3 Seat Elise Variant?

[mahju]

Hi all & happy new year!

Well it seems that I'll be needing mod the elise to have a 3rd seat as Mrs Mahju & I will are to be parents for the 1st time in June

I keep having visions of me as the guy in the Yellow Pages ad trying to put a child seat in a sports car! I think that I'll probably have to sell the Elise some time in late spring/summer/as long as I can hold out, as although its ok for the drive to work, the London commute isn't really something that streaches the car, and I'll not be able to enjoy it on the weekend (where fun can be had) as I assume that I'll be wanting to take the family with me.

What I really want is a 3 year old Egale 2+2 (i'm sure Boggy knows where I can get one )

Seriously though I'd like some advice from peeps that have been through this;
1) How far into preganacy have you/wife/partner/speacial passanger been able to ride in the Elise? I suspect that she'll be able to get in for a while more, but getting out is another problem!
2) When is the best time to sell to get a good price (54 111S) - the "right" answer is a late as possible!... uuggghhh I really don't want to sell
3) I've not yet been able to convince the wife the Elise is a good name for a girl

Don't get me wrong, I'm very, very, happy to be a Dad and sure to bore my mates with more photos of my son or daughter than I have my elise, but I really wish someone would invent one of these for the Elise.

Thanks all,
-Mahju


PS - seems that the previous owner of my car probably sold for the same reason

[Boggy]

mahju said:

Hi all & happy new year!

Well it seems that I'll be needing mod the elise to have a 3rd seat as Mrs Mahju & I will are to be parents for the 1st time in June

I keep having visions of me as the guy in the Yellow Pages ad trying to put a child seat in a sports car! I think that I'll probably have to sell the Elise some time in late spring/summer/as long as I can hold out, as although its ok for the drive to work, the London commute isn't really something that streaches the car, and I'll not be able to enjoy it on the weekend (where fun can be had) as I assume that I'll be wanting to take the family with me.

What I really want is a 3 year old Egale 2+2 (i'm sure Boggy knows where I can get one )

Seriously though I'd like some advice from peeps that have been through this;
1) How far into preganacy have you/wife/partner/speacial passanger been able to ride in the Elise? I suspect that she'll be able to get in for a while more, but getting out is another problem!
2) When is the best time to sell to get a good price (54 111S) - the "right" answer is a late as possible!... uuggghhh I really don't want to sell
3) I've not yet been able to convince the wife the Elise is a good name for a girl

Don't get me wrong, I'm very, very, happy to be a Dad and sure to bore my mates with more photos of my son or daughter than I have my elise, but I really wish someone would invent one of these for the Elise.

Thanks all,
-Mahju

PS - seems that the previous owner of my car probably sold for the same reason

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?s=165

Here we are

Boggy

[mahju]

Boggy said:

mahju said:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?s=165

Here we are

Boggy

Knew you'd come through
I know very little about the Excel... any good?

[21TonyK]

First off congrats all round!

Getting in and out? I suspect not much longer. Many years ago when we had our first my wife stopped using her MX-5 at about 5-6 months and thats much easier to get in and out of than an Elise.

Realistically your going to be looking at selling in early Spring so not a fantastic time really but then Lotus is a fairly niche car and if someone wants one they'll buy it whenever. Plus the weather might be kind and if it starts to warm up a bit around March / April you could be in luck.

Believe me, by then the last thing on your mind will be a car!!

[mahju]

21TonyK said:

First off congrats all round!

Getting in and out? I suspect not much longer. Many years ago when we had our first my wife stopped using her MX-5 at about 5-6 months and thats much easier to get in and out of than an Elise.

Realistically your going to be looking at selling in early Spring so not a fantastic time really but then Lotus is a fairly niche car and if someone wants one they'll buy it whenever. Plus the weather might be kind and if it starts to warm up a bit around March / April you could be in luck.

Believe me, by then the last thing on your mind will be a car!!

