Lotus Esprit Restoration Yorkshire – Fibreglass Body Restoration & Classic Car Paintwork by Classic Car Lab

A British Icon Reborn at Our Yorkshire Classic Car Restoration Workshop

The Lotus Esprit is one of the most instantly recognisable British sports cars ever built. Famous for its dramatic wedge-shaped styling, lightweight fibreglass construction and unforgettable appearances in the James Bond films starring Roger Moore, the Lotus Esprit became an icon of 1970s and 1980s motoring.

For many enthusiasts, the defining moment was seeing the white Esprit transform into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me. That cinematic connection was something this particular owner remembered vividly from childhood, and it played a big part in the vision behind this restoration.

This Lotus Esprit arrived at Classic Car Lab Yorkshire requiring a full restoration throughout. While the car remained remarkably original, years of ageing meant the body, paintwork, engine and mechanical systems all required extensive attention to return the car to its former glory.

Projects like this perfectly demonstrate the variety of restoration work undertaken at our Yorkshire classic car restoration workshop.

While many restoration companies focus purely on steel-bodied vehicles, Classic Car Lab also specialise in fibreglass classic car restoration, including Lotus, TVR and other composite-bodied performance cars.

Fibreglass restoration requires a completely different skill set from conventional steel or aluminium body restoration, particularly when dealing with stress fractures, gel coat preparation and structural reinforcement.

Fibreglass Body Restoration & Gel Coat Preparation

One of the most important stages of this Lotus Esprit restoration was the body and paint preparation.

Unlike traditional steel-bodied classics, the Lotus Esprit features a fibreglass body shell. Properly restoring fibreglass vehicles requires patience, specialist knowledge and a completely different preparation process compared with metal-bodied cars.

The car was carefully stripped back to its original gel coat so the true condition of the fibreglass body could be fully assessed.

Once stripped, several fractures and stress cracks became visible within the body shell — something commonly found on fibreglass-bodied classics after decades of use and movement.

At Classic Car Lab Yorkshire, we undertake specialist fibreglass body repairs and restoration work for Lotus, TVR and other composite-bodied vehicles, ensuring the underlying structure is stabilised correctly before paint preparation begins.

Specialist Fibreglass Repairs

The damaged areas of the Esprit were carefully repaired and reinforced to restore strength and integrity to the body shell.

This stage is absolutely critical on fibreglass cars.

Poor preparation or rushed repairs can lead to cracking, sinkage and paint defects appearing later, so significant time was invested into ensuring the fibreglass structure was sound prior to primer and paint.

Once the repairs were completed, the body underwent extensive preparation, shaping and refinement before entering the paint stage.

Classic Car Paintwork & Lotus Esprit Respray

Paintwork became one of the defining elements of this restoration.

The owner requested the Lotus remained in white — a decision we all felt perfectly suited the car and its iconic heritage.

White emphasises the sharp Giugiaro-designed lines of the Esprit beautifully and naturally evokes memories of the famous James Bond Lotus from the Roger Moore era.

At our Yorkshire classic car paint and bodywork workshop, we undertake everything from bare-metal classic car resprays and concours refinishing to specialist fibreglass paint restoration for Lotus, TVR and modern classic performance vehicles.

The Esprit received a complete professional respray following extensive body preparation and refinement work.

The final finish transformed the vehicle completely, giving the car a crisp, clean and unmistakably period-correct appearance while highlighting the dramatic body styling the Esprit became famous for.

Engine, Gearbox & Mechanical Restoration

One of the most challenging aspects of this Lotus Esprit restoration involved the mechanical side of the project.

Classic Lotuses are renowned for their handling and engineering innovation, although historically reliability was not always their strongest point. Getting an older Esprit to run and drive properly requires patience, experience and careful tuning.

The engine and gearbox on this particular car required extensive recommissioning and setup work to ensure the vehicle performed as Lotus intended.

Mechanical restoration and tuning work included:

• Engine recommissioning
• Carburettor tuning and balancing
• Ignition setup
• Gearbox refinement
• Mechanical servicing
• Cooling system checks
• Fuel system work
• Full retuning and road setup

After extensive tuning and setup work, the Lotus was transformed mechanically and became an incredibly enjoyable car to drive once again.

Even years later, it remains a pleasure to see the car returning annually to Classic Car Lab Yorkshire for servicing, maintenance and ongoing care — something we take enormous pride in as a restoration workshop.

Lotus, TVR & Fibreglass Classic Car Specialists

This Lotus Esprit restoration also highlights an important area of expertise within Classic Car Lab.

Fibreglass-bodied classics require specialist restoration knowledge, and over the years we have restored numerous Lotus and TVR models at our Yorkshire workshop.

From gel coat repairs and stress fracture restoration through to complete fibreglass body refinishing and full classic car resprays, our experienced team understand the unique processes required to restore composite-bodied performance cars correctly.

Whether working on a Lotus Esprit, TVR Griffith, TVR Chimaera or another specialist fibreglass-bodied classic, proper preparation and structural integrity always come first.

A Yorkshire Classic Car Restoration with Character

This Lotus Esprit restoration perfectly represents what Classic Car Lab Yorkshire is all about.

Respecting originality while improving reliability.

Preserving iconic design while delivering high-quality craftsmanship.

Combining traditional restoration methods with modern paint and engineering techniques.

From fibreglass restoration and gel coat repairs to paintwork, tuning and mechanical recommissioning, this Lotus Esprit became far more than a simple restoration project — it became the rebirth of a true British motoring icon.

Looking for Lotus Restoration or Classic Car Paintwork in Yorkshire?

Classic Car Lab are trusted Yorkshire classic car restoration specialists offering Lotus restoration, fibreglass body repairs, classic car paintwork, bare-metal resprays, TVR restoration, fabrication, servicing, diagnostics and mechanical restoration for classic and modern classic vehicles throughout Yorkshire and the UK.

Based in Otley, Yorkshire, our experienced restoration team undertake everything from gel coat repairs and fibreglass restoration to concours paintwork, engine recommissioning and complete nut-and-bolt restorations.

Whether you own a Lotus, TVR, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Porsche, MG or another cherished classic or modern classic vehicle, Classic Car Lab combine heritage craftsmanship with modern engineering to deliver restorations trusted by enthusiasts nationwide — from Heritage to Modern.