Life without a Lotus is painful !

[riwiho]

Since the Elise left my life in May I have missed it, greatly. The Cooper S that replaced it is a great car, fantastic car in fact however it is no substitute and on days like today (lovely weather) I feel like turning round to my Mrs and sobbing to her asking "WHY, Why did you have to take my Elise away"

Now to the point. I have decided to chop the Cooper S in and get two cars. A cheap daily runner and a nice S1 (I can not have the S1 as a daily hack as I now car share with 3 people).

Has anyone else done this?
How do you find the change from 1 to 2 cars?
What insurance breaks are there for limiting the S1 use to 5,000 mile pa?

I am sure I will have more questions but these will follow when I think of them. All help is welcome. Thanks

[lamb jiblets]

I had the S1 as a daliy drive but after 3 years felt guilty of giving it a soaking every timt it rained so off i went and bought a Skoda Fabia, fantastic, it realy makes you enjoy the S1 even moore when you get in it with all that extra power over the week of Skoda driving. As Adrian flux would not match my no claimes on the skoda I went to Bell who after checking my no claims on the S1 with Adrain Flux matched it, so all said and done I spend another £250 Pa on insurance and tax and the S1 stays for W/E use.

[hueandcry71]

riwiho said:

Since the Elise left my life in May I have missed it, greatly. The Cooper S that replaced it is a great car, fantastic car in fact however it is no substitute and on days like today (lovely weather) I feel like turning round to my Mrs and sobbing to her asking "WHY, Why did you have to take my Elise away"

Now to the point. I have decided to chop the Cooper S in and get two cars. A cheap daily runner and a nice S1 (I can not have the S1 as a daily hack as I now car share with 3 people).

Has anyone else done this?
How do you find the change from 1 to 2 cars?
What insurance breaks are there for limiting the S1 use to 5,000 mile pa?

I am sure I will have more questions but these will follow when I think of them. All help is welcome. Thanks

I have done that and find it great. As you know i get bored with cars very quickly but having another to use for family purposes as well as my Lotus when i want to play it is the best of both worlds. Strangely enough i very rarely change the family car.

In terms of insurance the premiums are vastly reduced by putting a limited mileage on them. I have 6k miles on my Lotus but still drive it as much as i want. No insurance company has ever asked me for the mileage at the begining of a policy year so i am not sure how they would prove otherwise if i ever did go over 6k not that i will most probably.

Not sure of your circumstances but i would recommend a Meriva to anyone who wants a daily run about especially if they have kids. Mine doubles up as a van most of the time and i love it. Its got a 1600 engine and is very nippy with all the luxuries such as air con, electrics etc. Paid just on 4k for a 55 plate.

As far as getting another Lotus my mate is selling an S2 for 10k as he is emigrating. If this is within your price range let me know and i will take you to see it.

[riwiho]

hueandcry71 said:

I have done that and find it great. As you know i get bored with cars very quickly but having another to use for family purposes as well as my Lotus when i want to play it is the best of both worlds. Strangely enough i very rarely change the family car.

In terms of insurance the premiums are vastly reduced by putting a limited mileage on them. I have 6k miles on my Lotus but still drive it as much as i want. No insurance company has ever asked me for the mileage at the begining of a policy year so i am not sure how they would prove otherwise if i ever did go over 6k not that i will most probably.

Not sure of your circumstances but i would recommend a Meriva to anyone who wants a daily run about especially if they have kids. Mine doubles up as a van most of the time and i love it. Its got a 1600 engine and is very nippy with all the luxuries such as air con, electrics etc. Paid just on 4k for a 55 plate.

As far as getting another Lotus my mate is selling an S2 for 10k as he is emigrating. If this is within your price range let me know and i will take you to see it.

Thank you kindly for your offer of the S2 viewing. To be honest I really fancy a well looked after S1, from what I have read it should provide a much more RAW driving experience and the driving experience is the only thing I crave. I also feel that if I was to go with a K series powered car then I should go with the lightest vehicle I can get. If i could afford an Toyota engined vehicle I would not bother with an Elise and get a Exige but that will have to wait for now (it means waiting another 12 months if I go down the Exige route).

I have a budget of around 12k for both and I have no idea how to split it yet but obviously the less I spend on the run around the more I have for a Liz + options.


The future mother in law has a Meriva. Always borrow it when we go skiing, its a great little work horse.

[kambites]

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

[Hollywood Wheels]

I would split it £9.5-£10K for the Elise, the rest on a hack.

I run two cars and love having that option. However, as appealing as 'bangeromics' are, you could end up with a dog of a car. It can get expensive running two cars. For instance, both mine currently need cambelts. I've just done all 4 discs and pads and an oil change on the Omega too.

Look for a high mileage but well cared for Focus/Astra/Mondeo etc. Parts are dirt cheap off ebay. Try and get something with a fresh MOT and no cambelt service due for a while. Find a friendly cheap local garage or do maintainance yourself. Don't waste money on buying a car for the image, main funds will always be for the Elise, so just get an honest car and forget what others think of it.

There are some fantastc bargains out there if you can find them. Remember too that bigger cars are always cheaper because of this strange obsession people have with small diesels, whether they actually need them or not. Just because a car is big doesn't mean it costs particularly more to run (other than fuel cost) It's also lovely having a bigger comfier car as a complete opposite to the Elise. Don't take it to a dealer to service, and don't use OEM parts, and it doesn't necessarily have to break the bank.

[riwiho]

kambites said:

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

Will do. I have loads of research to fully understand what is required in a sorted S1.

What other essential pointers should I look for in an S1?
This one looks great> http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/634799

Edited by riwiho on Sunday 27th July 21:04

[piooly]

riwiho said:

kambites said:

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

Will do. I have loads of research to fully understand what is required in a sorted S1.

What other essential pointers should I look for in an S1?
This one looks great> http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/634799

Edited by riwiho on Sunday 27th July 21:04

It cost around £500 for a set of new coilovers so not the end of the world and it will then be better than an standard S2 and it will be new suspension...

I did this getting 2 cars thing and the best way is to insure your lotus on a classic car policy with a limited millage. Keeps the cost far lower! but running 2 cars in the end will always cost more. Insurance, tax, mot, tyres, brakes, servicing, problems....... but its worth it !!

[riwiho]

piooly said:

riwiho said:

kambites said:

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

Will do. I have loads of research to fully understand what is required in a sorted S1.

What other essential pointers should I look for in an S1?
This one looks great> http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/634799

Edited by riwiho on Sunday 27th July 21:04

It cost around £500 for a set of new coilovers so not the end of the world and it will then be better than an standard S2 and it will be new suspension...

I did this getting 2 cars thing and the best way is to insure your lotus on a classic car policy with a limited millage. Keeps the cost far lower! but running 2 cars in the end will always cost more. Insurance, tax, mot, tyres, brakes, servicing, problems....... but its worth it !!

I am aware the running cost will be higher with 2 cars because the costs are duplicated but I can do what I can by getting a reliable daily hack. The mrs thinks I should get a Panda 100HP or a Fiat 500 1.2. The 500 seems like an ok idea, 5 year warranty, 52mpg, 119co2 (free tax) but at 7k they are still on the pricy side and definitely have some depreciating to do over the next 12 months.

[paulh629]

Mate i did exactly as you did. A moment of maddness and i sold my lovely S2 for the cooper S. Loved the cooper but was crying like a baby for a lotus once again. What did i do i sold the cooper brought myself a X trail diesal as it was big enough for all the family dogs and all, and then sourced a lovely orginal S1. Am i happy? Like a pig in s**t.
I now really appreciate what lotus stands for and what driving one is about. I got the S1 on a classic insurance policy limited mileage and the extra cost of that plus your tax is the only consideration. However do plan for mainteance issues as i discovered yesterday Lotus are fantastic can't live without them but head gaskets are expensive and when they pop they can be costly.

I feel your pain fella sell your cooper and come back to lotus you will not regret it!!

[telecat]

riwiho said:

piooly said:

riwiho said:

kambites said:

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

Will do. I have loads of research to fully understand what is required in a sorted S1.

What other essential pointers should I look for in an S1?
This one looks great> http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/634799

Edited by riwiho on Sunday 27th July 21:04

It cost around £500 for a set of new coilovers so not the end of the world and it will then be better than an standard S2 and it will be new suspension...

I did this getting 2 cars thing and the best way is to insure your lotus on a classic car policy with a limited millage. Keeps the cost far lower! but running 2 cars in the end will always cost more. Insurance, tax, mot, tyres, brakes, servicing, problems....... but its worth it !!

I am aware the running cost will be higher with 2 cars because the costs are duplicated but I can do what I can by getting a reliable daily hack. The mrs thinks I should get a Panda 100HP or a Fiat 500 1.2. The 500 seems like an ok idea, 5 year warranty, 52mpg, 119co2 (free tax) but at 7k they are still on the pricy side and definitely have some depreciating to do over the next 12 months.

Who pays full price on a Fiat!!! Local dealer always has a few sitting pre-reg with a couple of thousand off.

[riwiho]

telecat said:

riwiho said:

piooly said:

riwiho said:

kambites said:

If you go for an S1, make sure it has the S2 suspension conversion - a standard S1 handles considerably worse than a standard S2.

Will do. I have loads of research to fully understand what is required in a sorted S1.

What other essential pointers should I look for in an S1?
This one looks great> http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/634799

Edited by riwiho on Sunday 27th July 21:04

It cost around £500 for a set of new coilovers so not the end of the world and it will then be better than an standard S2 and it will be new suspension...

I did this getting 2 cars thing and the best way is to insure your lotus on a classic car policy with a limited millage. Keeps the cost far lower! but running 2 cars in the end will always cost more. Insurance, tax, mot, tyres, brakes, servicing, problems....... but its worth it !!

I am aware the running cost will be higher with 2 cars because the costs are duplicated but I can do what I can by getting a reliable daily hack. The mrs thinks I should get a Panda 100HP or a Fiat 500 1.2. The 500 seems like an ok idea, 5 year warranty, 52mpg, 119co2 (free tax) but at 7k they are still on the pricy side and definitely have some depreciating to do over the next 12 months.

Who pays full price on a Fiat!!! Local dealer always has a few sitting pre-reg with a couple of thousand off.

I would not buy new. I had a quick view on autotrader and the cheapest ones are running around 6,800.

[jamiebae]

I got rid of a Mini to buy an S1 Elise and a daily hack. We also have a Fiat 500 and prior to that had a Panda, and bought the 500 after a lot of careful consideration between it and a Panda 100HP so I hope I can be some help!

I paid £10k for my S1 from a dealer and spent £1,800 on a '99 Clio 1.4 5 door (top spec with aircon, ABS, e/w etc) in March '07. I ran the Clio for 9 months and 16k miles, sold it for £1,650 and bought an '02 Mondeo diesel for just under £2k. I'd highly reccomend this route personally and almost 18 months of motoring has cost me less than £2k in depreciation and repairs. If I'd bought a Golf GTi or similar with my £12k it would have been a lot more expensive.

I'm insured with Admiral Multi-Car which mirrors my NCB across both cars. You could get an early S1 insured on a classic policy though which should make it cheaper still.

As for the Fiats, there are a lot of good deals on Pandas bought new from a dealer. You could get 0% finance and a big discount if you shop around but even then it'll cost you more in the long run than a £2k car.

I like our 500 but it has no room in the back and headroom in the front is marginal for me (I'm 6'1). The Panda is a better car if you're looking objectively and the 100HP is fantastic fun to drive. I'd have had another Panda personally but it's my other half's car really so we ended up with the 500.

[riwiho]

jamiebae said:

I got rid of a Mini to buy an S1 Elise and a daily hack. We also have a Fiat 500 and prior to that had a Panda, and bought the 500 after a lot of careful consideration between it and a Panda 100HP so I hope I can be some help!

I paid £10k for my S1 from a dealer and spent £1,800 on a '99 Clio 1.4 5 door (top spec with aircon, ABS, e/w etc) in March '07. I ran the Clio for 9 months and 16k miles, sold it for £1,650 and bought an '02 Mondeo diesel for just under £2k. I'd highly reccomend this route personally and almost 18 months of motoring has cost me less than £2k in depreciation and repairs. If I'd bought a Golf GTi or similar with my £12k it would have been a lot more expensive.

I'm insured with Admiral Multi-Car which mirrors my NCB across both cars. You could get an early S1 insured on a classic policy though which should make it cheaper still.

As for the Fiats, there are a lot of good deals on Pandas bought new from a dealer. You could get 0% finance and a big discount if you shop around but even then it'll cost you more in the long run than a £2k car.

I like our 500 but it has no room in the back and headroom in the front is marginal for me (I'm 6'1). The Panda is a better car if you're looking objectively and the 100HP is fantastic fun to drive. I'd have had another Panda personally but it's my other half's car really so we ended up with the 500.

Thanks for that.

Practicality is the only downside to the Panda/500. I believe the 500 to be too costly for my requirements when you could get a 2.0l Ford oil burner that will do the trick and be very cheap to maintain should anything go wrong. There are also loads of them kicking around.