Elise Buyers Guide!
Discussion
Ladys and Gents,
I'm looking to get an elise in the next couple of months. An S2 sports tourer round the £17.5K mark. Would rather spend my money an a stunning private sale than pay over the odds for a medioka (sp?) trade sale. i have a pretty comprehensive mechanical knowladge, so the idea of this post is for everyone to post little things which should be checked, prior to agreeing a sale. As i checked to day an "AA" advanced check on a car is now £250 (halfway to a new excaust) so if i can check myself then, i can get a quality S2 and save myself the money i would have to spend in a dealer and on the AA.
And in return for you all helping me once the post has closed i will make the list up and remove all the chat and post the finished artical for everyone in here to use.
cheers
Rob
I'm looking to get an elise in the next couple of months. An S2 sports tourer round the £17.5K mark. Would rather spend my money an a stunning private sale than pay over the odds for a medioka (sp?) trade sale. i have a pretty comprehensive mechanical knowladge, so the idea of this post is for everyone to post little things which should be checked, prior to agreeing a sale. As i checked to day an "AA" advanced check on a car is now £250 (halfway to a new excaust) so if i can check myself then, i can get a quality S2 and save myself the money i would have to spend in a dealer and on the AA.
And in return for you all helping me once the post has closed i will make the list up and remove all the chat and post the finished artical for everyone in here to use.
cheers
Rob
Me too, but don't bother with an AA check - read the small print, they and RAC don't guarantee anything with a car like a 'liz. Spend your money on a check from a specialist who knows the cars inside out and works with them on a daily basis.
Tim
>> Edited by s works on Wednesday 4th August 10:40
Tim
>> Edited by s works on Wednesday 4th August 10:40
When I bought my Griffith 6 years ago, it was a private sale, so I had the vendor meet me at his local TVR dealer prior to completing the sale. They gave the car a thorough going over, including a road test and simply charged me a labour rate which I think was around 1.5 hours. No warranty or indemnity, but a decent check for not much money.
I'd certainly do that again.
I'd certainly do that again.
Rob, if you are looking for a sports tourer, mine might fit the bill :
www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/detail.asp?i=27081&s=12
Give me a bell or message me if you have any questions.
When I bought it (I'm 2nd owner) I considered getting an AA check, but they won't even do Elises really. In the end I got my local specialist to look it over, but frankly it was probably a bit pointless since I don't think he did a lot, just reassured me a bit. The main problem with getting a car looked over by specialists is the logistics I ended up buying it before getting mine checked!
Ok. Bollix:
El 'Star's buyers guide:
This is what Mr 'Star would do if he was buying an elise:
1) Read www.elise-faq.info and www.elises.co.uk especially the "problem page" (
where you may find a letter from "swiss mustard" asking for help with women ). Familiarise yourself with the commonest/expensive problems and keep them in mind upon inspection.
2) Work out were the car has been serviced/looked after (there is only a handful of dealers/specialists so it cant take that long). Find out as much info as possible. Has it been in a prang? (which they have fixed), is it a dog? has it been properly serviced? looked after? This also helps build a "relationship" for when you take it to get inspected (see post)
3) Go see the car (in a safe environment, we dont want another contribution to the date-rape statistics, do we? unless your that way inclined...
). This is what *I* would check. Note: I am an idiot:
(a) Paintwork.
there is not an elise out there that doesnt have stonechips. BUT, the rate of chips to me suggests the level of care given to the car. Lots of chips= not very well looked after, especially as it costs only £80 to get them all out
flaked/bubbled paint. Some S2s suffer from flaked/bubbled paint (IIRC). Most are sorted by the dealers provided it is within warranty period. I dont think they will do the work afterwards without you paying.
check for scratches around the car. the paint (IMHO) is crap. i have put a couple of tiny scratches on it due to my bracelet (you wouldnt notice them).
Bodywork wise, check for obvious signs of prangs (somebody help me here..what DO you look for?). Also, i'd be inclined to go for one with armourfend. If the car has armourfend, check the state of it. Is it dis-colouring (going yellow)? need changing? Could be a haggling point
(b)Engine
Mechanically, its nothing special. First thing i would do is check for the dreaded head gasket failure (especially if it's a 135r). Look for mayonnaise under the oil cap, (although this could be condensation due to lots of short runs). Another sign is over-heating (IIRC).
Check for leaks under where the car is kept, although i would leave the engine side to the purchase to a specialist/dealer. However, make sure the service schedule has been complied with (it should be AABAACAAB etc) especially the cambelt at a C (although it should be done sooner).
(c) Interior
Check for scratches, scuffs and marks. You cant do anything about it, but it can cost a fair bit to put right (thus, help you haggle). Especially check on the clothe/leather sills where feet tend to scuff across in getting in and out. Also, check for corroded floor pans (S1 only IIRC). Lotus should be sorting these out, however if your car is over 8years old, your out of look.
Check the pans by pealing back the mats and then the rubber cover (could be quite sticky/stiff) to uncover the aluminium bottom. If there is corrosion and the car is 8years old or over..walk away. If younger than 8years old, then dont be put off. Wash it off with water and get it down a dealer to put right (for free).
(d) Drive it
All elises have crashes and bangs when you drive. On S1s the suspension clunks a bit. This is normal (IIRC), although any other constant noises should be checked out. Drive a few and get a feel for them. Steering should be very direct. My Geometry is very out and i have never noticed as i didnt drive any prior to purchase. To me, it feels very direct as it is (hence why i didnt notice
).
If you have a VVC engine a ticking sound is quite normal (but i cant remember what it is...anybody?).
Then check for any of the potential problems you spotted on the websites
............................................................................................................
After that i would make an agreement with the owner whereby we both take it to a specialist/dealer for a detailed check up. If it passes with flying colours then you pay. If not then he pays. If it passes but needs work then you split it. That's fair enough
After all of this, i would buy/haggle. However I am an idiot thus have probably missed something important (like checking for outstanding finance/the V5
) or have said something stupid 
.
Dont say i never help
El 'Star's buyers guide:
This is what Mr 'Star would do if he was buying an elise:
1) Read www.elise-faq.info and www.elises.co.uk especially the "problem page" (
where you may find a letter from "swiss mustard" asking for help with women ). Familiarise yourself with the commonest/expensive problems and keep them in mind upon inspection. 2) Work out were the car has been serviced/looked after (there is only a handful of dealers/specialists so it cant take that long). Find out as much info as possible. Has it been in a prang? (which they have fixed), is it a dog? has it been properly serviced? looked after? This also helps build a "relationship" for when you take it to get inspected (see post)
3) Go see the car (in a safe environment, we dont want another contribution to the date-rape statistics, do we? unless your that way inclined...
). This is what *I* would check. Note: I am an idiot: (a) Paintwork.
there is not an elise out there that doesnt have stonechips. BUT, the rate of chips to me suggests the level of care given to the car. Lots of chips= not very well looked after, especially as it costs only £80 to get them all out
flaked/bubbled paint. Some S2s suffer from flaked/bubbled paint (IIRC). Most are sorted by the dealers provided it is within warranty period. I dont think they will do the work afterwards without you paying.
check for scratches around the car. the paint (IMHO) is crap. i have put a couple of tiny scratches on it due to my bracelet (you wouldnt notice them).
Bodywork wise, check for obvious signs of prangs (somebody help me here..what DO you look for?). Also, i'd be inclined to go for one with armourfend. If the car has armourfend, check the state of it. Is it dis-colouring (going yellow)? need changing? Could be a haggling point
(b)Engine
Mechanically, its nothing special. First thing i would do is check for the dreaded head gasket failure (especially if it's a 135r). Look for mayonnaise under the oil cap, (although this could be condensation due to lots of short runs). Another sign is over-heating (IIRC).
Check for leaks under where the car is kept, although i would leave the engine side to the purchase to a specialist/dealer. However, make sure the service schedule has been complied with (it should be AABAACAAB etc) especially the cambelt at a C (although it should be done sooner).
