i tried one...

[chimburt]

now i see.
god what fun.

a 111s, oldish, low miles and a fair chunk of cash.

a) seemed relatively comfartable and this is a consideration as i will probably do miles in it ( if, in fact, i do decide to change car ) from time to time, but any other models to consider in this power range bearing this is mind?

b) would it be better to get a later one already with a few miles under it's belt, pay less, particularly as i will use it everyday, and get a car that is a little further down the evolutionary tree, probably with teething troubles sorted?

c) do i really have to fit a tracker to get the bu66er insured at a decent rate?

bloody good fun.
ok, cheers.

[DanH]

Well only you can decide on the mileage etc etc. The 111S from the S1 is well liked though so not a bad choice.

Tracker is only required by tescos as far as I know. Depending on your age you can do better elsewhere. If you are >30 esteem are good as they'll cover track days for a small fee each event (as opposed to the 200 quid I have to pay for cover each event /cry)!

Whats your budget I guess is the question? The older the car gets, the more tired bits get so it may not be a real economy in the end. S1 dampers don't last that well, and ball joints etc are wear items but relatively cheap.

Could also look at a sport 160 which are very popular. Only issue is that stock from lotus the ECU was badly programmed so driveability isn't that great at low speed. Lots of ways of fixing this (verniers and programmable ECU considered best) but you ideally want it done already as thats 1000+ quid of work.

Or you could leave it stock, a lot of people like it lumpy and badly setup as it feels race car like lol.

[CVP]

You're right, fun fun fun all the way (until you hit a Bonce sized bill )

Answers
(a) depends on your budget. S1 111s is generally thought to be the pick of the bunch for a standard road car. Many owners start to suffer from upgradeitis and so many Elises are bespoke to a certain extent. If you do encounter one of these look who did the work. A few tuning companies are well regarded and include DVA Power who seem to be top of the tree at the moment for normally aspirated and Turbo Technics for the supercharger conversion.

I find my S2 very comfortable for long journeys. My commute is about an hour each way and includes some stop start stuff as well as some blasting. Very comfy. For longer weekend journeys we tend to take a break every 2 hours or so, but neither me nor Mrs CVP has ever had back troubles after a long day. The seats are really supportive in the right places and the driving position becomes second nature.

(b) Not sure I'd pay a premium for low miles, but conversely I wouldn't try and save by buying one with massive miles. Go for a normal mileage one and you should be fine. You can get the factory to check the history to make sure all recalls have been done.

(c) depends on age etc. I am classed as a responsible person now I'm over the heady age of 30 and I have not been required to fit a tracker. Insured through Elephant at a reasonable price £600 with only 1 years NCB (previously co car driver/no car).

I waited for a year to buy mine whilst thinking about all the options. Now I just wish I'd done it sooner. I have enjoyed every drive and I mean every single one. There's a good point in all of them where you just connect with the car and it's perfect. I would seriously recommend doing it.

HTH

Chris

[Bonce]

All good advice so far, but I would like to say don't let the "Bonce sized bill" bit put you off.

Buy privately and keep the £3k you save to one side and it'll more than cover even the most serious maintenance bills - unless you have a bent chassis! Check the car carefully for accident damage, better still get it inspected by a Lotus specialist (not the AA) before you buy.

Anyway, I hope you take the plunge and defect to the world of Lotus (but will you need to change your name?) - I'm sure you won't regret it.

>> Edited by Bonce on Wednesday 17th September 09:18

[DanH]

On the comfort front, ignore comments from S2 owners as one thing the S1 owners won't contest is that the S2 is actually quite a lot more comfortable. Better seats, better standard damping are the main reasons.

[chimburt]

considering what i have spent on the tiv over the past 18 months , the bonce sized bill is as nothing!

going to take another look tomorrow with the young lady ( certainly not a sensible influence! ), have a look at the paperwork, then maybe see about getting a specialist to take a look.

there was a massive smell of fuel after a fill and a few corners - common?

o yeah - where's the front hatch release?

>> Edited by chimburt on Friday 19th September 13:26

[Barrrrrrnacle]

No, you should not be able to smell petrol. It's possible that the car is subject to the fuel pipe breather hose recall, which hasn't been performed on it yet. This is a matter of safety so should be fixed ASAP.

Front hatch release is under the dashboard sill, very near to your right knee when you sit in the driver seat.

[chimburt]

ta.

as i say, i have to look at the paperwork, and check all the recall stuff has been done. this car's a low miler, so i am unsure of how much interest was taken in it by it's previous owner....
will be checking with lotus.

cheers again.

[fergusd]

Just IMHO . . . but I would go for a higher milage newer car over a lower milage older car every time . . . a) The later cars are significantly more debugged - there have been hundreds of small changes over the S1 production run. b) Every low milage car I service has significantly and predictably more problems than the higher milage cars.
Sure, you have component wear problems on higher milage cars . . . but this is generally cheaper and simpler to rectify than lack of use problems.

Anyway, enjoy, they are generally robust wee cars if tended by someone who knows them.

Fd

[chimburt]

as it turns out, the mileage is not that low, as the car has had a new stack.

if there are recall things still outstanding, can you just bowl along to any dealer and get them done FOC?

paperwork seems to be in order, but i need someone to have a look over it.
any suggestions in the SW?

ta again

[DanH]

Yeah recalls can be done by booking with dealer, but if they haven't been done, one has to wonder how well the car has been loved by the previous owner... Of course it could just be a crap dealer not telling them.

[chimburt]

hmm. that had occured to me too.

ok, ta for that, more food for thought.
should really get on the case with this stuff if i'm going to do it.....

[Nightmare]

oh and do check they'll just happily do standard fix recall work. Oviouasly on safety things they have little choice, but they've been giving me sh*t about my rippled dash and small door striker pins etc... despite the fact they have recognised it was craply built in the 1st place...

[CVP]

Nightmare said:

oh and do check they'll just happily do standard fix recall work. Oviouasly on safety things they have little choice, but they've been giving me sh*t about my rippled dash and small door striker pins etc... despite the fact they have recognised it was craply built in the 1st place...

Nightmare
I have just had the door striker pins done on a 2001 car. Went through as a warranty item no problems.

A bit sneaky but would they be more interested in getting it through as a warranty item if you mentioned you potential interest in an S2 Exige??? Devious Moi?

Chris

[DanH]

Nightmare, had my rippled dash done without any issue at all at Wilsons. Car was out of warranty. They also ended up doing it 3 times until it was right! (Combination of bad installation by Wilsons originally, and poor part from lotus that was rippled (think they were trying to get out old dash stock that was crap, as it has changed of late - in the end got a new style one which has foam under the alcatara making it more tactile)).

Lotus ok'd the original work straight off afaik. Striker pins I can't see being a problem either. Perhaps your dealer is letting you down?