Lotus Esprit 350 Sport num 00 mine again after 10 year break

Lotus Esprit 350 Sport num 00 mine again after 10 year break

Author
Discussion

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
quotequote all
Today's a great day.

10 years ago, I had to give up my Lotus Esprit 350 Sport due to being a silly 20something who thought money grew from trees, and the bankruptcy court had other ideas. Had originally purchased the car from Kings of Warwick when it came in from Lotus UK and didn't realize what I was buying, just wanted a silver esprit at the time, but 20k later, was my favorite car I had owned.

Anyway after all this time, the car has a deposit on it today and is mine again from Saturday! Knew I would get it back :-)

Looking forward to being part of the Lotus crew again and making sure I hold onto it this time.

Le Mans Visitor

1,119 posts

207 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
quotequote all
nice, any pictures?

V8 FOU

2,984 posts

152 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
quotequote all
Well done! I looked at this car last year when it was £24995 and liked it a lot. Apart from the silver!! Watched the price slowly tumble from £22995 etc - last I saw it was £17995 - much more sensible. Hope you got it for a good price.
Cue loads of people on here saying how it's not a proer 350 / incorrect history / pile of rubbish...... etc etc
Ignore them and enjoy it.
PS Bought a 2000 yellow V8SE. Told by the "experts" how it isn't a good one etc etc.
Done all that needed doing and now enjoying it.

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
quotequote all
Hopefully put some pics up at the weekend.

Small issue with the history which is missing from when I owned it.Quite bizarre, think it may have happened during its time of the Bailiffs putting the car through some random auction after my bankruptcy.

Since I know I had it during this time and since the car is not going anywhere, then I figure its not an issue now for me, although it was at first. Remember certain marks on it from when I had it and they were still there :-) Just looking forward to enjoying it again and keeping in my collection for future years! Plus a lot cheaper than when I first purchased it from the Lotus dealer and it was 6months old.

The V8Se sounds fab.. Hope it does well for you. When I had the 350 before, did over 20k in it and never had an issue, yet my 355 use to cause me problems!

V8 FOU

2,984 posts

152 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
quotequote all
Look forward to seeing pics and hearing how you get on. Had a few near bankruptcy moments in years gone by myself! Never actually lost anything, but have had to sell loads. All in the past now, hopefully.
Hopefully we will meet sometime in the future at a show or whatever and be able to compare notes.
That 350 is damn quick too!

The Pits

4,289 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd February 2012
quotequote all
Great story. Good to hear. I often wonder where some of my cars ended up and how many are still on the road.

I had a V8 GT and it was fabulous. However I persuaded a good friend of mine to buy a S350 and he kindly let me lap the Nurburgring in it. I couldn't beleive how much sharper it felt than my car and how superior the damping was over the kerbs. I shall forever hold S350s in high regard. If I was to get another Esprit it would be an S350 (or Sport 300) for sure.

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
Thanks!

Drove it back from Kent today, 130miles and still had the biggest smile on my face when I got home. Drives pretty much the same as it did when I first had it. At some point I am going to put the rear of the car back to original. Just dont get why someone would want the 2002 spec on the back, not saying I do not like it, but think the Toyota lights made the car lol

Even more crazy have the receipt for the work carried out to do the lights, and in 2004, someone spent a small fortune having the work done.

Mustard

6,992 posts

250 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
I *think* 000 passed through Nick whale sportscars whilst I was working there (would certainly have had it service history then) ...l what's the reg no?

If IIRC correctly you would have bought it from Alistair Barton at Kings


V8 FOU

2,984 posts

152 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
......then UK Sportscars, then a dealer in Maidstone. It was waiting for you!
You may be interested to know I am about to conver my car to the 2002 rear lights. So if you need a transom and a set of Toyota lights... let me know!
Glad the trip went well. Must be like being re united with an old friend.

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
Yes thats right, S964SCL. It went to Nick Whale after it left me, but I originally had it from Kings when they were a Lotus dealer for a short while.

Mustard said:
I *think* 000 passed through Nick whale sportscars whilst I was working there (would certainly have had it service history then) ...l what's the reg no?

If IIRC correctly you would have bought it from Alistair Barton at Kings

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
Sounds good!
V8 FOU said:
......then UK Sportscars, then a dealer in Maidstone. It was waiting for you!
You may be interested to know I am about to conver my car to the 2002 rear lights. So if you need a transom and a set of Toyota lights... let me know!
Glad the trip went well. Must be like being re united with an old friend.

The Pits

4,289 posts

245 months

Saturday 4th February 2012
quotequote all
pics please!

squawk7700

190 posts

177 months

Sunday 5th February 2012
quotequote all
Welcome back to the club!! Congrats on your purchase! Don't for update your details at http://www.sport350.co.uk/index.php?option=com_wra...

BIRMA

3,839 posts

199 months

Monday 6th February 2012
quotequote all
If you are going to remove the later lights (I guess its a matter of taste as I think my car looks far more up to date with them) do it carefully because if it is a factory transom its worth a bob or two as new ones are near £900.

superdave

935 posts

261 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Hi David,

I bumped into the PO before UK Sports cars a couple of years ago. He's from Liverpool/ Southport way and owns a Toyota MR tuning company. I will try and dig out his contact details. He did quite a bit of work on this car himself. I am sure he would have lots of bills for the parts.

I also bumped into another PO who lived in Leciester who used to own an orange GT3 before that. Again I would have to go through my old emails. I know when he own it, that he had the rear light conversion done.

Regards,



David Walters

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
Thanks Dave. Have all the bills for the rear lights etc.

Happy with the car being back with me. Lots of helpful people, including getting a call from a guy who runs the Lotus Esprit forum.

Just looking to put together a collection of parts for the car if I intend on keeping it forever, which I do.

Nice esprit by the way!

superdave said:
Hi David,

I bumped into the PO before UK Sports cars a couple of years ago. He's from Liverpool/ Southport way and owns a Toyota MR tuning company. I will try and dig out his contact details. He did quite a bit of work on this car himself. I am sure he would have lots of bills for the parts.

I also bumped into another PO who lived in Leciester who used to own an orange GT3 before that. Again I would have to go through my old emails. I know when he own it, that he had the rear light conversion done.

Regards,



David Walters

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Thursday 16th February 2012
quotequote all
Pistonheads and twitter is great.

Received an email today from someone who worked at the dealer I first brought the car from. It was on 3k roughly at this point. Anyway they sent me today the paper work between Lotus and Kings( the dealer) and even the invoice I signed for the car, plus some other bits and pieces. Just need to get the indicators and the rear lights, valance sorted, oh and spoiler!

By the way if you guys know of anyone who can sort the light, spoiler, valance issue that would be great.

V8 FOU

2,984 posts

152 months

Thursday 16th February 2012
quotequote all
As I said before, I will have the necessary rear transom and lights soon. I could get the transom sprayed and fit it all for you in my workshop.

BIRMA

3,839 posts

199 months

Saturday 18th February 2012
quotequote all
Just a cautionary note about the rear transom conversion as its been done to the car you have bought. According to the guy who did mine there is a fair bit of cutting and messing around needed to fit the new transom and if the people who did the conversion were not as careful as they should have been there may be difficulties getting the old lights fixed in position as I understand the cutting takes place in the area where the older lights are fixed.

hundleydavid

Original Poster:

215 posts

242 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
Thanks guys.

All the work was carried out at Lotus, so fingers crossed they did a good job and didnt cut the back apart in the process!