Sport 350 Questions
Discussion
Hi guys...I'm on the verge of being a sport 350 owner (very excited) and just wanted a bit of advice.
Firstly can someone tell me the best place for an insurance... best I have so far is £887 from classicline with 5000 limited milage.... anyone know better?
Secondly, is there any way of reconditioning the carbon part of the rear wing...this one has faded... I guess this happens in the sun (?)
Finally, the leather on the drivers seat is a bit scuffed (guess this is common)... any way of sprucing this up?
cheers
Firstly can someone tell me the best place for an insurance... best I have so far is £887 from classicline with 5000 limited milage.... anyone know better?
Secondly, is there any way of reconditioning the carbon part of the rear wing...this one has faded... I guess this happens in the sun (?)
Finally, the leather on the drivers seat is a bit scuffed (guess this is common)... any way of sprucing this up?
cheers
I pay £627 for mine with Classic Line ( 5000 miles ). Have you joined the Lotus Esprit World Club ? £1 !! It saved me £70 with Classic Line. ( www.lotusespritworld.com )
You could try Adrian Flux ( www.adrianflux.co.uk ), they might be cheaper still.
I take it you have joined this site : www.lotus.ic24.net as it's for 350 owners.
As far as the wing goes, most have been painted to mathc the car. Water sits in the curve of it and seeps into the carbon fibre. They look better painted aswell !
Adrian
Sport 350
You could try Adrian Flux ( www.adrianflux.co.uk ), they might be cheaper still.
I take it you have joined this site : www.lotus.ic24.net as it's for 350 owners.
As far as the wing goes, most have been painted to mathc the car. Water sits in the curve of it and seeps into the carbon fibre. They look better painted aswell !
Adrian
Sport 350
cheers adrian... I'll definately join those.
Don't really want to paint it if possible...just wondered if there was some other way to looking 'fresh'?
saw the photo of yours on your profile.... looks fantastic...
another question...any idea what type of sump the 350 has... is it a dry/baffled sump? just wondering if oil surge is a problem on trackdays?
Don't really want to paint it if possible...just wondered if there was some other way to looking 'fresh'?
saw the photo of yours on your profile.... looks fantastic...
another question...any idea what type of sump the 350 has... is it a dry/baffled sump? just wondering if oil surge is a problem on trackdays?
Paint the rear spoiler?! Think how much extra weight that would add! Colin would not approve!
Are there any pics of any painted ones to have a look at?
Sorry, depite being a filthy TVR owner nowadays I'm an ex-esprit owner (twice over!) and also a friend of 'Tassa' although I'm not sure he's spelt it quite right, compared to what we usually call him.
However I'm almost as excited as him about his Sport 350. I thought it was superb in every way when I drove it recently. It made me realise I'll always be a massive Esprit fan.
Are there any pics of any painted ones to have a look at?
Sorry, depite being a filthy TVR owner nowadays I'm an ex-esprit owner (twice over!) and also a friend of 'Tassa' although I'm not sure he's spelt it quite right, compared to what we usually call him.
However I'm almost as excited as him about his Sport 350. I thought it was superb in every way when I drove it recently. It made me realise I'll always be a massive Esprit fan.
Tassa said:
Hi guys...I'm on the verge of being a sport 350 owner (very excited) and just wanted a bit of advice.
Secondly, is there any way of reconditioning the carbon part of the rear wing...this one has faded... I guess this happens in the sun (?)
cheers
The Spoiler is easy to get looking brand new!
You can wet sand down through the yellowed resin, do not sand into the fibers. Try and get it as smooth as possible. Start with a corser grit like 300-600 wet sand paper, and move to a 1000, and then finish with a 2000 grit. Then get some new expoy resin, preferably the clear kind, and you can wipe a new layer of resin on with a foam paint brush. Let is flow and smooth itself out, and then wet sand that flat and smooth. The epoxy that you add will cross-link and bond to the earlier sanded layer, and will look glass clear. Finnish with a polish, and then have it clear coated for protection.
You can see how I did this with my Carbon Fiber dash here.
www.lotuscolorado.com/vulcangrey/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Dash&page=5
My friend also did this with his Sport 350's wing, worked out great, looked better than new.
Travis
Vulcan Grey 89SE
www.lotuscolorado.com/vulcangrey/
Tassa said:
cheers adrian... I'll definately join those.
another question...any idea what type of sump the 350 has... is it a dry/baffled sump? just wondering if oil surge is a problem on trackdays?
The sump is a standard baffled sump, not a dry sump. If you are worried you can always get an oil accumulator.
Travis
Vulcan Grey 89SE
www.lotuscolorado.com/vulcangrey/
cheers travis that looks great.... wasn't so sure about painting it.
I figured the sump would be baffled...as it is designed for the track.
Don't know about you guys but not sure if TVR drivers should be in this forum????! Although I know that 'The Pits' is actually quite pained by the fact that I'm getting an esprit sport 350... him, being a past v8-gt owner.
Off to nurburgring as soon as possible.... any of you been?
I figured the sump would be baffled...as it is designed for the track.
