Should I get an Excel?
Discussion
Hi,
Some people might have seen my post in general gassing .....basically I'm trying to decide on a new car and for the time being I've narrowed it down to an Excel (or possibly Eclat/Elite)or a Porsche 944.
My heart would always go for the Lotus, [i] but [/i] its got to live outside and I have to be able to insure it for something vaguely sane (sub £1500) at 23! I realise any old car will have the odd niggle, but (unlike my current car!) its got to be water tight and stand a reasonable chance of starting in the morning.
So, what do people think about the front engined lotuses (primarily the later Excels, but I'm open to similar suggestions)? And more specifically how realistic is it as a daily driver?
Some people might have seen my post in general gassing .....basically I'm trying to decide on a new car and for the time being I've narrowed it down to an Excel (or possibly Eclat/Elite)or a Porsche 944.
My heart would always go for the Lotus, [i] but [/i] its got to live outside and I have to be able to insure it for something vaguely sane (sub £1500) at 23! I realise any old car will have the odd niggle, but (unlike my current car!) its got to be water tight and stand a reasonable chance of starting in the morning.
So, what do people think about the front engined lotuses (primarily the later Excels, but I'm open to similar suggestions)? And more specifically how realistic is it as a daily driver?
elite & eclat are for the mechanically minded as there getting on the 30 years old now and will need more tlc (hell they needed plenty of that when they were new!).
A excel is thought to be pretty reliable i have had mine comming up to a year and other than a load of cash on a new exhaust nothing major has gone wrong (touch wood), the porsche 944 is well regarded some say a poor mans 911 but that's said about every porshce that isn't a 911!
its running costs would be simliar to the excels as is it's performance, unless its the turbo model which is pretty much supercar pace.
From a personal point of view i'd have to say take the excel (i did) at the end of the day while the 944 is a great car the rarity and styleing of the excel means it stands out in the crowd. the interior while not as durable as the 944's is much nicer, leather and wood will always win out over black plastic in the style department
as far as daily driver goes it should be ok some ppl on the excel forum have used it as such without issues, i'd get a good cover for outside if thats were your gonna keep it as they can get damp around the footwells if left exposed to the elements without one
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:18
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:21
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:23
A excel is thought to be pretty reliable i have had mine comming up to a year and other than a load of cash on a new exhaust nothing major has gone wrong (touch wood), the porsche 944 is well regarded some say a poor mans 911 but that's said about every porshce that isn't a 911!
its running costs would be simliar to the excels as is it's performance, unless its the turbo model which is pretty much supercar pace.
From a personal point of view i'd have to say take the excel (i did) at the end of the day while the 944 is a great car the rarity and styleing of the excel means it stands out in the crowd. the interior while not as durable as the 944's is much nicer, leather and wood will always win out over black plastic in the style department
as far as daily driver goes it should be ok some ppl on the excel forum have used it as such without issues, i'd get a good cover for outside if thats were your gonna keep it as they can get damp around the footwells if left exposed to the elements without one
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:18
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:21
>> Edited by peter450 on Tuesday 25th October 19:23
The Excel is of course the correct choice! Porsche 944? What the hell are you thinking man! 
The Excel is one of the more reliable Loti, being basically a Toyota. Thr chassis is galvanised, the gearbox is a getrag unit, the engine is where the money's going to go if your unlucky. Making it live outside is a bit of a shame though. It Won't be water tight, none of them are, so without as Peter says, a cover the carpets will be damp, but can you live with having to remove/replace a cover everyday? Insurance will be reasonable, performance will be exciting, over 1800 rpm, and you see a hell of a lot more 944's than ever you do Excels, but please buy wisely, there's a lot of wrong un's out there.
The Excel is one of the more reliable Loti, being basically a Toyota. Thr chassis is galvanised, the gearbox is a getrag unit, the engine is where the money's going to go if your unlucky. Making it live outside is a bit of a shame though. It Won't be water tight, none of them are, so without as Peter says, a cover the carpets will be damp, but can you live with having to remove/replace a cover everyday? Insurance will be reasonable, performance will be exciting, over 1800 rpm, and you see a hell of a lot more 944's than ever you do Excels, but please buy wisely, there's a lot of wrong un's out there.
Simonelite501 said:
The Excel is of course the correct choice! Porsche 944? What the hell are you thinking man!
The Excel is one of the more reliable Loti, being basically a Toyota. Thr chassis is galvanised, the gearbox is a getrag unit, the engine is where the money's going to go if your unlucky. Making it live outside is a bit of a shame though. It Won't be water tight, none of them are, so without as Peter says, a cover the carpets will be damp, but can you live with having to remove/replace a cover everyday? Insurance will be reasonable, performance will be exciting, over 1800 rpm, and you see a hell of a lot more 944's than ever you do Excels, but please buy wisely, there's a lot of wrong un's out there.
