Just Got Our 1st Elise!!!!!

[garfy]

Hi All

Just got our 1st Elise after asking your advice 'Elise S1 or S2' on 24/5/08. Thanks for all your help and advice, particularly Bogie, Chadders, SWorks & TIPPER.

We bought a silver S1 on a 2000 plate, 23k miles, FSH incl all MOT certs and receipts incl original bill of sale and handbooks for £7,500 (Private). 'SODS LAW' bought it 12 miles from where we live in Sussex, after travelling to London, Cambridge, Surrey & Nottingham to look at some!!!!!

Have been out a few times 'when dry' and makes us grin. Will post pics when get a minute. Shocked by brakes tho, you have to stand on them, so considering upgrade to EBC discs all round and Mintex 1144 or Yellow stuff pads (hopefully this will make a very noticeable difference!!!) Also considering Hurricane Induction kit (has Pipercross now), 52 mm throttle body and Larini Clubsport exhaust although not sure if to go decat as don't want too loud. Will also consider suspension upgrade, possibly Nitron adjustables with 400/475 springs front and rear???

Lastly tyres, has Pirellis and after reading the threads think we should go for Yokohama Advan Neova LTS. Hope that the above will have the car sorted and would really welcome your views.

Cheers

Garfy

[Mark B]

Firstly, well done, sounds like a good car. Your reaction to the brakes is not a surprise, most find them awkward to start with. You will get better at braking, they're very different to modern cars.

All those mods sound great, but it's a lot of money to spend out. I would enjoy it for a while and then replace stuff that needs replacing as and when, if anything is actually about to go it'll be sods law it'll go just when you've run out of money.

Tyres wise, no denying the Advan is a great tyre, but it's also not cheap and there are others that offer 95% of the tyre for 50% of the cost.

Lastly, get yourself on to some Sussex events on SELOC, we're a friendly bunch.. (ish ) Go Karting this coming weekend if you fancy it?

[Ganglandboss]

I was stting it when I first test drove mine I was really taking it easy and braking very early; I wasn't really impressed. My cousin (mechanic) took it for a spin to give me his opinion and come back raving about the brakes. I got used to them pretty quickly. They are very good - they just feel strange at first if you have never driven anything without servo assistance.

[bogie]

congrats

as above re the brakes - find a quiet bit of B road somewhere and do some 50 to zero brake testing etc, pressing as hard as you can without locking them and modulating...you will find them easily as good as a regular car in stopping, just a completely alien feel if youve never driven anything without power assistance before

[nick_j007]

Just a quick chip in if I may?

I picked up an S2 last week with 28k miles on it. Would the same relate to the brakes on that too please?

Been afraid to ask so far!

Nick

[The Bandit]

Nice one garfy
As posted above,get on seloc(www.seloc.org)and sign yourself up for the Sussex region,there are pub meets,runs etc,we are a friendly bunch honest!.
Oh,and say goodbye to your free time,you wont have any left from now on

Whereabouts in Sussex are you btw?

[The Bandit]

nick_j007 said:

Just a quick chip in if I may?

I picked up an S2 last week with 28k miles on it. Would the same relate to the brakes on that too please?

Been afraid to ask so far!

Nick

Depends how old your S2 is Nick,the earlier ones did'nt have servo assistance.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly with the year they changed over

[bogie]

nick_j007 said:

Just a quick chip in if I may?

I picked up an S2 last week with 28k miles on it. Would the same relate to the brakes on that too please?

Been afraid to ask so far!

Nick

yes if its Rover engined, servo assistance on the brakes and ABS came in with the Toyota cars

[garfy]

Hi The Bandit, I'm in Bexhill On Sea, sometimes known as 'Gods Waiting Room' due to the large number of 'mature' residents.

[garfy]

Mark B, thanks for the invite on the karting, I'll let you know. Yeah would be great to catch up with fellow elise owners.

[Mark B]

Good old Bexhill, spent many a weekend at my Great Aunts there

I'm in Worthing (another free range hospice), plenty of others including the Bandit scattered all over Sussex..

[nick_j007]

Rover engine yes...that explains it then!
Thanks.

bogie said:

nick_j007 said:

Just a quick chip in if I may?

I picked up an S2 last week with 28k miles on it. Would the same relate to the brakes on that too please?

Been afraid to ask so far!

Nick

yes if its Rover engined, servo assistance on the brakes and ABS came in with the Toyota cars

[jondude]

I agree that you should enjoy the car now and leave the modifications for later - otherwise you could easily have the car off road for all the good(ish) weather time!

I did come to the Elise from motorcyles, and the brakes are very much like on bikes....not much initial bite ( to stop you locking ) but then progressive power and mid range bite.

Lovely!

• watch them in the wet, though...I recently had to crawl through 30 minutes or so torrential rain, deserted motorway so I didn't need the brakes....when I finally needed them for a roundabout there was nothing there at all! Again, as on bikes, you just need to let them bite to clear the water, then release and bite again - but be prepared!

[miro]

Hope to see you at a sussex SELOC event soon

[Gad-Westy]

jondude said:

• watch them in the wet, though...I recently had to crawl through 30 minutes or so torrential rain, deserted motorway so I didn't need the brakes....when I finally needed them for a roundabout there was nothing there at all! Again, as on bikes, you just need to let them bite to clear the water, then release and bite again - but be prepared!

I've noticed that recently as well. I thought it was something just related to MMC discs but my Ali belled steel discs do it as well. I've had non-servo brakes on other cars and they've never been like that. Anybody any idea why the Elise is like this? Pad choice?

[Mr_C]

If you really, really stand on them you'll be amazed how quick it stops.

They're not sharp, just efficient.