How leaky is an Elise (S1)?
Discussion
Been reading up and leaky roofs have been mentioned more than once. Are the S1's really that bad?
I'm used to water leaks (Land Rover's), is there anything that can be done or are not all S1's affected?
Is there a hard top option and does that solve the leaking? And if there is, can you stow the top in the car?
Thanks
I'm used to water leaks (Land Rover's), is there anything that can be done or are not all S1's affected?
Is there a hard top option and does that solve the leaking? And if there is, can you stow the top in the car?
Thanks
Thanks. Shame about the hard top, don't really want to not be able to take the roof off when out, but don't like parking up without the roof on (well some places anyhow).
Do they leak when driving or is it more when standing overnight? If its the latter I guess its not so bad, just hate getting covered in cold water on a winters morning at the first round-about, lol
Do they leak when driving or is it more when standing overnight? If its the latter I guess its not so bad, just hate getting covered in cold water on a winters morning at the first round-about, lol
They can be made acceptably waterproof with some fine adjustment of the windows. The later hoods have a better seal design. Mine now has one of these as I sent it to Lotus for a refurb. Mine is now watertight in all but the most severe weather. Its probably leaked twice this year. It happens whether stationery or moving to be honest. I can see how leaking could be completely eliminated but it would mean buggering about with the hood a little. Hardtops can completely eliminate any leaking however some don't have drain channels and consequently allow a lot of water into the car when the door is opened.
I'd not let the leaking put you off getting one, its a minor problem if the windows are adjusted properly and the hood is looked after.
I'd not let the leaking put you off getting one, its a minor problem if the windows are adjusted properly and the hood is looked after.
My S1 has the windows correctly adjusted and only has a slight leak when standing, nothing more than a few drips but I still use my shower cap.
I think in general you can get them pretty much leak free on the move with adjusting the windows correctly and a hood refurb if needed and then use a shower cap when standing.
ETA Sorry I think I've just repeated what Gad Westy said above
I think in general you can get them pretty much leak free on the move with adjusting the windows correctly and a hood refurb if needed and then use a shower cap when standing.
ETA Sorry I think I've just repeated what Gad Westy said above
Edited by num2uk on Tuesday 31st March 16:48
Edited by num2uk on Tuesday 31st March 16:49
I've got an S1 with a hardtop and it's totally watertight. Until you open the window or door because of the lack of drip rails...
If you give the roof a quick wipe with one of those window wipe thingies before you get in, though, that will at least stop you getting wet when getting in the car.
As said above, the hardtop isn't stowable but it is easy to fit/remove, so if you have somewhere to leave it (along with the rear glass) you can go a for open-top drive with little hassle.
If you give the roof a quick wipe with one of those window wipe thingies before you get in, though, that will at least stop you getting wet when getting in the car.
As said above, the hardtop isn't stowable but it is easy to fit/remove, so if you have somewhere to leave it (along with the rear glass) you can go a for open-top drive with little hassle.
IME original S1 roofs are bloody useless and you may as well have a Caterham.
(note that I absolutely *hate* leaky cars)
However, given that the MX-5 made the Elise 'weatherproofing' look like some sort of Norfolk in-joke, Lotus progressively developed the roof / window seals (which were the culprits - water generally didn't make it through the fabric roof but comes in at the corners of the roof seals).
Even with a hard top, unless you've got good seals, water will drip in where the roof meets the windscreen at the top edge of the window. I had a fancy B&C carbon roof on my S1, but at the time only normal S1 seals were available and it still leaked. You can just about keep it dry when stationary but driving in the rain guarantees a steady stream of water onto your right knee.
It's the reason I sold my Elan and also the S1 Elise, sadly.
However - Lotus did good work on the seals. Like an addict I came back, then to a VX220 turbo with hardtop, which had the redesigned window seals for the S2. That car didn't leak when driving at all. The only water ingress was some weird leak that let water soak into the headlining at the rear of the roof, which may have been a design fault in the aftermarket hardtop.
I now have an S2 Exige, which has another revision of the window seals, this time with 'ears' and a big block of rubber in the front top edge danger-point. My Exige lives outdoors, I drive it all year round, and it has not leaked *once* in all that time (unless you get in the car when there's a litre of standing water on the roof.... which is user error, really).
