The Sport 300

[mayevora]

S300 IMO is the ultimate Esprit. Only 64 made of which some are now deceased and others were made left hand drive cars - so really a rare site to behold in the UK as right hand drive vehicles. (2 within 10 miles of me so I'm a bit lucky on the viewing front)

Only Esprit I would not like to see modded in any way is the original S1. I would love a S300 and would take a lookalike anyday. So behind you all the way on this one Bibs.

Edited November 23, 2007 by mayesprit

[arbell9]

Hi Bibs,

I would go for it, its not like you are chopping the car to be something other than an esprit, which has been down the gym and made to look and go like a sport 300. Keeping a car in its purest form is worthwhile if the car has some unique value, otherwise do what your heart wants and kick the head into touch.

So Bibs, start your Project 300 thread in the projects sections. It makes sense B)

[cly_mitchell]

Are you sure you are comfortable with your car? A while back you wanted to change the wheels and now the body. You may not have the car you want. Search your feelings and know this to be true. You could be looking for a G-car. Come and experience the power of the dark side.

May the force be with you,

Clay

[wiseraven]

I'm not sure about the copying idea. I'm all for modding it though. The SE is from the middle of the Esprit's design life and there are (relatively speaking) plenty about, so it's not as if you'd be defiling the last of its kind. I just think that if you try to copy the S300, you'll never quite succeed and the closer you get the more it'll eat at your soul. You'd also look like a wannabe, and you don't wannabe a wannabe. Probably the closest to my view so far is Rob. Make it unique, with the best of everything.

I love the S300, it's probably the best of the factory Esprits, but lots of what makes it so good are precisely those things you'd find hard or even impossible to recreate. Also, it's by no means perfect, so there's no need to copy its worst bits. One thing I'm not convinced by is the wheelarch extensions. They just look like some cheap bolt-on kit to me and they spoil the otherwise clean lines of the car.

Body wise, here's some ideas I've been considering for my own SE which you're welcome to rob (the ideas not the SE).

Instead of bolt-on arch extensions, go one better and do something like the extreme esprit's wide-body mod which looks awesome (although I'd have also faired in the extensions)

For the front arches, do the same sort of thing, a bit like the recently posted Eagle mule, but more subtle.

I'd like to replace as many panels as possible with carbon fibre replacements. The tailgate alone weighs a ton and it's weight at the top too, so replacing it with a lighter CF version would lower the CoG.

I too am not convinced by the SE's glassback. It's also a heavy mass high up and really hampers visibility, especially under certain lighting conditions. I am thinking of going for a shorter, lightweight composite "visor" instead, just long enough to cover the engine vents.

The heavy glass sunroof, bonnet and engine cover are also prime candidates for CF replacements.

(I'd be keen to hear from anyone else who would be interested in CF replacements, it could lower costs considerably if there were a few people interested)

One final suggestion - we heard from Brian Angus at Oxford how the Esprit's design was driven by the marketing people and compromised by the various legislators around the world. Why not use your factory contacts to find out what the designers would have done given a free hand and more time/money. I'm sure that there are plenty here that would be more than interested in hearing what they had to say, and you'd be able to claim any mods you made contained true Lotus DNA.

[kyliesmith.com]

No dont do it everyones modding these cars and soon there will be none left. If you want the real thing, wait and buy one. You could always buy that hideous lime green one and get it repainted black. Wouldnt take much to bring it back to original. Rear wing, rear lights and a repaint black would still give you a cheapish S300 and would look stunning if you did. IMO if the seller did this they would have a better chance of selling it. Sadly some people like this should stay away from Esprits.

Before I bought the S350, that lime S300 was totally tempting.

[Advantage]

Buy this 'Ferrari' instead. Same idea, surely?

[Guest Troy Halliday]

I say do it!

We have a rear tailgate and I can get my hands on a spoiler (already have one on reserve from a fellow Esprit nut). There is not much there that can not be undone. And you can always keep the original components should SE's become so rare that is would be worthwhile putting back to standard. The Sport 300 is the dadies full stop. I would have no issues with buying a replica as long as it was all done well and there is not a lot to putting it alll back the way it came out of the factory. So many people have tweeked their cars changing rear lights for later cars removing adding spoilers ect. I think in the big scale of things it makes little difference. We are not at the Bugatti Royale stage as yet where there are only a couple of cars left in existance, although the $8,000,000 price tag would be nice.

