Before I buy - odd (minor) damage - what's happened?

[PJLarge]

Hi Folks, a bit of advice please.

I'm looking for another Elise. I've found an Ardent 111s that, expect for this odd little bit of damage as pictured below, looks totally original. It's on the drivers' side, right down at the bottom of the sill in the corner. The current owner says it's not happened in his ownership and I'm inclined to believe him, but it is something that's playing on my mind. I have considered that the door may have been closed on the seatbelt buckle, but there's no damage to the door at all, nor the buckle. What makes it glaringly obvious is that there's paint on the chassis around the repair. All panel gaps otherwise are spot on, neither clam has been off and there's nothing amiss directly below the damaged area on the floor. Am I being paranoid?




Cheers

Phil.

[therossatron]

My car has slight cracks in the same place though on an S2 and without an attempted repair. I think it's just slight stress cracks that the previous owner has probably tried to fill and paint.

[wacattack]

Put a post on asking if anyone knows any of the cars history, either history of the seller or indeed the car itself.

[apprentice]

Hi Phil,
We have seen it once before. It's where the B-post flexes onto the aluminium chassis rail and there is unsufficient clearance - a stress crack is created.

Unless you carry out a proper repair it will reoccur. You need to widen the gap to provide greater clearance.

From the signs of overspray, someone has "had a go at it" but I summise that the crack will reappear.

apprentice

[J1mmyD]

Looking at that rubber, it's been resprayed, hasn't it?

(that is paint overspray on there?)

Looks like a lot of stone damage. Doesn't seem to be other than cosmetic, so has it been sideways into a gravel trap? What are the gaps like around the panels? Any other evidence of new bits having been added?

If it's just a respray for damage from stone chips, I wouldn't be too worried. If it's got a few new panels and the front half's been resprayed it deserves a closer look.

[J1mmyD]

ETA: is that a hairline crack on the bottom? Also, if the damage is very localised, is it from some numpty climbing in and out?

[PJLarge]

The 'hairline crack' at the bottom is a trick of the light - other than that small blemish the rest of the car is I'd say a 9 out of 10. There's a tiny ding on the nose and less than average stone chips round the nose - certainly no fresh paint anywhere or any evidence of overspray or anything sinister - everything looks to have been attached to the car for quite some time. I've looked at the bolts that hold the clams on and they haven't moved ever I don't think. The car was registered March 03, and the current owner has had it since March 04, it drives nicely, the engine may be a bit noisier than my old S1 111S, but that may just be a characteristic of later VVC cars? It's done ~26k and has FSH at a Lotus main dealer. Other than that, the car is totally standard - original tyres, factory zorst (boooo) and no induction kit (double boo)

[sp60]

PJLarge said:

Hi Folks, a bit of advice please. All panel gaps otherwise are spot on, neither clam has been off and there's nothing amiss directly below the damaged area on the floor. Am I being paranoid? Cheers Phil.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know that neither clam has been off?
I'm due to pick up my new car next week, the inspection i gave it on the last viewing was brief, but nothing
looked amiss at all so i wasn't too worried. On retrospect I'd like to know which areas to check properley
before handing over the cash!

[PJLarge]

Just look at the bolts and washers that are under them. If things have been apart, there will usually be tell tale marks on the clam where the washers have been previously. I defy anyone to get everything back together as is was originally. Sometimes there can be obvious damage to the head of the bolt / allen head as well if someone ham fisted as had a go.

[sp60]

PJLarge said:

Just look at the bolts and washers that are under them. If things have been apart, there will usually be tell tale marks on the clam where the washers have been previously. I defy anyone to get everything back together as is was originally. Sometimes there can be obvious damage to the head of the bolt / allen head as well if someone ham fisted as had a go.

Oh yeah, common sense really! stoopid me.
I have reasonable knowledge of cars, but it all seems to go out the window when I'm looking at new ones, just sort of stand looking at them grinning!!

cheers phil

[PJLarge]

I've been over to Chris Neils this afternoon and there were at least two cars in the showroom that had the same affliction as the one I was originally asking about. In any case, I've decided that the car I was asking for advice on is not the one for me, as there was just something I couldn't put my finger on so the hunt continues... Tomorrow I'm going to see a back to basics mint condition S1 - an ideal platform for my Honda transplant

Phil.