US Road trip

General General Lotus Talk
41

Another excellent instalment. Glad you got everything sorted on the car!!!

Enjoy Lagina Seca!!!

SEan…

42

Indeed, another fascinating instalment. Thank you.

43

�I don�t [insert appropriate expletive] believe it�

Four or five words I�ve found myself uttering with increasing regularity over the last few days. It was to be no different today�

Up nice and early, I was at track by 7:30am, visibility was only a couple of car lengths but the sun would hopefully soon burn the fog off. Registration and safety brief completed, I waited for the advanced group to be called. Nice mix of cars in the group and the track was for the most part dry. The green flag came out and as usual my plan of taking it easy went straight out the window After 25 minutes the rears were overheating badly and I decided to come in. The session had been a good one; I was only caught by a couple of Radicals, a pretty good performance since I was running road tyres. The track itself was interesting; the corkscrew in real life is simply breathtaking. You approach it completely blind and as you turn in the track falls away so steeply you have to aim for tops of the trees. My lines were interesting to say the least and I was looking forward improving over the next two days.

Warm down lap complete it was into the pits and the horrifying slight of smoke wafting up from the engine bay greeted me. Fire is probably my worse nightmare, the speed a fire can consume a car is mind blowing. So I was desperate to find the source. Eventually I realised it must the remains of the grease from the Tripod joint cooking off on the engine block. Decided I would head into town and find a garage to degrease the engine. But before I did I reached under to check the new boot. I was literally stunned went I reached under to see the boot had split yet again! Continuing on was out of the question. Although there was still plenty of grease in the joint the risk of fire was too great and to be honest with a score of Tripod 3, Ian 0, I was a beaten man.

Phoned up Harry in LA, he was as perplexed as I. But he offered to sort it out again if I could get back to LA. So an 800 mile round trip to spend 25 minutes on track, not only that but I�d filled the tank with 100 octane gas @ $7.50 a gallon . The thought of wasting it all on the drive back to LA bought tears to my eyes. But at least I had got some track time.

I wandered around the pits for an hour or so chatting to people and grabbing a few shots.

Anyone care to have a guess as to what this is�

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/30002.jpg[/image]

Cobra

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/30004.jpg[/image]

One of Maranello’s better efforts

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/30009.jpg[/image]

Skip Barber Vipers

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/30008.jpg[/image]

On track.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/31005.jpg[/image]

Left for LA at around 2pm and got to Patrick�s place around 8:30pm. Patrick was pleased to see me� I think

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/30011.jpg[/image]

Dropped the car off with Harry at Viking Motorsport in the morning. Late in the afternoon the car was ready once more and we still had no answers. The boot did not appear to have overheated and the direction of the split seemed to rule out contact with the body work or ballooning. For all I know I won�t have another problem for years. Needless to say I picked up a couple of lottery tickets…

Patrick�s managed to score four tickets to the Tonight show with Jay Leno on Friday which I�m really looking forward to. Saturday morning I�ll be heading for Crystal Cove in LA, every Saturday morning a few million dollars worth of Super cars turn up. This Saturday will be no different other than the presence of a tatty old Lotus Elise

44

Bummer!

Was there nothing you could hire, borrow, Pax in?


Anyone care to have a guess as to what this is�

Um, quick! Looks like a Mazda powered F3000, although I’ve never heard of such a thing.

The great story continues! Don’t get shot though.

Ian

45

after the first 10-20 mins of track driving have a look at the boot and you will probably find that it will have ballooned up. This is just trapped air in the joint expanding with heat and trying to escape. Get a small screwdriver and push it into the base of the boot to let the air out and push the boot as deep into the CV as you can to expel any remaining air. Once you have done this all should be well just keep the sessions reletively short if the air temp is high.

Good luck with it mate, I’m enjoying reading your updates and I’m stupidly jealous. Have a good one

46

Randy the boot had split diagonally about one pleat down from the big end of the boot. So pushing it in wasn’t an option. No idea when it happened or why. Harry replaced it yesterday and could only guess as to what went wrong.

The single seater is a Formula Mazada. Powered by a rotary engine apparently bullet virtually bullet proof.

47

…virtually bullet proof.

Assuming you keep it topped up with oil! A race rotary must need filling up with that as much as fuel!

Ian

48

Get a small screwdriver and push it into the base of the boot to let the air out and push the boot as deep into the CV as you can to expel any remaining air.

I always thought that boots should be fitted quite tightly, ie, as concertinaed as possible to allow for expansion.

49

Get a small screwdriver and push it into the base of the boot to let the air out and push the boot as deep into the CV as you can to expel any remaining air.

They shouls be but often this isn’t enough for track work ad the small amount of air left in them is enough to burst the boot. ALWAYS check new ones after the first track session…
I always thought that boots should be fitted quite tightly, ie, as concertinaed as possible to allow for expansion.

