Buying a 111r please help!!!

[bing]

Folks,

I'm thinking of buying a second hand 111r, I've been um-ing and ooo-ing over it for a while, reading these forums etc and I'm going to take the plunge (you only live once right???)

Now I have a few questions:

1) What I can expect to get for about £22K-23K - Ideally I'd like a unmodified 2004 with under 12,000m
2) MOT can I do the MOT at any 'normal MOT station' or are there 'special Elise's checks that have to be done via a lotus specialist
3) Servicing can anyone recommend me a decent lotus garage/dealer in the London area?
4) Warranty, what exactly does the original Lotus warranty cover and how long does the original manufactures warranty last (I mean does it cover things like the mirrors falling off, side indicators falling off MIL light coming on and off etc). What about after market or extended lotus warranties, can anyone recommend any???
5) Is the 111r prone to as many problems as the other S2 models, I've heard the 2004 111r's are a fairly safe bet.
6) Airbags, is it true that all 111r's come with twin air bags??
7) What are the known problems and recalls if any

If anyone has any pointers regarding buying a second hand 111r I'd very please to know about them.

As you can probably tell I'm kind of nervous about spending 22K+ on a Lotus, but after doing a driving experience in a 111s and having the money, I thought why not treat myself.


thanks

Folks!!!

[hbaumhardt]

May I ask why "Ideally I'd like a unmodified 2004" ?

Since you only pay around 30% of the value of the modifications e.g. would you turn down the option of superior Nitron adjustable suspension basically for free ... not trying to be challenging just understand the thinking. Thanks HB

[therossatron]

hbaumhardt said:

May I ask why "Ideally I'd like a unmodified 2004" ? Since you only pay around 30% of the value of the modifications e.g. would you turn down the option of superior Nitron adjustable suspension basically for free ... not trying to be challenging just understand the thinking. Thanks HB

Bought my car with slight mods and only one insurance company off of confused.com would insure me with a modified car no matter how slight The only reason I may be more swayed towards a standard car.

But it would be worth it for nitrons!

[S Works]

hbaumhardt said:

May I ask why "Ideally I'd like a unmodified 2004" ? Since you only pay around 30% of the value of the modifications e.g. would you turn down the option of superior Nitron adjustable suspension basically for free ... not trying to be challenging just understand the thinking. Thanks HB

It's a 111R Hans, unlikely to be modded apart from sports can or induction. Given the hassle boggy and some others have had I can understand.

bing, to be honest Hans is right though - don't be afraid of mods, you'll probably end up doing them yourself. If you see a car you like and aren't sure, come back and post and there are loads of us that can give you our opinion.

To try and answer your Q's...

1) What I can expect to get for about £22K-23K - Ideally I'd like a unmodified 2004 with under 12,000m
Should be entirely possible. Have you had a good look in the classifieds?

2) MOT can I do the MOT at any 'normal MOT station' or are there 'special Elise's checks that have to be done via a lotus specialist
Yes can be done at any MOT place, however I would recommend getting a good specialist to do it for you in case anything needs doing - better to have someone making the corrections who knows the car. All the specialists will do this for you.

3) Servicing can anyone recommend me a decent lotus garage/dealer in the London area?
Which part of London?
Essex Way - Sinclaires, Romford
Kent Way - Maidstone Sports Cars, Headcorn
Surrey & Central - Plans Motorsport, Nr Guildford
Surrey/Herts/Hants Way - Lakeside Engineering (can't remember exactly where but they are close to M25 IIRC).

4) Warranty, what exactly does the original Lotus warranty cover and how long does the original manufactures warranty last (I mean does it cover things like the mirrors falling off, side indicators falling off MIL light coming on and off etc). What about after market or extended lotus warranties, can anyone recommend any???
Someone like gooby or Boggy are best to comment on this point as they own 111R's...

5) Is the 111r prone to as many problems as the other S2 models, I've heard the 2004 111r's are a fairly safe bet.
Would agree, very few recorded issues so far, good build quality, some MIL light issues which have been corrected with engine remaps under warranty, some paint issues on some cars... again the 111R owners will comment soon.

6) Airbags, is it true that all 111r's come with twin air bags??
No idea... gooby, boggy?

7) What are the known problems and recalls if any

If anyone has any pointers regarding buying a second hand 111r I'd very please to know about them.

As you can probably tell I'm kind of nervous about spending 22K+ on a Lotus, but after doing a driving experience in a 111s and having the money, I thought why not treat myself.
I'll leave 7 and the 'pointers' to the 111R boys as they can speak from experience. In general don't be afraid, be excited! Look at a few before you buy and make sure you get any prospective purchase HPi'd and checked over by a specialist. Don't be afraid to buy private, if you get the car checked over by a good Lotus Specialist you'll be fine. The majority of aftermarket warranty's aren't worth the paper they're written on, although investigate the AA's parts & labour one which many guys here and on SELOC have and find to be reasonably priced and good value.
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Hope that helps. Tim

>> Edited by S Works on Thursday 27th April 17:28