Discussion
Hi,
First post! I'm wanting to get myself a 111S, and I've decided to bite the bullet and finally get one.
I've been to see and had much fun test driving one, but it's had crash damage which has been very nicely repaired. Wondered what everyone thought? I'd like to get it checked before buying, where would peeps recommend for this? I read that the AA one isn't worth the money.
Here's the car:
www.billingecarsales.co.uk/StockList.aspx
Alternativly I've spotted this one:
www.pistonheads.com/sales/80355.htm
Which seems to be in nice condition, but it's a bit far away from me & doesn't have the hard top.
Thanks for your time.
First post! I'm wanting to get myself a 111S, and I've decided to bite the bullet and finally get one.
I've been to see and had much fun test driving one, but it's had crash damage which has been very nicely repaired. Wondered what everyone thought? I'd like to get it checked before buying, where would peeps recommend for this? I read that the AA one isn't worth the money.
Here's the car:
www.billingecarsales.co.uk/StockList.aspx
Alternativly I've spotted this one:
www.pistonheads.com/sales/80355.htm
Which seems to be in nice condition, but it's a bit far away from me & doesn't have the hard top.
Thanks for your time.
eviloverlord said:
Hi,
First post! I'm wanting to get myself a 111S, and I've decided to bite the bullet and finally get one.
I've been to see and had much fun test driving one, but it's had crash damage which has been very nicely repaired. Wondered what everyone thought? I'd like to get it checked before buying, where would peeps recommend for this? I read that the AA one isn't worth the money.
Here's the car:
www.billingecarsales.co.uk/StockList.aspx
Alternativly I've spotted this one:
www.pistonheads.com/sales/80355.htm
Which seems to be in nice condition, but it's a bit far away from me & doesn't have the hard top.
Thanks for your time.
First post! I'm wanting to get myself a 111S, and I've decided to bite the bullet and finally get one.
I've been to see and had much fun test driving one, but it's had crash damage which has been very nicely repaired. Wondered what everyone thought? I'd like to get it checked before buying, where would peeps recommend for this? I read that the AA one isn't worth the money.
Here's the car:
www.billingecarsales.co.uk/StockList.aspx
Alternativly I've spotted this one:
www.pistonheads.com/sales/80355.htm
Which seems to be in nice condition, but it's a bit far away from me & doesn't have the hard top.
Thanks for your time.
Hello and Welcome
I'd steer clear of the first Car, it look's nice and it's cheap but it's cheap for a reason, it's a Cat D so your going to have trouble selling it on when you eventually do, I'd go for a straight car with no drama look for obvious thing's like FSH (Checkable if possible) reasonable Mileage, your going to be able to get a good Car for around the 10k Mark. A great place to start your search would be the Piston Head Classifieds there's load's advertised just take your time and select the right Car for you, if your not sure I'd pay a little extra and buy from a Specialist at least you'll get a Warranty and some come back if the Worst happens
Boggy
Cat D means the insurance company wrote it off. Don't be too prejudice but you need to make sure it was fixed well by someone who knows Lotus's and preferably has been inspected since.
This one stuck me as being nice....
www.pistonheads.com/sales/75509.htm
ScotMac on SELOC.org has a very nice S135 for <£10k - sweet car
This one stuck me as being nice....
www.pistonheads.com/sales/75509.htm
ScotMac on SELOC.org has a very nice S135 for <£10k - sweet car
eviloverlord said:
I'd like to get it checked before buying, where would peeps recommend for this? I read that the AA one isn't worth the money.
Check out www.seloc.org/ as theres a wealth of knowledge there on Lotus and keep your eye on Pistonheads sales and SELOCs classifed to get an enthusiast owned car (ie someone thats cared about the car). I've seen that a few experienced people on SELOC have looked around a few cars for people, or alternatively get it taken to Lotus specialist to look it over.
Check out www.elises.co.uk/ for models and common problems & here for faqs www.elise-faq.info
armpit said:
Did I hear that the S135s had dodgey head gaskets? (well more so than any of the others!) ?
Does anyone know the details of this, as I've seen a couple of these that caught my eye.
Does anyone know the details of this, as I've seen a couple of these that caught my eye.
If you had checked the links above, you might have found your answer. www.elises.co.uk/models/sport135/index.html
Edited by Paul RN on Monday 12th June 21:22
lawrence5 said:
Cat D means the insurance company wrote it off. Don't be too prejudice but you need to make sure it was fixed well by someone who knows Lotus's and preferably has been inspected since.
This one stuck me as being nice....
www.pistonheads.com/sales/75509.htm
ScotMac on SELOC.org has a very nice S135 for <£10k - sweet car
This one stuck me as being nice....
www.pistonheads.com/sales/75509.htm
ScotMac on SELOC.org has a very nice S135 for <£10k - sweet car
How can he tell it's Cat D then? I'm confused
The ScotMac one looks nice, but it sounds like it's been hammered quite hard. I was wanting the 111S really, from looking at the histories they seem like a slightly better revision, and they've got more power & better mpg.
eviloverlord said:
How can he tell it's Cat D then? I'm confused
Says so in the advert you posted a link too :
------------
Had slight rear arch damage to the fibre glass panel, which has been profesionally repaired - with photographs taken from start to finish. Car is Class D & the price reflects this at £8995.00
------------
Slight rear arch damage would not result in a Cat D listing write off, so I would avoid this car if I were you. The second one you posted a link to looks good, although I'm not up on S1's. I would you suggest you do a lot more research before you buy, especially if you are considering accident repaired cars, find out what the categories mean so you can make an informed decision. Make sure you budget for a proper inspection by someone who knows the elise as they are very different to a 'normal' car.
eviloverlord said:
How can he tell it's Cat D then? I'm confused
The ScotMac one looks nice, but it sounds like it's been hammered quite hard. I was wanting the 111S really, from looking at the histories they seem like a slightly better revision, and they've got more power & better mpg.
Your first link if you clicked on "more" next to the Elise you get www.billingecarsales.co.uk/CarDetails.aspx?id=6f6ebd38-2245-45b1-a9d5-19209defcee4 Car is Class D & the price reflects this at £8995.00 (The ad is slighty wrong its got the standard 111S spolier, not the raised 160 one).
The great advantage of Scots car is that hes spent all the money. Its had all the bits replaced that need to be replaced regardless of cost and its been maintained that way by a true lotus enthusiast.
Just for reference the 135 has close to 145bhp (see link above in my last post) and the 111S has around 143bhp - so I don't think you'll find it that radically different (both have Close Ratio greaboxes too). Mpg is hardly going to be a big difference between the models, but it comes down to finding a good 111s vs a good S135.
Paul RN said:
Your first link if you clicked on "more" next to the Elise you get www.billingecarsales.co.uk/CarDetails.aspx?id=6f6ebd38-2245-45b1-a9d5-19209defcee4 Car is Class D & the price reflects this at £8995.00 (The ad is slighty wrong its got the standard 111S spolier, not the raised 160 one).
Oh DUH! I didn't connect that in my head somewhere, thought that was something else. The advert for it also claims it to be a Type 79 which having looked online, it isn't. It does drive very nicely. But I think I'll stay away.
Paul RN said:
The great advantage of Scots car is that hes spent all the money. Its had all the bits replaced that need to be replaced regardless of cost and its been maintained that way by a true lotus enthusiast.
Just for reference the 135 has close to 145bhp (see link above in my last post) and the 111S has around 143bhp - so I don't think you'll find it that radically different (both have Close Ratio greaboxes too). Mpg is hardly going to be a big difference between the models, but it comes down to finding a good 111s vs a good S135.
Just for reference the 135 has close to 145bhp (see link above in my last post) and the 111S has around 143bhp - so I don't think you'll find it that radically different (both have Close Ratio greaboxes too). Mpg is hardly going to be a big difference between the models, but it comes down to finding a good 111s vs a good S135.
Well you've convinced me, I've e-mailed him
Thanks for the very helpful advice.
Hi and welcome to Pistonheads.
You seem to be a bit confused re the Cat D car. I'm not an expert but basically the car has been damaged and inspected by an insurance assessor who decided to write the car off. This does not mean that the car is unrepairable but that the the cost of repair added to the price the car would fetch in its damaged condition exceeds the amount the insurer would have to pay to the insured to replace the car. Therefore more economical to write the car off. When the assessor writes the car off he reports its condition according to one of 4 categories, cat D being the least damaged.
