RE: Johnny Boy's Lotus Esprit V8-GT
Discussion
Ok, here goes!
Based on two years and 26000 miles.
Shot piston liners on 5 cylinders, car off road for 6 weeks - this was apparently down to a bad batch of engine parts, and happened with about 7K miles on the clock if I remember correctly. It didn't cause any major problems other than excessive coolant use.
Also, the gearbox developed an oil leak on to the clutch which had to be replaced.
Other than the above which I would consider to be major, the rest has been niggly annoying stuff such as.
Exessive play in wiper linkage causing it to bang on the rubber stop on the return - this actually was alright for me because the dealer smashed the stonechipped windscreen trying to get the old wiper out and had to replace it!
Aircon pipes split (twice) causing fluid loss.
Numerous exhaust system problems with collapsed back boxes, loose brackets, rattling heat shields etc. etc.
All in all, over my two years of ownership, I reckon I have been without it for about 10 weeks due to the above, which is not brilliant but not too bad either.
Still, as I said in the profile, the performance and pleasure gained outweighs any of the above.
As a last point, I don't believe any of the above could have been avoided with preventative maintenance, it's just one of those things I'm afraid.
Regards
John
Edited by johnny boy on Wednesday 2nd January 14:49
Based on two years and 26000 miles.
Shot piston liners on 5 cylinders, car off road for 6 weeks - this was apparently down to a bad batch of engine parts, and happened with about 7K miles on the clock if I remember correctly. It didn't cause any major problems other than excessive coolant use.
Also, the gearbox developed an oil leak on to the clutch which had to be replaced.
Other than the above which I would consider to be major, the rest has been niggly annoying stuff such as.
Exessive play in wiper linkage causing it to bang on the rubber stop on the return - this actually was alright for me because the dealer smashed the stonechipped windscreen trying to get the old wiper out and had to replace it!
Aircon pipes split (twice) causing fluid loss.
Numerous exhaust system problems with collapsed back boxes, loose brackets, rattling heat shields etc. etc.
All in all, over my two years of ownership, I reckon I have been without it for about 10 weeks due to the above, which is not brilliant but not too bad either.
Still, as I said in the profile, the performance and pleasure gained outweighs any of the above.
As a last point, I don't believe any of the above could have been avoided with preventative maintenance, it's just one of those things I'm afraid.
Regards
John
Edited by johnny boy on Wednesday 2nd January 14:49
Cheers mate, much appreciated. I totally agree with you about the fun factor outweighing ANY inpracticality/problems with the car - I use my Esprit every day and I always smile when I get into it and grin from ear to ear once I put my foot down. Have 2 straight through stainless steel pipes at the back (so the CATS do the silencing, does away with several kilos of unwanted backbox too) she goes and sounds great.
Was all the work covered under the Lotus warranty ?
Was all the work covered under the Lotus warranty ?
I think I am a fairly rare breed in that the car was sourced through my business on contract hire. The dealer thought this was a bit strange and said it hadn't been done before!
But I can't understand why not.
1. Fixed monthly payment
2. Road tax paid
3. *ALL* servicing paid for
4. All tyres paid for if normal wear and tear
5. All other stuff paid for e.g. new windscreen wipers, light bulbs etc. etc.
6. At the end of the hire period, you wash your hands of it without worrying about residuals etc. - they simply come and take it away.
So essentially you pay your monthly payment, petrol and insurance and that's it!
Incidentally, I use mine everyday as well except when there is more than 1/1000th inch of snow at which point it's a definite no-no! (like last Saturday)
But I can't understand why not.
1. Fixed monthly payment
2. Road tax paid
3. *ALL* servicing paid for
4. All tyres paid for if normal wear and tear
5. All other stuff paid for e.g. new windscreen wipers, light bulbs etc. etc.
6. At the end of the hire period, you wash your hands of it without worrying about residuals etc. - they simply come and take it away.
So essentially you pay your monthly payment, petrol and insurance and that's it!
Incidentally, I use mine everyday as well except when there is more than 1/1000th inch of snow at which point it's a definite no-no! (like last Saturday)
How about untreated roads - it was -6C last night and I had a very interesting drive to work this morning - 'spose those big tyres are some use after all.
Got my exhaust from Quicksilver Exhaust systems in Battersea - they supply Lotus directly too. Very good service and quality work (£250 for both pipes and fitting - although they will ship them to you also) Go to www.quicksilverexhausts.com and have a look. I do recommend them. I had a Lotus sports exhaust on the car before, but with the QS one, the note was deeper and not a lot louder. (Lotus one was already pretty loud)
It look good too - BTW, have you ever tried picking up the original backbox/pipes from an Esprit V8? VERY heavy !!
Got my exhaust from Quicksilver Exhaust systems in Battersea - they supply Lotus directly too. Very good service and quality work (£250 for both pipes and fitting - although they will ship them to you also) Go to www.quicksilverexhausts.com and have a look. I do recommend them. I had a Lotus sports exhaust on the car before, but with the QS one, the note was deeper and not a lot louder. (Lotus one was already pretty loud)
It look good too - BTW, have you ever tried picking up the original backbox/pipes from an Esprit V8? VERY heavy !!
Gassing Station | General Lotus Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff