RE: Lotus Esprit Turbo: PH Used Buying Guide

[Helicopter123]

Pat H said:

Lots of stuff.

One of my all time favourite posts on PH.
Thank you!

[Helicopter123]

Salamura said:

I've always preferred the look of the Mk1 Esprit, it was a true 70s wedge. The later stuff, i.e. the turbo and the V8, with their rounded design, never really appealed to me as much from a visual standpoint. Also, I prefer the tartan interior of the Mk1 to the leather of the later Esprits:



And yes, the footwells are tiny. There is literally no space for your left foot. The seats have really poor adjustment range, and the driving position is absolutely terrible. For a longer drive, it's a chore. The gear change is nice and clunky, feels very mechanical. The visibility is quite bad, not as bad on some supercars, but crests and tall hedges are an issue.

A very flawed car, but yet, a very charming one. The handling is great, and the ride is quite good, especially if you're coming from something more modern.

I love how 'the future' looked in the 1950s/1960s/1970s. It must have all felt so enticing.

[Pat H]

British Beef said:

Fit and finish compared to contemporary Ferrari and Porsche cars is on par or better. GRP plastic body doesnt rust and chassis is galvanised. The Ferrari makes a better noise that is IMO and the owners opinion the only advantage over the Lotus.

My F328 was marginally better finished inside and out than my Esprit. It had better ergonomics, better instruments and nicer switchgear. Veglia instead of Smiths. Bespoke switches instead of British Leyland etc.

You are right about the Lotus's GRP shell and galvanised chassis being a huge advantage. My F328 deteriorated noticeably after being used in the wet. I am firmly of the view that Lotus panel gaps and wrinkly fibreglass are a very small price to pay for the complete lack of rust.

I can't agree with your suggestion that the Ferrari makes a better noise. Maybe a 308 on carbs sounds a lot better, but my 328 sounded crap. It was just a horrible shrieky thing, like all fuel injected Ferrari V8s. My old Esprit had quite a nice induction snarl when it was wound up, which just about made up for the grumbly four pot motor.

For me, the Holy Grail is the normally aspirated S3 HC. You get the original Giugiaro shape, devoid of those tacky skirts, spoilers and louvres. The lack of turbo could be regarded as an advantage these days. If it had to be a late Esprit, then the stripped out GT3 with the V8 dash is a nice thing.

[Neil E 99]

Owned one for 7 yrs.

Simple fact is. If your 6ft plus, have a size 12 trotter, 60 or so miles you like me will be dying to get out.(which is also a bugger) Unless of course you like driving in the closed concertina position.

However if you love it and it gets under your skin then its a slippery slope.

All I can promise is it will make you sad but when it makes you smile you will really smile.

[unsprung]

this Irish bloke has a YouTube series in which he restores an Esprit

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9I7RgD0i7JZ58CK...

[Cold]

unsprung said:

this Irish bloke has a YouTube series in which he restores an Esprit

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9I7RgD0i7JZ58CK...

George's channel is very watchable, but again, his S2 Esprit is nothing to do with the ones featured in this PH article.


It seems that PH thinks the Esprit is one homogeneous model. Silly things like moaning about the lack of space for your clutch foot in an S1 and ignoring the footrest in the later cars.

[DonkeyApple]

Cold said:

George's channel is very watchable, but again, his S2 Esprit is nothing to do with the ones featured in this PH article.


It seems that PH thinks the Esprit is one homogeneous model. Silly things like moaning about the lack of space for your clutch foot in an S1 and ignoring the footrest in the later cars.

I don’t think you’re getting the hint. No one has any interest in the later cars, hence why we’re all reading the posts about the original Esprit and enjoying Pat’s pictures.

It doesn’t really matter that the article is about the Esprit that no one is all that interested and is associated with an old man shopping for prossies. The thread is clearly going to be about the Esprit everyone does like. The one that’s associated with an old man who didn’t have to pay.

[freeform]

The headlie articles statement of concentrating on the later Peter Stevens redesign notwithstanding, I feel sure us non-owners - surely most of those reading - are happy to read the experiences of those older Giugiaro cars too.

