Soon to be owner of an Esprit...
Discussion
kapone said:
Hi all,
Just bought a 89 SE, will be taking delivery in the next few days. From a new owner standpoint, could I tap into the vast wealth of knowledge here, and ask, what should I look out for?
can't wait...:-)
Hi,
Congratulations! Resist the urge to merely jump in and go. Make certain in your mind that it is well sorted before you go racking up the miles. These cars require that the owner perform proper maintenance on schedule. She will have a nasty habit of reminding you if you don't. It may be Human Nature for the PO to let some of these things go on a car which was to be put up for sale, you can never really be sure.
First off, treat your new Lady to all new fluids, incl. brake/clutch fluid, filters, plugs, wiper blades etc. If it were me, I'd even opt for new ignition wires. It may cost a few bucks, but this will start the clock fresh on all these items and may save you numerous headaches down the road. I would also perform a compression check as a baseline with which to judge the engine's condition down the road.
Carefully inspect all 'V' belts and if unsure when the last timing belt was changed and the valve clearances checked, plan on doing this in the next couple thousand miles - very important! Check that chargecooler is cool to the touch after a spirited drive to insure the impeller is operating properly.
It would be nice to pay some attention to the interior, plan on cleaning the carpet and treating the leather using Leatherique (recommended) or other such treatment.
Finally, take the time to learn the car before exploring her upper limits. New owners car's often suffer a higher degree of breakdowns and collisions simply because the owner was unfamiliar with it's requirements and limitations.
I know of one guy who bought a friend's Esprit and very shortly afterward went on a run with some of the Big Boys in his neighborhood. He lost the back end due to over acceleration, slid it into a curb and suffered a broken wheel and suspension. It simply got away from him. Admittedly, it had begun to rain lightly, but the others had no problem at all with it. He repaired the car and has since become quite a good owner/driver. But his learning curve was more expensive than yours will hopefully be. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
welcome to the forum! cnh1990 said:
I know someone who lives in Rockville, Maryland who used to own an SE. He now owns a Countach but knows a lot about the SE.
Really? That would be really helpful! Could you possibly put me in touch with this person? It'd be nice to talk to someone who's already familiar with the car.
lotusguy said:
Hi all,
Just bought a 89 SE, will be taking delivery in the next few days. From a new owner standpoint, could I tap into the vast wealth of knowledge here, and ask, what should I look out for?
can't wait...:-)
Hi,
Congratulations! Resist the urge to merely jump in and go. Make certain in your mind that it is well sorted before you go racking up the miles. These cars require that the owner perform proper maintenance on schedule. She will have a nasty habit of reminding you if you don't. It may be Human Nature for the PO to let some of these things go on a car which was to be put up for sale, you can never really be sure.
First off, treat your new Lady to all new fluids, incl. brake/clutch fluid, filters, plugs, wiper blades etc. If it were me, I'd even opt for new ignition wires. It may cost a few bucks, but this will start the clock fresh on all these items and may save you numerous headaches down the road. I would also perform a compression check as a baseline with which to judge the engine's condition down the road.
Carefully inspect all 'V' belts and if unsure when the last timing belt was changed and the valve clearances checked, plan on doing this in the next couple thousand miles - very important! Check that chargecooler is cool to the touch after a spirited drive to insure the impeller is operating properly.
It would be nice to pay some attention to the interior, plan on cleaning the carpet and treating the leather using Leatherique (recommended) or other such treatment.
Finally, take the time to learn the car before exploring her upper limits. New owners car's often suffer a higher degree of breakdowns and collisions simply because the owner was unfamiliar with it's requirements and limitations.
I know of one guy who bought a friend's Esprit and very shortly afterward went on a run with some of the Big Boys in his neighborhood. He lost the back end due to over acceleration, slid it into a curb and suffered a broken wheel and suspension. It simply got away from him. Admittedly, it had begun to rain lightly, but the others had no problem at all with it. He repaired the car and has since become quite a good owner/driver. But his learning curve was more expensive than yours will hopefully be. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
Lotusguy, Thanks for all the information! I'll certainly make a point to take care of all these things. One question though, I'll be picking up the car about 600 miles away, and I'm not sure if I can find someone qualified to do these things there. Would it be ok to drive the car 600 miles after a prelimnary examination?
kapone said:
Lotusguy, Thanks for all the information! I'll certainly make a point to take care of all these things. One question though, I'll be picking up the car about 600 miles away, and I'm not sure if I can find someone qualified to do these things there. Would it be ok to drive the car 600 miles after a prelimnary examination?
Hi,
I'm experienced, not clairvoyant...
Seriously, I doubt you'll have a problem, but before starting out, check all fluid levels, tire pressures, lights, gauges, Battery terminals, locate the fusebox, write it all down and correct/top off where necessary, be sure you know where the fuel filler release is... When you stop to refuel, check it all again and compare with your original notes to be sure. Also, I guess I would resist the urge (and it will be a strong one) to push the car on this initial trip until you get a chance to thoroughly look it over. As I said, odds are very favorable that it'll all be alright, but why push your luck and maybe rack up some repair bills and a tow charge because some unseen circumstance was left uncorrected? You'll have plenty opportunity to light your hair on fire once you have the car in top shape. Happy Motoring and again, Good Luck! ... Jim'85TE
kapone said:
I know someone who lives in Rockville, Maryland who used to own an SE. He now owns a Countach but knows a lot about the SE.
Really? That would be really helpful! Could you possibly put me in touch with this person? It'd be nice to talk to someone who's already familiar with the car.
Email me your contact info and I will forward it.
An non SE? That depends if you payed SE money for it.
Criswell sucks relentlessly.
That's why we all go to Jaime at Yesteryear Motorsports in Elkridge.
There are a good number of us Esprit owners, and we're fairly active...runs, shows etc.
E-mail me and I'll be sure to get you on all our run invites, and would be glad to talk Esprits with you.
I am in Reston, VA, fairly close to Rockville.
madmike@metalasylum.com
www.metalasylum.com/evilyn
That's why we all go to Jaime at Yesteryear Motorsports in Elkridge.
There are a good number of us Esprit owners, and we're fairly active...runs, shows etc.
E-mail me and I'll be sure to get you on all our run invites, and would be glad to talk Esprits with you.
I am in Reston, VA, fairly close to Rockville.
madmike@metalasylum.com
www.metalasylum.com/evilyn
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