Dead excited about to get an S2 135r with 2500 miles!

Dead excited about to get an S2 135r with 2500 miles!

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Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Thursday 29th August 2019
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I have wanted an Elise for 20 years but for one reason or another I’ve never ended up with one!

I’ve been looking hard at ordering a new 250 cup and let me be clear - I LOVE those cars. But then, out of the blue, I saw a 2003 135r for sale with 2500 miles and I just couldn’t resist it! I’ve always had a soft spot for the K series since my Caterham and although it’s flawed I really like the lightweight and compact approach.

Should get the car pretty soon - will post a few more pics once it’s in the garage. I’m like a kid with a new toy!






Tickle

5,266 posts

211 months

Friday 30th August 2019
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Julian Thompson said:
I have wanted an Elise for 20 years but for one reason or another I’ve never ended up with one!

I’ve been looking hard at ordering a new 250 cup and let me be clear - I LOVE those cars. But then, out of the blue, I saw a 2003 135r for sale with 2500 miles and I just couldn’t resist it! I’ve always had a soft spot for the K series since my Caterham and although it’s flawed I really like the lightweight and compact approach.

Should get the car pretty soon - will post a few more pics once it’s in the garage. I’m like a kid with a new toy!



Congratulations, my favourite S2 model the 135R. Enjoy it, I'm sure you will clap

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Friday 30th August 2019
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Thanks! Can anyone recommend someone to PPF it for me in Cheshire?

Tickle

5,266 posts

211 months

Friday 30th August 2019
quotequote all
Julian Thompson said:
Thanks! Can anyone recommend someone to PPF it for me in Cheshire?
Try Chris Griffiths (Griffiths Detailing). Not sure if Oakmere will do it too.


Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Friday 30th August 2019
quotequote all
Will do many thanks!

Dift

1,624 posts

234 months

Friday 30th August 2019
quotequote all
Tickle said:
Julian Thompson said:
Thanks! Can anyone recommend someone to PPF it for me in Cheshire?
Try Chris Griffiths (Griffiths Detailing). Not sure if Oakmere will do it too.
Chris Griffiths seconded.

Car looks fantastic!!! you should post some pictures when you get it. I love shiny mint Elise as much as battered used ones smile

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Friday 30th August 2019
quotequote all
Thanks will do and I’ll give Chris a call.

Should be getting it end of next week once it has had belts and a full going over.

Normally I insist on doing all the works on my cars but the dealer I’ve bought it from preferred to hand the car over fully recommissioned. I’m hoping that proves to be a good decision on my part.

It’s going to be a long week!

Turn7

24,154 posts

228 months

Friday 30th August 2019
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135r is supposedly the pick of the S2, enjoy !

itcaptainslow

3,858 posts

143 months

Saturday 31st August 2019
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Is this the one that was at Paul Matty?

Looks great!

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Sunday 1st September 2019
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Yes - that’s the car. Not sure how long it has been there - sounds like it could have been a while.

It will be interesting to see what the damping is like. It seems to have received criticism when new for being too uncompromising for road use.

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Tuesday 3rd September 2019
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Should be picking this up Monday. They’ve done me a full service with belts and all the fluids so it looks like it’s ready to go!

Such a slow week :-(

Tango7

688 posts

233 months

Thursday 5th September 2019
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Hi Julian, Dave at Premier Paint Guard does an excellent job and will come out to site/home if you ask. He did one of the Caterhams and it was a top job. How's the Blackbird going?

Cheers
Nick

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Saturday 14th September 2019
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Hi Nick hope you’re good? Blackbird is going really well nowadays but I don’t often use it. I am considering selling that car after all these years!

Finally got the Elise yesterday. It’s really fabulous. Initial impressions.

Firstly, driving a 135hp driver focussed car that revs well and has no weight is even more of an eye opener now than it was back in the day. You can rev it through a couple of gears hard and you look down and you’re doing 70mph! In a modern car that’s 100mph!

Secondly, the sensation of that speed is so much more obvious - threading the car along the lanes at genuinely sensible speeds is really really good fun.

There are a couple of downsides I can see. Firstly the 135r appears to have compliance in the suspension up to a point but if you hit the “wrong” type of imperfection in the road (and I’m not quite sure what that is yet) you get an almighty crash through the back of the car that sounds like the chassis has landed on the road! Dampers seem to have moved a long was in the last 15 years or so!

The gearshift is also horribly slack with comedy free play around the gears. It’s perfectly drivable but I definitely want to take a look at that.

Other than that it’s exactly as it would have been in 2003 - a complete time warp car that drives looks and feels absolutely brand new! I’m really pleased with it and am very happy to finally have joined the Elise club!

Will sort the stone chip - thanks for the recommendations!

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Saturday 14th September 2019
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This was collecting it yesterday:


Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,593 posts

245 months

Saturday 14th September 2019
quotequote all
This is an amusing shot - look how massive the 991 looks next to it - what an amazing little car!



I’ve emailed Paul Matty about the dodgy gearshift - it will be interesting to see how they handle it for me.