They are part of the continuously repeating Lotus cycle, be it Elan/+2, Elite/Excel/Excat, Elise/Exige etc: Do you want the purity of design and intent of the earlier variants or the benefits of the years of owner-developer-engineers of the later variants?

Thanks to all those contributors sharing real experience.

[jackettc]

I've had one for 20 years! Great car never let me down, BUT get shot of the cast exhaust manifold and swap it for a stainless one.
I changed two myself, and it is a horrible job!
Also change the gearbox oil every year, and it should last a lifetime.
Cambelt and tensioners every 3-4 years is also a good idea, regardless of mileage.
Another good thing to do it use heat protection shield around the manifold where it faces the tubular chassis, otherwise it will rot it!

[jackettc]

"Soon after, the S4 Esprit arrived with styling by Julian Thomson. It used the Sport 300 specification as its base and had a claimed output of 305hp"


Ahh I wish, I have one and it has 264bhp standard! Mine has 310bhp now, but after a few mods

[Ed Straker]

Helicopter123 said:

Pat H said:

Lots of stuff.

One of my all time favourite posts on PH.
Thank you!

Seconded.
Thanks v much Pat.

[Cold]

DonkeyApple said:

I don’t think you’re getting the hint. No one has any interest in the later cars, hence why we’re all reading the posts about the original Esprit and enjoying Pat’s pictures.

It doesn’t really matter that the article is about the Esprit that no one is all that interested and is associated with an old man shopping for prossies. The thread is clearly going to be about the Esprit everyone does like. The one that’s associated with an old man who didn’t have to pay.

I've not been posting on here long but even I've seen those pictures before. I've also read the same anecdotes previously too and it intrigues me that some actually believe them to be representative of every one of the 10675 cars produced and repeatable for every model.

I look forward to the next Golf R thread with interest. Can't wait to hear how the rust on a 1976 GTi should be factored into any purchase/leasing decision.

(Fun fact: both the Esprit and Golf GTi were 1976 cars and styled by Giugario)

[LanceRS]

I love all the Esprits (Roger Moore is partially responsible for this). The original has a purity missing in the latter generations but all are absolutely stunning to look at. As someone who has always desired them but never been lucky enough to drive one, I imagine that the cars referred to in the article should be the better ownership proposition?
After 20 odd years in development, most of the issues that blighted the early cars must have been resolved.
In any event, when my numbers come up, I shall have both

[DonkeyApple]

Cold said:

DonkeyApple said:

I don’t think you’re getting the hint. No one has any interest in the later cars, hence why we’re all reading the posts about the original Esprit and enjoying Pat’s pictures.

It doesn’t really matter that the article is about the Esprit that no one is all that interested and is associated with an old man shopping for prossies. The thread is clearly going to be about the Esprit everyone does like. The one that’s associated with an old man who didn’t have to pay.

I've not been posting on here long but even I've seen those pictures before. I've also read the same anecdotes previously too and it intrigues me that some actually believe them to be representative of every one of the 10675 cars produced and repeatable for every model.

I look forward to the next Golf R thread with interest. Can't wait to hear how the rust on a 1976 GTi should be factored into any purchase/leasing decision.

(Fun fact: both the Esprit and Golf GTi were 1976 cars and styled by Giugario)

You see. Even you’re posting about the earlier Esprits and now you’ve also thrown in a Golf. And no mention of the later cars. I told you.

[unsprung]

Ed Straker said:

Helicopter123 said:

Pat H said:

Lots of stuff.

One of my all time favourite posts on PH.
Thank you!

Seconded.
Thanks v much Pat.

+1

and

"it smelt like a canoe full of petrol."

god how so many cars were like that

the vague atmosphere of synthetics and unburnt hydrocarbons, the lingering condensation

we're all a bit spoiled now

[BIRMA]

I think Pat H has hit the nail on the head there, speaking as someone who has owned a Lotus in one form or another since 1972 I totally agree with everything he said.
My last car a late series V8 Esprit was wonderful but still only a nano hair away from a kit car, don't get me started on the mixed metal unions on the front air-con rad or the way rain dripped on to the exhaust guards or even the manifold studs. But when it was running well there was nothing like it.
I have noticed of late the usual Lotus fan boys seem to have abandoned Pistonheads, pity really because The Prats or whatever he was called had me amused no end.

