Esprit

Mine are all hiiiiiigh

100mm is fine, if the slab is good and there are spreader bars on the bottom of the hoist. If the hoist has a small bolting footprint then it might be marginal, or if you're planning on hoisting Landcruisers all day err'day. For a home hoist or semi commercial use 100mm should be fine.

4 posters are good for doing exhausts and oil changes and that's about it

Oh, and the only thing I want to add to mine, is an optical beam sensor to detect when the top of the vehicle is about to contact the ceiling. Currently you have to guess it and if you get lazy there's a risk of contact. Cheap solution is a mirror mounted ona 45 degree angle on the roof above the control box so you can see across, but since I'm an automation engineer, I'll get some basic sensing up in here.

You'll need at least a 100mm reinforced pad, and to be honest, even then you'll want to probably bolt on some load-spreader bars to the hoist along the sides to spread the load.

Here's mine, it's a 3-phase 2-post Istobal. Early '90s vintage but built like a brick shitter.

Ceiling heght is just under 3.2m level, and on a normal car you can get it quite high, although with something modernish or large You have to work on it with a slight stoop, I find it pretty comfortable though and I'mabout 5'11". Ideally you'd need about a 3.5-4m stud to be able to work on most carsabove head-height.

Recessing it into the floor for low cars is a good idea, although you'll still need temporary ramps to drive over and allow room within the "pit" for the arms to swing into.

I can't get the Lotus onto my hoist yet, but because it's my hoist and I'll do what I want with it I'm going to make up some custom-arms to suit the car (you need massive reach to get to its jacking points anyway).

The under-lighting is a good idea, although bear in mind that everything underneath a hoist gets covered in shit, oil, coolant etc so spec wisely. It'll also get scratched, so some kind of replacable covers would be good so you can replace them when they get scratched up. Flouro tubes preferable to LEDs because they cast less shadows.

To be honest I've never found lighting an issue in my garage, although you can see it's well lit and having the ceiling and whalls painted white REEEEEEEALLY helps as it reflects the light around. I'm going to be painting the floor an off-white, which will help things even further in time, but I find I only need a lead-lamp when working way up in the bowels of a car where floor-lights wouldn't help anyway.

I've got tilt-sectional doors on mine, but as you can see, they don't intrude into the hoist space. For a single-depth garage they'd still work (tilt sectionals are the best) but you might want some interlock on them so that the hoist won't raise when they're up and when the hoist is up the door is locked-out.

But yeah, anything over 3m stud will be fine (unless you're semi rural you won't get that anyway, see the battles Ed had with his shed) and unless you're working 40 hour weeks under a hoist, having to stoop a little isn't uncomfortable at all. Snoozin' will attest that the working height of mine is not bad at all.And yeah, throw as much lighting at it as you can, although pay attention to the type of lighting and know that ambient light is best!

Happy hoisting.

Twas still great to see them reunited, I'm assuming they'll be doing so in a more aggressive manner at some point in the future

The Lantis is going to be a BTCC homage of sorts... well as much as we can do in 2KCup!

Thanks for posting Brad, I saw this yesterday but don't have AutoSport Plus membership!

Kiwi808, your car is just the duck's nuts. So much tidy!

Trans would be incapable of dropping a skid without more fluid either.... didn't like manoeuvring last night did it?

Richy doesn't have a front lawn I'm sure Richy will come out of this quids in and with a bunch of spare parts #iamthebargainhunter

Pretty bulletproof boxes. Only watchword with them is if you're broken down and are towing then you need to drop the propshaft out as the internal gearbox oil pump is driven off the input shaft.... either that or tow it in gear with the clutch pressed down.

Hehe. I seriously lack power at Taupo. Having said that, those laps were in pretty hefty traffic, I know there's another second or two in the car I just have to unlock

From Monday. Taupo Track 1, 1:42.7 on semi slicks. Lotus Exige.

That was pretty rusty too. As evidenced by the number of mis-shifts and ham-fisted corrections. One of the sessions I managed to get it smoother and quicker, but it usually looks slower because I'm less busy at the wheel.

Good thing about the session was because there was little traffic out front I spent most of the afternoon experimenting with taming the oversteer with left-foot braking, which was surprisingly effective out of the slower corners. Needs some more work but I think there could be  half second or so in that in the long run once I figure out my technique for the car properly.

Wasn't too frustrating, later sessions I started more up the front so only had to deal with them when I came up to lap them That was the first run of the day, tyre pressures weren't right, and the track was cold and still a little damp. It does need more rear end grip though, I've a stiffer front ARB on the wishlist as I'm at maximum stiffness on the stock item and it's still unloading the inside rear too much.

It's a common thing with S1s though and more a case of too much front grip rather than not enough rear. I could run more camber on the rear for more grip on track, but it'd drive like arse on the road, and it is still a street car after all

Been busy with house/work stuff of late so not many miles put on the car.

I did, however, manage to track down the source of the grinding noise on the rear (I think) to a rear calliper bolt being sliiiiiightly too long and just touching the back of the brake disc when loaded up. A quick touch with the grinder sorted that out.

This last week, I got round to doing something I've been meaning to so for a while; resetting the ride-height and giving the car a full geo, as the handling suggested it wasn't ideal. I've had the rear suspension on and off a couple of times and while I had an alignment done not too long ago, it just didn't feel right.... so now that I have the garage space, out came the string!

As I suspected, it was a way out, so after several hours of setting up, measuring, adjusting, and repeating, I had it pretty damned close.

The reason for this? I'd been invited along to a trackday by my father as his group of mates was going to one with the Hawke's Bay Car Club at Taupo. My good friend Paul Aston was coming along too in my old Elise, so it was set to be a fun day.

After a foggy drive down, the day was just a perfect late Autumn day. Clear blue sky, little breeze and about 20 degrees. Lovely!

Paul and I were allocated into the fast road-car group, which put us out with a couple of 997 Turbos, a 996 Turbo S, an R8 V10, a couple of F430 Scuderias and a Ferrari F458, among others.

Despite being outgunned under power, SEXIGE acquitted herself well, clearly faster than everything else out there over a lap, even though sometimes the others were reluctant to let the little upstart past!

This was from the first session, and I've got more video to come, but this was the only one where I started from the rear of the group, in the others I tended to just lead out and leave the exotica behind. It's not every day you get the chance to dust off Scuds and 458s!

Managed to clock a high 1:42 laptime which isn't too bad... car has more in it though, especially since my rear tyres have long since given their best!

LIKE

Saw this bad boy at the Concours show on the weekend It was parked not far from my car, which was on the Club Lotus stand It looks like it'll be quite the ship when done... bet it'll make a nice noise, those 250 V8s were always one of the sweetest sounding 8 cylinders around!

Imagine how fast you could have go if you do a honda swap George!!!

Hehe... true that

Mind you, my laptimes are currently quicker than any Honda-powered Lotus in New Zealand has achieved

E-Type is the sex, and fuck me, is that a Shamal?!?!? Always wanted to see one in real life, they're like the ultimate evolution of the BiTurbo.... A car that's top of my "I know I shouldn't like it but I do" tree.

The 635 looks good too, and manual? If you want to sell that.....

Here's the wall of txt:

Originally Posted by bcnr34

To save you all the cr@p I have just endured, I will give you what I know and save you over $1,000 of legal fees, court fees etc.

My car was impounded 2.5 weeks ago under the new "Boy Racer" Act for "Unnecessary Acceleration"

The Land Transport Act ("The Act"), in section 22(A) [the one for the boy racer act) states:

(1) A person must not operate a motor vehicle in a race, or in an unnecessary exhibition of speed or acceleration, on a road unless the operation of the vehicle in that matter is authorised by law

(4) In this section … the operation of a motor vehicle in a particular manner is authorised by law if, -

(a) in the case or a race or an exhibition of speed or acceleration, -

( i) the speed of the vehicle is within the applicable speed limit or speed limits; and

(ii) the vehicle operator does not contravene any enactment other than this section that applies in relation to the operation of the vehicle;…

So what this means is:

If you do NOT brake any other laws as set out in 22(A) ie you do NOT exceed the speed limit, you do NOT lose traction, and you do NOT compete in a race, you can NOT have your vehicle impounded. Likewise, if you lose traction for a SMALL amount of time, then back off the gas so you are not "unnecessarily accelerating", are not competing in a drag race and do not exceed the speed limit, they can NOT impound your car.

When your vehicle is impounded, the police fill out 2 forms. One is an infringment notice. The other is the impound notice. If the police tell you they are impounding your car, askk why. Do NOT argue with them. When they present you with both forms, take your copies so they can no longer be altered, and look at them CAREFULLY.

IF on the INFRINGMENT notice, you only get:

Unnecessary exhibition of acceleration OR

Loss of traction OR

Competted in a drag race

BUT only one, inform the policeman that under 22(A) of the Act your vehicle can NOT be impounded.

Likewise, if on the INFRINGMENT notice, you get anything BUT Unnecessary exhibition of acceleration OR

Loss of traction OR

Competted in a drag race

You are being "infringed" for an unimpoundable offence eg "Driving in a manner likely to cause annoyance or damage" is NOT an impoundable offence.

