Autumn Gold Elise 111R
Discussion
Hi all, this is my first ever Readers Cars thread, and to be honest I've done a lot to the car already ... Which I'll go into shortly.
I decided early last year that having a weekend / hobby car would be a good idea. I've owned / leased new cars for a good few years now and realised that the thing I missed the most was having something that was actually mine. I'd tried the two car thing a few years ago with an NB MX5, but among other things we didn't really have the space for it, and I just didn't gel with the car. Probably because I bought at the lower end of the market and it needed a fair bit of work.
I've now got plenty of space and was considering a GT86 originally, but felt it wouldn't be special enough. Scope creep started, and the Elise appeared on my radar. I initially wanted to spend a bit less than I did, but when this car came up for sale at Jon Seal Sports cars in this colour, with low mileage and an impressive mechanical history and 1 owner for the past 17 years, I couldn't say no.
It's a 2006 Lotus Elise 111R in Autumn Gold with a Larini exhaust. It's covered around 45k miles, and has been serviced and maintained by Steve Williams sports cars in Maidenhead for most of it's life. In Sept 2023 it had a full suspension refresh including power costing, at a cost of around £5500 (including a service and other bits and pieces).
It was generally in good condition, but as with any car of it's age it needed a few bits tidying up / sorting. So I got started!
Here's a few photos of it when I picked it up, admittedly I haven't taken many as I've worked on it as I've generally been messy / stuck under the car / swearing at how awkward some things are. With every bit of work I've done I've replaced any screws / bolts / washers / u-clips etc, all with a quick spray of Bilt Hamber Atom Mac before they went in. Nothing taken out has been put back in.
It's currently SORN'd, and will be until the weather warms and dries up, hopefully back on the road in April.
I decided early last year that having a weekend / hobby car would be a good idea. I've owned / leased new cars for a good few years now and realised that the thing I missed the most was having something that was actually mine. I'd tried the two car thing a few years ago with an NB MX5, but among other things we didn't really have the space for it, and I just didn't gel with the car. Probably because I bought at the lower end of the market and it needed a fair bit of work.
I've now got plenty of space and was considering a GT86 originally, but felt it wouldn't be special enough. Scope creep started, and the Elise appeared on my radar. I initially wanted to spend a bit less than I did, but when this car came up for sale at Jon Seal Sports cars in this colour, with low mileage and an impressive mechanical history and 1 owner for the past 17 years, I couldn't say no.
It's a 2006 Lotus Elise 111R in Autumn Gold with a Larini exhaust. It's covered around 45k miles, and has been serviced and maintained by Steve Williams sports cars in Maidenhead for most of it's life. In Sept 2023 it had a full suspension refresh including power costing, at a cost of around £5500 (including a service and other bits and pieces).
It was generally in good condition, but as with any car of it's age it needed a few bits tidying up / sorting. So I got started!
Here's a few photos of it when I picked it up, admittedly I haven't taken many as I've worked on it as I've generally been messy / stuck under the car / swearing at how awkward some things are. With every bit of work I've done I've replaced any screws / bolts / washers / u-clips etc, all with a quick spray of Bilt Hamber Atom Mac before they went in. Nothing taken out has been put back in.
It's currently SORN'd, and will be until the weather warms and dries up, hopefully back on the road in April.
So far I have :
Deep cleaned inside - generally Surfex HD / Carpro Inside.
Bought a private plate - first I've ever bought, and felt it deserved one. Refused to pay over £250 though!
Replaced all bolts for all undertrays - used a kit available on eBay which also provided plastic washers.
While the undertrays were off, any corrosion was sanded off around bolt holes, then treated and painted.
Replaced all brake discs with Eliseparts two part discs and new disc retaining bolts. Had to drill out and rethread one broken bolt. That was fun.
Replaced all pads with Mintex MRM1801 - replaced front caliper clips / anti rattle springs / pins / bleed nipples while I was at it.
Sanded down and repainted calipers.
Replaced all wheel bolts inc locking wheel nuts - mainly because I tried to remove rust off a load of bolts, then when reinstalled I didn't use any Atom Mac etc to stop flash corrosion. Some bolts fused themselves into the hub. Again, another fun day and a trip to the local tyre fitter.
Replaced plastic bushings in door hinges, and adjusted doors.
Replaced door striker pins
New wiper blade and arm
Sanded hubs, treated with Bilt Hamber Detox Gel, painted with hammerite.
