Need engine info

[lab man]

Hello all, this is my first time on this site and it definitly gets a thumbs up. Now for my question. I "inherited" an 89 non se esprit that came complete with a blown engine. What are my options and cost to get this vehicle back on the road. New engine,used engine, rebuild or replace with a non lotus engine. I'm sure many of you cringe at the thought of replacing with a non lotus engine, but I'm trying to cover all my based before deciding. The closest Lotus mechanic is approximatley 200 miles away. I checked with Lotus by Claudius on an engine swap, but they don't sell a kit and it would not be feasable to ship it across country for the work. Is anyone aware of someone in the southeast who can replace the motor with a non lotus engine? What are my approximate cost to rebuild the current engine? Thanks for you help.

[rob.e]

You'll find no-one here who's negative about a replacement engine just because its "non-lotus". However, you may find that the cost of a swap is actually more than fixing the lotus engine you already have.

Difficult for anyone on here to estimate your rebuild costs without knowing some more information..

[lotus84te]

Don, first of all, welcome! Take the car to the "Lotus mechanic"... PLEASE! A 200 mile toe is well worth the investment! I had my '84 TE rebuilt about 10 months ago and I have now been to three shops to try to get it running correctly (backfires when switched off and RPMs do not reduce between gear shifts). I've spent way too much money on the car but I'm still in love with it and am determined to get this worked out. I may have to have the thing shipped from Virginia to New York or Atlanta to get it sorted out (that's lots of miles from here)! If you really feel better about a swap, you may consider the 907 engine that was fitted to the Jensens. You'll certainly give up some performance but these engines are still a Lotus twin cam design and are readily available. Unfortunately, I'm afraid to add up the bills associated with my rebuild but even if I did, I am sure you could get it done for half of what I have invested. Keep us posted! Best, Russ

[judson]

This question always comes up among my brethren in the Jensen-Healey community. The verdict: Conversions always cost more, take much longer to complete, and rarely deliver on expectations.

Think about it another way: How 'exotic' and/or 'special' will your Esprit be with a Chevy 350 or a NorthStar V8 in it?

While pistons will never cost $20 like they do for American Iron, it's not really that expensive to rebuild any 907/910/912 if you know the secrets. I do engine 907 rebuilds for Jensen-Healeys, and even the 910 I transplanted into my car didn't cost but a few thousand dollars to build.

There are plenty of members willing to give you pointers if you decide to do it yourself....if not, would you be interested in parting with the car?

[NJGSX96]

judson said:

Think about it another way: How 'exotic' and/or 'special' will your Esprit be with a Chevy 350 or a NorthStar V8 in it?

About as exotic as it can be with GM injection, Corolla tail lights (that say Toyota on them!), GM steering wheel, Celica brakes, the list goes on! hehehehe

Back on topic, I think you might be better off with rebuilding. I would look into pricing to rebuild the motor you have and as long as it can be, that may be your best alternative. Otherwise, see about getting a crate motor, installing that, and calling it a day.

>> Edited by NJGSX96 on Friday 8th October 22:59