If the policeman HAS filled out the INFRINGEMENT form correctly for the "charges", look at all the details. If any of them eg plate number, date, time etc are wrong, you get off the fine. Your car can still be impounded.

Then you look at the IMPOUND form.

Section 96(2)(a) of the Act states that the officer must:

"Complete the notice in the prescribed form, or in a form to that effect, acknowledging the seizure and impoundment, and setting out...'

So if the IMPOUND notice does NOT contain:

VIN Number/Rego and/or Make and/or Model and/or Year, the IMPOUND form is invalid, and your vehicle can not be impounded.

What "or in a form to that effect" means:

If the Officer does NOT have the correct form on him, he is to write one out as close to the original form as he can. It does NOT mean that if he tells you your car is being impounded, being verbally advised satisfies the words "in a form to that effect"

Also, calling the lack of info on the form "An administrative error" is also not allowed. The form IS nullified and your vehicle can NOT be impounded.

At the end of the day, bugger all you say will stop it.

So you go to the police station, with printouts from:

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/brow...nt-set=pal_regs

and click LAND TRANSPORT ACT COMMENCEMENT ORDER 1998, on the left.

Go to sections 22, and 96.

Show the Police it was illegal etc and demand your vehicle back.

If they tell you to "p!ss off" (I was), ask for:

Appeal for the release of an Impounded Vehicle" form.

Fill it out.

Hand it back.

They have 5 days to respond.

If they decline it, you get an "Advice of outcome of appeal against impoundment of motor vehicle" form.

This will either say appeal sucessful, or declined.

If declined, take it to the local court. Pay $120 and take them to court.

You will get it back.

I did.

You also have grounds to sue for loss of income, expences etc if you wish.

I seem to remember this "exhibition of acceleration" thing get tested in court in the early days by someone on the Skylinesdownunder forums. Very similar situation.

Turns out that you can't actually be busted for this unless you're actually alongside another car. The reason for this law being drafted was to allow the cops to stop drag racing even when they didn't have a speed reading on the participants... the case when tested in court was very thoroughly explained by a very savvy and lawyered-up SDU member.. might be worth having a search.

I'll sign off with a few more photos of the day and a couple of vids.

(Photo Credit to Andrew Whalley)

(Photo Credit to Wayne Thompson)

(Photo Credit to Andrew Whalley)

(Photo credit to NZHondas member "colgateam")

"Hello, Apex?...... Yes, I have a long-distance collect call here from George, will you accept the charges?"

(Photo credit to Matt Carter)

Managed a bit better next time around

(Photo credit to NZHondas member "colgateam")

Just to prove it wasn't all drifting and slidey stuff!

(photo credit to Andrew Whalley)

And finally, my favourite shot of the day, captured by Matt Carter:

Which was also captured by Ant's on-board camera as I went past him:

And how it looked from my angle:

It was great fun sliding the car about like a mad bastard, but I managed to get some solo seat time in the third session and get some tidier, quicker laps in:

Sadly, the day didn't go ENTIRELY smoothly. Towards the end of the first session, the speedo died completely. I was just coming up behind JC in the Elise and it just dropped immediately to zero and stayed there. I've had a loose connecton on the LHS wheelspeed sensor, but I thought I'd got to the bottom of that issue, so I'm hoping it's just the same thing or perhaps a dead sensor and not something amiss with the Stack.

The second issue was that I've blown another alternator. Unlike last time where it just died, this time I noticed in the 3rd session that the usually rocksteady 13.9V while running was down to about 12.4V, jumping between 11.9V and 13V. I kept an eye on it for the day and it got no worse, but on the drive home it did get progressively worse with voltage dropping down to 10.7V or so on occasion. At each time I was able to wake the alternator up by changing down into 4th for a few seconds to bring the revs up over 4000RPM, at which point the alternator would go back on charge to about 12.6V.... so it at least got me home, just. I've got another alternator on the way, but given this is the second one I've cooked this year, I am going to have to adapt another one that can better handle the heat and high RPM that seem to be killing mine. I could also perhaps keep the stock one and under-drive it slightly, but really I should look for a better, lighter solution.

The third issue is that there's a clonk coming from the rear suspension I think. Some slack when transitioning on and off the power, like something's loose or moving. It could be a loose engine or gearbox mount or perhaps a toe-link, but I only noticed it as I neared home so hopefully it's nothing major.

Due to these niggles, the car probably won't see the track again until the new year. I want to take her away with me over the Christmas break down-country and want her in rude health by then, so my fingers are very much crossed that it's all minor stuff.

I spent much of the day playing taxi to people who wanted lifts, and generally having some fun overdriving the car and sliding about on a track with very little grip, as these vids of the first two sessions will attest!

The first session with Steph riding shotgun:

And the second with Hannah: