A little help needed......

[Munkeyfeet]

Having had my new car (C55) stolen by the wife I am now looking for a car for me to have everyday.

I dont mind hard suspensions, I love a bit of noise and my sister had the S1 elise as an everyday car and as a result this has led me to the EXIGE!

My journey to work is 8 miles each way - 50% B roads and 50% dual carriageway. Where I live is mainly country roads

So I could do with some help.

Buying a Merc/BWM/Audi etc with total peace of mind is easy - you go to a dealer. Any places you can recommend near Berkshire that have a reputation of selling good cars and solving any issues that arise?

Please dont say SGT!

My budget is £20,000. I want an Exige - is this enough to buy a good one?

Are there any options which come resale I will wish I had bought one with?

What running costs should I consider? I heard that at 40,000 miles its a major service which is very expensive - truth or wives tale?

Anything to blatantly look out for or would you deem taking it to a lotus garage for a once over before buying necessary? Are there any you would recommend?

Thanks.

Edited by Munkeyfeet on Tuesday 18th May 14:44

[matt173407]

go for the europa! i just cant afford it this year otherwise i would ! stunning looking car

[21TonyK]

Are you thinking S1 or S2? S1 is a very different car and you'll really have to hunt around for one at the £20K mark. An 05 or maybe an 06 plate S2 would be easily achieve able for the money. An 06+ will have LED rear lights, a FBW throttle and maybe the new dash layout.

I would be very tempted to buy privately via here or SELOC. Get it inspected at a main dealer and you'll be fine. Mos car are enthusiast owned and pampered. If it looks straight and there's no adverse history they are generally pretty bomb proof.

As to costs, parts are cheap and there are plenty of excellent independents who can look after them better than most of the main dealers.

Plenty of cars around, take your time and do your research into options and specifications.

[Munkeyfeet]

It would be the S2 in White, Black, Grey, Silver or dark Blue.

[21TonyK]

Are you looking to track it as well or just road use?

[Munkeyfeet]

Just road use - I might be being naive but I wouldnt want to buy a car that had been put through its paces on a track.

This will be a daily commute and then sunday "joyride" on the country roads near me.

Couple of PH meets and a few trips to Le Mans.

Am I right in assuming that they are either n/a or SC and that is it. The only other options are performance or touring/comfort packs.

Are these worth getting? When did the new engines come in and are they reliable?

Edited by Munkeyfeet on Tuesday 18th May 16:01

[Justin S]

Have a look at Will Blackham for a car on pistonheads and Seloc. He's local to you and will find a car for you...............

[dan1758]

On the servicing front your kind of spoilt for choice where your based. The following all have a very good reputation; Hofmanns in Henley, Back on Track in Guildford, Steve Williams in Maidenhead, Lakeside Engineering near Addlestone, B&C in Guildford, Sinclairs, etc, etc, etc.

I'm in Slough and have a Europa and have it looked after by Hofmanns in Henley who are brilliant.

[Munkeyfeet]

Cheers Dan that is great info - do hoffmans sell as well?

Is that a place you would recommend taking a potential to get a once over?

[21TonyK]

For around £20K you will get a decent NA car with aircon which I would consider a prerequisite. Look for the revised 06+ model with FBW throttle and LED lights. After that condition is king. A car that has seen a track day or two is not to be ignored. A car that has lived on track (as some previously Lotus / Silverstone registered cars do) might not be best advised although these tend to be S's.

For road use don't worry about brake upgrades (you just need decent pads) or suspension etc. OEM setup is fine, you might want to change the tyres to something more road/weather friendly if on OEM A048's or Toyo 888's.

[dan1758]

Munkeyfeet said:

Just road use - I might be being naive but I wouldnt want to buy a car that had been put through its paces on a track.

Edited by Munkeyfeet on Tuesday 18th May 16:01

In my experience people who track their cars look after them a lot better than a car that just gets a dealer stamp once a year.

[Munkeyfeet]

Thanks Tony - what tyres would you suggest so I can factor that into any cost?

The NA is perfect for me and as I am new to Lotus I would guess more than enough power for now.

Is there any other way of finding if a car was tracked? Or do I have to rely on the owner being honest?

If it was a pure track car - how would I know - would it be registered to a company?

[dan1758]

Munkeyfeet said:

Cheers Dan that is great info - do hoffmans sell as well?

Is that a place you would recommend taking a potential to get a once over?

I'm not sure if Hofmanns sell cars, I think they might shift the odd customers car every now and then. I would speak to Chris (Randy on SELOC and here) at Hofmanns to see if he can help you out with a once over on a car.

If you contact Will Blackham (WillB on SELOC) and have a chat about what type of car you want, then see what comes of it. I have never had any dealings with Will (other than the odd email) BUT he has a very good reputation for supplying people with Lotus'

There are also some good dealers out there and a lot of info on the cars on the forums.

[21TonyK]

Munkeyfeet said:

Thanks Tony - what tyres would you suggest so I can factor that into any cost?

The NA is perfect for me and as I am new to Lotus I would guess more than enough power for now.

Is there any other way of finding if a car was tracked? Or do I have to rely on the owner being honest?

If it was a pure track car - how would I know - would it be registered to a company?

If the reg begins with AU then check thoroughly. These could be registered to Lotus or Silverstone, ring Lotus customer services with the reg and they will reveal all. Other than that lumps of rubber stuck to the undertrays or in wheel arches can give the game away.

For purely road tyres Goodyear Eagle F1's are respected as a Toyo T1R's but they are a compromise in terms of handling. Many (including me) run 888s / 48's on the road as we mix road and track use but then I/we consider tyres a consumable. I have 2 part worn sets in the garage and have had some new rear 888's in the hall warming up for a week ready for fitting this weekend.

If the car is purely road use then try and NA properly. Absolutely nothing wrong with them (I have one) but the lack of mid-range and the high end nature of the power can be a bit wearing after a while. You can get the ECU reflashed to lower the cam change for about £150 and that is well worth doing.

For road use I'd go for a set of Mintex 1144 pads, great from cold and okay when hot. If you want to splash out CL RC5+ will last forever (according to some reviews) and need only a couple of stops to get up to temp after which they are immense, better than any pads I've tried.

Cheers

[Munkeyfeet]

Thanks guys, so:

For servicing go to Steve Williams (closest to me in Ascot)

Look at a NA car that hasnt lived on a track - a few is fine provided regular oil changes etc. Any AU car triple check

Buy one with AirCon - anything else is a bonus but not a necessity

Ensure it is an 06 plate with FBW and LED lights or newer

Have a chat with Will Blackman to source or indeed check over any potential cars


What servicing costs are typical? I like to get my car's oil changed at least once a year + filters - how much is this normally?

Are there any big services I should prepare for or is it always pretty low cost provided the cars kept in good condition?

How much is it to convert the roof to allow an Elise soft top to fit? I appreciate I can take the hard top off the Exige but given that would need to stay at home it does leave you vunerable to a sudden change in weather!

[21TonyK]

Munkeyfeet said:

Thanks guys, so:

For servicing go to Steve Williams (closest to me in Ascot)

Look at a NA car that hasnt lived on a track - a few is fine provided regular oil changes etc. Any AU car triple check

Buy one with AirCon - anything else is a bonus but not a necessity

Ensure it is an 06 plate with FBW and LED lights or newer

Have a chat with Will Blackman to source or indeed check over any potential cars


What servicing costs are typical? I like to get my car's oil changed at least once a year + filters - how much is this normally?

Are there any big services I should prepare for or is it always pretty low cost provided the cars kept in good condition?

How much is it to convert the roof to allow an Elise soft top to fit? I appreciate I can take the hard top off the Exige but given that would need to stay at home it does leave you vunerable to a sudden change in weather!

Pretty much sums it up. Servicing about £250 a time, "big" services every 27K or 6 years but they're not *that* big. Roof kit is about £400 or look on eBay, dealers charge a fortune to fit but it's an easy DIY.

Getting picky, potential weak points are the radiator and heater resistor pack. Other than that no different to any other car.

Good luck with the hunt.

[Justin S]

I use Back On Track in Guildford. Have done for the last 2 services and about the same distance to get to for you. Good prices and great work.

[Munkeyfeet]

Having read a bit more would it be worth finding the extra £3000 to get me into an Exige S?

Whilst I want the Exige for country road fun, I dont want to be found wanting more on straight line acceleration. There are a couple of entry points for my local dual carriageway that are inclines and great fun for hammering it up and on.

Are there any mods for the NA car which will eek a bit more power?

Is the S a lot more to run - i guess brake pads and tyres will be eaten a lot quicker - anything else?

Just want to go in with my eyes open and I would hate to spend £21 on an NA car and then feel I should have waited a couple more months and bought an S for mid 20's.

[kambites]

dan1758 said:

Munkeyfeet said:

Just road use - I might be being naive but I wouldnt want to buy a car that had been put through its paces on a track.

In my experience people who track their cars look after them a lot better than a car that just gets a dealer stamp once a year.

Some of the best cars out there are ones that have been used as track cars, they tend to be meticulously looked after and often have worthwhile upgrades as well.

[claypole 7]

There is a massive difference between the NA and the S and its a very personal choice - for me its the S everytime, suits my style of driving much better, felt like a hooligan when driving the NA always trying to get to second cam etc.I would recommend taking both for test drive.