Had the rear diffuser powder coated black and added new rubber trim
Cleaned headlight casing inside and out, sanded, polished and added ppf. Replaced all the bolts & washers. Replaced the H1s and H7s with Osram Nightbreakers.
Installed battery cutoff
Had some damaged interior trim repaired
Had all the wheels powder coated in anthracite due to some bubbling. Place did an awful job and didn't cover the mating face or wheel bolt recesses. Cue sander and drill.
New OEM wheel badges
New Pioneer head unit installed with spacers - doubles up as a phone holder for android auto / Google maps.
Replaced front and rear speakers with Focal Auditor ACX
New battery (installed while paintwork was being sorted)
Paint touchups - used paintnuts.co.uk, can highly recommend.
Removed all black plastic trim, cleaned bodywork and treated trim with Gtechniq C4
Front lower clam repaint + other areas of paint / blistering at Option1 - absolutely worth the trip if you need paintwork.
New front OEM badge
Replaced vent caping panel
Pistonheads sticker
Two coats of renovo reviver roof - this went EVERYWHERE. It'll be re-waterproofed shortly.
De-rusted and painted driving light brackets.
Replaced the OEM "Lotus" and "Elise" decals on the rear with anthracite coloured items from Divine handcraft. Also bought a vinyl face for the passenger footrest, and some new floor mat fixings from them. All spot on.
Tried to replace the mats, had some made up by Mats4u, but their Elise S2 template isn't right. The driver's side mat doesn't taper enough so it's too large, and all the holes are in the wrong place! Those are going back.
Deep cleaned inside - generally Surfex HD / Carpro Inside.
Bought a private plate - first I've ever bought, and felt it deserved one. Refused to pay over £250 though!
Replaced all bolts for all undertrays - used a kit available on eBay which also provided plastic washers.
While the undertrays were off, any corrosion was sanded off around bolt holes, then treated and painted.
Replaced all brake discs with Eliseparts two part discs and new disc retaining bolts. Had to drill out and rethread one broken bolt. That was fun.
Replaced all pads with Mintex MRM1801 - replaced front caliper clips / anti rattle springs / pins / bleed nipples while I was at it.
Sanded down and repainted calipers.
Replaced all wheel bolts inc locking wheel nuts - mainly because I tried to remove rust off a load of bolts, then when reinstalled I didn't use any Atom Mac etc to stop flash corrosion. Some bolts fused themselves into the hub. Again, another fun day and a trip to the local tyre fitter.
Replaced plastic bushings in door hinges, and adjusted doors.
Replaced door striker pins
New wiper blade and arm
Sanded hubs, treated with Bilt Hamber Detox Gel, painted with hammerite.
Had the rear diffuser powder coated black and added new rubber trim
Cleaned headlight casing inside and out, sanded, polished and added ppf. Replaced all the bolts & washers. Replaced the H1s and H7s with Osram Nightbreakers.
Installed battery cutoff
Had some damaged interior trim repaired
Had all the wheels powder coated in anthracite due to some bubbling. Place did an awful job and didn't cover the mating face or wheel bolt recesses. Cue sander and drill.
New OEM wheel badges
New Pioneer head unit installed with spacers - doubles up as a phone holder for android auto / Google maps.
Replaced front and rear speakers with Focal Auditor ACX
New battery (installed while paintwork was being sorted)
Paint touchups - used paintnuts.co.uk, can highly recommend.
Removed all black plastic trim, cleaned bodywork and treated trim with Gtechniq C4
Front lower clam repaint + other areas of paint / blistering at Option1 - absolutely worth the trip if you need paintwork.
New front OEM badge
Replaced vent caping panel
Pistonheads sticker
Two coats of renovo reviver roof - this went EVERYWHERE. It'll be re-waterproofed shortly.
De-rusted and painted driving light brackets.
Replaced the OEM "Lotus" and "Elise" decals on the rear with anthracite coloured items from Divine handcraft. Also bought a vinyl face for the passenger footrest, and some new floor mat fixings from them. All spot on.
Tried to replace the mats, had some made up by Mats4u, but their Elise S2 template isn't right. The driver's side mat doesn't taper enough so it's too large, and all the holes are in the wrong place! Those are going back.
Edited by RonnieHotdogs on Monday 6th January 20:39
Edited by RonnieHotdogs on Sunday 6th April 08:53
king awesome. Love them. Nice car. 
I was originally looking around for a 111S / K series engined car, but this came up just above my original budget.Loving the purchase!
I've just swapped in my M240i Convertible for a 2004 Elise S2, love it! The BMW only stayed with me a couple of months, I decided to do a 3000 mile road trip back in August via the Nurburgring, Swiss Alps, South of France and although it was a comfy place to be it just wasn't special enough, found myself sat around the pool on the hunt for something with a true sense of occasion, within a week of being back in the UK I was picking up my S2. Plan taking it to the South of France this year for our wedding and then do the same road trip for our honeymoon. I think it'll be a keeper until I decide to scratch the TVR Chimera itch.
Enjoy!
I've just swapped in my M240i Convertible for a 2004 Elise S2, love it! The BMW only stayed with me a couple of months, I decided to do a 3000 mile road trip back in August via the Nurburgring, Swiss Alps, South of France and although it was a comfy place to be it just wasn't special enough, found myself sat around the pool on the hunt for something with a true sense of occasion, within a week of being back in the UK I was picking up my S2. Plan taking it to the South of France this year for our wedding and then do the same road trip for our honeymoon. I think it'll be a keeper until I decide to scratch the TVR Chimera itch.
Enjoy!
Lovely car that. Never seen one in that colour. The 2ZZ engine in these is fab!
I have had 2 R's, one in 05 then another in 07. I now have an SC (09) and it needs a few of the things you have done to yours doing to it.
Can I ask a couple of questions on the jobs you have done already?
How are the new bulbs. Are they a noticeable improvement? Are there any wiring changes or just Plug and Pray?
I didn't know there was a kit for all the undertray fastenings. Can I ask which one you went for? Did they all fit ok?
Are you pleased with the powder coating of your diffuser? Like you, I had my wheels done last summer and they are pretty awful. The finish is like hammarite!
Did you prep the diffuser or just send it off as is?
How does the new Head Unit/Speaker set up compare to the O/E one?
Are you planning any performance upgrades? I was planning on selling mine but now thinking of just refreshing it and keeping it a bit longer. (I have had it 15 years already so it's almost part of the family!)
I will keep an eye on this as it progresses, keep up the good work.
Cheers
Brian
I have had 2 R's, one in 05 then another in 07. I now have an SC (09) and it needs a few of the things you have done to yours doing to it.
Can I ask a couple of questions on the jobs you have done already?
How are the new bulbs. Are they a noticeable improvement? Are there any wiring changes or just Plug and Pray?
I didn't know there was a kit for all the undertray fastenings. Can I ask which one you went for? Did they all fit ok?
Are you pleased with the powder coating of your diffuser? Like you, I had my wheels done last summer and they are pretty awful. The finish is like hammarite!
Did you prep the diffuser or just send it off as is?
How does the new Head Unit/Speaker set up compare to the O/E one?
Are you planning any performance upgrades? I was planning on selling mine but now thinking of just refreshing it and keeping it a bit longer. (I have had it 15 years already so it's almost part of the family!)
I will keep an eye on this as it progresses, keep up the good work.
Cheers
Brian
brian_H said:
Lovely car that. Never seen one in that colour. The 2ZZ engine in these is fab!
I have had 2 R's, one in 05 then another in 07. I now have an SC (09) and it needs a few of the things you have done to yours doing to it.
Can I ask a couple of questions on the jobs you have done already?
How are the new bulbs. Are they a noticeable improvement? Are there any wiring changes or just Plug and Pray?
I didn't know there was a kit for all the undertray fastenings. Can I ask which one you went for? Did they all fit ok?
Are you pleased with the powder coating of your diffuser? Like you, I had my wheels done last summer and they are pretty awful. The finish is like hammarite!
Did you prep the diffuser or just send it off as is?
How does the new Head Unit/Speaker set up compare to the O/E one?
Are you planning any performance upgrades? I was planning on selling mine but now thinking of just refreshing it and keeping it a bit longer. (I have had it 15 years already so it's almost part of the family!)
I will keep an eye on this as it progresses, keep up the good work.
Cheers
Brian
So - bulbs. Not tested them out properly at the moment as the car is in the garage. They're generally the best Halogen bulbs you can get though. No wiring / harness changes, they're standard H1s and H7s. Bit of a fiddly job, but you can also clean the lenses while the cover's off.I have had 2 R's, one in 05 then another in 07. I now have an SC (09) and it needs a few of the things you have done to yours doing to it.
Can I ask a couple of questions on the jobs you have done already?
