David in NZ

I concur. Good question, @AlexM. Things to watch for: original tyres will no longer be satisfactory, because of age, not tread wear. original radiator has plastic side tanks that can split at an inopportune moment (ask me how I know). They are a great choice. Did you find one? warmly, David

After a pleasant, and at times, exhilarating, drive along twisty country roads, in the company of an eclectic bunch of cars (Viper, Rover 3500, Mustang, Porsche 924, Evora, Elan, MGB...), we met up with many other cars on a suburban park in Auckland - for refreshments and mutual admiration of each others' cars. This young lady is showing great taste already.

Welcome, Bruce! It sounds like you're having fun. We happened upon Twilight Rd during an outing on Sunday. Such roads always bring a grin. You'll receive emails from Club Lotus NZ about upcoming events - we tend to favour those that include twisty roads! David

Hi Mark, No, I didn't try them. That looks promising - though I was amazed how quickly the radiator arrived from UK. There was a peace of mind aspect of knowing it would fit exactly, first time. Good suggestion, though. Thanks! UPDATE: I didn't need the stainless mounting bracket. The radiator is higher spec, keeps the engine cooler, and looks great when you peer through the front mesh! I'm pleased with it.

@marktIt looks like you did the whole of Ridge Rd - definitely fun. And I didn't realise that Mill Flat Rd connects to Robinson Rd. We'll have to check that part out. It was a great day to get out there. I took some back roads to Orewa and popped up to Hatfields Beach, just for the photo op:

Things I learned today: Lotus still fit (or did in 2012) a radiator with a plastic end tank to new Elises Plastic end tanks get brittle and break You can't buy a replacement in NZ An all alloy replacement from Elise Parts costs $588 + shipping Question: should I worry about reusing the original fan mounting kit (made of mild steel, and thus prone to rusting in salty air), and pay an extra $40 for 316 marine grade stainless steel brackets, nuts, bolts, etc?

It looks like I never posted this draft - oh well, just in time for Christmas... here is a preview of my favourite section - a 1.3km stretch of Ridge Road: It is not a fast road. In fact, because it is so narrow, you have to be quite sedate, in case you meet other traffic (this happened in my video). But there are many tight corners to enjoy. And the corresponding Google map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Q2ULujVDi3lSstuMntJlsQK5_9w&usp=sharing

Yes. An Elite S2 503. Well spotted.

Last month, I went on a tour of part of the South Island, NZ, with the Southern Lotus Register. Here's most of the contingent:

Indeed. It runs particularly well on 98. But such petrol is not universally available, especially in the South Island (as I found) - and some suppliers add ethanol to boost the octane rating. I'm inclined to avoid them. In Auckland, where I live, it is easy to consistently fill with 98 octane. But these cars weren't made to pootle around in cities - were they?

There are no detonation noises on 98 Octane. On 95, I hear them when accelerating (modestly) out of an uphill corner. I'm not sure if our 95 in NZ is up to the same standards as your UK fuel?

I have a Series 3 Elise 1.6 naturally aspirated. I notice that it doesn't like 95 octane petrol - it causes pinking under load. The manual says to use unleaded of at least 95 octane rating. Ethanol up to 10% is permitted (according to the manual). What petrol do you choose? Are there any you avoid? (Based on what information?) I have a trip to the South Island coming up this week, and thought I'd better investigate.

In mapping out a route for a car run next weekend, here is a preview of my favourite section - a 1.3km stretch of Ridge Road: It is not a fast road. In fact, because it is so narrow, you have to be quite sedate, in case you meet other traffic (this happened in my video). But there are many tight corners to enjoy. And the corresponding Google map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Q2ULujVDi3lSstuMntJlsQK5_9w&usp=sharing

Good idea to record these, Rich. This is one of the roads we traversed after the brunch with the Triumph TR register and Jaguar club on Sunday. It is just south of Warkworth. The video is of a short portion of the route, as it's not as much fun when following normal traffic: And the corresponding Google Map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TKVACtsayASIyDvdeUT1U3TBnhk&usp=sharing

It will be great to see you again, Darren. And Rich.