50

You are a star…compulsive reading ian.

sorruy to hear about having to go back again and again to the CV joint… but I guess these are the things that keep you on yer toes… wouldn’t want to get bored eh…

51

Hi Ian

Drive shaft boot failure :wink:
Sound familiar,my car is still off the road,hope to have it going again at the end of this week.
Very impressed with the trip,wish I wad the time(and money) to do it,top bloke .

Stu

52

So we left of with the car back on the road and me clutching the winning numbers for the Lottery. Friday morning we took a trip down to Long beach and checked out this old girl.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2008.jpg[/image]

Then it was on to Hondata in Torrance to check out my ECU, if you recall I had swapped the K-Pro (programmable daughter board) in Birmingham, Alabama. Hondata had emailed me to say there was nothing wrong with the old one. Turned out a couple of pins needed sorting out on my ECU. Job done it was onto Prototype Racing � some of you reading this will need a quick bit of background. My Elise has a Honda Type R engine; originally the kit was supplied by Prototype Racing. Since the S1 Elise is not road legal in the States road testing was left up to the end user � in this case, me and a couple of other unfortunates. To make a very long story short, 90% of it has since been removed from the car. As it turned out I was one of the lucky ones to actually receive anything at all. So I figured it would only be right to pop in and say hello. Unfortunately the owner was no where to be seen.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2002.jpg[/image]

Not long after I�m sitting at an intersection and well I�ll let you guess what happened next�

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2009.jpg[/image]

Got it yet?

In case you�re a bit slow of the mark, I�ll describe the situation. I�m at least 8 or 9 feet behind the lady looking for something in the car. Patrick suddenly reaches across and hits the horn. I look up to see the Toyota�s reversing lights on and slam the car into reverse. But it�s too late and I can only watch in disbelieve as with the horn still blowing the Toyota Sienna hits the front of my car with enough impact to break the mounting points on its bumper. We get out fearing the worse but unbelievably all I can see are scratches on the paint work. It�s not worth a claim and the scratches will T-cut out.

Drama over we head for the NBC studios for the taping of the tonight show. The queue outside is a mile long, but instead of joining it Patrick ushers us into another entrance where his uncle is waiting for us. Patrick is so well connected we could probably get ring side seats to Saddam Hussein�s trial if we wanted them. The tour of NBC continues into the �Green room� where the guests wait before coming on. A nice selection of food and drink is on offer and I�m feeling a little peckish � so a public apology is in order to Tyra Banks and the other guests about the little mess we left behind  Finally we get seated right in front next to the band. Jay comes out and gives us a quick rundown on what�s going to be happening. The Tonight show format is �Live to tape�, meaning although it�s not live, there are no re-takes and mistakes are left in. Because we�re sitting in the front we all get to shake hands with Jay when the show begins. Got to say at this point its pretty amazing to be in the presence of such a famous figure he really does come across as a genuinely nice guy. The show itself was great but what followed completely blew me away.

We walk out the back to see what Jay has driven to work. Jay of course owns pretty much every desirable car every manufactured. So I�m expecting perhaps a McLaren of some description. But what I find confirms in mind what I�ve read. Jay is a total car nut and despite his enormous wealth this is what he�s chosen to drive tonight�

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2017.jpg[/image]

Don�t believe me?

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2018.jpg[/image]

It�s a 1953 2-stroke Saab. But wait it gets better, while we�re giving it the once over, the great man himself comes out. After a few words he gets ready to leave and I mutter something about it being a 2-stroke. Jay jumps out opens the bonnet and proceeds to tell us all about it. His enthusiasm is genuine and his knowledge boundless. Finally if that wasn�t enough we got this�

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2019.jpg[/image]

From the left Patrick, Alan, some guy who Patrick said was important myself and CJ - also known as Cliff Jockey for his ability to drive his Elise up vertical surfaces with varying degrees of success.

What a night, and many thanks to Patrick for making it so memorable. The night is still young and we head back to meet up with a couple of other Elise owners for dinner. Many on the Lotus forums will recognize the young lady in this photo.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2027.jpg[/image]

America�s answer to The Stig (you need to have seen the BBC series Top Gear to understand) is to the left, and Don a local Lotus technician is next to him. Lillie has done more to improve Trans-Atlantic relations than the last 10 years of G8 summits. I can assure everyone nothing has changed. For those not aware of her contribution here�s a scan of a Lotus magazine with Lillie doing her bit for Anglo-American relations at a Lotus Christmas party in England a few years back.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/Lillie.jpg[/image]

I would imagine the people sitting at the next table will remember what happened next with more clarity than most

