Living with an Elise
Discussion
I've got a very early S1 and while i love it - I wouldn't use it every day unless I lived somewhere sunny and there was a fun road between home and work. Basically it leaks, is a touch uncomfortable and loud.
Having been in stabdard later S1's and several S2's I think with the right set up they'd be a great daily drive.
Just make sure you get the right one and you'll love it
Having been in stabdard later S1's and several S2's I think with the right set up they'd be a great daily drive.
Just make sure you get the right one and you'll love it
My S2 is my only car, although the wife has a hatchback. It's never leaked, never broken down,... it's had the odd few niggling problems and obligatory head gasket failure but otherwise it's been just like any other car to run.
If you're going to keep it outside it WILL get damp inside so air conditioning is a very good idea for demisting purposes.
If you're going to keep it outside it WILL get damp inside so air conditioning is a very good idea for demisting purposes.
30,000 miles in 2 years here, lives outside all year round, and DOESN'T get damp inside. At all. You're welcome to come and check when it's raining!! Or put your hands on the mat etc. Dry as a.. well dry thing.
Always started on the dot, never failed to get me to my destination, and doesn't leak.
I have spent a lot of money on modifications, however.
Brilliant fun. There's not a road car that I'd rather have. Personally, if you do go for an S2, I wouldn't bother with aircon - it will only break and cost a lot of money to fix at some point.
The pipes are known for corroding in the sills, among other issues, which is expensive to fix.
Always started on the dot, never failed to get me to my destination, and doesn't leak.
I have spent a lot of money on modifications, however.
Brilliant fun. There's not a road car that I'd rather have. Personally, if you do go for an S2, I wouldn't bother with aircon - it will only break and cost a lot of money to fix at some point.
The pipes are known for corroding in the sills, among other issues, which is expensive to fix.
Edited by pthelazyjourno on Thursday 26th January 15:35
pthelazyjourno said:
30,000 miles in 2 years here, lives outside all year round, and DOESN'T get damp inside. At all. You're welcome to come and check when it's raining!! Or put your hands on the mat etc. Dry as a.. well dry thing.
Interesting. I've never owned any car that hasn't got slightly damp inside when left outside. Certainly not so damp that you can feel it to touch things, but damp enough that the windows mist up on the inside. kambites said:
Interesting. I've never owned any car that hasn't got slightly damp inside when left outside. Certainly not so damp that you can feel it to touch things, but damp enough that the windows mist up on the inside.
My old MR2 suffered from condensation more and I stored that in the garage!! I'm sure if there's a way of measuring these things, there would be some moisture content in the air - but then again I'd put good money on that being the case in a garaged car too, it's inevitable.
I never have to drive it with the windows open when it's raining though - it very rarely steams up. Which is a bloody good job really - as I'm sure you've noticed water drips straight into the car if you open the window even a fraction.
The only real times I find myself wiping the window is if **I'm** damp - if it's pissing it down and my coat is soaking etc, it steams up initially then.
But that's not an issue with the car - the moisture is obviously elsewhere. And once you get rid of the temperature difference, it quickly disappears.
In terms of air vents, I leave mine closed, they just blow crap over the dashboard and they're never really needed.
In all honesty, it's more watertight and stays drier than any of my previous cars - most admittedly with sunroofs.
Edited by pthelazyjourno on Thursday 26th January 18:09
Incidentally, it's not the standard roof - it's an Elise Parts one. It seems to be a lot tighter than the OEM one, and a slightly better design.
I did happen to take a photograph the last time it steamed up, as I was rather surprised by how bad it got. I was also soaked to the bone though, and the entire interior got drenched when I was packing for the trip - I even tried opening an air vent, for all the good it did.
This was on the Cat & Fiddle!
Thankfully it's never done that since - think that was about 18 months ago.
I did happen to take a photograph the last time it steamed up, as I was rather surprised by how bad it got. I was also soaked to the bone though, and the entire interior got drenched when I was packing for the trip - I even tried opening an air vent, for all the good it did.
This was on the Cat & Fiddle!
Thankfully it's never done that since - think that was about 18 months ago.
Edited by pthelazyjourno on Thursday 26th January 17:41
I've had my S1 for over 13 years now and it's been my daily driver for most of that time. It's not ideal for long motorway trips because of the noise but I've only found the seat uncomfortable on one occasion when I was stuck in a traffic jam on the M1 for 5 hours. Mine has to live outside unfortunately and it DOES leak! On cold winter mornings there is often ice on the inside of the windscreen as well as the outside and on the inside of the roof (quite annoying when it melts and starts dripping on you). The locks freeze (having defrosted them and driven 10 miles to the station, they are often frozen again by the time I get there!) and the heater is barely adequate. I have had 2 HGFs and it seems to eat distributors.
After 13 years and nearly 200,000 miles, despite all the cr*p as described above, I LOVE it! I cannot conceive of a time that I won't love driving it and it's worth it, despite its inconvenient winter habits!
I'd say go for it - after all, if you decide you don't like it, you probably wouldn't have any difficulty selling it.
Edited to add: for about 9 years, my daily drive was a 3 hours, 130 miles roundtrip to and from work, not just the 20 miles to and from the station I do nowadays. I drove it in all weathers, including snow, on ungritted roads (not many luckily - it's not the ideal car for that but we managed!). It benefits from daily use - it had 3 months off once and loads of bits and pieces seized, failed etc. as a result. Whilst I'm driving it daily, it just goes on and on and on and......
After 13 years and nearly 200,000 miles, despite all the cr*p as described above, I LOVE it! I cannot conceive of a time that I won't love driving it and it's worth it, despite its inconvenient winter habits!
I'd say go for it - after all, if you decide you don't like it, you probably wouldn't have any difficulty selling it.
Edited to add: for about 9 years, my daily drive was a 3 hours, 130 miles roundtrip to and from work, not just the 20 miles to and from the station I do nowadays. I drove it in all weathers, including snow, on ungritted roads (not many luckily - it's not the ideal car for that but we managed!). It benefits from daily use - it had 3 months off once and loads of bits and pieces seized, failed etc. as a result. Whilst I'm driving it daily, it just goes on and on and on and......
Edited by LBird on Friday 27th January 10:54
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