Interior Exterior
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Don G had left Newport European, but he certainly had not left this community. Last week, while he was tweaking my Elise to perfection in the service bay, I snuck some photos of some private owner’s Exige that Don was working on in-between his regular clients for the last couple of months. He’s very hush hush about the car, won’t tell me how much it weighs or how much power it has, just that it has done better than expected on a recent track test. One look at the tires revealed some serious break-in time, I wish I took photos of those… All I can tell from looking at it is, totally custom rollcage, some major work in the engine bay (although that’s still work in progress), a custom fire suppressant system, and titanium bits all around in all the right places. Don also mentioned he managed to take some significant weight out of it already… and that’s still with the stereo system left in!
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I made him come over and pose for a shot. After much protest he did
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… Sorry, the setting sun was flaring in…
Other cool details I noticed:
- removable steering wheel
- the rollcage is incorporated into the roll bar behind the driver’s seat
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Anyway, it's unbelievable how he made MY car feel that day. He tweaked with it for about 8 hours, addressed all little vibration and noise concerns under warranty, tightened up things to new factory specs, and charged me only for an oil change / tranny fluid change. Difference was amazing, I drove home in what felt like a different car, all tight and just SOLID. It feels better now than it ever felt in its 10K mile lifetime. Even my friend noticed while he took it out over the weekend for a spin around the block, and I did not even tell him... and he's driven the car only once before.
He also fixed the divet my clam got after someone else pushed on it from the inside with a screw that was too long. Some heat and 2 hours of applying his "degree in composites", as he put it. Can't tell the divet was ever there...
Anyway, I'm going back to him whenever I can. He's a perfectionist in a way you can tell immediately after you get your car back...
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no shots of the custom seat bracket. That thing is sweet and crazy adjustable. The side bars are bent so that the stock doors still close without modification.
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Those are some great shots, nice work ! Will be interesting to see where Don goes next with this project.
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Wow, that is a thing of beauty. Nice pictures, thank you for posting
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Nice portraits!
I gotta know where he's getting the engine turned sheetmetal!
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no shots of the custom seat bracket. That thing is sweet and crazy adjustable. The side bars are bent so that the stock doors still close without modification.
Sorry, I was a little overwhelmed... I'll get it next time, along with the scorched tires
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See the car in person to. Good work. Nice photos. Thanks for posting.
Neil
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Damn Don, I thought you were an old fart.
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Damn Don, I thought you were an old fart.
Just old enough to be wise.
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Is Don coming back as "Lotus Tech"?
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Is Don coming back as "Lotus Tech"?
something like that... he's opening his own shop to service & work on exotics, and he happens to like Lotuses, so we're lucky. I think a bulk of his work revolves around Ferraris, however. I should probably let him talk, though...
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Is it a poseur car or will it actually be road raced?
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Is Don coming back as "Lotus Tech"?
Yes. Thank God!
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Is it a poseur car or will it actually be road raced?
Check the track pass on the driver side cage, the brake in was a 3 hour induro
at Cal Motor Speedway. Don doesn't do poseur.
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Is it a poseur car or will it actually be road raced?
I think Don would get royally pissed if he found out this car became a poser car...
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I think Don would get royally pissed if he found out this car became a poser car...
Ok...he's legit!
I had to ask because the Elise / Exige unfortunately is not immune to the "fire extinguisher-mounted-on-the-rollbar" crowd