(c) Interior
Check for scratches, scuffs and marks. You cant do anything about it, but it can cost a fair bit to put right (thus, help you haggle). Especially check on the clothe/leather sills where feet tend to scuff across in getting in and out. Also, check for corroded floor pans (S1 only IIRC). Lotus should be sorting these out, however if your car is over 8years old, your out of look.
Check the pans by pealing back the mats and then the rubber cover (could be quite sticky/stiff) to uncover the aluminium bottom. If there is corrosion and the car is 8years old or over..walk away. If younger than 8years old, then dont be put off. Wash it off with water and get it down a dealer to put right (for free).
(d) Drive it
All elises have crashes and bangs when you drive. On S1s the suspension clunks a bit. This is normal (IIRC), although any other constant noises should be checked out. Drive a few and get a feel for them. Steering should be very direct. My Geometry is very out and i have never noticed as i didnt drive any prior to purchase. To me, it feels very direct as it is (hence why i didnt notice
). If you have a VVC engine a ticking sound is quite normal (but i cant remember what it is...anybody?).
Then check for any of the potential problems you spotted on the websites
............................................................................................................
After that i would make an agreement with the owner whereby we both take it to a specialist/dealer for a detailed check up. If it passes with flying colours then you pay. If not then he pays. If it passes but needs work then you split it. That's fair enough
After all of this, i would buy/haggle. However I am an idiot thus have probably missed something important (like checking for outstanding finance/the V5
) or have said something stupid . Dont say i never help
DanH said:
Not all Elises crash and bang though. Only S1s, or buggered S2s.
Noted
Pley, I am rather suspicious regarding "x point check" on cars. It seems to me, that the mechanic simply goes around the car with a clip-board going "check" without looking at stuff which is not on the list (although if it is important...it will be on the list).
Even still, i'd rather take it to a specialist who would be cheaper too.
dragstar said:
i have put a couple of tiny scratches on it due to my bracelet (you wouldnt notice them).
Hmm, perhaps you should leave the bling at home then...
OK, adding to the checks (this is an S2, dunno if it'll apply on an S1):
<b>Bodywork</b>
Check the underside of the front splitter/spoiler - it's very easy to ground it on kerbs etc and it gets scraped quite badly. Not visible unless lying on your back (which of course is not generally how I drive my car), but worthy of negotiation.
A more subtle one is the rear of the door jambs - if you lean on the rear wing just behind the door, the panel will flex which can cause it to split where it returns into the door frame at about door top height. Easy repair, but I suspect the crack could spread if left.
Check that the door mirrors are firmly attached - Lotus only use one of the two screw fixings which isn't very strong and I've had one mirror break off.
Oh, and window winders - but you all know about them!
<b>Engine</b>
Not a purchasing problem, but something to check generally, shortly after I got mine, I had it conk out with fuel starvation and a strong smell of petrol. When I looked, the fuel hose that runs from the nearside rear inner wing to the injectors had come adrift from the in-line fuel filter. It was extremely hard to reconnect it, because of restricted access, but it's been ok ever since.
robsrocket said:
Ladys and Gents,
I'm looking to get an elise in the next couple of months. An S2 sports tourer round the £17.5K mark. Would rather spend my money an a stunning private sale than pay over the odds for a medioka (sp?) trade sale. i have a pretty comprehensive mechanical knowladge, so the idea of this post is for everyone to post little things which should be checked, prior to agreeing a sale. As i checked to day an "AA" advanced check on a car is now £250 (halfway to a new excaust) so if i can check myself then, i can get a quality S2 and save myself the money i would have to spend in a dealer and on the AA.
And in return for you all helping me once the post has closed i will make the list up and remove all the chat and post the finished artical for everyone in here to use.
cheers
Rob
I share your view of not letting the dealers make ludicrouss money and as my wife is now 8 months pregnant my pride and joy is up for the chop and is in the Chester area.
I would prefer to let somebody else enjoy so long as its a good home.
www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=27070&s=12
>> Edited by daccus on Tuesday 10th August 21:17
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