Don't know about you guys but not sure if TVR drivers should be in this forum????! Although I know that 'The Pits' is actually quite pained by the fact that I'm getting an esprit sport 350... him, being a past v8-gt owner.
Off to nurburgring as soon as possible.... any of you been?
Which number Sport 350 are you looking at/buying?
There is a club for Sport 350 owners here ...
www.lotus.ic24.net/
There is a club for Sport 350 owners here ...
www.lotus.ic24.net/
I did have a quick look at it and didn't notice anything particularly worrying. The car was originally for sale at Lotus main dealer Nick Whale near Birmingham, but they had two in stock and it seems 009 was passed on in the trade to Alexander David Motor Co. The other car they had (045) has now sold too.
The only thing I noticed (apart from the odd scuff to alloys etc) was what seemed to be a "non-standard" screw through the lip below the rear light into the rear bumper. It was on the passenger side, pointing downwards, just below the light cluster but had been painted over.
I doubt it was anything serious, probably just a parking knock that perhaps broke a standard mounting clip or something - or maybe even they all do that sir!
Steve
The only thing I noticed (apart from the odd scuff to alloys etc) was what seemed to be a "non-standard" screw through the lip below the rear light into the rear bumper. It was on the passenger side, pointing downwards, just below the light cluster but had been painted over.
I doubt it was anything serious, probably just a parking knock that perhaps broke a standard mounting clip or something - or maybe even they all do that sir!
Steve
Just in case you hadn't noticed, you have a choice! There is another Sport 350 for sale at Castle Motors in Liskeard, Cornwall ... err, not very close to Ascot.
www.castle-motors.com/912/castlehome.htm
LOTUS ESPRIT V8 SPORT 350 TURBO Limited Edition 32 of 50 , 1999 V Reg , Metallic Silver. Black & Blue leather, full spec inc comprehensive service history, 22,000 miles only. Very quick, rare model £29,750
This car appeared for sale after I'd bought mine so I didn't take a look.
www.castle-motors.com/912/castlehome.htm
LOTUS ESPRIT V8 SPORT 350 TURBO Limited Edition 32 of 50 , 1999 V Reg , Metallic Silver. Black & Blue leather, full spec inc comprehensive service history, 22,000 miles only. Very quick, rare model £29,750
This car appeared for sale after I'd bought mine so I didn't take a look.
Regarding Tassa's rather coolly numbered 009 I didn't notice the rogue screw but I did notice the alloys. There were totally unmarked and I'm especially fastidious about such things, especially when they are the expensive magnesium variety. I thought it was a very good indication of how well the car has been looked after.
It drove like a dream, perhaps a little too well. It was suspiciously rapid compared to the V8-GT I owned but maybe that's my memory not serving me that well. It has the lotus sports exhaust fitted which looks identical to the standard fit item but sounds fantastically gurgley. Although the one on mine rusted through inside a year!
Incredible car, I'm very jealous.
It drove like a dream, perhaps a little too well. It was suspiciously rapid compared to the V8-GT I owned but maybe that's my memory not serving me that well. It has the lotus sports exhaust fitted which looks identical to the standard fit item but sounds fantastically gurgley. Although the one on mine rusted through inside a year!
Incredible car, I'm very jealous.
Ok, I'm wondering if it was all a dream now! I did only look at 009 for 10 mins within a day or two of arrival; it was a cold dreary day and they were shutting up!
It had just had two new rear tyres fitted (S02's in the correct 295/35 size) - maybe I was fooled by the soap residue or black rubber marks from the tyre fitting.
If that screw isn't where I said it was I promise to stop taking the durgs right now!
BTW, the sport 350 should feel faster than a V8-GT because it has "Hi-Torque" ECU software that allows more boost in the lower gears, it also has a hand laid body shell to reduce weight.
When do you pick it up?
Cheers,
Steve
It had just had two new rear tyres fitted (S02's in the correct 295/35 size) - maybe I was fooled by the soap residue or black rubber marks from the tyre fitting.
If that screw isn't where I said it was I promise to stop taking the durgs right now!
BTW, the sport 350 should feel faster than a V8-GT because it has "Hi-Torque" ECU software that allows more boost in the lower gears, it also has a hand laid body shell to reduce weight.
When do you pick it up?
Cheers,
Steve
Going back to the yellowing of the carbon fibre wing, Ken Baird had his coated with clear lacquer and was impressed with the results. He had the same yellowing effect (they all do that sir!).
www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/ERoadtests/Evo_Dec04.html
www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EOwners/KenBaird_S350.html
I chatted to him via email about the various Esprit V8's because he owns / has owned a V8-GT, a Sport 350 and a 2003 model ... If you ask, he'll tell you you've made the right choice and fill you in on how he got his wing looking better than new!
Steve
www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/ERoadtests/Evo_Dec04.html
www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EOwners/KenBaird_S350.html
I chatted to him via email about the various Esprit V8's because he owns / has owned a V8-GT, a Sport 350 and a 2003 model ... If you ask, he'll tell you you've made the right choice and fill you in on how he got his wing looking better than new!
Steve
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