Esprit S1 Chassis Numbers, Build Dates, Colors, and Engine Numbers

[Tony K]

Now we all have this list as a reference. I had saved it but lost the computer to a virus/spyware/malware. Well, now it is recovered!

I believe a few of us have found a total of no more than a handful of mistakes in this entire list, either by comparing to original factory documentation or to the actual data plate on a car; but overall it seems to be highly accurate and with very few errors. How I wish it were searchable as a database, rather than just an image . . . If we all did half a page, the data entry would be quick and painless . . .

Enjoy . . .

Edit: Could a moderator help me clean this up and post in order? I am having difficulty.

More to come! . . .

Edited October 21, 2010 by Tony K

[Bibs]

Tony - Email me the spreadsheet and I'll add it to the wiki.

Steven, is your name really Bibbster?

[bobfogle]

Hi Tony:

I don't know if this has been done - but I have entered your lists into a database.

If that would be helpful to you, let me know what form you would like it in - PC, Mac, etc. - and I'll send it on.

Regards,

Bob

[Tony K]

Hi Bob & Tony,

You both know I have already created an online database using the above details.

I'm not trying to make a secret of the details nor profiteer from them.

The sites free

My intention is to have a central database for all S1 current & past owners to use and enjoy

instead of us all having our own details and not sharing details.

Bob i have you owning chassis no 116H

Tony i have you with 134H, 155H, 437H & 454H. (That's an impressive collection)

If you have any further details on S1's i'd rely like to know about them

Cheers for now.

Steve.

Hi Steve,

I actually now own 155H, 306H, 437H, and 454H.

I used to own 134H (briefly mine, now belongs to Jeff I. in Orlando), 217H (now Matt "Moxie" of New York, being restored in Ohio), and 260H (now Adriano S. in Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Cheers,

Tony

P.S. -- Steve and Bob -- I have sent both of you the .pdf of the full S1 list, correct? If not, let me know.

[bobfogle]

Hi Steve:

I was just responding to Tony's wish for a database that is searchable.

In database form, as you know, you can look for all sorts of possible relationships and produce subsets of info, etc.

Just trying to be helpful.

Regards,

Bob

[robertcosta]

I've just bought 276G...not on list?

[Lex Templar]

I've just bought 276G...not on list?

Robert, you just bought an S1!!???

Edited August 12, 2013 by Lex Templar

[philleech]

welcome Im 0278G

Phil

[Paul Coleman]

I've just bought 276G...not on list?

0276G CC7770813982 5 White 30/08/1977

[robertcosta]

Robert, you just bought an S1!!???

 

Yep, sad isn't it :-)

[Lex Templar]

Yep, sad isn't it :-)

Not sad at all, you beat me to it. A white S1 will one day join myTurbo. I take it that it is in the UK at the moment?

Tell us more! ps my car is at SSC so you will see it tonight.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Lex Templar

[robertcosta]

0276G CC7770813982 5 White 30/08/1977

Thanks Paul....its currently red...I prefer white!

Not sad at all, you beat me to it. A white S1 will one day join myTurbo. I take it that it is in the UK at the moment?

Tell us more! ps my car is at SSC so you will see it tonight.

 

Gold Coast :-) 

[Lex Templar]

What a great buy. And even better it used to be white. 

[Tocus]

can somebody tell me when they start with the FIRST S2 VIN number?

 

because i think i have the 2th build S2

my VIN is:

 

78060202J

 

it would be great to get a answer from you guys!

[Paul Coleman]

Hmm... I have a list of chassis numbers and 202 would be a series 1 not a series 2?

 

0202J    CC7780615086     5     Silver      26/07/1978

 

But the build date is very late. The last S1 was 0539.

 

Paul.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Paul Coleman

[v8vantage]

can somebody tell me when they start with the FIRST S2 VIN number?

 

because i think i have the 2th build S2

my VIN is:

 

78060202J

 

it would be great to get a answer from you guys!

