after two months of the LOtus sitting down in the shop figuring out why the clutch was slipping, it finally runs properly. Now, there is a little issue. Anyone know why when you engage reverse gear, there is a slight grinding sound before it engages? This is a 5 speed manual box.
I think the sofa looks quite comfy ^^ what kind of speed do these antiquities get up to? Never heard one of these & it would be nice to see it running, maybe youtube?
Had a camera in hand the other night & didn't expect the rain when I picked up the car. I always like to shoot wet nights as the water on the ground gives so much more texture, reflections and the lurid details that we could extract is like looking into a clear night sky from the wilderness.....so decided to make these in black & white. Compositions aren't the best but what the heck. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Love the car & the pics Jon .. I've always considered getting an RS but have never pulled the trigger, & this looks like a great example. So what have you got in the garage now? I can never keep up with you.
Worn synchros. Will check it out. Lotus forum is dead in Spore. The ones hosted in UK/US have alot of people with their own ideas and it is rather known that people who ask for advice there end up sometimes getting wrong info thus spending money for nothing.
I concur, it might be a synchro problem. I had a similar problem on my rx-8 and it was related to some defective synchro.
It should be the same symptoms as any manual-shift gearbox IMHO. I'm sure some experienced guys can help you on this but if it's not giving you much problems then no worries. My 456GT has a worse symptom, it won't enter 5th gear above 2krpm so I'd skip it, checked around & it could be an alignment issue or simply bleeding the brake pump again. I also replaced brand new clutch & water pumps on my Diablo as it's quite cheap @ the moment, just for insurance sake.
Thanks mate. It's shopping time as post 05 cars are due for scrapping now & they'll be even more attractive soon! Rid the GTC for this & almost regretted it, it's like stepping out of a 6 stars suite & checking into a small boutique hotel that costs 20% more well you get the idea Anyway, if not for the troublesome roof the GTC had, I would still have that. Besides, I always think that the Bentley will kill me one of these days as the front wheel arches are blindspots for me, you already don't feel much of the steering & worse when you can't see anything within a metre or two! Dude, you should get this if you don't mind shifting gears yourself or just grab a Turbo or GT2, far more civilised. The 5 years Stuttgart warranty program is very attractive & doesn't cost a penny, no complex warranty package either so your car is kept alive even if bits start to hand loose I hear that the new GT3 will be PDK but should be 2 years away from now as the new car is something like 100+/-kg lighter due to a new chassis.
Yeah got new clutches for the LOtus too as prices were quite cheap. Your 456GT seems to be the only car you dont seem to be selling off. Sentimental value eh? Will get the synchros checked. Thanks Sareve and Jon
Thanks bro. Unfotunately, after a month with this RS, I still don't have the chance to bring it out of Singapore & it will not shine on our roads. The thing barely comes alive @ 100km/h & starts to get interesting @ 150. Driving it is very addictive. It has a very communicative steering, you can run wide while pushing it but with slight adjustments & you're back in line, no stress, no drama, it'll go where you point it and the super sticky rubbers hold you through corners unlike anything else with virtually no roll. I've done it in wet & surprisingly not as slippery as they said. The extra 200cc, torque gained & gearings are huge improvements over the Mk1 (which I almost bought thrice!) & makes this RS quite exciting to drive though it lacks the drama of turbo cars or bigger V12s or 8s. The suspension is surprisingly very comfortable but you'd want to really glide over those tiny speed strips in carpark or risk a loud thump! due to the air-suspension. Yes, my car came spec with the lifter which is so useful. It even has darn cupholders! in carbon....while the PCM has touchscreen navigation, bluetooth, USB, Iphone etc. Pretty decent speakers but most of the time, you'll be hearing the chattering flywheel spinning away. cha-ta-cha-ta...the 1st owner even ripped out the cloth seats & tailored leather then stitched back the RS 3.8 while headlamps are adaptive (heavier) almost every options ticked back (even those GT3RS stickers are options!) so this is probably a heavyweight RS Brake is great as usual & PCCB are the best in the business. Hot or cold. Only flaw is the gearshifts. It is still very notchy after 10k km & upshift from 1st~2nd is still not slick like F & L cars, even Japs are slicker. Dowshifts are easier though. It does however give you the rifle-bolt feel & the clutch is very light but everytime I drive it fast, it feels like hitting the Gym. Not sure if I'm alone, but i'd squeeze my abs everytime I nail it to get that perfect launch Tried running errands around town & it's very tiring but rewarding so I'm getting another daily ride. In short, if you want a driver's car, this is it. Porsche improves the model bit by bit like a Japanese swordsmith; polishing and perfecting it over years. The RS 4.0 is sold out (so is this) & trading above retail price! Most guys won't extract the improvements over the Mk1 from 2007 and yeah, the shape's all the same except that whacky tail. It doesn't try to kill you with wild speeds like Lambos or that feather-light steering on F430s, the 3.8RS is a very balanced car. It rewards you when everything comes together. Oh lastly, that bloody centrelock wheel is a pain & getting all season tyres are impossible unless I get 18" wheels.
Great write up! Looks like you're enjoying a lot of driving time with the RS. Have to see your RS up close one of these days. I've lost track of the cars that you've owned I have to agree with you on the PCCB. Drove my bro's 997.2 Turbo and the PCCBs work flawlessly. There's no need to warm up unlike the ones on the F430. But that said, the F430's ceramic brakes is the earlier generation type. Apart from that, the Porsche 911 is a solid car even though the shape hasn't changed much for the past 40 years. Oh yes, there was a factory recall on the replacement of the centerlock for the wheels as there were complaints of the centerlocks breaking under stress from tracking. Do get that checked if yours have been replaced. I sent in the Turbo for replacement earlier this year, so I guess they might be using the same center lugs on your RS? Mini Porsche drive is tempting. Fong, how's your GT2?
Drive with PCM on for track, takes out the sponginess in the front. Very important is to swap out the MPSC or equivalent semi slicks for Supersports. The rears have to downsize to 305 but overall diff is less than 3%. No TC or CEL issues. Most cars have very little issues, there is an upgrade to the RS version shifter box, supposed to be alot better. As with my previous GT3s, New tires every 10-15k(less if track often) Pads need replacing every 20-25k. Engine service every other trackday. Never miss a beat. I dont like stupid ipod interface where you need addition source of power. Everything today should be Power Over .... Great car...keep at it!
Wow Jon my rx-8 has this exact same problem! I never really fixed it since I just had to put my car into 5th at below 4k rpm though.
no kidding?! It only began to happen during my last few days of EU trip, thank goodness! Then it went off completely. My mech said it's the 5th synchro which I rarely abuse anyway, he ordered some rubber mounting so we'll see. To be honest the gears were perfect before I swapped the clutch which didn't even need in the first place....u know what they say about if it ain't broken, leave it alone!
On hindsight, I should've gotten a GT2 since I'm not a trackie and more of a GT guy. Oh, but every enthusiast must own a GT3 once in their life, it's the purest 911, period. My Centrelock was upgraded two service campaign ago & it's basically higher torque @ 600Nm per wheel! But you bros should read the bulletin on locking the wheel on your own. I'd much prefer the 5 bolt system.
