Got my first Esprit!!! What should I expect?
Discussion
Hello fellow Esprit enthusiasts,
Well, after many years of apreciating these cars, I've finally decided to jump in and purchase one. I prefered an early 90's SE but my budget wouldn't allow it. Nontheless, I purchased an '89 Esprit Turbo for what I feel was a fair price. It's currently being shipped to me from across the U.S. So what am I in for? I've done a lot of research and the one thing that remains constant is that these cars are not cheap to maintain. I mean, $27 for one spark plug and $1500 for a flywheel? Good Lord! But I want the car too bad to worry about that now.
So I've always been a car enthusiast, having more cars under my belt than I can count. Short of rebuilding an engine or tranny, I've pretty much done it all. I have big plans for this Esprit but don't know if my pockets will be able to accomodate my ambition. I love the way the car looks, and acknowledge the reputation for perfomance that these cars hold. However, I don't really drive fast anymore and seem to place more importance on looks than performance. I plan on repainting my car, doing some upholstery work, and some nice wheels.
As far as the heart of the car, I can't help but wonder if another drive train might work? I'd love to have a fuel efficient, reliable, daily driver Esprit! In the Nov. '05 issue of Car and Driver, there was an Elise that had a Honda engine swap done. I know true Lotus enthusiast would turn in utter disgust at this idea, but one would have to admit, Honda's parts are everywhere, Lotus parts are rare.
So I guess my underlying question is, if needed, how much would a rebuilt engine or tranny cost for an Esprit? And, has anyone ever heard of an engine swap being done on these cars? Are the Renault tranny's adaptable to any other engine? Or are there any other engine/tanny combinations that will work with the esprits?
Also, I heard of aftermarket suspension being available for the Esprits but can't seem to find a company that offers it. I believe Eibach offers springs for the Esprits but can't find it on their website. I'd like to lower the car slightly for improved handling and a better stance. Any suggestions?
Eugene C.
Well, after many years of apreciating these cars, I've finally decided to jump in and purchase one. I prefered an early 90's SE but my budget wouldn't allow it. Nontheless, I purchased an '89 Esprit Turbo for what I feel was a fair price. It's currently being shipped to me from across the U.S. So what am I in for? I've done a lot of research and the one thing that remains constant is that these cars are not cheap to maintain. I mean, $27 for one spark plug and $1500 for a flywheel? Good Lord! But I want the car too bad to worry about that now.
So I've always been a car enthusiast, having more cars under my belt than I can count. Short of rebuilding an engine or tranny, I've pretty much done it all. I have big plans for this Esprit but don't know if my pockets will be able to accomodate my ambition. I love the way the car looks, and acknowledge the reputation for perfomance that these cars hold. However, I don't really drive fast anymore and seem to place more importance on looks than performance. I plan on repainting my car, doing some upholstery work, and some nice wheels.
As far as the heart of the car, I can't help but wonder if another drive train might work? I'd love to have a fuel efficient, reliable, daily driver Esprit! In the Nov. '05 issue of Car and Driver, there was an Elise that had a Honda engine swap done. I know true Lotus enthusiast would turn in utter disgust at this idea, but one would have to admit, Honda's parts are everywhere, Lotus parts are rare.
So I guess my underlying question is, if needed, how much would a rebuilt engine or tranny cost for an Esprit? And, has anyone ever heard of an engine swap being done on these cars? Are the Renault tranny's adaptable to any other engine? Or are there any other engine/tanny combinations that will work with the esprits?
Also, I heard of aftermarket suspension being available for the Esprits but can't seem to find a company that offers it. I believe Eibach offers springs for the Esprits but can't find it on their website. I'd like to lower the car slightly for improved handling and a better stance. Any suggestions?
Eugene C.
$27 for plugs??? Just get them from NAPA or a bike shop for less.
2K/yr is if the car you bought has been neglected.
A rebuilt engine for you car is a bit extreme but they can run about 4K to refresh your engine or there are crate engines still about for about 7-8K from what I am told. At one time they were about 5K but they are all sold out.
Just don't wreck the car as the 1st year of ownership is when most total the car. After the 1st year the incidents of wrecking the car, blowing up the engine or tranny so way down as one gets used to the car.
>> Edited by cnh1990 on Monday 27th March 00:02
2K/yr is if the car you bought has been neglected.
A rebuilt engine for you car is a bit extreme but they can run about 4K to refresh your engine or there are crate engines still about for about 7-8K from what I am told. At one time they were about 5K but they are all sold out.