Thanks Tony I had an MX5 years back, great cars, and easier to get into for sure, but going by your estimate, I've got about 2 months until she's no longer fitting in!

[21TonyK]

mahju said:

21TonyK said:

First off congrats all round!

Getting in and out? I suspect not much longer. Many years ago when we had our first my wife stopped using her MX-5 at about 5-6 months and thats much easier to get in and out of than an Elise.

Realistically your going to be looking at selling in early Spring so not a fantastic time really but then Lotus is a fairly niche car and if someone wants one they'll buy it whenever. Plus the weather might be kind and if it starts to warm up a bit around March / April you could be in luck.

Believe me, by then the last thing on your mind will be a car!!

Thanks Tony I had an MX5 years back, great cars, and easier to get into for sure, but going by your estimate, I've got about 2 months until she's no longer fitting in!

Just hope it ain't twins!!

[Grinnders]

Congrats ! But surely it's your wife's car that needs to be practical not yours.

[S Works]

Congrats, don't buy an Excel!

Get yourself a nice M3 and you'll still have a good fun rwd car to enjoy, but one in which you can take the nipper out in too.

[kambites]

There was a kit car manufacturer making a vaguely Elise-like car with three seats laid out like the Mclaren F1. Can't remember the name now though, I'm sure a bit of searching would find it.

[mahju]

21TonyK said:

Just hope it ain't twins!!

Thanks mate

One thing I know is that its not twins... I'll tell her she can go to 8 1/2 montsh with just hte one

[21TonyK]

S Works said:

Congrats, don't buy an Excel!

Get yourself a nice M3 and you'll still have a good fun rwd car to enjoy, but one in which you can take the nipper out in too.

Think carefully. A coupe of any description is a recipe for serious back injury lifting car seats and babies in and out of the back. Best M3 I had for kids was an E46 convertible. Kept it in the garage with the roof down for putting kids in and out of the back. Don't kid (no pun) yourself you'll ever get anything close to an Elise that works as a family car. Bite the bullet and be "sensible". Something like an older Audi RS4 Avant would be a good load lugger for prams, buggies, associated bags of clothes, nappies, toys etc. Or, dare I say it, a BMW 530d is a hell of a good car.

Don't get fooled into thinking a 4x4 is the right way to go. Had several, still got two. Little space compared to an estate and a PITA lifting things in and out of the back, plus the back seats tend to be quite high which is awkward for kids seats etc.

[Sam_68]

kambites said:

There was a kit car manufacturer making a vaguely Elise-like car with three seats laid out like the Mclaren F1. Can't remember the name now though, I'm sure a bit of searching would find it.

That would be the Aeon GT3.

Have you considered trading the Elise for a Spyder Zetec Elan Plus 2? Straight line performance is on a par with the Elise, handling is better, and it's remarkably practical... even got quite a big boot!

There is one for sale on lotusElan.net at the moment, if it has not gone already.

[Cino]

Congrats, but I don't get why everyone sells their Elises when they have kids. Get a cheap runabout and keep it. Surely if someone can afford to buy and run an Elise then the cost of a second hand 5-door 4-seater isn't much, plus the tax/insurance/servicing will be much less than an Elise. I wouldn't like to be driving the Elise everywhere in this crappy weather, so I'm happy to leave it in the garage for the mo and go to work in the 'normal' car. Just my thoughts...

[miles_stylus]

i got mine when we'd just had our first - it's my commute car and we've got the family car to safely take the children around in (isofix is ace!)

With only one child you can still collect them from nursury etc so still on safe ground for a while yet...

[mahju]

Cino said:

Congrats, but I don't get why everyone sells their Elises when they have kids. Get a cheap runabout and keep it. Surely if someone can afford to buy and run an Elise then the cost of a second hand 5-door 4-seater isn't much, plus the tax/insurance/servicing will be much less than an Elise. I wouldn't like to be driving the Elise everywhere in this crappy weather, so I'm happy to leave it in the garage for the mo and go to work in the 'normal' car. Just my thoughts...