How are the new bulbs. Are they a noticeable improvement? Are there any wiring changes or just Plug and Pray?
I didn't know there was a kit for all the undertray fastenings. Can I ask which one you went for? Did they all fit ok?
Are you pleased with the powder coating of your diffuser? Like you, I had my wheels done last summer and they are pretty awful. The finish is like hammarite!
Did you prep the diffuser or just send it off as is?
How does the new Head Unit/Speaker set up compare to the O/E one?
Are you planning any performance upgrades? I was planning on selling mine but now thinking of just refreshing it and keeping it a bit longer. (I have had it 15 years already so it's almost part of the family!)
I will keep an eye on this as it progresses, keep up the good work.
Cheers
Brian
I bought the bolt replacement kit off eBay, I think the larger washers were slightly different, so I treated the original ones with Bilt Hamber Deox and then painted them.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170982997349
Yeah, the rear diffuser looks great - didn't prep it at all apart from removing the old rubber edge. Cost me about £50 at a local place.
Head unit and speakers are as good as you'll get without an amp, so a definite step up, but they're not going to blow you away with volume or quality. I mainly wanted to be able to use YouTube music / Google maps, and use the holder part of the head unit. It's a Pioneer SPH-10BT.
Not really planning any performance upgrades as such. I was tempted by the Nitron Street Dampers, but these Bilsteins only have about 1500 miles on them!
Oh, and today's job was smartening up a used sill cover I'd bought on eBay. Used some leather effect vinyl wrap. With liberal use of a heat gun I think it looks ok. I'll probably still get it covered in proper leather before it goes back on the road, but it kept me busy.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
I did similar with my sill covers years ago but instead of leather I went with 100% genuine Carbon Fibre.....by Carbon Fibre I do off course mean Sticky Black Plastic! It looked fab too but could do with refreshing now as it is a few years ago.
I have to get my front clam off mine as one of the spotlight brackets snapped and the engine cooling fan sounds like a 747 on takeoff......so got a few things to try and get sorted during winter so I can get it ready for spring.
Please keep posting updates.....great car and really interested in what you are doing next!
Thanks
Brian
I did similar with my sill covers years ago but instead of leather I went with 100% genuine Carbon Fibre.....by Carbon Fibre I do off course mean Sticky Black Plastic! It looked fab too but could do with refreshing now as it is a few years ago.
I have to get my front clam off mine as one of the spotlight brackets snapped and the engine cooling fan sounds like a 747 on takeoff......so got a few things to try and get sorted during winter so I can get it ready for spring.
Please keep posting updates.....great car and really interested in what you are doing next!
Thanks
Brian
brian_H said:
I did similar with my sill covers years ago but instead of leather I went with 100% genuine Carbon Fibre.....by Carbon Fibre I do off course mean Sticky Black Plastic! It looked fab too but could do with refreshing now as it is a few years ago.
Oddly the parts I have in at the moment are actual carbon fibre; sill covers, speaker panels, HVAC controls and the centre tunnel - I have the invoices from the previous owner and they were expensive. I figure I'll see how I get on with the vinyl cover as it's so cheap to replace on a high wear area. Leather covers from Allon White probably aren't so cheap!While I remember, your headlights are slightly different to mine I'd guess if you've got an S3. Think they're different bulbs, but the SELOC wiki should help.
Mine is an S2 but yes I think you are right about the headlights. I will do some more research on Seloc.
I am taking mine to a local specialist on Friday to book it in for the spot light brackets and cooling fan.....plus an aircon refill/leak test. Once I have this done you have inspired me to get some of the other more cosmetic issues sorted........you never know, I might even post some pictures up!
Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
PS: When I got my first 111R in 05 I had never driven a Toyota engined Elise, just a K series S1.
I still remember vividly the smile on my face driving home after it's first service and hitting 6k rpm when all hell broke lose, it was like riding an old 2 stroke bike with a proper Power Band......very addictive!
What a blast!
Enjoy
I am taking mine to a local specialist on Friday to book it in for the spot light brackets and cooling fan.....plus an aircon refill/leak test. Once I have this done you have inspired me to get some of the other more cosmetic issues sorted........you never know, I might even post some pictures up!
Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
PS: When I got my first 111R in 05 I had never driven a Toyota engined Elise, just a K series S1.
I still remember vividly the smile on my face driving home after it's first service and hitting 6k rpm when all hell broke lose, it was like riding an old 2 stroke bike with a proper Power Band......very addictive!
What a blast!
Enjoy
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