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Lotus Drivers Club Online
The Lotus Drivers Club, The Friendly Lotus Club


Welcome to the Lotus Drivers Club Online Community. Please register yourself below with a username and password to allow you to add topics, post information and more. If you are already registered log in below.


Visit our new website at www.LotusDriversClub.org.uk and check out our events calendar for 2009 along with all the latest news, photos and information about the Club.


If you have any queries or questions please email them to lotusdriversclub-cj@yahoo.co.uk
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Opinions on an Elite please

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty Opinions on an Elite please

Post  inishindie Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:44 am

Hi

I fancy getting a Lotus and noticed that the Elites seem to be the ones that fall into the lowest price bracket. I was wondering why this was, I have searched around the web to see if there were hidden problems with the chassis/engines/gearbox's etc, but can only find positives. I was wondering if you could have a look at this advert I have seen here in Ireland...Anyone a fan of the cars can tell me what to look out for if I go to see it please?


http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C129357/

Cheers

Ian

inishindie

Number of posts : 4
Location : Ireland
Registration date : 2009-12-29

http://www.gardening.ie

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty elite for sale

Post  eclat22 Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:07 pm

Hi Ian if you go to www.lotusexcel.net this car that you are asking about gets a few coments mainly favorable on recent postings, this site is aimed at Excels as per the name but also covers Elites and Eclats, you might also want to look at www.lotusexcel.co.uk this site also covers the same cars also. As a guide on these cars you could look at www.lotusbits.com from memory there are some interesting guides regarding these cars and a very good source of new and used parts for these cars with prices for most items and if you give them a call they are very knowlgeable,best to phone as there email replys tend to be slow and very brief, normally to sugest that you give them a call. When looked after these cars are great, unfortunatly a lot have been neglected and can be a bag of problems, it in my opinion it pays to buy the best you can afford as the difference in price between poor in nead of work and a excellent condition one is no where near as much as bringing a poor one up to great condition.
Best of luck

Regards Danny
eclat22
eclat22
Lotus Drivers Club Member
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Number of posts : 38
Location : Dunstable
Registration date : 2008-11-19

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty Thanks

Post  inishindie Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:16 pm

Thanks for the links Danny, plenty of reading here.

I think what you said about buying the best you can afford makes sense. I am not a mechanic and only have a basic garage (mainly for the washing machine and guinea pigs to live in) so wouldn't want to take on anything major. I spoke to the chap selling the car and he was saying that the lining of the interior was missing, the wood paneling was a bit faded and the clutch was biting very low down. He did say this could be adjusted with the cable apart from that he said it was in good condition (although no service history apart from the fact that the car was shipped here about five years ago from the UK)

I'll try not to be too put off by all of the work people are talking about doing to their cars in the forums....I've been driving Celica's for years and apart from servicing all they usually need is a good wash every so often...Owning a Lotus looks like a bit more of a challenge.....

Thanks again

Ian

inishindie

Number of posts : 4
Location : Ireland
Registration date : 2009-12-29

http://www.gardening.ie

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty Re: Opinions on an Elite please

Post  eclat22 Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:49 pm

Hi Ian, If you can afford it you sound like you could be better of looking for an Excel, they tend to be deemed to be more user friendly than the Elite/eclat variants due to the use of Toyota running gear, although the Elite you are looking at should benifit from the Getrag 265 gearbox and a galvanized chassis which where that main improvements made over the series 1 Elites /Eclats that had ungalv chassis and lotus/maxi queerbox. The clutch is operated by cable on the s2 elites and this could be on its last legs if it needs adjusting or it could be an indication of a warn clutch, this would require an engine and gearbox removal to change the cluch, bear this in mind, the headlining in elite/eclat/excels are prone to dropping and cars often apear for sale with that fault many people replace that themselves and it is a topic on the excel forums. Sounds and looks a fair car but would like to check the clutch and usual checks when buying a car and obviously haggle if you decide to take the plunge.

Good luck Dan
eclat22
eclat22
Lotus Drivers Club Member
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Number of posts : 38
Location : Dunstable
Registration date : 2008-11-19

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty good idea

Post  peter520 Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:40 am

Great to see someone interested in Elite/eclat , i've had mine for a few years now ( see CHICANE No 76) ,but getting very rare.
Yes the Excel is a better car & mine hasn't been without problems but they are more classic than the later cars.
Can't go far wrong with the maxim " Buy the best you can afford", and the one you are interested in looks good.
My experience has been it's not the Lotus bits that give trouble, it's all the stock parts which gave problems on the cars they were made for.
Look it all over then do it again with the rose glasses off .

Peter
peter520
peter520
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Number of posts : 18
Location : birmingham
Registration date : 2008-09-01

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Post  inishindie Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:09 pm

Sound advice..thanks

I've spoken to the bloke again and he was saying that the starter motor has stopped working so he has it away for repair and should be back on the car after the New Year. I will take the glasses off when I go to see it.....I don't like the sound of taking the engine and gearbox out to change the clutch....

inishindie

Number of posts : 4
Location : Ireland
Registration date : 2009-12-29

http://www.gardening.ie

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Opinions on an Elite please Empty Just the way it is

Post  peter520 Fri Jan 01, 2010 1:22 am

Yep it's nessy to remove the engine/Gearbox for a few small jobs.
However it's not too bad a job , just need a lift and some patience.
The parts are usually quite cheap is just the labour.

Happy New year to all.
peter
cheers
peter520
peter520
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Number of posts : 18
Location : birmingham
Registration date : 2008-09-01

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