 P38. Edited to add: I don't want to sound negative, you do have an impressive collection and it's nice to see the more recent generations getting a fan base as well. 😉 I'm sure the 5.0 supercharged will be nice to drive! Filip

Yes, from UK but it's just the incompetence of Bpost. If DHL or DPD are on the job, everything goes smoothly, full payment in advance and at most it takes one day longer than before. And they're cheaper as well, so I'm definitely not put off buying from UK, just need to make sure shipping is handled by a proper company.

I'm guessing the spline length is just a brand difference. There is quite some margin, it all depends on the machining. As for delivery times, Belgian post has some Lotus parts for me that have been in Belgium since the 17th of August but they still can't or wont give a delivery date! For Spain I was told 3 working days, which sounded reasonable, but it ended up being 4.5 days...

I guess you could argue that those who don't care about trailer safety are not necessarily held back by regulations either. And a bigger, braked trailer is definitely safer than a small but overloaded one. I still think it's not a step forward for safety. The grandfathers right was a concession to avoid people having to get their license renewed to comply with the stricter trailer regulations. Just like we have in Belgium, but only for licenses up to 1989. Last week I had a learner driver in telling me there must be something wrong with her lights because she was constantly getting flashed by oncoming traffic when she had her lights on. Turned out high beam was turned on. She had no clue whatsoever, didn't know (or care) about the blue indicator light on the dash, didn't know the difference between side lights and dipped beam and thought high beam was the same as fog lights. Yet she's driving on public roads without supervision (after taking the minimum of lessons). If that same group of drivers will now be allowed to hook up a big caravan, once a year, on roads they don't know etc, it does not bode well. Just like we see loads of people struggling with small trailers. I can't imagine they'll do much better with a big trailer, but the consequences can be far greater. We seem to be getting burdened with more and more rules, often in the name of safety, so this doesn't make sense. Those who think it is a good idea, will you still do so when speed limits are reduced on downslopes because there have been to much accidents involving trailers?

I had a half shaft etc in stock to fit a locker to a customers car. So I sent it to Andorra first thing Monday morning. Still took a week to get there unfortunately, no overnight shipping available. 😞

Built for the navy, does that mean it can swim as well? 🙂

I came across this, 'special' is the first thing that springs to mind. Not sure if the 3rd axle is needed/worth it, seems like a lot of added complexity, especially if you want it driven and with good articulation. It was posted on The Lotus Forums, as the ideal second car because it could serve as a somewhat practical car, as well as living quarters and take the Lotus to the track. 😎

Looks like a proper holiday. 🙂 Fingers crossed the spares reach you soon!

I have no real need for it, as my current Rangie is behaving, but I've had to use the EKA a couple of times on a previous one when the alarm would act up (for some reason, never really dug into it as it was only a spares car). If that had been my daily, I would have considered a bypass, depending on the price. Back in its day the security system of the P38 was very advanced, and rightfully so. At current price levels I see very little risk of the car being stolen. Same with the security bolts on alloy wheels, not worth it unless you've got gold plated wheels IMHO. More likely to get a window bashed in to search the glovebox etc for a GPS or phone. My insurance doesn't cover theft anyway. This does open up possibilities to run the engine stand-alone. The bypass should be a lot cheaper than an aftermarket ECU, so all you need is donor vehicle for engine, loom and ECU.

On full compression the tires tuck into the wheel wells. Wider tires or a wider track will reduce space available, so more chances of interference.

That test will prove fuel flow, not fuel pressure. The regulator will open when it reaches a certain pressure and allow fuel to flow back, so it does prove the pump is delivering enough to get the regulator to operate. But you need to know the actual pressure before the regulator for fault finding. You can use an (old) tire pressure gauge on the fuel rail valve to get a reading.

A short shaft would be FTC3270. I have a new one on the shelf...

I just saw this on another forum: https://www.rangerovers.net/threads/imobiliser-fix-for-bosch-never-be-stranded-again.349421/#post-2348622 Apparently someone has designed and built a board to bypass the immobiliser in the engine ECU for P38 Bosch, GEMS and diesel, L322 BMW V8 & TD6 and the TD5. Could be interesting for someone wanting to do an engine swap (and not fitting MS) or just for peace of mind if the security features are acting up. I don't know the guy who designed and sells the board, I do know the OP is one of the regulars on RRnet and he seems like a a nice chap trying to help other. As an aside, the BECM bypass that is mentioned is the same trick I use with MS in the P38. If the BECM doesn't get a response from the engine ECU it will no longer relay the signal to the starter motor after a couple of attempts. All that is needed is bridging the output from the ignition switch directly to the input for the starter relay, so the BECM can't cut the signal. Filip

That sounds like a great idea! My first thought was also that getting the necessary proportionate control would make it very expensive. @elbekko you fancy fitting RC servos to our skid steer? Sounds like a fun challenge!

I also find a complete axle case for that part number, long half shaft would be FTC3271. Edit, just found the mistake: the topic title has the correct number, the first post says FTC3721. 😉 I have an axle from an RRC that I could strip, but not close enough to Andorra to get it there by tomorrow...

With the current production mix for electricity the zero emission badge is a plain lie. It's only zero tailpipe emissions, and while that may be a good step forward in crowded cities, it's certainly not the end of all problems.

As above, get the strongest one you can, nothing worse than getting out a tool and then finding out it's not up to the job. Especially as you already have a stubby one for lighter work.

Sounds like something for @Shackleton could maybe help with. Both for connections in Greek and because the rescue/restoration would make for a great topic in Soup. Hope you find a way to get it home!

A friend ran those sizes on his FL2 (2.2SD automatic). He used the car as daily, to tow his trailer and for offroading, all without any problems. He even came with us to Seven Sisters a couple of years ago and everyone was amazed how well the FL2 did. Part due to his driving, but the bigger tyres helped as well.

Sad but true...

I very much doubt that, certainly not in our lifetime. Regulations will become stricter no doubt, with ever expanding LEZs etc. But I don't expect a complete ban. And if they keep pushing EVs (an somehow manage to get the power production and distribution to match), demand for petrol/diesel will decrease and so supplies will last a lot longer and prices should stabilize somewhat. I'm not saying we'll be able to commute to work in our S1 V8, Lotus Esprit, <insert car of choice>, not without increasing expense and difficulties. But we should be able to enjoy them as a fun means of transport in our own time. I don't really see the appeal of converting a classic to electrical. It's just too much of a compromise: there will be nothing of the original controls left, no need to shift gears or carefully adjust the choke for an easy start and nice idle, no sound of a V8 springing to life, no smell of hot oil and exhaust etc. And will you keep (fake) analogue dials or just glue an Ipad to the dash? You'll need one anyway to control the elektrickery... On the other hand you'll never get the benefits of a purpose built EV if you keep the old chassis and suspension etc. IMHO it would make more sense to take a platform from an I-pace or similar and replace the body with something looking like a Range Rover Classic if you just want the looks but not the driving experience. Filip

Sure you will, just like you can still ride or horse or run a steam engine. 😉