Out of choice I'd much rather own a Lotus - although it seems to be a very good car in its own right the 944 does attract a rather harsh "I want to own a Porsche" image. Although maybe people would say the same about Excel Vs Esprit ;-)
Whatever I get it has to live outside for the foreseable future. I am, to be honest a little tired of scooping up the plastic bag full of water that accumilates on the seats of my Quantum every time it rains heavily (and being dripped on whilst driving) so things like this might not go in the Excel's favour. The 944 may offer less accomplished habndling and a souless germanic experience, but I doubt it will leak. Its a shame I have to worry about such things (i.e a shame I don't have a garage), but really don't think my 2+2 was made to live outside and doing so isn't exactly improved it. I wouldn't want to subject my next car to that unless it was capable of doing so.
The next issue is insurance, which is a big, big problem when you're 23! Surprisingly my initial enquiries show the Excel as being harder to insure than a 944S .......probably because fewer insurers have actually heard of one.
Please provide more reasons to get an Excel, don't think I want to end up with an uber-VW!!
Haha, OK maybe I overstated my objection to the 944, but the bottom line is, all other things being equal (assuming the handling, performance, costs, practicality and so on were comparable) I'd sooner have something with a Lotus badge sat on my drive.
However I'm looking at more subjective differences - the tendancy to leak is an issue, as I don't mind abbusing my current car, but a relatively rare and somewhat more valuable Lotus becomes a bit more of a responsibility.
However I'm looking at more subjective differences - the tendancy to leak is an issue, as I don't mind abbusing my current car, but a relatively rare and somewhat more valuable Lotus becomes a bit more of a responsibility.
Buy and elite or eclat. For £500 you'll get a car that was destined for spares anyway so if you put a few more miles on it before that happens then well done.
They are a hoot to drive and what other car at this price gives you outrageous 70's styling, Lotus handling and an engine that can show chaved up hatchbacks and company-car-man a clean set of heels at the lights?
Best of all you get classic insurance, I pay less for it than a Volvo 240, work that out.
They are a hoot to drive and what other car at this price gives you outrageous 70's styling, Lotus handling and an engine that can show chaved up hatchbacks and company-car-man a clean set of heels at the lights?
Best of all you get classic insurance, I pay less for it than a Volvo 240, work that out.
Thats also a possibility - getting something a little more disposable. Problem is at 22 or 23 (given a few months when I plan to get the car), I'll spend £500 on the Eclat and £2000 on the insurance.
Out of interest, how do people rate the Eclat and Elite?? (also saw a "curvy" 60s Elite .....or was it Elan 2+2 going for sensible money the other day)
Out of interest, how do people rate the Eclat and Elite?? (also saw a "curvy" 60s Elite .....or was it Elan 2+2 going for sensible money the other day)
mechanically the elite/eclat are very similar although i prefer the eclat styling, the 2 litre cars drive well and have good performance 60 in jus under 8 secs (very fast for there day) the 2.2s are around 7.5 secs pretty good even at todays standards, the trouble with these cars is not there performance or handling which was rated by all the motor mags of the day as being spot on.
Its the mechanical side of things, they need lots of looking after if your not mechanically minded then i'd go for a early excel instead, they go for only slightly more than a good elite/eclat and has a stronger more efficient driveline, gearbox, brakes etc.
One thing to remember is these cars were never cheap an 80s eclat was around 10k, in todays money that would be a bucketload of cash, and the more neglected it is (the cheaper they are the more they have been neglected)the more expensive you running costs will be, put rhe odds in your favour by buying a good car to start with not £500 pounds worth of parts
Its the mechanical side of things, they need lots of looking after if your not mechanically minded then i'd go for a early excel instead, they go for only slightly more than a good elite/eclat and has a stronger more efficient driveline, gearbox, brakes etc.
One thing to remember is these cars were never cheap an 80s eclat was around 10k, in todays money that would be a bucketload of cash, and the more neglected it is (the cheaper they are the more they have been neglected)the more expensive you running costs will be, put rhe odds in your favour by buying a good car to start with not £500 pounds worth of parts
Yeah, to be honest, I think in a few months time when I've turned 23 and insurance becomes a bit more realistic (got quoted sub 1k for a 1990 Excel from a mainstream company via autotrader) I could afford pretty much any Excel going. My budget should be up to around 7k, which given a little shopping around should get me a very nice Excel and a years insurance.
At which point I think I'd go for a late one with a galvanised chassis and plenty of Toyota bits!!
The only niggling doubt is still whether I can subject one to outdoor life.
At which point I think I'd go for a late one with a galvanised chassis and plenty of Toyota bits!!
The only niggling doubt is still whether I can subject one to outdoor life.
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