S2 Elise, is it for me???

S2 Elise, is it for me???

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Discussion

mickthemechanic

326 posts

105 months

Saturday 28th April 2018
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nigelj77 said:
Well today I looked at a 111S which was advertised locally, it was sensibly priced but needed a service and timing belt, wheel refurb and had particularly shabby suspension arms.
It seemed to go well, I let the seller drive and he did seem to struggle with gear shift linkage so something else required.
It did persued me that an Elise is what I'm looking for but that one just needed too much work.
Hi

I think the suspension arms look shabby about 2 days after the car is built. Unfortunately there bare metal and look rusty very quickly.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
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They're powder coated, but the first stone to hit them strips it off. I shot-blasted and hammerited mine while changing the bushes and they seem to be holding up pretty well two years later.

The gear linkage is adjustable - its never great but shouldn't be terrible. You can buy upgraded linkages for not very much.

The belts aren't too bad cost-wise, and if you're handy with a spanner they're pretty easy to do yourself. Access is surprisingly good.

Edited by kambites on Sunday 29th April 08:50

nigelj77

Original Poster:

196 posts

128 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
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Flaky powder coating sounds like my the all over again, least most of the chassis is aluminium in this case.

I realise any car can be pulled around but this one needed too much for my liking, even with everything put right it didn't have the best service history which would always hold it back in value.

There are a couple of 111r that I plan to look at 1 is nearer but the other is 4 hours away.

Is the standard 111r exhaust on the quiet side, kind of fancy sports exhaust as noise is part of the experience?

mickthemechanic

326 posts

105 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
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Hi

I have a standard exhaust on mine so not sure how it compares to a sports. I am happy with the noise it makes when the second cam kicks in but I do have a bit of a soft spot for screaming variable valve timing engines.

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
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I’d always say an Elise needs a slightly raspier exhaust, if only to drown out the various rattles and the k-series.

Unfortunately, I have a Larini clubsport. Which is epically in the right circumstances and mearly a very loud drone in others.

Collect the scruffy looking 15 year old tomorrow. New rear drop links and oil pipes (the original toe links on early Elise’s can fail under heavy cornering - you really don’t want that)

andy_s

19,397 posts

258 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
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Loved my old 111S, if I wrote a review in the style of a modern motor journalist it's be full of criticisms; sparse interior, no gizmo's at all, awkward to get in and out, rattly, inefficient heater, sidelights that dropped out, plasticky trim etc etc. But I absolutely loved driving the thing, it was the sweet spot for me in terms of power/weight and although it's a cliché, you really felt at one with the car - like you were wearing it - the texture of the road and grip through your hands and the mechanical directness of everything was visceral and has yet to be bettered in my case. Just great fun.

TheAlastair34

369 posts

127 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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nigelj77 said:
Flaky powder coating sounds like my the all over again, least most of the chassis is aluminium in this case.

I realise any car can be pulled around but this one needed too much for my liking, even with everything put right it didn't have the best service history which would always hold it back in value.

There are a couple of 111r that I plan to look at 1 is nearer but the other is 4 hours away.

Is the standard 111r exhaust on the quiet side, kind of fancy sports exhaust as noise is part of the experience?
i have a stage 2 lotus sports one on mine, it is fine if its only a weekend toy but daily its loud.

i would recommend a intake kit for the 111r mine has a pipercross vis on it and it sounds fantastic even with a stock exhaust the intake noise makes up for it

persnlly for me a later toyota car as a better choice, little or no maintenance needed unlike people with the k series cars, like hgf and gearchange woes

nigelj77

Original Poster:

196 posts

128 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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I must admit my preference would be a 111r if I can find one that's been looked after at sensible money, as I said before being up north doesn't help.

My biggest complaint on the Porsche was it didn't make enough noise so induction or exhaust noise needs to be enough to add some entertainment.

If I needed to swap shocks and springs due to age what should I budget for something close to standard? I think I'm capable of fit swap, did my Subaru a few years ago.

Thanks again for the responses.

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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I had nitrons done a few years back at about a grand all in. They’re not complicated cars.

I have just picked the rattle bucket up and driven it home on a half decent b-road in the cold with the roof off.

It’s a brilliant, brilliant thing. If it wasn’t going to chuck it down the rest of the week, I’d have left it out for tomorrow morning.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Nitron Street Series or Quantum Zeros are the usual budget(ish) damper suggestions for road use. Both are similarly priced; you'll get a bit of change from a grand. If you want to spend a bit more you're into the bottom end adjustable units from both companies then from there the sky's the limit really in terms of what you can spend. They're very easy to fit yourself, but adjusting the geometry to suit an altered ride-height the geometry is a bit trickier.

If it hasn't been done, a car of sort of age is likely to need bushes and ball-joints soon too, if you want it to drive at its best.

ETA: If you do intend to work on the car yourself, read the handbook section on jacking/supporting the car. It's not quite as you'd expect and if you make the wrong assumptions you might end up with a car on top of you.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 1st May 06:09

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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nigelj77 said:
I must admit my preference would be a 111r if I can find one that's been looked after at sensible money, as I said before being up north doesn't help.
They're not dreadfully common cars anywhere. It's worth being both patent and willing to travel to find what you want.

TheAlastair34

369 posts

127 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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nigelj77 said:
I must admit my preference would be a 111r if I can find one that's been looked after at sensible money, as I said before being up north doesn't help.

My biggest complaint on the Porsche was it didn't make enough noise so induction or exhaust noise needs to be enough to add some entertainment.

If I needed to swap shocks and springs due to age what should I budget for something close to standard? I think I'm capable of fit swap, did my Subaru a few years ago.

Thanks again for the responses.
Where abouts are you and what are you looking to spend?

i have kept mine on stock springs and shocks i think they are perfect for a road car, i wouldnt want anything harder and all coiovers come with stiffer spring rates.

Swapping them is easy.

nigelj77

Original Poster:

196 posts

128 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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Hi TheAlistair34, I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne and don't really want to go above £18k, do you know of a car coming up for sale?

There aren't many private cars for sale at the moment and although there's some reasonable comeback from a dealer it means I'd pay a little more than I would have to privately.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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TheAlastair34 said:
i wouldnt want anything harder and all coiovers come with stiffer spring rates.
They do, but the after-market dampers mostly have far better valving so the ride quality isn't necessarily worse overall. I went from OEM Bilsteins to Quantum Zeros and whilst the spring rates on the Quantums are a bit higher, the dampers are far better at reacting to small bumps and ripples in the road so the ride feels more settled most of the time. The flip-side is that it's appreciably firmer when you hit a more significant bump such as a pot hole or piece of raised ironwork.

I wouldn't go back to OEM now, primarily because I prefer the ride comfort of the Quantums.

r1chardh

144 posts

174 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
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Hi Nigel,

I had a 111R as my first and loved it. Have you checked out Jon Seal cars in Wakefield? He has a good reputation on SELOC, and I'm sure would be up for a chat about your options. Best of luck, they are great little cars. If you do get one I'd heartily recommend Lotus on Track!

Cheers.

nigelj77 said:
Hi TheAlistair34, I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne and don't really want to go above £18k, do you know of a car coming up for sale?

There aren't many private cars for sale at the moment and although there's some reasonable comeback from a dealer it means I'd pay a little more than I would have to privately.

TheAlastair34

369 posts

127 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
quotequote all
nigelj77 said:
Hi TheAlistair34, I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne and don't really want to go above £18k, do you know of a car coming up for sale?

There aren't many private cars for sale at the moment and although there's some reasonable comeback from a dealer it means I'd pay a little more than I would have to privately.
Hi,

not currently but what i would say is check daily and move quickly if they come up privately at a good price as there are a couple of traders that will buy them blind and resell.

18k should see you a 111r private with around 40k on a 06 facelift with led rear lights and probax seats

nigelj77

Original Poster:

196 posts

128 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
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I thought my budget was about right, it's just being quick enough to get in before other private or trade buyers get in, work gets in the way but I suppose it will also pay for whatever I go for.

I didn't realise probax seats came in in 2006, thought they were always an option.

I'm going in to see Jon Seal on Saturday as am kind of passing en route to the lake district.

I spoke to a fellow Pistonheader who's car looks nice but has an issue with the digital display for the mileage which I cant see an easy solution for in the internet.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Friday 4th May 2018
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A note on the Probax seats - they're certainly very comfortable but they do push you slightly higher and further forward so if you're tall, make sure you fit before committing to buy a car with them.

£18k is the bottom end of the market for 111Rs (at least ones which haven't been written off and repaired) and cars sell quickly at this time of year but you should still find something nice if your patient. I wouldn't entirely discount cars on the basis of a missing or incomplete service history; there's very few neglected Elises out there and some of the very best cars will have been self-serviced by enthusiastic owners. My car hasn't been near a dealer in the last seven years but it's mechanically immaculate.

Basically, buy on condition; and if you're not confident you can just condition yourself pay someone who can to inspect the car for you.

TheAlastair34

369 posts

127 months

Friday 4th May 2018
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nigelj77 said:
I thought my budget was about right, it's just being quick enough to get in before other private or trade buyers get in, work gets in the way but I suppose it will also pay for whatever I go for.

I didn't realise probax seats came in in 2006, thought they were always an option.

I'm going in to see Jon Seal on Saturday as am kind of passing en route to the lake district.

I spoke to a fellow Pistonheader who's car looks nice but has an issue with the digital display for the mileage which I cant see an easy solution for in the internet.
its probax seat inserts that make them a little comfier, not the full harness hole exige variants

Say hi to Jon from me, and if you want a go in a 111r and he dosnt have one drop me a messege im 10 minutes from his unit

Shnozz

27,422 posts

270 months

Friday 4th May 2018
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I feel qualified to comment on this thread. V similar car history to the OP and having had an S1 Elise, S2 111S and an SC Exige over the years, after TVRs and with a Boxster S among the Loti.

The short answer is yes, it is very much for you. Again, similarities in that I do about 2k miles per year. The only downside in my Exige was that many of these are long distance, and it isnt the best GT car (hence I moved to an Evora after).

I do think the SC cars are the sweet spot. I know many will argue differently but I found the NA cars a little "all show no go" and whilst I never race on a public road, the current crop of hot hatches and even turbo diesels would give you a bloody nose. Yes, these cars are all about the bends, but its still nice to have a decent power band to exit the bend and rocket toward the next one and not have to wring every last bit of power from an engine to get it to travel with any urgency.

Seat wise, people rave about Probax but I don't think they are all that different from the normal seats. We did Le Mans and back in a Probax seated Exige and it was fookin uncomfortable just the same as normal ones hehe Give them a try by all means but I wouldn't rule out cars without.

I sold mine through Jon Seal and he is a pleasure to deal with. Local to me which is handy but top notch chap and wouldn't sell a pup so you are in safe hands. Good luck and report back once you have bought one.