Thanks Mate

The elise is fun on the weekends, but the commute to work isn't fantastic anyway (if I lived where it was 1/2 an hour commute of B roads or even clear motorways I could be swayed) but I think not using on the weekend will take away a lot of what I love about it.

Cost wise, I get the wife's ye olde banger for a start (possible off load it and get something a little better), and the money from the elise (circa £16K)will go into something more sensible with 4 doors...

[Andy T]

mahju said:

Hi all & happy new year!

Well it seems that I'll be needing mod the elise to have a 3rd seat as Mrs Mahju & I will are to be parents for the 1st time in June

I keep having visions of me as the guy in the Yellow Pages ad trying to put a child seat in a sports car! I think that I'll probably have to sell the Elise some time in late spring/summer/as long as I can hold out, as although its ok for the drive to work, the London commute isn't really something that streaches the car, and I'll not be able to enjoy it on the weekend (where fun can be had) as I assume that I'll be wanting to take the family with me.

What I really want is a 3 year old Egale 2+2 (i'm sure Boggy knows where I can get one )

Seriously though I'd like some advice from peeps that have been through this;
1) How far into preganacy have you/wife/partner/speacial passanger been able to ride in the Elise? I suspect that she'll be able to get in for a while more, but getting out is another problem!
2) When is the best time to sell to get a good price (54 111S) - the "right" answer is a late as possible!... uuggghhh I really don't want to sell
3) I've not yet been able to convince the wife the Elise is a good name for a girl

Don't get me wrong, I'm very, very, happy to be a Dad and sure to bore my mates with more photos of my son or daughter than I have my elise, but I really wish someone would invent one of these for the Elise.

Thanks all,
-Mahju


PS - seems that the previous owner of my car probably sold for the same reason

Congratulations!

It seems you and I are in exatcly the same situation!

As far as getting in and out of the Elise is concerned, my wife is just over 8 months and still able to get in and out of the car for special occasions! Roll the roof open and it is possible to get in and out without too much trouble. Although as my wife will admit it's not the best place to be!

You can safely fit a rear facing baby seat in the passenger seat of the elise, I was doubtful of this at first but we took the car down to be checked out by John Lewis' babycare dept and the woman who fitted it said it's one of the safest seats she'd seen.

But alas you cannot fit much in the boot, although those Quinny fold up prams do go in!

My Elise is on the classifieds at the moment because I would like to have something I can fit all 3 of us in. Shame, but I'm still tempted to keep it!

[mahju]

Andy T said:

Congratulations!

It seems you and I are in exatcly the same situation!

As far as getting in and out of the Elise is concerned, my wife is just over 8 months and still able to get in and out of the car for special occasions! Roll the roof open and it is possible to get in and out without too much trouble. Although as my wife will admit it's not the best place to be!

You can safely fit a rear facing baby seat in the passenger seat of the elise, I was doubtful of this at first but we took the car down to be checked out by John Lewis' babycare dept and the woman who fitted it said it's one of the safest seats she'd seen.

But alas you cannot fit much in the boot, although those Quinny fold up prams do go in!

My Elise is on the classifieds at the moment because I would like to have something I can fit all 3 of us in. Shame, but I'm still tempted to keep it!

Yeah, I know what you mean - am tempted to keep it too...

Congratulations too on your child

[Boggy]

mahju said:

Boggy said:

mahju said:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?s=165

Here we are

Boggy

Knew you'd come through
I know very little about the Excel... any good?

Not really sorry only meant as a joke, can't you hold out until the Eagle is released?

Boggy

[Boggy]

mahju said:

Boggy said:

mahju said:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?s=165

Here we are

Boggy

Knew you'd come through
I know very little about the Excel... any good?

Not really sorry only meant as a joke, can't you hold out until the Eagle is released?

Boggy

[mahju]

Boggy said:

Not really sorry only meant as a joke, can't you hold out until the Eagle is released?
Boggy

I can wait, just not afford a £50K band new car!