[red vtec]

I've already started this conversion on My 1988 Turbo, Well I have the sport 300 Front rubber lip

[Loteuk]

just do it!

actually I was thinking about importing the Sport300 body kits from S J

but it is just too expensive ( I would spend spend the same amount on upgrading the brakes.)

and remember, you can never copy the chasis of Sport300.

too bad we cannot buy that extra rack on top of the engine.

I am sure it makes a huge different to the overall respond of the car.

That was some touch paper you lit Bibs.......?

Buy a 300!

Look at it this way, its all sorted from day one in terms of looks and the bits come free.

Will you lose money on a 300? Possibly not.

You saw what it does on the track.....would you want to miss that.......

Lets go shopping! Laura?

[Rob]

Yes!! Do it, looks mean!!!! Wheels will be your biggest problem though!!

Mark

Some wheels for sale here but not cheap (2k!) plus some other bits, like er.. engine at 4.5k.. ouch!

Like paul said, you start out on this and before you know it you've spent as much as a good S4s would have cost you..

[islandbloke]

I can see benefits in both arguments. I think the SE is a beautiful car - every angle and vent on her is perfect. So I have no intention of changing mine (PO did lots of oily-bit mods, but apart from later wheels and deleting the pinstripe she's still stock externally).

BUT if I had an accident that meant replacing significant sections, I'd be tempted to go for the Thompson S4 lower body parts.

The lime green S300 is lovely - but the interior is hideous. Sorry guys, but I was filming my 'Best of British' programme at Hethel when that was being rebuilt and wondered if the blue and green combination was an April Fool joke. Each to his own though...

[Paul C]

Like paul said, you start out on this and before you know it you've spent as much as a good S4s would have cost you..

Cheers Rob, How's the little one?

Thats the way i look at it. Esprits are unfortunately worth peanuts, if i sold my SE tomorrow

then i'd be made up to get 10k for it. I take my 10k and add 5k and i've got an S4s (and thats

for a lot MORE than i've actually seen some good S4s cars sell for).

But Bibs really wants the S300/SE look...

Two ways of doing this i suppose:

1, Take an SE, change suspension, wheels, tyres, clutch, box, arches, spoiler, engine, tailgate, front valance,

aircon/chargecooler assembly, and whatever else you feel the need to do.

2, do it retro...

Sell SE, Buy S4s. Fit SE bumpers and sills, fit wheels (tailgate and spoiler are there already), and much of the

engine and brake spec is so much better than the SE that you might just keep it as it is. I 'think' this just might

be the cheaper way? Not sure.

or...

3, Keep the SE, the car the S300 was based on, and be happy, it's easy to be happy when you own an esprit.

I think if i really wanted later wheels, a spoiler, and some newer seats, then the market what

it is, it would be easier to sell, and buy a later car than start mucking about with mine. There's

nothing you can do that will add more than 2k to a used SE, even if you spend 3k on wheels or

5k on engine work. As long as the bits you add (eg, S300 wheels and tyres) can unbolt and be

sold seperatley, then thats not too bad should you later decide on the real thing.

[Gasman GT3]

I say do it. People have been creating replica's of limited models for years. Healy 3000 rally reps, MG sebring, Lotus MK1 Cortina, Lotus 26R. As long as people know it's not an original 300 it's ok. As for reselling, as the 300's are so rare anybody wanting one would surely consider a rep if they cant get an original.

A black S300 is the only other Esprit I would consider swapping my GT3 for, pure sex on wheels.

As for the green one I rekon it's worth no more than 20k simply because it's not standard. Buy it, redo the interior in black alcantara, put the original back lights and spoiler on and it's an investment. Whoever at Lotus agreed to that green dash should be made to visit Colin Chapmans grave every day and apologise, and have their office chair replaced with a spike.

[Rob]

As for the green one I rekon it's worth no more than 20k simply because it's not standard.

.. don't also forget that the green car is well known to have had a major smash and been rebuilt. Ok, its a rebuild by the factory, but still - it has to affect resale value I think.

Buy it, redo the interior in black alcantara, put the original back lights and spoiler on and it's an investment.

I'd love to see someone do this. I think that car would look great with a black interior, original lights and spoiler (but i'd still want to fit mags!)

hi paul lewis is doing great thanks. Trying to get him to say "lotus" as his first word..