It was an early start the next morning for the drive to Crystal Cove 5:45am to be exact
The Stig had stayed over and I followed him down to Crystal Cove.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2028.jpg[/image]

With rain the previous night, Patrick was disappointed with the turn out. Where as I wandered around with my jaw dragging along the ground.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2021.jpg[/image]

They let me in

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2043.jpg[/image]

Patrick was flying out to watch a Football game in Chicago, another Uncle or Aunt had sorted out tickets in the owners box � did I mention Patrick is more connected than the internet? But he�d arranged for me to stay at a friends place in Hollywood. Alan is a script writing Elise owner and all round top guy. He�s paid his dues and now entertains calls from the likes of Mel Gibson. Despite all this he shares his house not with some Hollywood starlet but a pet rabbit that treats his furniture as food. Patrick had warned me Alan had been up till 6am working on a script, so I decided to call in on Brian (Chief Rocka), Brian as you may recall was the guy who send me the Tripod joint that finally got me moving again in Flagstaff. I tossed him the keys and didn�t see him again for half an hour Turned up at Alan�s late in the afternoon, we went out to a local Hollywood hangout and I let him drive the car. It was hilarious watching him try to get used to changing gear with his other hand. 1st to 4th was one of his favourites. The following morning it was off on a �Toy�s for Tot�s� charity run. We all met up a big car park where once again I was left slack jawed at the number of super cars in attendance. They say the Great Wall of China is one of the only man made structures visible from space. But today an astronaut would have been blinded by the red of the countless numbers of Ferrari�s. If the dollar value of the cars on display at Crystal Cove could have bought a small 3rd world country today�s turnout could have probably bought the lot.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2063.jpg[/image]
[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2075.jpg[/image]
[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2066.jpg[/image]

Following lunch we decided to head for the hills. Now up to this point I had developed a bit of a love hate relationship with L.A. I loved the climate and the caf� culture, but the sheer size of the place and the abysmal state of the Freeways had pretty much killed any desire to live there. What was to follow changed all that. We headed down Mulholland Drive and turned off onto Mulholland highway and eventually the Pacific coast highway. The next 30 or 40 miles bought back memories of the European Alps. The road was fantastic as good as anything I�d experienced on the trip so far. And this time it was with 10 or so other Elise�s. At the end of it I�d have been happy to turn around and do it all over again.

[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2086.jpg[/image]
[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2088.jpg[/image]
[image]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2083.jpg[/image]

So there you have it, the trip is nearing its end. Tomorrow the car gets dropped of at the shippers and I fly out to Auckland, New Zealand to start a new life. If there�s time Alan is going to cap it all off with an inside tour of the Warner brothers studio.

And by the way, I won a dollar in the lottery. Things are starting to look up!

It�s been a fantastic trip and in many ways I wouldn�t have changed a single thing. I�ve already decided to return again this time with my long suffering wife to take care of a little unfinished business.

This trip has changed my perception of America and I hope it�s done the same for a few others.

Thanks for reading.

53

Fantastic - good job Xmas is coming up or I’d have nothing to look forward to.

Any plans for a Kiwi installment?

54

Patrick is so well connected…

Nothing to do with the guns?!

Sorry to hear about more misfortunte, glad it worked out okay.

Ian

55

ian

thanks for this thread… it has been trully fantastic. Its a shame its over really.

Glad to see Clydesides finest is still looking pretty good

The body language in the Toyota Sienna incident says it all… sorry that happened to you but sounds like its not too bad (thanksfully)

Also… I’m surprised 2-strokes are legal in good ol USA… in fact I’m not sure they are… but i guess it pays to have friends in the right places

This is the firt time I have actually ever noticed that it doesn’t seem to be a problem to run a car with no front number plate in California … why are we brits so anal about that ?

The locals seem to like their gaylardy’s ehh…

wonder if Top Gear know the stig drives an elise in USA

prolly best you didn’t meet Joe (although i’d really have liked to hear the story )

I really really wish you well with everything you do back in NZ … i’m sure you’ll keep in touch

awerabest

56

Very Cool, Fair Play. Love the PCH. Have driven from LA to San Francisco up that a few times.

Sean…

57

I only have one question:

on the pictures, which one are you? (sorry, never met you)

58

I only have one question:

on the pictures, which one are you? (sorry, never met you)

The S1 Elise



































The tall chappie with the green Lotus T shirt

59

[image]> http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/iwilson/Road%20Trip/2019.jpg> [/image]

From the left Patrick, Alan, some guy who Patrick said was important > myself > and CJ - also known as Cliff Jockey for his ability to drive his Elise up vertical surfaces with varying degrees of success.

The Lotus badge is also a clue.

60

The Lotus badge is also a clue.


No but yeah but yeah but yeah no but yeah no but yeah…

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