Elise test drive

[ibzcupra1]

Hi everyone hope all is well.
Well i drove an elise for the first time today,& was very impressed with the peformance considering it was a standard 1.8 s1(1999).The only thing i didnt like was the brakes, are they supposed to be non existant because these where really that bad compared to what im use to. Is this normal in all elises?. The car itself was very tidy apart from a few scratches and stone chips, which i thought was odd as its only done 26k (6k in the last 3 years). It was also due a service, which im imagining would be quet expensive?, does anyone have any ideas on prices because i really have no idea as yet...
cheers everyone.

[mrs triple s]

Hi
It might be better for you to ask these questions on the Elise/Exige/340R site.

Lorraine

[Luca1973]

You probably thougth the brakes were crap cos there's no servo. They're very deceptive.

[orgasmicliving!!]

No, it's because they are very, very difficult to bleed properly. Most dealers get it wrong, and they have air in them.

The proper procedure, and it may take several tries, is to unbolt the calipers and rock them back and forth to get the airbubbles out of the nooks and crannies that they end up being lodged in. At the same time, use a pressure bleeder. Obviously, start from the brakes farthest away from the master cylinder.

Budget half a day to do this, and be patient and take plenty of breaks. It can be done. When it's done properly, you will know. It's like pressing against a wooden board versus a pillow.

[tomtom]

ibzcupra1 said:

The car itself was very tidy apart from a few scratches and stone chips, which i thought was odd as its only done 26k (6k in the last 3 years). It was also due a service, which im imagining would be quet expensive?, does anyone have any ideas on prices because i really have no idea as yet... cheers everyone.

They pick up stonechips very easily.

[ferrisbueller]

Luca1973 said:

You probably thought the brakes were crap cos there's no servo. They're very deceptive.

What he said.

Servicing depends on whether it's an A,B or C. Have a look in the Elise forums, plenty of threads on servicing and costs of in there.

[R988]

also it could have done some hard track days explaining worn brakes and chipped paint

[rpm100]

As already said there is no servo on the brakes so the pressure that is needed to be applied has to be increased to compensate, give it a few miles and you will never want to drive a car with servoed brakes again!!! As for the stone chips- Who cares!! My elise looks like the front of a space shuttle after re-entry! All elises suffer from chips, try to pick a colour which doesn't show them up, i.e silver not black, and look to see if the front lip of the clam has been chinned on a kerb (very common and easily done). What's more important than stone chips is service history and general mechanical condition.

[Hollywood Wheels]

ibzcupra1 said:

The only thing i didnt like was the brakes, are they supposed to be non existant because these where really that bad compared to what im use to. Is this normal in all elises?

I posted a similar thing just before buying mine. The test drive was scary, it was as if there were no brakes at all! However, once you've learnt to give them a good old hoof, you'll be suprised by how good they are. I've been really impressed by them now that i've learnt the knack of really pressing down, it's become second nature, and i'm running on standard pads which aren't meant to be as good as Mintex etc.

[seetim]

Hollywood Wheels said:

ibzcupra1 said: The only thing i didnt like was the brakes, are they supposed to be non existant because these where really that bad compared to what im use to. Is this normal in all elises? .....you'll be suprised by how good they are. I've been really impressed by them now that i've learnt the knack of really pressing down....

Yep, it really is about getting the feel of the car. I test drove a 111R and didn't like the brakes in that as the feel was so different from my 111S. Without any assist, it is down to how hard you press. But when you get used to this you'll find yourself leaving the braking til later and still stop way before you thought you would. The brakes are really good.