Giugiaro Esprit-Purchase
Discussion
I am about to inspect a '85 Esprit Turbo(U.S.version)with 35,000 miles on the odo.Is this a good year in terms of reliability, maintenace costs,etc. Are other Giugiaro model years preferrable to the '85?
What acknowledged problem areas should I be aware of (i.e.red hose disease,etc.)?
Finally,does little to no heat from the heating system indicate something more serious than a bad temp.cable,blower motor or heater core?
Thanks, F1-90(U.S.A.)
What acknowledged problem areas should I be aware of (i.e.red hose disease,etc.)?
Finally,does little to no heat from the heating system indicate something more serious than a bad temp.cable,blower motor or heater core?
Thanks, F1-90(U.S.A.)
The '85 is a decent purchase. Lotus redesigned the front susupension slightly from the previous years (which is a blessing not a curse.) As far as reliability I would say that you can't really do much better (I would say the '86 is probably the preferable model.)
As for the heater, chances are it's a vacuum line (mine has the same problem.) Either way, if heat is all you have to worry about you are in good shape.
As for the heater, chances are it's a vacuum line (mine has the same problem.) Either way, if heat is all you have to worry about you are in good shape.
Hi,
The '85 is possibly the pinnacle of the 'G' design. The FI in '86 was an emissions upgrade but didn't significantly alter the performance at all. The Nikisil coated liners and forged alloy pistons of the HCI motor ('86>
is a plus though. Also, look at the VIN, you may have one of the rare 60 mid-year models like I do.
Look for compression figues within 2PSI of each other and 145PSI minimum. If your data differs significantly, it is a tell-tale that the cast alloy pistons are starting to 'crown'. This will occur to any pre-'86, and usually between 35k-40k mi. If so, there is an excellent set of forged alloy JE pistons available from JAE or the usual sources. You want to catch this early, or a piston may melt (happened to me) with the potential for all sorts of collateral damage (didn't happen to me).
I've done the rebuild and it's pretty straightforward and the fixes are 'permanent'.
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85 MY TE
The '85 is possibly the pinnacle of the 'G' design. The FI in '86 was an emissions upgrade but didn't significantly alter the performance at all. The Nikisil coated liners and forged alloy pistons of the HCI motor ('86>
is a plus though. Also, look at the VIN, you may have one of the rare 60 mid-year models like I do. Look for compression figues within 2PSI of each other and 145PSI minimum. If your data differs significantly, it is a tell-tale that the cast alloy pistons are starting to 'crown'. This will occur to any pre-'86, and usually between 35k-40k mi. If so, there is an excellent set of forged alloy JE pistons available from JAE or the usual sources. You want to catch this early, or a piston may melt (happened to me) with the potential for all sorts of collateral damage (didn't happen to me).
I've done the rebuild and it's pretty straightforward and the fixes are 'permanent'.
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85 MY TE
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