Buying advice for Giugiaro Lotus Esprit Turbo?

[GreenGoddess]

Hi all,

 

I'm finally in the position to be able to buy my dream car (Giugiaro Lotus Esprit Turbo) and I would like some buying advice. If any of you could offer some advice I would really appreciate it, specifically:

1. I'm 6ft 3" tall. Will I actually fit in a Giugiaro Esprit Turbo?

2. How much should I aim to pay for a very nice low mileage example (with less than say 70k miles). I don't want a car that needs heaps of work.

3. What are the main things I need to check when buying one of these cars? (I am only interested in the Giugiaro Turbo Esprit.)

 

Thank you.

[pete]

16 minutes ago, GreenGoddess said:

Hi all,

 

I'm finally in the position to be able to buy my dream car (Giugiaro Lotus Esprit Turbo) and I would like some buying advice. If any of you could offer some advice I would really appreciate it, specifically:

1. I'm 6ft 3" tall. Will I actually fit in a Giugiaro Esprit Turbo?

2. How much should I aim to pay for a very nice low mileage example (with less than say 70k miles). I don't want a car that needs heaps of work.

3. What are the main things I need to check when buying one of these cars? (I am only interested in the Giugiaro Turbo Esprit.)

 

Thank you.

Don't know about the height thing though I am sure there are some on here who can answer that. Price wise you probably need to be looking at 25 to 30 thousand. Try to find one that has been used regularly, common expensive things to check are the manifold,wastegate and fuel tanks.

And the cam belt

[johnpwalsh]

Far better tom get a good regularly used car that has had all the maintenance completed. A garage queen with very low miles and low service history due to low mileage an be far worse than a good used one. Common issues being belts not changed, perished bushes and brake hose. Corroded coolant pipes and radiators for example.

Good luck, I hope you find your prefect match.

[MPx]

Your height will make it a tight fit at best, but proportions will dictate if its doable.  If you're all legs I suspect you'll have a problem getting far enough back from the pedals, but if just generally big then you may be OK.  I'm 6ft and fit with the seat one click forward from max back.  If I need to wear a crash helmet for track days then I'll be wedged hard up against the roof, but its fine with no headgear.  Your best bet is to get to sit in one asap to see if the bubble gets burst.  Where are you ?  We may know of a car local to you.

[jep]

I am just shy of 6'3 and never had an issue getting in and be very comfortable in any Esprit. They were designed so MJKimberley could fit in - from memory MJK is 6'3. 

I don't know how experienced you are in buying old cars. Do your research, get your eye in, read loads, chat to dealers (Paul Matty, UK Sports Cars, LotusBits). 

Many cars allegedly under 100k miles have been round the clock - some owners don't even realise. That don't mean the car is bad but check the history. A gap of 10 years could be 100,000 miles......

Unless you are very experienced, buy from a Lotus specialist. Or from a private seller who has cherished the car. 

If you buy a bad classic car, it will ruin the experience for you. And remember, these cars are min 34 years old - don't expect a free ride.

Justin 

 

[GreenGoddess]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to help me, I really appreciate it.

I'm in Cumbria UK, so if you know of any Giugiaro Esprit owners in my area that I could chat to it would be very helpful.

Is there a list of UK Lotus specialists anywhere? I'd like to see what they have for sale.

[jonwat]

1 hour ago, GreenGoddess said:

Is there a list of UK Lotus specialists anywhere? I'd like to see what they have for sale.

Checkout lotusespritworld 😃

[snowrx]

The seat mounts/spacers can be altered, and some fit thinner seats to get a bit more headroom.

Also it seems like 70K on a Lotus engine is not the same as in other makes, I bought mine with 60+K, and not only did it need a bearing refresh, it had been repaired before I got it.  A few others have mentioned the 4 cylinder engines needing a refresh at 60-70K. Of course if there's no service history, the motor may be fresher than mileage suggests! Quite likely on these 33-40 year old cars. Part of a very thorough PPI would be a leak down test. 

Early Turbo cars with Citroen transaxle had a input shaft that could migrate into the crankshaft if a circlip & washer wore out, beware of dragging clutch or noise with clutch in.

[jep]

I had a 5 month old Peugeot engine go pop. A 4 year old Fiat Twin-Air blow a head gasket......there is no rhythm or reason to engines, it is so dependent on factors out of the manufacturer's control. I have lost count of the number of engines I have seen with the wrong oil....

Justin 

 

[TAR]

Get an independent inspection by a Lotus specialist. A few hundred quid to save a potential fortune buying a money pit. 🙂

[esprit22]

A FULL service history is a must.

 

[pete]

Not many will have that

[Escape]

10 hours ago, esprit22 said:

A FULL service history is a must.

 

I'd put that differently: a well cared for car is a must (unless you are willing and able to work or pay to fix inevitable issues). I, like many on here, do all the work on my cars myself and never bother with the service history. I don't know if @Sparky puts a stamp in every time he works on a car, but we all know all those cars have received all the expert attention they need.
On the flip side, I know of 'classic car professionals' who never fail to add a stamp but don't bother putting the correct oil in...

@GreenGoddess good luck with you search! I suggest you go and find one to sit in and possibly drive (either at a dealer or from a friendly member). You'll know straight away if it's for you or not.

Filip

[Sparky]

No stamp from me!  I'm what the IT trade would call a 'User Expert' (in fact I'm sure we used to call them know-it-all meddlers).  I agree wholeheartedly with @Escape that the service history may not tell the whole story.  A good inspection from someone who knows the cars is the best option.  And NOT AA or RAC as they (generally) just don't know enough about the Esprit.

[eeyoreish]

I'm 6'1" and fit comfortably in a Stevens and a G car.

I think a glass roof might help you a tad with the headroom over the composite roof if you need a little extra, as will removing any spacers under the seat (my Stevens had 1/2" alloy spacers which I removed from the drivers side).

Sadly a roof stereo is probably a no no for someone at 6'3" unless you want to be headbutting it all the time...☹️

[andydclements]

I'm a bit over 6'3" and the first few months after putting my Turbo Esprit on the road I was driving it about in the winter (we had snow IIRC) with the glass roof open to get enough room. It's going to depend on other things not just your overall height. I have a long torso compared to the "average" person of my height, so legroom was less of an issue for me than it would have been for others. I swapped the seats out for Elise ones, and bolted them direct to the floor with no spacer at the rear but a small spacer at the front (it then means when you sit against the back of the seat you are angled more). I'm sure that somebody just a few mm less in body length would have been fine with the original seats. Oh, and weight will also have an effect, a bit more in-built padding now than I was then but it all just adds to how high your head is to the roof.

[JNW3]

6’2” here and fit perfectly in my car + no problem with the roof stereo😊

[Kevin Wheeler]

6'2" here. Just been on a very enjoyable shopping trip in my Esprit.

 

 

 

Oops - forgot to go to the shops!

[drdoom]

Factory seat mountings result in dubious knee-steering wheel clearance for me, inseam 34" +. Less a problem for those with shorter legs. My solution is to fabricate mounts which lower the aft end of the seat, set the front height in order to tilt the seat overall for under thigh support, and use a smaller diameter wheel for knee clearance. 

[GreenGoddess]

Sorry for being late to reply. Thank you all so much for the advice, that's really helpful. Hopefully later this year I'll be back on here as an Esprit owner.

[Tocus]

On 12/03/2021 at 20:09, GreenGoddess said:

Hi all,

 

I'm finally in the position to be able to buy my dream car (Giugiaro Lotus Esprit Turbo) and I would like some buying advice. If any of you could offer some advice I would really appreciate it, specifically:

1. I'm 6ft 3" tall. Will I actually fit in a Giugiaro Esprit Turbo?

2. How much should I aim to pay for a very nice low mileage example (with less than say 70k miles). I don't want a car that needs heaps of work.

3. What are the main things I need to check when buying one of these cars? (I am only interested in the Giugiaro Turbo Esprit.)

 

Thank you.

go for a 1985 onwards, they have sunroof from factory, and more room for your head,

i have a 41.000 miles model in stock (sunroof and 1985 model) for sale, and she drives beautifull, i drive it now with nice weather, the car is red with a light full leather interior,

and A/C , if you want more info just send me a private message, i have walk around video's and many pictures, great car for a good value

 

 

greetings Tocus

[MPx]

16 minutes ago, Tocus said:

go for a 1985 onwards, they have sunroof from factory, and more room for your head,

Errr, not all of them, my '86 doesn't have.

[Tocus]

33 minutes ago, MPx said:

Errr, not all of them, my '86 doesn't have.

you are right it was a option from 1985... thats what i need to say,