Just don't wreck the car as the 1st year of ownership is when most total the car. After the 1st year the incidents of wrecking the car, blowing up the engine or tranny so way down as one gets used to the car.
>> Edited by cnh1990 on Monday 27th March 00:02
Well, the Elise comes with a Toyota engine, which ought to be reliable and strong and whose parts are as common as rocks, so I wonder why the swap to a Honda?
Anyway, contratulations on your new Esprit. I wouldn't worry about the need to replace the engine, transmission, or suspension components unless you were racing the car on a regular basis. Mine is five years earlier than yours and, though I don't drive it daily (weekly is more like it), it's been perfectly reliable and strong for the 15 years I've owned it.
-Dave
>> Edited by mr50bmg on Monday 27th March 04:57
Anyway, contratulations on your new Esprit. I wouldn't worry about the need to replace the engine, transmission, or suspension components unless you were racing the car on a regular basis. Mine is five years earlier than yours and, though I don't drive it daily (weekly is more like it), it's been perfectly reliable and strong for the 15 years I've owned it.
-Dave
>> Edited by mr50bmg on Monday 27th March 04:57
$27 for plugs is def. a rip off. BTW, all those fancy multi ground, split electrode...etc..etc... are a waste of money. Go with the standard old spark plug. I have have used Autolite, NGK, and Champion with no problems and they run less than $3 a plug. A
As for "running cost"... it seems to be relative to the driver and the ability to do any of your own work. I have never come even close to 2 grand a year... but I do a lot of my own work. Parts cost are not tooooo bad. Consider what the average Ferrari owner pays for parts for a comparable car. In fact, my Mazda is in the ball park with my Esprit on parts cost.
Go ahead and get a parts manual and a tech manual for your car. Also, if you cannot do your own work, find a shop that you trust (this does not mean a Lotus dealership - there are some that have done really bad work out there). Always remember that at the end of the day, Lotus Esprit or not, a car is a car to a point. In other words, some shops will see you drive up in an Esprit and figure you have a load of money. You might, but that does not mean you should spend more for your brake job than the Toyota guy. Especially since the parts are the same! Last, look at the Lotus Esprit Fact file if you have not already. It has some really good cross reference list etc...
Welcome to THE drive! You are now in one of the only cars in the world that can pull next to a Ferrari and take its "on looker affections".
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
As for "running cost"... it seems to be relative to the driver and the ability to do any of your own work. I have never come even close to 2 grand a year... but I do a lot of my own work. Parts cost are not tooooo bad. Consider what the average Ferrari owner pays for parts for a comparable car. In fact, my Mazda is in the ball park with my Esprit on parts cost.
Go ahead and get a parts manual and a tech manual for your car. Also, if you cannot do your own work, find a shop that you trust (this does not mean a Lotus dealership - there are some that have done really bad work out there). Always remember that at the end of the day, Lotus Esprit or not, a car is a car to a point. In other words, some shops will see you drive up in an Esprit and figure you have a load of money. You might, but that does not mean you should spend more for your brake job than the Toyota guy. Especially since the parts are the same! Last, look at the Lotus Esprit Fact file if you have not already. It has some really good cross reference list etc...
Welcome to THE drive! You are now in one of the only cars in the world that can pull next to a Ferrari and take its "on looker affections".
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
mr50bmg said:
Well, the Elise comes with a Toyota engine, which ought to be reliable and strong and whose parts are as common as rocks, so I wonder why the swap to a Honda?
It was probably an S1 Elise, not the current federalized car. There were several S1s that were
converted before the S2 Elise was available.
If you are paying $27 for spark plugs, you are paying too much. There is a strong vintage Esprit
parts supply network, and the normal consumables are no differen in price than most other cars.
There are some parts that are either specific to an Esprit or have fallen out of production. Those
can get expensive (like flywheels, crownwheels and pinions for the Citroen gearbox come to mind).
Swapping drivetrains is not a good idea in my opinion. It requires a lot of engineering, and
once you are done, you have a one-off vehicle. The folks on the list will not be able to
help you if you run into any problems, and there would be very little documentation for anyone
else to go on.
Mike
I read you want to improve your leather upholstery! I did that and used products from Leatherique (www.leatherique.com). It took me about 5 hours per chair to clean, remove the old dye and redye, but it was worth the effort. Let me know if you are going to undertake this job because there are some things to watch out for.
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