mk 1 elise buying
Discussion
hi again everyone i have another question..
in my on going search for an elise i am now considering just the bog standard mk 1 & was wondering if this would be a good move or should i stick with the mk 2 race tech? i keep hearing of alot of problems with the mk 1 (mainly teething problems) & was wondering how true they were? is the mk 2 any better? apart from i think the looks are fantastic. I just really need as much info as possible as i would be owning this car for atleast 3 years & really want to buy a gooden. oh one more thing, is it difficult to find a hard top? as i think i would prefer this.
many thanks to everyone.
in my on going search for an elise i am now considering just the bog standard mk 1 & was wondering if this would be a good move or should i stick with the mk 2 race tech? i keep hearing of alot of problems with the mk 1 (mainly teething problems) & was wondering how true they were? is the mk 2 any better? apart from i think the looks are fantastic. I just really need as much info as possible as i would be owning this car for atleast 3 years & really want to buy a gooden. oh one more thing, is it difficult to find a hard top? as i think i would prefer this.
many thanks to everyone.
Any chance of a full stop or a capital letter? 
It really is very difficult to read posts that are poorly punctuated or not punctuated at all.
I'm not being pedantic but I am sure more people will read your posts if you take a bit more care with them.
As for the Mk1 Elise, nice car, but what about a Seven type? More fun, better dynamics and often cheaper.
I know an owner of a Mk1 Elise (bought new in 1997) and he was very disappointed with the build quality.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 23 May 10:45
It really is very difficult to read posts that are poorly punctuated or not punctuated at all.
I'm not being pedantic but I am sure more people will read your posts if you take a bit more care with them.
As for the Mk1 Elise, nice car, but what about a Seven type? More fun, better dynamics and often cheaper.
I know an owner of a Mk1 Elise (bought new in 1997) and he was very disappointed with the build quality.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 23 May 10:45
Eric Mc said:
As for the Mk1 Elise, nice car, but what about a Seven type? More fun
Thank goodness for subjectivity.
I was sadly disappointed when I first drove a Caterham. So I tried another and was equally underwhelmed. I then drove a few Caterham racecars, which were much better, but not very challenging to drive - it was rather too easy. They weren't bad cars, I just didn't get much from them. Perhaps it's my 6'1" frame?
Hopping into the Mk1 Elise, I was bowled over by its chassis, and I now yearn to be able to justify the purchase of an Exige.
Chacun a son gout, as they say.
But I do agree with the initial points of your post
jacobyte - it just goes to show how subjective one's impressions of a car can be. I also drove an Elise Mk1 but I found it totally uninvolving compared to my Seven.
Don't get me wrong, I love the whole idea of the Elise and was delighted that Lotus decided to re-invent the concept of the Seven in the 1990s. I understand that the later versions of the Elise and of course the Exige, are better handling cars than the Mk1.
Don't get me wrong, I love the whole idea of the Elise and was delighted that Lotus decided to re-invent the concept of the Seven in the 1990s. I understand that the later versions of the Elise and of course the Exige, are better handling cars than the Mk1.
Eric Mc said:
I understand that the later versions of the Elise and of course the Exige, are better handling cars than the Mk1.
Exige maybe, S2 handles better than an S1?
No no no.....!
Agree with Baskey though, more info needed.
You'll get a very well sorted S1, probably with hard top and many of it's teething problems addressed for the price of a leggy S2.
I know where my money would go.
Dunc
I thought lotus sorted out the suspension for the S2 and that an S2 suspension upgrade is a popular S1 choice?
I know they reduced the size of the front wheels to reduce the number of cars ending in hedges.
Lots and lots of opinions about the endless s1 vs s2 debate. In general terms the S2 is just an easier car to live with day to day so if it's not going to be a hobby car, it's probably the better choice. And I think the styling is much much better. As is the soft top.
To placate VX drivers as they do get very touchy, nothing the wrong with the VX either, the turbo is a little flying machine but not as nimble as the NA.