Here is a video of us Hampshire Lotus Anoraks when most of us had a Lotus.

https://youtu.be/hjmLsn6omDc

Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 19th July 16:42

[Gad-Westy]

Pat H said:

Pat, did your car live in Surrey/N.Kent kind of area? I remember staying at a hotel in a village in that neck of the woods and spent a good long while gawping at a very similar looking car parked in the car park there.

[Brent 67]

Had S4S Espirit 1996 , itwas 4 years old when it purchased the car from the Lotus main dealer Birmingham, lovely car , inside is dated but it performed really well, even tracked the car at Spa with the RMA.
Just ensure you warm the car up and down a valve got stuck which cost over 2k to sort out.
This is nearly 300 bhp from a four cylinder, quite a high out put for such a small engine.
If you are buying one service History is everything, make sure the oil pressure is good.

Also Alloy wheels are OZ 3 piece and only available from Lotus, very expensive if you dent or curb one , as my wife did.
Great car Px it for an Exige a car I should have kept.

[Pat H]

Gad-Westy said:

Pat, did your car live in Surrey/N.Kent kind of area? I remember staying at a hotel in a village in that neck of the woods and spent a good long while gawping at a very similar looking car parked in the car park there.

In my tenure it was always in Lancashire. But it did live with a chap in that part of the world for a while after I sold it the first time.

I know that I have been told off for talking about my S3 on a thread which is aimed at the later cars, but the development of Esprits was evolutionary and not revolutionary. In fact, it was only with the introduction of the V8 that a really major change took place. Until then, things improved incrementally.

Apart from the change to the body shape, there was bugger all difference between a late S3 Turbo and a carbed Stephens car. In fact, aside from the introduction of the Renault box, the cars were mechanically identical.

In so far as buying is concerned, just buy the best you can afford, with particular attention to the state of the body and the interior. All Esprits suffer from fragile trim and it is very expensive to put right. And fettling scabby fibreglass bodywork is a very expensive pastime.

It's usually cheaper to sort out mechanical problems than bodywork or major trim issues.

Mechanically, most Esprits are pretty straightforward. Not necessarily easy to work on, but they are fairly uncomplicated animals. So if you are competent enough to change the discs and pads on an old Fiesta, then there's not much in an Esprit which will frighten you. The main problem is not the complexity of the job, but the amount of disassembly before you get to the job.

Just get hold of the very helpful Lotus parts lists and workshop manuals, give yourself plenty of time and away you go.

There's lots of parts bin stuff, so knowing that the early Stephens brake master cylinder is off a Transit or that the door handles are from a Marina (and thereafter Rover) will help keep costs down. And there are lots of cheap straightforward modifications to improve things.

A good idea is to replace the nasty red plastic clutch hose with a stainless braided hose. The plastic ones go soft when they get really hot and you can temporarily lose the clutch. I used Steve at SJ Sportscars for most of my parts, radiator re-coring etc. I even had the car trailered all the way to Crediton from Lancashire when it needed a really big clutch/flywheel/timing belt job. I would heartily recommend Steve. Unless you are a fool, because he does not suffer fools gladly.

The oil filter is a bit difficult to get at, and rear brake pads are hard work, but otherwise routine servicing is easy.

On carbed cars it is sensible to keep an eye on the integrity of fuel hoses. Whoever thought it was a good idea to locate the distributor directly below two pressurised Dellortos deserves a slap. No wonder so many Esprits went up in flames. Always carry a fire extinguisher....

Hot starting invariably involves lots of churning of the starter motor and an eventual reluctant spluttering into life. Later carbed cars had a purge pump to try and alleviate the problem, but they are still crap. Cold starting is dead easy. There is a silly throttle jack solenoid on late carbed Esprits to stop excessive rev drop during gear changing. This useless device should be disconnected and forgotten about. None of these are issues if you are fuel injected.

On the other side of the engine is the dreaded cast iron exhaust manifold. I was lucky. Mine didn't crack. If it does, you are in for a world of hassle, as removing the head is often the order of the day. It is a good idea not to use a car wash. In fact, it is sensible not to go anywhere near the exhaust manifold with water. Cracked manifolds are common.

At the back of the engine is the transaxle. Both the Renault boxes and the Citroen Maserati boxes fitted to the Giugiaro cars are reasonably trouble free. The main issues are oil leaks, but they all do that. Mine needed a clutch at about 30000 miles. Sloppy or obstructive gearchanges are often the symptom of a worn crossgate cable and there are various mods to take up the slack. For the Giugiaro cars, for instance, there is a rose joint available to replace the nasty clevis pin at the end of the linkage. Replacing cables is a fiddly and awkward job, as they run up the inside of the spine of the chassis.

The cylinder head is generally trouble free. Mine had a bit of guide wear by 30000 miles, but nothing which justified remedial action. A bit of smoke on start up can give this away, especially if you are using Mobil One, or similarly watery oil. If in doubt, a compression test is simple as there are only four pots to check and the plugs are easy to get at.

The timing belt runs down the front of the engine, which is right up against the passenger compartment. I am not frightened of changing my own water pumps and timing belts, but accessibility on the Lotus is awful. A job best left to a specialist. Take some comfort from the fact that the belts just don't break. They are one part of an Esprit which really is over-engineered. Whilst you would be a nob not to get the belt done every three years or so, I have seen Esprits where they have been neglected for over six or seven years without catastrophe. Water pumps don't seem to be problematic either.

Springs, dampers and struts seem to last forever. My car handled beautifully and was still wearing it's original suspension when almost 30 years old. Steering racks on non PAS cars are, I think, based on Ford units. They tend to be shot after about 25000 miles. You may as well replace the steering column UJ whilst the rack is off, as that will also be worn.

The cooling system seems to work well. My car never overheated, even when stuck in heavy traffic in France. There are three cooling fans slung under the radiator, which are vulnerable to muck. Make sure they are functional and all will be well. There is an otter switch located in one of the radiator hoses, which sometimes fails, but it's dead easy to replace, apart from having to refill the system. The Esprit likes to have it's arse in the air when bleeding the coolant. The radiator sits at a silly angle under the nose. If it springs a leak, and they often do, then removing and replacing is a fairly major and unpleasant undertaking.

Headlamp mechanisms are a weak point and were by far the most frequent recurring problem I had. I suffered a few broken rotary links over the years, but they never cost more than a fiver to fix. You do look like a tit, however, when driving with one headlight up and the other down.

I reckon that Esprits are fundamentally pretty robust from a mechanical perspective. If you are the sort of person who does his own servicing, then you will be able to fettle most of the annoying little faults that crop up from time to time. Quite fiddly to work on, with some terrible access issues. But not complicated, if that's not a contradiction in terms.

Now that Esprits are getting established as bona fide classic cars, the complete lack of any corrosion issues is an enormous positive. They are far better from this perspective than a contemporary Chimaera or Griffith, which will probably have rotten outriggers, and the less said about a Ferrari 308GT4 or an old Maserati the better.

One of the main issues will be whether you fit in one. I am 6'2", with long legs and size 11 feet. I just about managed. Cars with the glass sunroof give you another inch of headroom, which is welcome, unlike the rattles that go with it. By contrast, whilst I could fit in a Ferrari 328 with the roof off, a GTB was pretty much impossible for me to drive.

I never had any issues with the pedal box. The pedals are rather close together, but if you wear narrow fitting trainers, then you won't have a problem. Shin room could be the limiting factor, as it may be hard up against the underside of the dash when using the clutch.

The handbrake is on the wrong side, just like an XJS, and it's too far forward, so it's a bit of a stretch.

Unassisted steering is fairly heavy at parking speeds, but is lovely when motoring.

The gear lever is well placed. You get a lovely wooden knob one in a Giugiaro Esprit and a nasty Renault one in the later cars.

I think that the gear change and the uninspiring engine note are the Esprit's two biggest shortcomings. I was able to forgive all the other foibles as a fair swap for getting such an exotic car for so little money.

But that was then. Esprits are no longer the misunderstood junior supercar bargain. Prices for really excellent examples are very strong indeed at the moment.

If I was out shopping for this sort of car, then I would be sorely tempted to aim a bit lower and get an early Elise, which still seem good value. But for me, the obvious alternative and sure fire future classic must be an Alfa 4C.

[p4cks]

The Evora is the latter day Esprit in many, many ways.