G'day Tocus,

 

you can find the S2 list here: http://www.jpsesprit.com/ just click on "Esprit S2 build list".  You have what is referred to as a "Rest of World" Esprit, as designated by the "J" suffix in your chassis number. UK Domestic cars had a "G" suffix and USA Esprits a "S" or "T" for California. 202J looks to be the third "J" chassis built and originally sold through Novarobel in Brussels July 26 1978. Also see the hand written factory ledger: http://p76202.ipscdn.com/uploads/gallery_14808_325_230755.jpg

 

Roo

[Wedgetable]

Hi All,

 

 Very new here, but hopefully my 5+ year search for an S1 or S2 is coming to a close soon...

 

  I'm currently looking into getting my first Lotus from the US, and am having trouble sorting out the VIN number for customs and Lotus to verify recalls on. 

 

The current owners' papers have it as AC7771014271516H but I cannot find it on this list, and some of those numbers seem out of range.  He also sent me a picture of a plate on the car as shown, which I'm not sure is helpful.

 

Any tips or guidance you can suggest would be great.

 

  ~Al

 

[ramjet]

Welcome to TLF Al.

 

Best of luck with the car and getting it sorted out. Quite a few owners in the US, so you won't be alone.

 

Duck over to the Introductions thread and say hi in there as well.

[bobfogle]

Hi Al -

Welcome to S1 ownership. This is the place to get the information you need on the S1.

You are right - there are too many numbers in the Vin he sent you and they don't start with AC for S1 cars, but the picture of the plate shows the car was built in Nov, 1977 and the etched numbers below it refers to the order of the car build - #516, H = a federal (US) car.

For comparison purposes, my Vin No. is 77010116H. Date of manufacture is '77, January 01, car no 116 in the production line, all those numbers started with 100, so mine is the 17th made, H is for Federal (US) version.

The Vin No should be on a plate in the bottom of the windshield on the drivers side. Ask for a picture of that. Once you have the correct Vin No., send it in an email to Andy Graham at Lotus (agraham@lotuscars.com) and he'll send you a letter and a Certificate of Provenance which includes the engine No and transmission No plus the color for that car as built. Worth doing before you buy.

If we can help further, just ask. I'm in Connecticut, where are you?

Cheers,

Bob

[Wedgetable]

Thanks Bob!

 

  I got the owner to send me a picture of the vin plate and the door plate, and yeah, it looks like the vin on the paperwork is a mash between the stamped VIN: 77110516H  and the engine number: AC7771014271

 

  So if this car is 516H, it's beyond the range of the vins in the pictures above, right? (btw, i've cleaned up those pictures and separated them into the apparently original 7 pages so I could scan them with OCR software to produce .xls files if anyone wants those images. The ocr scan needs work that I don't have time for today.)  I've emailed Andy Graham with the info.

 

  I'm in Vancouver, BC, Bob.

 

  Last year, I looked at a white S2 with VIN 78020720H that was kind a of a basket case and mix of S2 and Turbo parts at a broker. I don't know what's become of that one.

 

  ~Al

Edited October 9, 2013 by Wedgetable

[Tony K]

As a side note, that list from SCW picked an arbitrary cutoff point to go from S1 to S2, and the late Federal S1s not seen on the SCW S1 list are on the SCW S2 list.   

 

Al, is this the car you are buying?

 

[Wedgetable]

Yes, Tony. That's the one I'm looking into. 

 

I've got a bunch of additional pictures of it, and it'll need some work -- new timing belt, windshield, tires, who knows what.

 

I'm driving down there to look at it tomorrow.  Nobody seems to know much about its history though.

[Wedgetable]

SCW S2 list?  Not sure where that is... any link?

 

 

 

As a side note, that list from SCW picked an arbitrary cutoff point to go from S1 to S2, and the late Federal S1s not seen on the SCW S1 list are on the SCW S2 list.   

 

 

[Tony K]

Al, Check your message box. 

SCW S2 list?  Not sure where that is... any link?

 

Use the "Wayback Machine" (Internet Archive) to view the snapshot taken of sportscarworld.com in 2008:

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20080509075908/http://www.sportscarworld.com/      

[Tony K]

 

 

As a side note, the SCW list is not the "Esprit Bible" -- there is such a thing, and Andy Graham at Lotus has it.  The SCW list is presumably taken from Lotus' records, but it has been known to have the occasional inconsistency.

 

 

[Tocus]

 

says enough, my car is the 4th from the S2's and the 3th LHD J car....