Discussion
Just a quickie - saw a lovely 79 Special Ed and am very tempted to buy. Provenance looks good, excellent condition, 22.5k mls with a hard top.
Just needs a new set of boots (currently wearing the infamous P-Zeros and the rears are looking like they'll need replacing within a few k mls) so I guess if I get it I'll want to be getting Yoko's so that's the best part of £500 right?
Up for £15k, what would the regulars expect to pay for this? (Just need some indications that the numbers discussed are in the right ballpark as I'm new to all this!).
Cheers,
Tim
Just needs a new set of boots (currently wearing the infamous P-Zeros and the rears are looking like they'll need replacing within a few k mls) so I guess if I get it I'll want to be getting Yoko's so that's the best part of £500 right?
Up for £15k, what would the regulars expect to pay for this? (Just need some indications that the numbers discussed are in the right ballpark as I'm new to all this!).
Cheers,
Tim
Cheers drag - as suspected, in the right ballpark on tyre cost.
I think it's a VVC, basically 111s spec without the engine, though it does have a lotus fitted sports exhaust, 111s seats with alcantara inserts, ally throttle body, braided clutch hose etc.
(oops, posted on mates pc which auto-logged me in as him! Sorry Raify!) Tim
>> Edited by Raify on Sunday 15th February 17:06
I think it's a VVC, basically 111s spec without the engine, though it does have a lotus fitted sports exhaust, 111s seats with alcantara inserts, ally throttle body, braided clutch hose etc.
(oops, posted on mates pc which auto-logged me in as him! Sorry Raify!) Tim
>> Edited by Raify on Sunday 15th February 17:06
dragstar said:
If it's an essential 111s with a few factory mods then £15k seems about right. Infact, sounds like a good deal to me 
Mustard would know better though
Not quite drag - the engine is 118bhp standard Elise. Internally it has the 111s seats. All other stuff is cosmetic (paint job, gold grills, gold 111s ally's, black/gold lthr alcantara seats).
mustard said:
Find these 'type xx' special editions very confusing LOL ... tell us some more details, ie age, plate, private or dealer and i'll try and offer some guidance.
>> Edited by mustard on Sunday 15th February 17:35
Y2k on a V, private sale, fully stamped up, first 2 services with Lotus dealer in Cambridge, 3rd at Frosts, 4th at another specialist whose name escapes me.
Cheers fellas - guidance much appreciated!
Well at £15k its retail money IMHO, and a fair price, is it being sold by a garage? in view of the tyres it sounds not.
If its private then £13500-£14000 is nearer the mark,
Any more, and I'd be after a 111S for my money, as an S1 111S is always going to have a certain desirability factor because they are soo much rarer in S1 form (only around 500 IIRC)
Edited to say, just noticed yoy did say private sale
>> Edited by mustard on Sunday 15th February 21:16
If its private then £13500-£14000 is nearer the mark,
Any more, and I'd be after a 111S for my money, as an S1 111S is always going to have a certain desirability factor because they are soo much rarer in S1 form (only around 500 IIRC)
Edited to say, just noticed yoy did say private sale
>> Edited by mustard on Sunday 15th February 21:16
Thanks again - this forum is excellent!
This is my feeling - I offered £13,750, and then upped to £14k but both rejected. Seller offered £14k with the soft top only, £14.5 with the hard top.
I'm tempted to try the 111s but as this will be my first foray into mid-engined, rwd-ness I don't want to go OTT straight off the bat. I have a feeling a standard S1 will be plenty quick enough, but I do like the idea of the 111s seats as they seem so much more comfortable than the std ones.
There are a fair few S1's (both std and 111s) at dealers in the SE that I've seen about but I don't want to pay over the odds when there are so many private low mileage cars about - what would you expect a dealer to knock off for a cash deal in the current market?
This is my feeling - I offered £13,750, and then upped to £14k but both rejected. Seller offered £14k with the soft top only, £14.5 with the hard top.
I'm tempted to try the 111s but as this will be my first foray into mid-engined, rwd-ness I don't want to go OTT straight off the bat. I have a feeling a standard S1 will be plenty quick enough, but I do like the idea of the 111s seats as they seem so much more comfortable than the std ones.
There are a fair few S1's (both std and 111s) at dealers in the SE that I've seen about but I don't want to pay over the odds when there are so many private low mileage cars about - what would you expect a dealer to knock off for a cash deal in the current market?
S Works said:
Thanks again - this forum is excellent!
This is my feeling - I offered £13,750, and then upped to £14k but both rejected. Seller offered £14k with the soft top only, £14.5 with the hard top.
I'm tempted to try the 111s but as this will be my first foray into mid-engined, rwd-ness I don't want to go OTT straight off the bat. I have a feeling a standard S1 will be plenty quick enough, but I do like the idea of the 111s seats as they seem so much more comfortable than the std ones.
There are a fair few S1's (both std and 111s) at dealers in the SE that I've seen about but I don't want to pay over the odds when there are so many private low mileage cars about - what would you expect a dealer to knock off for a cash deal in the current market?
Hold on a sec!
The 111s is not OTT
it is only "slightly" quicker 0-60. The real difference comes at 50-70 IMHO. Really. The standard feels quick now. Give it a few weeks and you'll be begging for more power
I went from a FWD, circa 50bhp to a RWD 111s, and it is only uncontrollable when i make it
I urge you to try a few 111s' and you'll see what i mean.
(especially at the £15k mark 
) No idea what a dealer would knock off
Fair points drag - by OTT I wasn't intimating that it was a complete loony mobile vs the std car, but I take your points.
A local dealer has an S1 in for £12.5 with a soft top which I'm going to have a look at mid-week.
If I can I'll try to get down to Adrian Blyth next weekend if the weather holds. They have both and it would be an excellent opportunity to see what both are like in close proximity, and also to see what £16k buys you.
Not given up on the '79 though, lovely car and would snap it up at £14k. Will let you know how I get on...
A local dealer has an S1 in for £12.5 with a soft top which I'm going to have a look at mid-week.
If I can I'll try to get down to Adrian Blyth next weekend if the weather holds. They have both and it would be an excellent opportunity to see what both are like in close proximity, and also to see what £16k buys you.
Not given up on the '79 though, lovely car and would snap it up at £14k. Will let you know how I get on...
S Works,
Get a 111s (or VVC variant), especially if you do any motorway miles...
For my money, the elise is a fun car, fantastic handling and a joy to drive.... but VERY slow unless there is a 200+HP at the wheels.... its not fun to be blown away by nissan sunny, WRX and locally (australia) the average family/sport hack (mind you these can be commodores with 250kw+ 5.7L V8's and ford falcons with 240kw+ turbo 4.0l six cyl's as well as 290kw v8's...)
basically the point being that none of the production(except for sport 190) elises are OTT....
Get a 111s (or VVC variant), especially if you do any motorway miles...
For my money, the elise is a fun car, fantastic handling and a joy to drive.... but VERY slow unless there is a 200+HP at the wheels.... its not fun to be blown away by nissan sunny, WRX and locally (australia) the average family/sport hack (mind you these can be commodores with 250kw+ 5.7L V8's and ford falcons with 240kw+ turbo 4.0l six cyl's as well as 290kw v8's...)
basically the point being that none of the production(except for sport 190) elises are OTT....
S works
I have a 79 111s. The 79 was produced in 1999/2000 and was a carry over from the Italian market. Only 50 x111S and 50 std were sold in the UK. Both 111S and standard engines were available. The 79 came with a hard top as standard. You can tell if its a 111S cus it says so on the back, the dash and on the log book. In my opinion the price looks right.
Mark
I have a 79 111s. The 79 was produced in 1999/2000 and was a carry over from the Italian market. Only 50 x111S and 50 std were sold in the UK. Both 111S and standard engines were available. The 79 came with a hard top as standard. You can tell if its a 111S cus it says so on the back, the dash and on the log book. In my opinion the price looks right.
Mark
magarnett said:
S works
I have a 79 111s. The 79 was produced in 1999/2000 and was a carry over from the Italian market. Only 50 x111S and 50 std were sold in the UK. Both 111S and standard engines were available. The 79 came with a hard top as standard. You can tell if its a 111S cus it says so on the back, the dash and on the log book. In my opinion the price looks right.
Mark
As I've mentioned above it's not a 111s spec engine, only the interior and exterior styling cues (111s seats, spoiler, allys, headlight covers).
Having said that, advice I've had from an ex-dealer mate is that it's only worth a premuim with the 111s engine. From a dealer point of view it's just an S1 with a hardtop, a slightly different spec and paint job. Rareity doesn't add value to it in the current market.
I'd expect to pay a little more (few hundred quid) for the better spec over a private standard S1 with hardtop. Hence I feel my offer of £14k is reasonable in the current market.
If it goes it goes, if the deal's done I'll be very happy. Even so, my search continues in the meantime!
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