Best UK Specialist for a serious service!

[EspritMiltonKeynes]

Sorry for asking yet another a 'how long is a piece of string' type question on here but...

I'm a first time owner and this will be the car's first service under my ownership. (58000 miles)

Obviosuly I want it done right, I don't mind travelling hundreds of miles to get it done right, I don't mind leaving it with the garage for weeks if need be. I just don't want to do all this and have some cowboy do nothing to it and charge me a four figure sum

The car has two main problems:

A Manifold crack and a broken chargecooler, (think it's the pump)

I'm also wanting to have the fuel tank hoses replaced (they're perishing), and seeing as its already heading for a big bill I'll probably throw in a full C-Service as well. I'm only 3000 miles off my next 'A' and the cambelt's getting a bit slack. I'm guessing the total bill's going to be about 2000GBP - am I miles off track?

In your opinion, and from your own veteran experience , to whom should I be giving the job to. From following threads and listening about I'm thinking along the lines of...

Paul Matty (Birmingham)

PNM (Liverpool)

Lotus Ribble Valley (Greater Manch)

They seem to offer the best blend of expertise and non-cowboyism whilst obviously having a good reputation for quality in the Lotus world.

But can anyone recommend someone else!

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Lyte & Wakefiled in Enfield (no first hand exprerience - Bibs may be able to comment further)

Sportomotive in Salisbury - 2nd Hand experience mid range price wise but efficient and know their stuff

Esprit Engineering nr Salisbury - First hand experience. VERY good value for money but be in no hurry as he's a one man band! You will save shed loads tho!

Sinclaires Romford - 2nd Hand experience... Very good, not cheap. Efficient

Maidstone Sports Cars - ditto Sinclaire

[Bibs]

Barry at Lyte and Wakefield is a legend, but is a small shop so depends on your timescales. I had a lot of work done there a couple of years ago and was really very pleased. 020 8367 4192 iirc

[alan]

Barry at Lyte and Wakefield is a legend, but is a small shop so depends on your timescales. I had a lot of work done there a couple of years ago and was really very pleased. 020 8367 4192 iirc

[jono]

I'd also recomend Maidstone sportscars, who look after mine. The guys in the Lotus shop know their stuff and are nice chaps - pretty reasonable as well. They've always got an Esprit of sorts in there as well as other serious Lotus stuff (their Exige is mental).

Edited August 16, 2005 by quiksilver

[Mark Blanchard]

I'll second Esprit Engineering, very good: http://www.espritengineering.co.uk/menus/main.asp.

Also, try Lakeside Engineering, near Chertsey, they really know their stuff: http://www.lakesideengineering.com/

[oneshot]

If you want a Lotus dealer then Nick Whales Sportscars in Bromsgrove are pretty good.

I bought my Esprit from there - full service before I picked up including cam belts and a new pair of rear tyres.

[fflyingdog]

I would thoroughly recommend Geoff at Esprit Engineering,he knows what he is doing and is in my experience a very fair bloke. Horses for courses i guess.

Nick S4s

[EspritMiltonKeynes]

Thanks guys! That's realy useful stuff. I'll be making a few phone-calls

[Paul C]

A Manifold crack and a broken chargecooler, (think it's the pump)... ...a full C-Service as well.

can anyone recommend someone else!

Steve Williams has done all the above on my car this year. Steve has looked after my Esprits for the last seven years, and he has this funny quirk that escapes other specialists this time of year: He picks up his phone!

[WayneB]

If I still lived in the U.K. I would use Paul Matty in Bromsgrove.

He has been around since the begining and his prices have always seemed reasonable.

If I had to use a main Lotus dealer I would use Nick Whale who is a gentleman and a genuine car enthusiast

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

...and a scholar... and an acrobat

Paul you also forgot to mention Steve Williams' legendary Customer Relations!

[Paul C]

Paul you also forgot to mention Steve Williams' legendary Customer Relations!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Patter is as patter does... who wants their Esprit up on the ramp with no-one working on it while the guy is on the phone: "yes sir, no sir, how's the family..." etc? Now Steve's 'make it quick i'm really busy' style, won't win any awards from the tea and sympathy mob... But it does mean you get your car back quick, with a high standard of work done. Worth more to me than some polite service desk robot, a coffee machine and some out of date autocar magazines...

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Errr I don't think it's about arse kissing but

"What's that piece of crap? YOU shouldnt have that car pal"

is just plain offensive / rude and unnecessary

[Splodge s4]

Hey Bibs your the first person i know that has had a bad word to say about Esprit engineering. Hes looked after mine, carried out a B & C service out over the years & the car always comes back feeling refreshed, quicker & smoother to drive. I trust his opinion totally, if he says something may need to be changed then i just say get it done & its always well priced.

I can highly recommend him, just sorry you have had a bad experience mate.

[WayneB]

You really get to see it all when you run a garage

You have the "I have to have it now, I have somewhere important to go crowd"

(going to mall to shop)

The ones who will take there cars anywhere for a cheap job.

The "I would do it myself , but am too busy/ dont like getting dirty/havent got the tools" crowd.

There are the ones who think your whole existance is to work on there car.

Its not as much fun as most of you think

[madmezza]

Just got my car back from Geoff at Esprit Engineering. C serivce, new rear brake pads, new clutch hose, new washer bottle, MOT (and something else that I can't remember) - smidge over

[Bibs]

You really get to see it all when you run a garage

You have the "I have to have it now, I have somewhere important to go crowd"

(going to mall to shop)

The ones who will take there cars anywhere for a cheap job.

The "I would do it myself , but am too busy/ dont like getting dirty/havent got the tools" crowd.

There are the ones who think your whole existance is to work on there car.

Its not as much fun as most of you think

I always thought you worked in a bank? At least fishy was calling you a banker anyway :)

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

No I wasn't!

I said he was a wa....

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

My keyboard has go e all fu y I ca t type... type.... grrr...

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Ahh there it is

[WayneB]

Errr I don't think it's about arse kissing but

"What's that piece of crap? YOU shouldnt have that car pal"

is just plain offensive / rude and unnecessary

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fishy, your becoming a bigger whiner than the Jona

I used to get no respect when my hair was down around my arse too

Edited August 18, 2005 by WayneB

[Guest teigan]

...., new washer bottle....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why didn't you just repair the old bottle. i melted plastic milk jugs into the cracks on mine.

[madmezza]

why didn't you just repair the old bottle.  i melted plastic milk jugs into the cracks on mine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah good point, but the thing leaked during the MOT. Geoff took it up to the MOT place having just filled everything up, and the guy doing the test said that there was blue fluid coming from underneath. Of course, immediate thought was that the radiator had gone, but it was only the bottle. He had a spare, so he put it in (I think it might be an MOT requirement to have working washers if fitted).

Problem was, it cost