Lotus Elise S1

[se6b]

I'm thinking of buying an Elise when I move back to the UK next year. How reliable/expensive to maintain are they? My mate had an early S1 which was a cracking drive and no problems in the year he owned it. There does seem to be a HUGE number for sale at the moment....why is that?

(I know I should really post this in the Lotus section...but would prefer to hear from ex-owners and their reasons for selling)

[mustard]

Lots for sale due to

a. Its been out since 1996
b. Its been very succesful

which results in Plenty Of choice

In sportscars terms Elise is very cheap to run thanks to its simplicity, If buying privately an inspection is advised as its the bits you cant see are your only cause for real concern ie. Suspension and related components, if these are worn or damaged then you could inccur a bill of upto £1k, also chassis damage as a result of accident/poor repair could be very painful on the pocket.

Buy with care and an Elise will look after you quite well finacially, its the upgrades you choose that will bankrupt you!

[Muncher]

Have you considered a VX220? I've just picked up an absolute minter for £12.5k...

[se6b]

Which model would you recommend? There seem to be plenty of 111s, 160 etc for around the same money as the basic model? I was thinking the basic model would do me just fine, but remembered it doesn't have a lot of top end power.

Is there any obvious means of checking the chassis without taking the tub off? What else do I need to look out for? What kind of problems have cropped up in the years since it was released? My previous fibreglass cars have all suffered from various electrical problems and leaks....can I expect more of the same?

[se6b]

Muncher said:

Have you considered a VX220? I've just picked up an absolute minter for £12.5k...

Undoubtedly a great car....but unfortunately it has to have a Lotus badge on the bonnet for me. Plus I'm not too keen on the angular styling of the VX220 or the Elise S2. I think the only other cars I would consider for the same sort of money would be the Ginetta G33 (too thirsty and rare), TVR Griffith (probably wouldn't get a good one for that money, plus thirsty), Jenson Interceptor (too similar to my Scimitar...but HUGE drinker), Porsche 911 3.2 Carerra (potentially bankrupting).

>> Edited by se6b on Tuesday 7th December 12:12

[mustard]

111S is the way to go IMHO if you can pick one up at sensible money, 160 Sport is nice but you may find a little raw.

As you point out 120bhp is a little short of umph at speed

[vladd]

I always think that if you're going to pay more than a few grand for a car you should get it proffessionally inspected. It's a minor amount compared to the overall cost, the people really know what they're looking for and you've got some comeback if it all goes horribly wrong.

[se6b]

Gazboy said:

There was a thread the other day about criplling insurance- check that out first.

I keep seeing articles and buyers guides for the Elise in classic car mags....anyone know if its eligible for classic car insurance yet? I know some companies are a bit less stringent on what they classify as 'classic' in terms of age.

[mustard]

Footman James on a Club Lotus Policy can normally sort something for those who use as a 2nd car

[Muncher]

se6b said:

Muncher said: Have you considered a VX220? I've just picked up an absolute minter for £12.5k... Undoubtedly a great car....but unfortunately it has to have a Lotus badge on the bonnet for me. Plus I'm not too keen on the angular styling of the VX220 or the Elise S2. I think the only other cars I would consider for the same sort of money would be the Ginetta G33 (too thirsty and rare), TVR Griffith (probably wouldn't get a good one for that money, plus thirsty), Jenson Interceptor (too similar to my Scimitar...but HUGE drinker), Porsche 911 3.2 Carerra (potentially bankrupting).

Financially, the VX is a much better bet, running costs are massively lower, insurance is a lot less (about 40% difference I found). Elephant wanted silly money for the basic S1 Elise, but were good for the VX.

[crankedup]

With regard to depreciation, would the VX suffer more in the longer term than the Lotus?

[zebedee]

crankedup said:

With regard to depreciation, would the VX suffer more in the longer term than the Lotus?

Yes (see earlier post where bloke picks up a mint VX for 12.5k....)

[Muncher]

zebedee said:

crankedup said: With regard to depreciation, would the VX suffer more in the longer term than the Lotus? Yes (see earlier post where bloke picks up a mint VX for 12.5k....)

Though that was the cheapest non crashed one I have seen anywhere.

[jconsta6]

I'm also keeping an eye on the S1 market as well as I fancy one.

I think thre are a lot for sale right now simply because of the time of year. There seems to be a good choice at a good price.

My only concern was that a few eyars back there was a corrosion issue which suddenly appeared in the footwells, I think - I can't remember - can someone clarify? I seem to remember it was something to do with the adhesive used in the mats, but I could be wrong.

Any comments?

JC

[mustard]

jconsta6 said:

I'm also keeping an eye on the S1 market as well as I fancy one. I think thre are a lot for sale right now simply because of the time of year. There seems to be a good choice at a good price. My only concern was that a few eyars back there was a corrosion issue which suddenly appeared in the footwells, I think - I can't remember - can someone clarify? I seem to remember it was something to do with the adhesive used in the mats, but I could be wrong. Any comments? JC

Footwells is nothing to worry about, there is a recall to address the problem which is totally FOC to all series 1 and early series 2 cars

[Bonce]

It's not even a recall because it's not safety related. /pedant

[jconsta6]

Thanks for that Mustard, I never knew what the outcome of it was. Glad to see it was a good one.

That's made my mind up then!

JC

[PJLarge]

I've just bought an S1 111S. You will not be disappointed. From what I've read, the 111S is considered the best all round variant.

I bought mine from a main dealer for piece of mind, but if I were buying private as others have said I'd definately have had an independant inspection done.

Happy hunting!

Phil.

[se6b]

Other potential problems it seems may include:

Weak gear linkage?
Tempramental heater fan?
Window glass dropping into door aperture?
Sticking throttle?
Remote boot release cable snaps?
Weak steering rack?
Erratic alarm?

Any others to look out for???

[Muncher]

HGF