How long till the £20k Evora?

[Ryvita]

BrotherMouzone said:

That sounds like a good deal for a S!

Seen a lot of non-S for high 20s on AT/PH so yours is very good value!

I have been very careful to try and verify that it was not a case of too good to be true.

- Owner seems honest with "genuine reason for sale" and a motivation to sell quickly which I think informed the price point. They also own a mk. 1 Elise which they're keeping.
- HPI checked and cleared including V5 check etc.
- Spoke to the garage that have been maintaining it. Well-reputed independent Lotus specialist. No alarm bells, recent works completed on a "no expense spared" type basis...

If it's hiding something it's hiding something, but I feel like I've done all that can be to avoid shocks. Fingers crossed all will go well tomorrow.

[Ryvita]

Right. So I've had it a day,and have put 200 miles on it in that time...

I think this is the only, very unglamarous, picture of it so far, already looking muddy and covered in road salt. I can see myself spending a lot of time cleaning this one...



So far so good. Drives really well. Only issue that it looks like I missed (because I saw it in daylight and forgot to check in my excitement), is that one of the headlights is out, and a number of the sidelight LEDs are gone. So today I'm sourcing and fitting a new D1S bulb to see if that fixes the main beam, and on general principles, I have ordered a ballast online. (https://lichtex.de/valeo-lad5gl-4pin-d1s-xenon-headlight-ballast/a-890351 - Lotus want crazy money for one of these...) For the sidelight LEDs, I'm going to investigate how you do the Silverstone Lotus sidelight PCB replacement (https://shop.lotussilverstone.co.uk/collections/lotus-accessories/products/evora-sidelight-led-disc).

Overall, the level of grinning so far experienced has outweighed that minor wrinkle.

EDIT: Bit more research. The sidelight PCB can be self fixed. https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/112091... Given I have two engineering degrees, I guess I should probably do this and save myself £500...

Edited by Ryvita on Saturday 28th January 07:03

[Shnozz]

You got a bargain. Looks fab. Well done.

[Ryvita]

Slightly better picture. I'll say this, the matt black is impossible to keep clean on muddy winter roads; as soon as you turn a wheel the flanks start dirtying up.

[plenty]

Think it's the first MY12+ car I've seen on the cast wheels - more common for the later cars to be fitted with 18/19 forged or the larger 19/20 rims.

[pixelmix]

plenty said:

Think it's the first MY12+ car I've seen on the cast wheels - more common for the later cars to be fitted with 18/19 forged or the larger 19/20 rims.

I thought the same. I didn't realise that the S could come with those wheels as it's not a combo I've seen before - you see far 19/20 wheels on the S. They do work well here though. Enjoy the purchase.

[pixelmix]

Ryvita said:

Right. So I've had it a day,and have put 200 miles on it in that time...

EDIT: Bit more research. The sidelight PCB can be self fixed. https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/112091... Given I have two engineering degrees, I guess I should probably do this and save myself £500...

Edited by Ryvita on Saturday 28th January 07:03

Let me know if you fancy doing another pair for practice! I noticed a few flickering LEDs the other day so I may be in need of a repair myself.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

pixelmix said:

plenty said:

Think it's the first MY12+ car I've seen on the cast wheels - more common for the later cars to be fitted with 18/19 forged or the larger 19/20 rims.

I thought the same. I didn't realise that the S could come with those wheels as it's not a combo I've seen before - you see far 19/20 wheels on the S. They do work well here though. Enjoy the purchase.

Might be worth if you don't know, to check your wheel geo/camber set up. I only mention as I believe earlier Evoras had an aggressive type for better handling, but this increases wear. On one of my rear 20" wheels, it got through about 4mm of tread in 2000 miles (Pirellis type as used by factory), & I had been taking it easy.

[blueg33]

pixelmix said:

plenty said:

Think it's the first MY12+ car I've seen on the cast wheels - more common for the later cars to be fitted with 18/19 forged or the larger 19/20 rims.

I thought the same. I didn't realise that the S could come with those wheels as it's not a combo I've seen before - you see far 19/20 wheels on the S. They do work well here though. Enjoy the purchase.

I thought the same about the wheels. Made me want to see the engine bay to check it’s an S

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

blueg33 said:

pixelmix said:

plenty said:

Think it's the first MY12+ car I've seen on the cast wheels - more common for the later cars to be fitted with 18/19 forged or the larger 19/20 rims.

I thought the same. I didn't realise that the S could come with those wheels as it's not a combo I've seen before - you see far 19/20 wheels on the S. They do work well here though. Enjoy the purchase.

I thought the same about the wheels. Made me want to see the engine bay to check it’s an S

Exhaust tips should be different to. Cannot remember any other visual differences between NA & SC.

[plenty]

My S had the 18/19 cast wheels, but it was an early car. All of the MY12+ S examples I've seen have had the 19/20 rims.

[Ryvita]

blueg33 said:

I thought the same about the wheels. Made me want to see the engine bay to check it’s an S

You lot are great at making me paranoid... Unfortunately I have no Birds Custard to hand for verification (for those as remember that forum legend), but this is definitely a supercharger. Also the V5 arrived today, showing first registration 29/03/2013 as an Evora S.

[plenty]

Is it definitely a MY12+ car? Easiest way to tell is the interior - Pioneer head unit rather than Alpine on earlier cars, padded leather door handles not plastic, dark dashboard not light silver.

[Ryvita]

plenty said:

Is it definitely a MY12+ car? Easiest way to tell is the interior - Pioneer head unit rather than Alpine on earlier cars, padded leather door handles not plastic, dark dashboard not light silver.

Pioneer head unit, yup. I think it's likely a special order / press car / some sort of oddity given the paint colour which is very much non-standard. It's going in to get checked out at Bell & Colvill on friday, will let you know what they think of it.

Edited by Ryvita on Wednesday 1st February 16:17

[The Wookie]

TrotCanterGallopCharge said:

Might be worth if you don't know, to check your wheel geo/camber set up. I only mention as I believe earlier Evoras had an aggressive type for better handling, but this increases wear. On one of my rear 20" wheels, it got through about 4mm of tread in 2000 miles (Pirellis type as used by factory), & I had been taking it easy.

Fairly sure all the S’s came with the 19/20 combo as the 18/19 tended to overheat the rears on track, although we used to have them on the press and marketing cars to reduce running costs

I stood up the rears a bit on my cars for the reason you mention, I think I had it about half a degree lower than the spec minimum, was fine on the road and the rears lasted 14-15k rather than knocking the inside edges down to the cords in 6-8!

[Ryvita]

Moment of truth this morning... waiting to find out what Bell & Colvill say like a nervous father pacing up and down outside the hospital room...

Edited by Ryvita on Friday 3rd February 16:00

[CABC]

Ryvita said:

Moment of truth this morning... waiting to find out what Bell & Colvill say like a nervous father pacing up and down outside the hospital room...

what's going on at B&C? never seen it so empty. normally full of McL and a few Lotus. I normally go in warmer months though.

[Ryvita]

That photo was very early doors. Car park now full of McLaren's, couple of Scoobies and Saabs and one other black Evora with a Nurburgring sticker.

[giveitfish]

Ryvita said:

Moment of truth this morning... waiting to find out what Bell & Colvill say like a nervous father pacing up and down outside the hospital room...

Fingers crossed!

Bet it'll only be a few minor things if anything - car looks great!

[Ryvita]

Right. Man from Del Monte he say yes.

A few minor things but overall a clean bill of health. There was the headlight which I knew about (now fixed, it was the ballast gone), LEDs out in sidelights (which I intend to sort myself), tyre canister out of date, CV boot weeping, rusty mud flap brackets (I know this is a common thing - are the stainless steel replacements still available somewhere?) and a minor code for the Electric Coolant Pump function which has been resolved by checking and remaking an electrical connector.



Happy days...

EDIT; Oh, and paint code confirmed as B141 which is the Matt Black used on the Club Racer Elise.