I'd be wary of the car you're interested in given the way it has been described.
Looking at your website I'm going to guess you drive an MX5? There a fine car but any Elise variant will feel fast in comparison. The car Lawrence suggests looks interesting and also don't be frightened of a car that appears to have been 'hammered' by an enthusiast. It will probable have been exceptionally well cared for and all niggles sorted. I'd rather a car like that than a v low miles car storing up problems. Try and think of a well used Elise as being like an old broom - four new heads and two new handles!
Happy Hunting.
You seem to be a bit confused re the Cat D car. I'm not an expert but basically the car has been damaged and inspected by an insurance assessor who decided to write the car off. This does not mean that the car is unrepairable but that the the cost of repair added to the price the car would fetch in its damaged condition exceeds the amount the insurer would have to pay to the insured to replace the car. Therefore more economical to write the car off. When the assessor writes the car off he reports its condition according to one of 4 categories, cat D being the least damaged.
I'd be wary of the car you're interested in given the way it has been described.
Looking at your website I'm going to guess you drive an MX5? There a fine car but any Elise variant will feel fast in comparison. The car Lawrence suggests looks interesting and also don't be frightened of a car that appears to have been 'hammered' by an enthusiast. It will probable have been exceptionally well cared for and all niggles sorted. I'd rather a car like that than a v low miles car storing up problems. Try and think of a well used Elise as being like an old broom - four new heads and two new handles!
Happy Hunting.
As others have said, no point in buying a damaged/repaired car at that price when there are so many good 'straight' cars around.
The above advice is sage.
As for the S1 135, it's probably the better head of all of them. The confusion is probably vs. the S2 135R where some cars in the first batches had some issues with HGF due to nylon dowels (not a problem with the later Yellow ones). All fixed under warranty though.
The above advice is sage.
As for the S1 135, it's probably the better head of all of them. The confusion is probably vs. the S2 135R where some cars in the first batches had some issues with HGF due to nylon dowels (not a problem with the later Yellow ones). All fixed under warranty though.
Majority of HGF is track linked running constant hight temps for a long time. Don't be scared - worse comes to the worse and you have the head off for repairs you'll be droping in cams anyway !!
Don't consider mpg's too much - they all do 30mpg+ if you drive nicely. If you drive really carefully on a run 45mpg's is doable !
Other benefit of 111s was wider rear tyres - expect all S1's have them by now anyway. 111s was also heavier due to the valve gear and the weight was fairly high up. Depends on how keen a driver you are and also age etc for insurance. You may find a factory model cheaper to insure than a modified example.
Drive as many as you can. Also join SELOC it's free and look in regions for a meet in your area. Lotus guys love to talk you around the cars and will know good cars for sale....
Don't consider mpg's too much - they all do 30mpg+ if you drive nicely. If you drive really carefully on a run 45mpg's is doable !
Other benefit of 111s was wider rear tyres - expect all S1's have them by now anyway. 111s was also heavier due to the valve gear and the weight was fairly high up. Depends on how keen a driver you are and also age etc for insurance. You may find a factory model cheaper to insure than a modified example.
Drive as many as you can. Also join SELOC it's free and look in regions for a meet in your area. Lotus guys love to talk you around the cars and will know good cars for sale....
Howdi, someone sent me the link to this...
Thanks for the info chaps, indeed, as Paul says, my car has been maintained regardless of cost and is in very good condition... regardless of which car you buy i'd urge you to spend as much time as possible looking, driving, testing, chatting to owners about the right car to buy (as you seem to be) getting the wrong one could be very expensive!
A few facts on the 135, the HGF was more relevant to the S2 135R than the initial car, whilst it had some issues, it was nowhere near as prevalent as on the S2. My car has not a HGF, the gasket has been replaced when the cam pulley snapped 18 months ago, this was when the head was fitted.
As for my car "being hammered" i'm a little puzzled as to how you reach that from my advert... i drive it like it was designed and i've used it on track, but i'm a considerate person and it's ALWAYS warmed up first. Admittedly it needs a wash once in a while mind
As per my recommendation above though, if you do want a go, you're most welcome to come and try it and see what you think
Thanks for the info chaps, indeed, as Paul says, my car has been maintained regardless of cost and is in very good condition... regardless of which car you buy i'd urge you to spend as much time as possible looking, driving, testing, chatting to owners about the right car to buy (as you seem to be) getting the wrong one could be very expensive!
