What are we missing, what should I make on a VMC?

[gideon]

Also thinking of aluminum defrost grills, no more warping in the sun.

The defrost grill sounds like a nice option.  If you do that, try to design something that can be installed and removed with the windscreen in place.   I think they should be black anodized, so you'll want to do a batch of them for anodizing.

[Richard48Y]

Today I was gifted a small Ender 3-D printer.
Going to play with it before getting serious about buying a much larger $1,200 three in one print/laser/mill version.

One of my first items will be defrost vents for the Lotus.
The CAD model for this printer should also be a good start for milling from billet.
What I should really do is make stamping dies for aluminum sheet.
I have a 30 Ton press that might work for that.

EDIT: Ender 3-D basic assembly is complete.
Do not even try to use the cartoon assembly instructions, use one of the youtube videos.

[GavinT]

With a 3-D printer and some stamping dies...
Sounds like a business case for ash tray customers. 

[Richard48Y]

But Banks/Lotus Supplies are already supplying ashtrays.
I like the idea of aluminum vents to make them less of a throw away item.
Trying to find a printable wax to use with my sand casting outfit too.
With tools at hand and cars to restore I should never run out of "Things to do".
At least not when the power is on, just had another outage most of the day due to a broken power line.

[314159td]

IIRC there are some starter motor adaptors that would be handy, I have one designed to put an Isuzu Trooper gear reduction motor in many places the standard Bendix ones goes, haven't poked around enough to know how simple/complex that would be for the Europa engines. Almost certainly just a $50 part though.

Kinda sorta ripping off this outfit: https://www.classiccarperformance.com/products/lotus-europa-renault-powered
They used to be worse priced ($300 a pop) but I pull those trooper starters for $10 so $200 is still a hard sell.

[Richard48Y]

I keep coming back to wondering if there is a market for a well designed and durable dual Weber air cleaner assembly using a readily available paper filter.
The individual K&N units have gotten expensive and are just not the same quality they were.
They also do not have any really good provision for engine venting.
I am thinking of a single unit to cover both Webers, and maybe some provision for a cold air duct as well.
Renault and Ford engines would require different base plates, and Renault might not all be the same due to different brands of intake manifolds.
I do hope to be able to use the same top cover and filter for all variations.
In any case I intend to do a prototype for my own use.

[EuropaTC]

I keep coming back to wondering if there is a market for a well designed and durable dual Weber air cleaner assembly using a readily available paper filter.

Chris Neils (Lotus independant specialist) offered one in the 80s/90s which came as a folded metal back plate with a flat filter clamped in place. This did away with the OEM front cover and trunking to the separate air filter canister. I had one (it's probably still on the shelf somewhere) because when I bought the Elan it was missing the cover/trunking and running on open weber trumpets with no filtration.

It's a poor shot, but you can get the idea from this old photo taken during a respray...

[jbcollier]

Europa engine compartments get warm, very warm.  If you are going to make something up, have it draw in cooler air from near the front of the rear wheel well.

[GavinT]

It's a poor shot, but you can get the idea from this old photo taken during a respray...

That looks like the filter used on the Lotus Esprit (not sure which model/s) as well as the Excel etc.?
There's also a K&N version if that takes the fancy.

[EuropaTC]

That looks like the filter used on the Lotus Esprit (not sure which model/s) as well as the Excel etc.?
There's also a K&N version if that takes the fancy.

Yep, you're right....  it's a paper filter in a metal framework like this one.

https://www.pnmparts.co.uk/lotus-air-filter-0487

[jbcollier]

 Same/similar filter used in V12 Jags, Triumph TR7s, etc.

[Richard48Y]

Had to give up on the VMC, machine price was great, but moving cost are  too high to bear.
Sacrificed a few cars to try to do this, just another thousand needed. 
One of the cars I sacrificed was my Morris Minor Pickup.
Yes it was a tinker toy, but VERY practical as a DD, unlike say, a Europa?
If I do not get scooped I have found a better one to replace it for almost the same price as I sold mine.

As to manufacture, in theory my manual mill can do a lot of what the VMC would have, just a lot slower.
So I intend to spruce up the manual mill, relearn my CAD skills, make a stamping fixture, get comfortable with the 3D, and even find time to finish the Lotus.
It is claimed that constantly learning new things staves off mental decline, I should be good for a long time.

[BDA]

Had to give up on the VMC, machine price was great, but moving cost are  too high to bear.
Sacrificed a few cars to try to do this, just another thousand needed. 

Bummer!!! I hope you find another one!

[Dilkris]

For myself I am unhappy with the available air boxes and despise plastic.
Thinking aluminum base and fiberglass cover.
The machine can carve aluminum very well, steel runs too, just slower.

Would be happy to see the outcome of this - I need one. TCS original airboxes do occasionally come on the market but they demand serious money, proportionally they must be up there with ash trays. 
In my ignorance though I cannot see how you would (economically) machine an aluminum base. 
I am preparing to make one from scratch - but I know its going to be a saga.  

[Grumblebuns]

RdEnt supplies metal bases for air boxes, both Strombergs and Webers.