Mines an S2 sports tourer - I wanted a lotus, not a vauxhall
I know they reduced the size of the front wheels to reduce the number of cars ending in hedges.
Lots and lots of opinions about the endless s1 vs s2 debate. In general terms the S2 is just an easier car to live with day to day so if it's not going to be a hobby car, it's probably the better choice. And I think the styling is much much better. As is the soft top.
To placate VX drivers as they do get very touchy, nothing the wrong with the VX either, the turbo is a little flying machine but not as nimble as the NA.
Mines an S2 sports tourer - I wanted a lotus, not a vauxhall
If you're going for an S1 then have a look at the 111s. I'm looking into one of these now as I just can't afford to stretch to a low mile S2.
Also, if you're going for standard S1 then get as late a model as you can as these have most of the 'niggles' sorted. The build was much better on the 1999 models than on the 1st 1997.
Also, if you're going for standard S1 then get as late a model as you can as these have most of the 'niggles' sorted. The build was much better on the 1999 models than on the 1st 1997.
dickster said:
...if you're going for standard S1 then get as late a model as you can as these have most of the 'niggles' sorted. The build was much better on the 1999 models than on the 1st 1997.
I'm afraid I disagree with this.
I owned a very early (1997) car and currently own a late (2000) example and I can't tell any difference in build quality. In fact, my current car isn't so good as the earlier one, but to be fair that's probably due more to the fact that it has done over 40K miles (the previous one was with me from 8,500 miles to about 19,000 miles) rather than any differences in build quality.
I'd buy on mileage and condition, not age.
ibz - the S1 and S2 are such totally different cars you really have to try before you buy to see what you prefer.
I agree with the post above - condition and history are the most important aspects.
If you want a raw sportscar, the S1 is hard to beat, the S2 is a little more civilised but the Racetech is the most basic of them all, and more in tune with the ethos of the S1.
You can't just decide on looking at one - you have to drive both.
I agree with the post above - condition and history are the most important aspects.
If you want a raw sportscar, the S1 is hard to beat, the S2 is a little more civilised but the Racetech is the most basic of them all, and more in tune with the ethos of the S1.
You can't just decide on looking at one - you have to drive both.
Find a friendy dealer, then test drive both back to back. I did this and opted for the S2 as I found the S1 a little bit too raw for every day. I also decided not to bother continuing on to Caterham to try out a seven. Been very happy with my choice.
As to buying look at the condition of the car and the records with it, rather than the mileage and age.
Hope this helps
As to buying look at the condition of the car and the records with it, rather than the mileage and age.
Hope this helps
dgr said:
As to buying look at the condition of the car and the records with it, rather than the mileage and age.
...though to bear in mind that Elises are notorious for suspension wear, so higher mileage cars will tend to feel quite baggy/rattley unless they have recently had comprehensive overhaul of suspension bushes, ball joints and shock absorbers (shock absorbers comment particularly applies to S1's).
Other stuff (wheel bearings, pedal bushes, steering rack) will also wear with mileage and make the car feel less 'tight', but not to the extent that they will have been deemed necessary for replacement at service, so there is a definite case for looking for lower mileage cars. Very low mileage can indicate lack of use, though, which brings its own proiblems (dead batteries, flaky electrics, sticky brakes).
Obviously, watch out for impending 'C' services with mileage, too, and negotiate price accordingly if one is due soon.
Of course, nothing is foolproof... a car can be cosmetically perfect, moderate mileage and have a FLSH and still be sh@gged if it has spent all its life being thrashed down potholed country lanes or round the Nurburgring!
I believe the best advice is to try variants of the S1 and S2 and then make your decision on which you like best. Then narrow that down to the particular engine/trim level you like best. Then when you find the car you want, if it's a dealer car or a private car, insist on a full health-check at a specialist for complete peace of mind. Sure it'll cost you about 100-150 quid, but it'll be worth every penny.
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff