Supercharged Elise - opinions please (& S1 questions)
Discussion
Hello All 
I am considering getting an S1 Elise in the not too distant future, I have always loved them & they are on my shortlist of cars to go & try. As per my topic in GG though, my OH is about to buy an Exige S, which has taken the shine off a bit until I found the following:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1177279.htm
Does anyone know much about these cars, or about Turbo Technics who performed the engine upgrade? This is the first supercharged Elise I have seen for sale, so I'm guessing they are not that common. Will it be reliable, need specialist maintenance etc? Any information or pointers would be really appreciated
The car I buy will be my daily drive, I do about 100-200 miles a week, mostly A roads with some motorways. The s/c version may be a little hardcore for that kind of use, in which case could someone point me in the right direction re which Elise & what sort of trim levels I should be on the hunt for please? My budget is up to £10k. I was hoping to find a 111s for that money but not sure if that's feasible.
One final question (!) most S1's have had the head gasket replaced (good old Rover!). If this has been done, can I assume the car is now OK in that regard or will I still need to look out for it in terms of maintenance & care during my ownership?
Thanks in advance for your help
I am considering getting an S1 Elise in the not too distant future, I have always loved them & they are on my shortlist of cars to go & try. As per my topic in GG though, my OH is about to buy an Exige S, which has taken the shine off a bit until I found the following:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1177279.htm
Does anyone know much about these cars, or about Turbo Technics who performed the engine upgrade? This is the first supercharged Elise I have seen for sale, so I'm guessing they are not that common. Will it be reliable, need specialist maintenance etc? Any information or pointers would be really appreciated
The car I buy will be my daily drive, I do about 100-200 miles a week, mostly A roads with some motorways. The s/c version may be a little hardcore for that kind of use, in which case could someone point me in the right direction re which Elise & what sort of trim levels I should be on the hunt for please? My budget is up to £10k. I was hoping to find a 111s for that money but not sure if that's feasible.
One final question (!) most S1's have had the head gasket replaced (good old Rover!). If this has been done, can I assume the car is now OK in that regard or will I still need to look out for it in terms of maintenance & care during my ownership?
Thanks in advance for your help
Hi,
Can't help with the TT conversion, but pretty sure that this car has been discussed on here before, and one of the forum regulars had owned one?
You could certainly pick up a nice 111s within your budget. As ever there can be quite a wide pricing disparity between cars, and the well priced good ones sell quickly, so keep a close eye on the ads. The 111s has the close ratio gearbox, and you say your daily commute involves motorway miles. If possible, try one to make sure motorway cruising is not too frantic. My S1 with standard gearing cruises happily (if a bit noisily!) at 80+. Don't discount the standard S1 - They are enormously capable and fun, and the very best examples are within your budget. Well proven mods take performance to 111s and beyond.
Having head gasket changed does not guarantee it won't happen again, but improved gasket designs etc should reduce the chance. Having said that, there are plenty of 10+ years old cars out there that have never had a head gasket failure, including mine (swiftly crosses fingers).
Good luck, and as is often said on here, try not to get too set on a particular variant, but find the very best car that you can, and you will not be dissapointed.
Can't help with the TT conversion, but pretty sure that this car has been discussed on here before, and one of the forum regulars had owned one?
You could certainly pick up a nice 111s within your budget. As ever there can be quite a wide pricing disparity between cars, and the well priced good ones sell quickly, so keep a close eye on the ads. The 111s has the close ratio gearbox, and you say your daily commute involves motorway miles. If possible, try one to make sure motorway cruising is not too frantic. My S1 with standard gearing cruises happily (if a bit noisily!) at 80+. Don't discount the standard S1 - They are enormously capable and fun, and the very best examples are within your budget. Well proven mods take performance to 111s and beyond.
Having head gasket changed does not guarantee it won't happen again, but improved gasket designs etc should reduce the chance. Having said that, there are plenty of 10+ years old cars out there that have never had a head gasket failure, including mine (swiftly crosses fingers).
Good luck, and as is often said on here, try not to get too set on a particular variant, but find the very best car that you can, and you will not be dissapointed.
Thanks Guys
I read an older post about using winter tyres, so this is probably the route I'll go when it comes to it. But my current drive is a Rev 2 MR2 on Toyo T1Rs & I have had no problems so far, respecting the RWD & mid-engine layout needs more careful driving in adverse conditions. Appreciate the MR2 is not quite an Elise however, but the driving principles are similar.
I will keep an eye on S2s as well, & good advice on just getting the best I can for my money, that I will certainly be aiming for!
Anything else I need to know? I have trawled through posts for input & ideas, but I'm interested in learning a bit more about the various options the Elise came with (ie. which 'pack' means what etc...)
I read an older post about using winter tyres, so this is probably the route I'll go when it comes to it. But my current drive is a Rev 2 MR2 on Toyo T1Rs & I have had no problems so far, respecting the RWD & mid-engine layout needs more careful driving in adverse conditions. Appreciate the MR2 is not quite an Elise however, but the driving principles are similar.
I will keep an eye on S2s as well, & good advice on just getting the best I can for my money, that I will certainly be aiming for!
Anything else I need to know? I have trawled through posts for input & ideas, but I'm interested in learning a bit more about the various options the Elise came with (ie. which 'pack' means what etc...)
On the subject of head gaskets, I'm sure this is probably old news, but get hold of the Land Rover Multilayered head gasket for the K. I know many people who were plagued by HGF on the VVC and non VVC K's in Rovers of varying forms (mostly in the 143bhp K VVC) until they went with the Landie gasket and presto, in some cases 80-90k so far with no hint of problems whereas before they were getting 10-20k.
Just thinking maybe my Rover ownership might actually be useful for once
I can even dig out the part number if it helps, as this is a common topic on several of the Rover forums I frequent
Just thinking maybe my Rover ownership might actually be useful for once
I can even dig out the part number if it helps, as this is a common topic on several of the Rover forums I frequent I've had my S1 for over a year and use it every day. Its fantastic. Love the looks more than the S2 so I was prepared to sacrifice some comfort!
The only money I have spent in 14 months of ownership is for a standard service and a new battery (well plus a few upgrades!!).
I'm sure you will love one but make sure you try plenty.
The only money I have spent in 14 months of ownership is for a standard service and a new battery (well plus a few upgrades!!).
I'm sure you will love one but make sure you try plenty.
Hi, First up is yourself and other half are looking at rather different animals.
The Exige S is positively luxurious compared to an S1 and considerably faster (in a straight line) but the S1 will feel so much more chuckable. Many prefer the original simple concept of the S1 to later varients and you can start with a basic S1 and upgrade it with suspension and brake improvments and then increase power available from the K engine. If you check out DVA power you'll get an idea of the sort of power upgrades and costs involved for a Rover K engined car. Alternatively swop to a Honda/Ford Duratec or Audi Turbo and get yourself a very quick car. A boggo 120bhp car with decent suspension and brakes can give Supercharged Exiges and Elises a very hard time on track (one without too many long striahgt anyway!).
People get very hung up on HGF but as these cars (S1s) are getting on then there are more expensive worries if you want it to feel factory fresh. A proper fix of HGF will invlove the checking of cylinder liner heights above the block (they can drop causing hgf) and also hardness testing of the head (some heads suffered from porositty issues). Relatively simple mods to the cooling system can also help.
Unless you're unlucky you should find the Elise a very reliable car too. Just keep on top of maintainance.
I have a close ratio box in my standard engined car and don't find the shorter top gearing a problem even on longish runs. I drove Plymouth -Cardiff and back with a TD in between on Wednesday no worries (I've done a fair few 300+ mile jaunts too). I just turn the stereo up to drown out all the other noise. A set of earplugs helps too. I've also used my Elise as a daily driver racking up 18k in about 8 months in my first year of ownership. I've had the car for four years now and am 52 so if I can enjoy it anyone can.
(Might be worth registering on SELOC) and having a dig around the arrchives for loads of info on HGF, suspension, brakes and all sorts. There's also a very useful techwiki).
The Exige S is positively luxurious compared to an S1 and considerably faster (in a straight line) but the S1 will feel so much more chuckable. Many prefer the original simple concept of the S1 to later varients and you can start with a basic S1 and upgrade it with suspension and brake improvments and then increase power available from the K engine. If you check out DVA power you'll get an idea of the sort of power upgrades and costs involved for a Rover K engined car. Alternatively swop to a Honda/Ford Duratec or Audi Turbo and get yourself a very quick car. A boggo 120bhp car with decent suspension and brakes can give Supercharged Exiges and Elises a very hard time on track (one without too many long striahgt anyway!).
People get very hung up on HGF but as these cars (S1s) are getting on then there are more expensive worries if you want it to feel factory fresh. A proper fix of HGF will invlove the checking of cylinder liner heights above the block (they can drop causing hgf) and also hardness testing of the head (some heads suffered from porositty issues). Relatively simple mods to the cooling system can also help.
Unless you're unlucky you should find the Elise a very reliable car too. Just keep on top of maintainance.
I have a close ratio box in my standard engined car and don't find the shorter top gearing a problem even on longish runs. I drove Plymouth -Cardiff and back with a TD in between on Wednesday no worries (I've done a fair few 300+ mile jaunts too). I just turn the stereo up to drown out all the other noise. A set of earplugs helps too. I've also used my Elise as a daily driver racking up 18k in about 8 months in my first year of ownership. I've had the car for four years now and am 52 so if I can enjoy it anyone can.
(Might be worth registering on SELOC) and having a dig around the arrchives for loads of info on HGF, suspension, brakes and all sorts. There's also a very useful techwiki).
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