So... rambling aside, assuming the latest ear-equipped rubber seals can be adapted to fit an S1, then yes you can completely seal an S1 Elise. The only other leaks are through the chassis due to glue gaps (IIRC) but that's much less of a problem than the roof leaking.
Any S1 owners here managed to fit the latest window seals??
(note that I absolutely *hate* leaky cars)
However, given that the MX-5 made the Elise 'weatherproofing' look like some sort of Norfolk in-joke, Lotus progressively developed the roof / window seals (which were the culprits - water generally didn't make it through the fabric roof but comes in at the corners of the roof seals).
Even with a hard top, unless you've got good seals, water will drip in where the roof meets the windscreen at the top edge of the window. I had a fancy B&C carbon roof on my S1, but at the time only normal S1 seals were available and it still leaked. You can just about keep it dry when stationary but driving in the rain guarantees a steady stream of water onto your right knee.
It's the reason I sold my Elan and also the S1 Elise, sadly.
However - Lotus did good work on the seals. Like an addict I came back, then to a VX220 turbo with hardtop, which had the redesigned window seals for the S2. That car didn't leak when driving at all. The only water ingress was some weird leak that let water soak into the headlining at the rear of the roof, which may have been a design fault in the aftermarket hardtop.
I now have an S2 Exige, which has another revision of the window seals, this time with 'ears' and a big block of rubber in the front top edge danger-point. My Exige lives outdoors, I drive it all year round, and it has not leaked *once* in all that time (unless you get in the car when there's a litre of standing water on the roof.... which is user error, really).
So... rambling aside, assuming the latest ear-equipped rubber seals can be adapted to fit an S1, then yes you can completely seal an S1 Elise. The only other leaks are through the chassis due to glue gaps (IIRC) but that's much less of a problem than the roof leaking.
Any S1 owners here managed to fit the latest window seals??
braddo said:
I've got an S1 with a hardtop and it's totally watertight. Until you open the window or door because of the lack of drip rails...
I've noticed that on mine, it is watertight until you open the window or door, which allows the rubber seal to become wet and the drippng starts. While the rubber in contact with the window is dry, surface tension seems to keep it that way. However I haven't conducted a detailed study!The worst problem I have had with rain was when I left my Elise in the car park with just the shower cap on when a torrential thunderstom started. I rushed out to the car park to find a largeish pond had formed on the shower cap (at least half a gallon!), but it hand't leaked (good design). Didn't look too cool for the next ten minutes though standing under an umbrella holding the middle up to let the rain drain off as it was raining too hard to put the soft top back on!
Properly adjusted side windows and a little bit of care when putting the roof on will keep all but the very worse drips out. I've never had any real issue with leaks when driving (the odd drip might get in but I keep a small towl in the car for those situtations) and a shower cape over the roof when parked up will keep it bone dry inside. You'll get a damp feeling in them first thing on cold mornings but that's because of condensation inside a small metal tub that you sit in. The heater in my car is very effective and warms the cabin and drives out damp air very quickly.
My personal experience leads me to disagree strongly with Cyberface and agree with the other S1 owners who've posted so far.
As an ex-owner of two S1's (and an ex Caterham owner, too, Cyberface), I've got no particular axe to grind but can say that both my S1's were perfectly acceptable in terms of waterproofing.
If you're careful to ensure that the hoods are fitted correctly and (as others have said) the seals at the front edge of the cant rails are in good condition, the worst I've ever experienced is a few drips of water on the passenger door cill after a night standing out in heavy rain.
My first S1 lived outside (in the Lancashire Pennines!) and I can honestly say that leaks never caused me a problem.
As an ex-owner of two S1's (and an ex Caterham owner, too, Cyberface
), I've got no particular axe to grind but can say that both my S1's were perfectly acceptable in terms of waterproofing. If you're careful to ensure that the hoods are fitted correctly and (as others have said) the seals at the front edge of the cant rails are in good condition, the worst I've ever experienced is a few drips of water on the passenger door cill after a night standing out in heavy rain.
My first S1 lived outside (in the Lancashire Pennines!) and I can honestly say that leaks never caused me a problem.
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