Discussion
Three steps to buying a Lotus Carlton
1) Join the club - www.autobahnstormers.co.uk
2) Go down to a meeting IRL, kick some tyres and talk to the owners!
3) Go in with your eyes WIDE open the LC is no longer a car you can deliver to a garage and ask them to fix it (unless you have many thousands of pounds a year spare!)
Major concerns at the moment:
Parts supply - Nobody at GM/Vauxhall can make a decision so some fairly important stuff is not available at the moment - like clutch`s, Headbolts front dampers, wheels etc...
The car is a typical Lotus - very finely engineered with a few potential weak points;
Timing chain - they can snap and engine internals are NLS - the owners club can supply uprated ones
Clutch Pivot Pin - can snap inside the bellhousing with expensive results.
Madcop has already noted - its a 10 year old Vauxhall so it rusts! (but not too badly if the previous owners have been kind)
The best buying guide is on James Waddingtons site - www.lotus-carlton.co.uk
Be prepared to pay Ferrari money for brake parts (£600.00 for a pair of front Discs
)
If you want to use it on track days - re-morgage the house - at nearly 2 tons it is not the vehicle to use! Avoid purchasing one that has been used on the track
However on the plus side
It goes like nothing else you will ever have driven!
only about 900 were ever built (250 ish RHD ones) so its very exclusive!
4 people (not 5!) can share in the G-Forces!
Being a Lotus and a Vauxhall you can join both owners clubs (should you really feel the need )
Everywhere you go people ask you what it is (not sure if that is a good or bad thing)
Its the only car I have every driven where superbikes move out of your way
Cheers
Haz
>> Edited by Hazzer on Tuesday 11th March 16:23
1) Join the club - www.autobahnstormers.co.uk
2) Go down to a meeting IRL, kick some tyres and talk to the owners!
3) Go in with your eyes WIDE open the LC is no longer a car you can deliver to a garage and ask them to fix it (unless you have many thousands of pounds a year spare!)
Major concerns at the moment:
Parts supply - Nobody at GM/Vauxhall can make a decision so some fairly important stuff is not available at the moment - like clutch`s, Headbolts front dampers, wheels etc...
The car is a typical Lotus - very finely engineered with a few potential weak points;
Timing chain - they can snap and engine internals are NLS - the owners club can supply uprated ones
Clutch Pivot Pin - can snap inside the bellhousing with expensive results.
Madcop has already noted - its a 10 year old Vauxhall so it rusts! (but not too badly if the previous owners have been kind)
The best buying guide is on James Waddingtons site - www.lotus-carlton.co.uk
Be prepared to pay Ferrari money for brake parts (£600.00 for a pair of front Discs
) If you want to use it on track days - re-morgage the house - at nearly 2 tons it is not the vehicle to use! Avoid purchasing one that has been used on the track
However on the plus side
It goes like nothing else you will ever have driven!
only about 900 were ever built (250 ish RHD ones) so its very exclusive!
4 people (not 5!) can share in the G-Forces!
Being a Lotus and a Vauxhall you can join both owners clubs (should you really feel the need
) Everywhere you go people ask you what it is (not sure if that is a good or bad thing)
Its the only car I have every driven where superbikes move out of your way
Cheers
Haz
>> Edited by Hazzer on Tuesday 11th March 16:23
Yup. Go with Hazzer's reply. I've owned two. One got stolen, the other got torched! so don't buy no/s 901 or 875! They are absolutely the most fantastic car to drive ever. I envy you getting one and am seriously considering getting another myself. The closest modern equvalent seems to be the Holden HSV/R or the (yeucch)M5. Best advice is give James Waddington a ring and spend hours chatting to him. He knows everything there is to know and lots more! email me and I'll give you his phone number.
Oh, and there's no more than 186 as far as I know, but 175 was quite enough for me on an autobahn, thank you very much!
Oh, and there's no more than 186 as far as I know, but 175 was quite enough for me on an autobahn, thank you very much!
I am new to this Lotus Carlton business - I bought mine at the end of January 2003 and have been very pleased with it. It came with complete history from day 1 and all the "weak points" work had been done, apart from the timing chains. This was the first thing I did on it. Did it myself, and 30 hours and £700 (parts only) later I had it running again. Well worth doing as you can be safe in the knowledge you've done everything possible to prevent breakage. I used uprated chains sourced through the club (www.autobahnstormers.co.uk)
It really is a fantastic car. The tingles in the spine when you see a bike is electrifying - left them alone in the clio williams, but in the Lotus you can play....you want to play.....!
Funny actually as I have recently been made redundant and have had to consider selling it, but fortunately I have sorted myself out and it will not be going anywhere for a very long time.
Rust wise, mine is not bad, helps its been and continues to be garaged...the n/s rear arch is starting to show signs of corrsion, which will be attended to after the summer.
Ignore the age of them - they ran from H to L but are almost identical...only differences being later ones had a couple of revisions to problem points such as bell housings, exhausts etc. Well looked after early cars will have had these revisions carried out already.
Obviously history is essential on this type of car and will add to its value no end. Watch for head gasket leaks, whiny diffs and make sure the secondary cooling system is working correctly. They do get quite hot, so its essential the cooling systems work as they should. (remember you have 2 coolant systems, chargecooler circuit and oil circuit) Also make sure the clutch is smooth in operation, with no noises or notchiness. The clutches are stiff, but should be smooth in travel.
I had little trouble sourcing the parts through Vauxhall for the chains change, even the Lotus specific parts. But do beware that the parts situation has got a bit dire for much of the rest of the car, bodywork being a particular area of concern.
The club is brilliant, learnt alot in a very short space of time and it contains some very helpful people.
www.type104.co.uk is a new site Ive done on it, not much there at the minute but it will grow.
Email paul@infinicar.com if you need anymore help.
Paul
It really is a fantastic car. The tingles in the spine when you see a bike is electrifying - left them alone in the clio williams, but in the Lotus you can play....you want to play.....!
Funny actually as I have recently been made redundant and have had to consider selling it, but fortunately I have sorted myself out and it will not be going anywhere for a very long time.
Rust wise, mine is not bad, helps its been and continues to be garaged...the n/s rear arch is starting to show signs of corrsion, which will be attended to after the summer.
Ignore the age of them - they ran from H to L but are almost identical...only differences being later ones had a couple of revisions to problem points such as bell housings, exhausts etc. Well looked after early cars will have had these revisions carried out already.
Obviously history is essential on this type of car and will add to its value no end. Watch for head gasket leaks, whiny diffs and make sure the secondary cooling system is working correctly. They do get quite hot, so its essential the cooling systems work as they should. (remember you have 2 coolant systems, chargecooler circuit and oil circuit) Also make sure the clutch is smooth in operation, with no noises or notchiness. The clutches are stiff, but should be smooth in travel.
I had little trouble sourcing the parts through Vauxhall for the chains change, even the Lotus specific parts. But do beware that the parts situation has got a bit dire for much of the rest of the car, bodywork being a particular area of concern.
The club is brilliant, learnt alot in a very short space of time and it contains some very helpful people.
www.type104.co.uk is a new site Ive done on it, not much there at the minute but it will grow.
Email paul@infinicar.com if you need anymore help.
Paul
Just a comment about parts supply. It's not as bad as it might appear. OK, so if you go down to your Lotus Carlton Vauxhall outlet, you may struggle, but you'd be surprised what parts are available elsewhere. Heck, you can even get piston rings from your local Partco.
A complete bodykit (repro but exact in every detail) can be had for about £750.
As for doing the timing chains, yes £700 will cover absolutely every aspect of the job. However, it can be done for a lot less. Many of the parts replaced in the job (if doing it strictly according to the guidlines) aren't really neccessary.
Dave K
A complete bodykit (repro but exact in every detail) can be had for about £750.
As for doing the timing chains, yes £700 will cover absolutely every aspect of the job. However, it can be done for a lot less. Many of the parts replaced in the job (if doing it strictly according to the guidlines) aren't really neccessary.
Dave K
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