Has it been tracked?

[riwiho]

What is the best way to tell if an vehicle has been tracked before?

I am sure there must be a couple of tell tale signs to look out for.

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

[999]

riwiho said:

What is the best way to tell if an vehicle has been tracked before?

Ask the owner/seller. It's not something that needs to be hidden or kept secret you know. As long as the car has been well maintained and serviced, and driven with a degree of mechanical sympathy, it'll be fine. It's what they were designed for after all.

[Paul RN]

riwiho said:

What is the best way to tell if an vehicle has been tracked before?

I am sure there must be a couple of tell tale signs to look out for.

It will be the one thats 'probably' been looked after better.

[Mclovin]

If its had an off then maybe gravel in the undertray.

[riwiho]

I wonder what % of Elises actually make there way to a track in their life times.

[21TonyK]

Rubber spots on the sills and under-tray? As already said, regularly tracked cars will be cherished and maintained to levels way beyond a "normal" road car.

When I was looking I wasn't worried about occasional tracking by a keen Lotus owner, just dedicated track cars run by "experience" days etc. If you are not sure about a car a quick call to Lotus customer services will tell you whether it was a factory car, a press car or one sold to Silverstone etc. Saved me a mistake or two!

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

If it was a factory or press car, it'll most likely be on an AU plate from memory, as AU platers are those registered from new by Lotus

[Zebede29]

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

If it was a factory or press car, it'll most likely be on an AU plate from memory, as AU platers are those registered from new by Lotus

Spot on - my car is on plate AU04E** and was originally registered as a Lotus director's company car for 12 months, then sold via a dealership to a private punter and then part-exchanged which is when I took ownership.

The bonus is that it has all the spec you could want and has a full factory stamped service book - looks kinda cool saying "Lotus cars, Hethel" on the service book!

[Trixster]

Mine too! Lotus Cars stamp for first 1000 miles and then first service. Owned by a Director too I believe.

[DucatiGary]

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

funny how dim people think high miles = bad choice for buying a used car

if its been on a track = bad choice for buying a used car.

can we ban dim people from buying cars please?

just let them go the dealers and get robbed a couple of times, they will learn, eventually.

thanks

Edited by DucatiGary on Thursday 25th October 21:04

[Tam]

DucatiGary said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

funny how dim people think high miles = bad choice for buying a used car

if its been on a track = bad choice for buying a used car.

can we ban dim people from buying cars please?

just let them go the dealers and get robbed a couple of times, they will learn, eventually.

thanks

Edited by DucatiGary on Thursday 25th October 21:04

Equally I have seen Elises come out of the pits and bounced off the limiter when stone cold, left out on track for far too long, and then taken back in without any sort of cool down. So its not a certainty that a tracked car will have been looked after carefully.

[Paul RN]

Tam said:

DucatiGary said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

funny how dim people think high miles = bad choice for buying a used car

if its been on a track = bad choice for buying a used car.

can we ban dim people from buying cars please?

just let them go the dealers and get robbed a couple of times, they will learn, eventually.

thanks

Edited by DucatiGary on Thursday 25th October 21:04

Equally I have seen Elises come out of the pits and bounced off the limiter when stone cold, left out on track for far too long, and then taken back in without any sort of cool down. So its not a certainty that a tracked car will have been looked after carefully.

Equally the same of a non-tracked car. I would suggest theres a better chance of a tracked car being looked after in general as they tend to be a driven by enthusiasts.

[lincoln lad]

I would guess approx 5% are taken onto the track. Shame really, as that's the only place you can really appreciate owning and driving the car ! Such a waste if you don't track them at least once IMHO

[wantalotus]

if its for sale in a dealership, ask for the ECU print out, that would give a bit of an insight to how its been treated.

[Anatol]

If it has been tracked, make sure that it's also been on the 4500 mile "special operations" service schedule. Tracked cars only serviced on the 9k mile schedule lose their warranty, and haven't been properly maintained (at least according to Lotus).

Tol

[RobM77]

DucatiGary said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

funny how dim people think high miles = bad choice for buying a used car

Actually, it's not that dim... You're right in that high mileage cars may often be in better condition due to the lower stress of those miles (often just motorway miles), and frequent servicing. However, you need to think further than the ownership - resale can be a right pain. It often makes more financial sense to buy a lower mileage car in worse condition, pay for the extra upkeep and sell it at less of a loss.

I used to be of the mindset of buying for condition only, and I bought an immaculate 96,000 mile Carlos Sainz Celica. When it had done 126,000 miles it took me nearly a year to sell and I lost a huge chunk of money on it (comapred with, say an increase from 50,000 to 70,000 miles. Never again. It also pays to think about psychological intervals when buying and selling cars. 91k on the clock is worth a good bit less than 85k, and the same with 51k vs 48k. Over 100k miles and you can forget trying to sell a car easily, regardless of condition.

The above advice obviously only applies if you see your cars as an asset. Most of us aren't rich enough to do otherwise, though some are (look at Nick Mason's F40 for example!).

[Tin Hat]

riwiho said:

What is the best way to tell if an vehicle has been tracked before?

I am sure there must be a couple of tell tale signs to look out for.

They are designed and manufactured for track use! I agree with earlier comments, I would prefer a regularly used track car to some 'trophy' car that has been polished to death in a garage - The less they are used, the more that seems to go wrong with them!

[bjc388]

riwiho said:

What is the best way to tell if an vehicle has been tracked before?

I am sure there must be a couple of tell tale signs to look out for.

As others have posted, there are probably various little "clues" on whether a car has been regularly tracked ... not so sure you could tell if a car has been track just once or twice unless you notice that the tyres are hammered!!!

Is it an important factor to you????

[TIPPER]

DucatiGary said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Can't answer that myself, but one thing I will say, is that if a car has been regularly tracked then it's probably been better looked after than your average car.

funny how dim people think high miles = bad choice for buying a used car

if its been on a track = bad choice for buying a used car.

can we ban dim people from buying cars please?

just let them go the dealers and get robbed a couple of times, they will learn, eventually.

thanks

Edited by DucatiGary on Thursday 25th October 21:04

Perhaps you're being a bit harsh but I agree there's nothing wrong with higher mileage cars these days. Build quality and reliability are waaaaay ahead of peoples memories.
When I was looking for my Elise I must confess that the idea of a car that had been tracked would have put me off. Now I couldn't care less as long as I was aware the car's provenance and service history. Even DIY oil changes don't worry me - I'd just want to know they've been done regularly and with top quality oil. Incidently I'm currently looking for a 'project' car (not Elise) and have been advised that a low miles OAP owned car is not the best way to go. Oilways can get bunged up and a good thrashing now and again would help to keep these clear.
Be aware that most tracked cars will be preventatively maintained rather than distress fixed.