A few facts on the 135, the HGF was more relevant to the S2 135R than the initial car, whilst it had some issues, it was nowhere near as prevalent as on the S2. My car has not a HGF, the gasket has been replaced when the cam pulley snapped 18 months ago, this was when the head was fitted.
As for my car "being hammered" i'm a little puzzled as to how you reach that from my advert... i drive it like it was designed and i've used it on track, but i'm a considerate person and it's ALWAYS warmed up first. Admittedly it needs a wash once in a while mind
As per my recommendation above though, if you do want a go, you're most welcome to come and try it and see what you think
Hope this will clear up the 4 different write-off categories.
Cat 'A' Vehicle totally wrecked or burnt out. The car cannot be safely repaired. No parts from the vehicle can be reused. The car goes to the crusher.
Cat 'B' Vehicle has heavy damage e.g. badly distorted body shell which can't be repaired. Must be scrapped. Parts can be reclaimed as salvage, but the car cannot be safely repaired and must be scrapped.
Cat 'C' Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were over the cost of the pre accident value . The car is uneconomic to repair, but could be repaired safely after which it would need a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check) test carried out on it. This is done by the DVLA at one of their testing stations. This checks the vehicle is really the one it should be and has not been "ringed" for example.
Cat 'D' Lightest damage of all the categories. Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were below the pre accident value of the vehicle. In some circumstances the car could still be uneconomic to repair. The car can be repaired and put back into the market without the need for a VIC.
Cheers,
Richard
Cat 'A' Vehicle totally wrecked or burnt out. The car cannot be safely repaired. No parts from the vehicle can be reused. The car goes to the crusher.
Cat 'B' Vehicle has heavy damage e.g. badly distorted body shell which can't be repaired. Must be scrapped. Parts can be reclaimed as salvage, but the car cannot be safely repaired and must be scrapped.
Cat 'C' Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were over the cost of the pre accident value . The car is uneconomic to repair, but could be repaired safely after which it would need a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check) test carried out on it. This is done by the DVLA at one of their testing stations. This checks the vehicle is really the one it should be and has not been "ringed" for example.
Cat 'D' Lightest damage of all the categories. Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were below the pre accident value of the vehicle. In some circumstances the car could still be uneconomic to repair. The car can be repaired and put back into the market without the need for a VIC.
Cheers,
Richard
lawrence5 said:
Majority of HGF is track linked running constant hight temps for a long time.
Lawrence, I would suggest that this is infact incorrect. HGF is not liked to running on track, infact "constant high temperatures" means an even teperature gradient in the engine. HGF is more to do with short journes and the thermal shock of revving too high when the engine is still cold. Even with a remote or PRRT stat fitted, the accepted HGF avoidance wisdom is;
"ALWAYS avoid over-revving the engine from cold: never exceed 3000 rpm until 60 celcius is showing on the oil temp guage."
"To avoid HGF, avoid using full throttle or revs over around 4500 until the temperature is registering about 80° on the gauge."
hbaumhardt said:
lawrence5 said:
Majority of HGF is track linked running constant hight temps for a long time.
Lawrence, I would suggest that this is infact incorrect. HGF is not liked to running on track, infact "constant high temperatures" means an even teperature gradient in the engine. HGF is more to do with short journes and the thermal shock of revving too high when the engine is still cold. Even with a remote or PRRT stat fitted, the accepted HGF avoidance wisdom is;
"ALWAYS avoid over-revving the engine from cold: never exceed 3000 rpm until 60 celcius is showing on the oil temp guage."
"To avoid HGF, avoid using full throttle or revs over around 4500 until the temperature is registering about 80° on the gauge."
From the conversation I had with Greg at hangar111. I have a S2 135R which hasn’t suffered HGF so I had some concerns. He said the only one he's come across was a guy who did a lot of open pit track days.
Not deliberately misleading but maybe some dodgy paraphrasing !
HGF issue just gets on my nerves a bit - makes everyone paranoid (including me in the past) and the gasket is there to be sacrificial to avoid engine damage. So when it goes, it's done it's job...
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