FFS, you DIDN'T talk me out of a Lotus Carlton
Discussion
I had car number 164 back in about 94 which I bought at about 1 year old and 10k miles on it. Over the next 3 months it cost £10k in repairs in 5k miles as the extended warranty was by a third party and if it was bought as a company car and you were a company registered for VAT you had to pay this on each and every claim, that's how I know what the repair costs were! From memory there was a cracked cylinder head and broken gearbox plus a few other niggles. I only kept it a year but I still remember the performance.
My brother had one just after I sold mine and that too had repairs that were way more expensive. No idea how much they lost on the total project but must have been considerable.
Epic performance was my abiding memory.
My brother had one just after I sold mine and that too had repairs that were way more expensive. No idea how much they lost on the total project but must have been considerable.
Epic performance was my abiding memory.
Firstly the mileage, why on earth would you want to clock it? Call it reset or whatever you want, at the end of the day its clocking it.
With all the song and dance of the original paperwork being sourced and paid for to make it a complete and genuine car, then you want to adjust the mileage?! I don't get it.
Surely if you then came to sell it it would be worth a lot less than not having some paperwork!
Personally, I think you're crazy to even be considering it.
Aside from that, the LC is an amazing car, and one that really planted a seed for me.
I remember seeing two brand new just after they first came out.
One was driving into Birmingham, and the other was parked outside a Porsche dealership on the south coast with the number plate 911 FU or something very similar.
There was something about them, and that something was that I loved the thought of going very fast in a big saloon (or estate).
I've never been a fan of coupes, hatch backs or any other variation of them. To me, the ultimate is a fast saloon, I prefer the looks too.
I saw many LC's at various Vauxhall shows over the years, and still nothing comes close.
I've owned Sapphire Cosworths, Cavalier Turbos, Audi S4/RS4 but I still yearn for the Carlton! I know they are now out of reach for me cost wise, but for me it really is the ultimate car.
With all the song and dance of the original paperwork being sourced and paid for to make it a complete and genuine car, then you want to adjust the mileage?! I don't get it.
Surely if you then came to sell it it would be worth a lot less than not having some paperwork!
Personally, I think you're crazy to even be considering it.
Aside from that, the LC is an amazing car, and one that really planted a seed for me.
I remember seeing two brand new just after they first came out.
One was driving into Birmingham, and the other was parked outside a Porsche dealership on the south coast with the number plate 911 FU or something very similar.
There was something about them, and that something was that I loved the thought of going very fast in a big saloon (or estate).
I've never been a fan of coupes, hatch backs or any other variation of them. To me, the ultimate is a fast saloon, I prefer the looks too.
I saw many LC's at various Vauxhall shows over the years, and still nothing comes close.
I've owned Sapphire Cosworths, Cavalier Turbos, Audi S4/RS4 but I still yearn for the Carlton! I know they are now out of reach for me cost wise, but for me it really is the ultimate car.
djdest said:
Aside from that, the LC is an amazing car, and one that really planted a seed for me.
I remember seeing two brand new just after they first came out.
One was driving into Birmingham, and the other was parked outside a Porsche dealership on the south coast with the number plate 911 FU or something very similar.
There was something about them, and that something was that I loved the thought of going very fast in a big saloon (or estate).
I've never been a fan of coupes, hatch backs or any other variation of them. To me, the ultimate is a fast saloon, I prefer the looks too.
I saw many LC's at various Vauxhall shows over the years, and still nothing comes close.
I've owned Sapphire Cosworths, Cavalier Turbos, Audi S4/RS4 but I still yearn for the Carlton! I know they are now out of reach for me cost wise, but for me it really is the ultimate car.
I'm with you there djdest - I love fast saloons with manual boxes and for me the Carlton is pretty much top of the tree. Realistically I couldn't afford to run one especially nowadays but love to see them and read about them. Get pretty much every mag test/appraisal they did on them but closest I've been is the passenger seat or chasing them round Combe.I remember seeing two brand new just after they first came out.
One was driving into Birmingham, and the other was parked outside a Porsche dealership on the south coast with the number plate 911 FU or something very similar.
There was something about them, and that something was that I loved the thought of going very fast in a big saloon (or estate).
I've never been a fan of coupes, hatch backs or any other variation of them. To me, the ultimate is a fast saloon, I prefer the looks too.
I saw many LC's at various Vauxhall shows over the years, and still nothing comes close.
I've owned Sapphire Cosworths, Cavalier Turbos, Audi S4/RS4 but I still yearn for the Carlton! I know they are now out of reach for me cost wise, but for me it really is the ultimate car.
First one I ever really saw up close was Dalian Atkinson's - he used to pop into my friends garage occasionally plus he wasn't afraid to exercise it when the bypass from Trench to Newport opened.
Then the guy who does all the clever stuff on my car had a couple of them. Never got tired of seeing them. There is a local guy who has one and brings it out every summer - never loses that 'WOW' factor for me. You can keep pretty much every Ferrari/Lamborghini ( bar an F40 ) ever made from my perspective - it's probably easier to get a drive in most of them too!
While I appreciate the rarity and desirability of the Lotus Carlton ( and speaking as someone who owned a very nice 1970 Elan S4 DHC for 12 years ), I cannot see how you could spend that amount of money on a restoration....from what seems to be a pretty good example to start with.
Full respect to the OP on doing it, but I cannot imagine where all that money would go on a rebuild...even to concours standards.
Also when it is done, ( and I look forward to seeing the pics !) I personally would be concerned about using it in that condition, whereas in its pre-restored state you could probably drive it anywhere.
Excellent thread by the way.
Full respect to the OP on doing it, but I cannot imagine where all that money would go on a rebuild...even to concours standards.
Also when it is done, ( and I look forward to seeing the pics !) I personally would be concerned about using it in that condition, whereas in its pre-restored state you could probably drive it anywhere.
Excellent thread by the way.
fesuvious said:
Well,
Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Less chat, more pictures Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Are you going factory spec for the engine, or eeking a touch more out?
I'm also in the process of having a LC sorted, altough no where near to the extent you've gone to!
Mines in at the moment having the head gasket and timing chain sorted (as a preventative measure - it's not been driven in anger for years), as well as having had the brakes overhauled, calipers refurbed and a new exhaust from BTB should be here within 2 weeks. I have no doubt you could hit £100k without trying too hard.
Can I ask what you are doing / have you done about bushes etc? I'd like to get mine replaced but I'm struggling to find any polybushes for the LC.
Fermit - I'm not far from you and may make a trip for my seats to have a facelift as they're looking a bit tatty.
Thanks.
Mines in at the moment having the head gasket and timing chain sorted (as a preventative measure - it's not been driven in anger for years), as well as having had the brakes overhauled, calipers refurbed and a new exhaust from BTB should be here within 2 weeks. I have no doubt you could hit £100k without trying too hard.
Can I ask what you are doing / have you done about bushes etc? I'd like to get mine replaced but I'm struggling to find any polybushes for the LC.
Fermit - I'm not far from you and may make a trip for my seats to have a facelift as they're looking a bit tatty.
Thanks.
Podie said:
fesuvious said:
Well,
Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Less chat, more pictures Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Are you going factory spec for the engine, or eeking a touch more out?
B'stard Child said:
Every single bush (with the exception of the rear shock lower mountings) on my LC has been replaced with Poly
You haven't either tried hard enough or asked the right question
I suspect you're right You haven't either tried hard enough or asked the right question
There's a guy on Autobahnstormers talking about getting a set of polybushes made which I presume means there isn't a kit already available, and it's a case of individually sourcing each?
I'm cautious about taking as gospel what a website tells me, but am I correct in thinking standard Carlton bushes fit? Anything I should be especially wary of? http://www.superflex.co.uk/products.php?cat=169
I'll stop derailing the thread now and enjoy the next update!
B'stard Child said:
RumbleOfThunder said:
Podie said:
fesuvious said:
Well,
Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Less chat, more pictures Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Are you going factory spec for the engine, or eeking a touch more out?
RumbleOfThunder said:
B'stard Child said:
RumbleOfThunder said:
Podie said:
fesuvious said:
Well,
Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Less chat, more pictures Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Are you going factory spec for the engine, or eeking a touch more out?
Podie said:
fesuvious said:
Well,
Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Less chat, more pictures Take the VAT out, put twenty grand on engine and paint and it's not hard!
Allow for weeks and weeks of stripping the car, and then lots and lots of metal work.
New parts, rebuild components.
Retrimming
Tyres
Fluids
Yada yada yada
And all of a sudden you're at a figure you don't want the wife to find out about!
Are you going factory spec for the engine, or eeking a touch more out?
. Back in the mid-90's i had been working away and my girlfriend at the time had come to see me. We met in public car park and we were in the middle of a "oh my god i've missed you so much" embrace when i suddenly pushed her away and exclaimed... "LOOOK!!!! - its a LOTUS CARLTON!!!" pointing frantically to a gleaming green example parked innocently with the usual car park dross.
She wasn't impressed.
I was though - only time i have ever seen one on the road and it was a mighty impressive sight.
She wasn't impressed.
I was though - only time i have ever seen one on the road and it was a mighty impressive sight.
Well I will be coming back for the updates.
Would love a Lotus Carlton in the future but I think I've rather missed the boat with them price wise for now, bit more graft needed before I can afford one!
Once it is back, do you take it out with Autobahnstormers ever, to the VBOA rallies etc? Where you can see me in another manual, rear wheel drive Vauxhall from the early 90s...
Would love a Lotus Carlton in the future but I think I've rather missed the boat with them price wise for now, bit more graft needed before I can afford one!
Once it is back, do you take it out with Autobahnstormers ever, to the VBOA rallies etc? Where you can see me in another manual, rear wheel drive Vauxhall from the early 90s...
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff