New alternator bracket done (and installed)

With all the new parts on the car, I've had a few teething problems. 

One issue was the old alternator bracket. Someone butchered it when they upgraded the car from the generator to an alternator. It was ridiculously heavy and had clearance problems; causing the alternator to vibrate against the steering column.

Barry dropped by and provided a helping hand. 

We used the original Lotus alternator tensioner arm and made a new lower “F” bracket using two pieces of 5/8" steel. Each is drilled appropriately and bent into an "L" shape (see below). Everything is held together with grade 8 bolts and lock washers.

The combination of the old and new parts works perfectly - the car fired on the first pull and the voltage is steady.

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So, I’m down to servicing the carbs & getting the new muffler on. Then I’ll take the car for it's inaugural drive.

Lotus Twin Cam "Run In" & maintenance advice from Miles Wilkins

From his Twin Cam book:

Never exceed 3000RPM, in any gear, for the first 1000 miles (1600kms). After that, increase 500 RPM for every 500 miles.
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Change oil at 500 miles. Check chain & valve clearances.
...
Change oil every 3000 miles afterwards. Chain & valve clearances every 5000 miles.
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Never run the engine in the winter, it does more harm than good. If you do, let it warm up and run for at least 30 minutes.
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If the car is run very little, change the oil twice seasonally. The acids in oils will attack the bearings.
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This will give 80,000-90,000 miles lifespan.

New coolant expansion / recovery bottle installed

My original coolant expansion / recovery bottle was too old and brittle to reuse. Like the radiator, Lotus borrowed this part from the Triumph Spitfire and replacements/reproductions are hard to find.

I wasted about four hours visiting auto parts stores & wrecking yards looking for a substitute bottle. Finally, I turned to eBay and found a non-pressurized "universal" part (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/161577174177?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT).

The new coolant bottle arrived this week and it works great. It's made with quality plastic, comes with a zinc'd bracket and took about 15 minutes to install.

Refurbishing the spare tire bracket

A small project - saving the spare tire bracket. It was pretty rusty.

After a lot of sanding, self-etching primer and silver paint:

Wheel drama

The tire shop called to say one of the wheels could not be balanced & another was marginal. Very frustrating after spending getting the wheels refurbished and tires mounted! So the hunt for new +2 steel wheels is on.