Another (probably) daft Q from a prospective buyer
Discussion
OK, back here again but edging closer to my first test drive (work has been keeping me away).
There appear to be loads of really well priced Elise S1's out there at the moment and seeing as DirectLine have finally been kind enough to approve my loan I'm getting closer to making a decision about the next beast to grace my right foot.
Having had a couple of opportunities to get close looks at a regular S1 and an S1 111s I now just need to convince myself about letting it sit on the street.
Net net, I want to know (and be honest with me) how good/bad are a) the hardtops and b) the soft-tops at keeping mother nature on the outside.
I can probably live with unpractical luggage space, a hard ride and the sparse cabin but I'm not going to fork out 12 to 15k on a very agile fishpond.
This (and the planned test drive) will be the final criteria before I make a decision as to whether or not and Elise is viable. I daren't take the test drive first as then my head will walk out the door and leave me and my heart to start haggling!
Thanks to all for your amusing banter and advice!
Tim
P.S. If I do buy I will probably go private seeing as there are so many good deals to be had - has anyone used any independent (non RAC/AA) people/companies to give their prospective purchases the once over before making the final decision to buy?
P.P.S Apologies to Dr Bob for not replying to your email - like an idiot I deleted it as I was reading it!
There appear to be loads of really well priced Elise S1's out there at the moment and seeing as DirectLine have finally been kind enough to approve my loan I'm getting closer to making a decision about the next beast to grace my right foot.
Having had a couple of opportunities to get close looks at a regular S1 and an S1 111s I now just need to convince myself about letting it sit on the street.
Net net, I want to know (and be honest with me) how good/bad are a) the hardtops and b) the soft-tops at keeping mother nature on the outside.
I can probably live with unpractical luggage space, a hard ride and the sparse cabin but I'm not going to fork out 12 to 15k on a very agile fishpond.
This (and the planned test drive) will be the final criteria before I make a decision as to whether or not and Elise is viable. I daren't take the test drive first as then my head will walk out the door and leave me and my heart to start haggling!
Thanks to all for your amusing banter and advice!
Tim
P.S. If I do buy I will probably go private seeing as there are so many good deals to be had - has anyone used any independent (non RAC/AA) people/companies to give their prospective purchases the once over before making the final decision to buy?
P.P.S Apologies to Dr Bob for not replying to your email - like an idiot I deleted it as I was reading it!
leaking....Ahhh..a popular elise topic. From what I've heard some leak more than others but mine leaks a bit with the soft top and the hard top. The hard top leaks less but if it's really heavy rain and windy it still seeps in.
Mine is outside all the time and to be honest it's not a problem. The worst that happens is I get a few drips on the sill but since thats just the same as the paintwork on the outside anyway it's just a case of wiping it off.
go on get one...you know you want to...
Mine is outside all the time and to be honest it's not a problem. The worst that happens is I get a few drips on the sill but since thats just the same as the paintwork on the outside anyway it's just a case of wiping it off.
go on get one...you know you want to...
S Works
Mines outside all of the time and the leaking is not too bad - if it happens at all. I had the same worry and got the dealer to throw in an all weather breathable cover as part of the haggling - but to be honest I haven't used it in months, and the car has always been dry.
I think it is one of those things you hear of nightmare stories about and I guess they do happen. Worst comes to the worst - one of these covers is about £600.
Easy.
Mines outside all of the time and the leaking is not too bad - if it happens at all. I had the same worry and got the dealer to throw in an all weather breathable cover as part of the haggling - but to be honest I haven't used it in months, and the car has always been dry.
I think it is one of those things you hear of nightmare stories about and I guess they do happen. Worst comes to the worst - one of these covers is about £600.
Easy.
You could get a shower cap, cover the cabin of the car and hence all the seals, they go for about £30 IIRC from Eliseparts.
Tom - you up for this (it's just down the road from you)? www.pistonheads.com/members/calendar/displayEvent.asp?id=3115
Tom - you up for this (it's just down the road from you)? www.pistonheads.com/members/calendar/displayEvent.asp?id=3115
A showercap is the most useful Elise accessory you can get. For parking during the day in summer you can just chuck the cap over it and it's 100% water/bird poo proof (where as the soft/hard top may not be). Then when it's home time, you just chuck the cap in the boot and zoom off. I can go for weeks without fitting the roof and I use my car for work every day.
Mine lives on a city centre street in Oxford, havs no hard top or cape and gets used virtually every day.
They are not as bad to live with as a lot of people make out, I get some small puddles of water on the sill, but nothing worse than that.
If you take a drive in one, be prepared to drive away in it. Any normal car will just not feel the same afterwards, they just don't work propperly!
Just do it, you will never regret it
They are not as bad to live with as a lot of people make out, I get some small puddles of water on the sill, but nothing worse than that.
If you take a drive in one, be prepared to drive away in it. Any normal car will just not feel the same afterwards, they just don't work propperly!
Just do it, you will never regret it
Ok so I may be a sports car nut & therefore love the raw feel, noise (more so now mods added ) and general fab handling etc, but I have no probs living with mine day-to-day. It's parked on the street come rain or shine, and like some others on here, it leaks a bit where the hood meets the front top corners of the windows. I already had a cheap Halfords cover from a previous car and if the rain is really heavy, I bung it on, but otherwise I just put up with it. There are just too many pros to outweigh the v.few cons...in fact, apart from the odd drip of water, I can't think of any cons!
) and general fab handling etc, but I have no probs living with mine day-to-day. It's parked on the street come rain or shine, and like some others on here, it leaks a bit where the hood meets the front top corners of the windows. I already had a cheap Halfords cover from a previous car and if the rain is really heavy, I bung it on, but otherwise I just put up with it. There are just too many pros to outweigh the v.few cons...in fact, apart from the odd drip of water, I can't think of any cons! 
do not get the AA/RAC to check your car. 
Agree about the floorpans. If the owner won't let you lift the rubber mats (which are stuck down with double-sided tape) then walk away. Any owner who cares about his/her car would have lifted the mats and cleaned/checked the floorpans by now anyway!
My soft top very rarely leaks, but I have a habit of driving in the rain with the window slightly down - this will make the inner sills wet because of the tumblehome on the door glass.
Hard tops are good, but then you need to find space in the Summer to store them...a PITA for some owners.
John S.
>> Edited by cinqster on Thursday 22 January 19:21
My soft top very rarely leaks, but I have a habit of driving in the rain with the window slightly down - this will make the inner sills wet because of the tumblehome on the door glass.
Hard tops are good, but then you need to find space in the Summer to store them...a PITA for some owners.
John S.
>> Edited by cinqster on Thursday 22 January 19:21
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff