Found first S1

[LOTUSMAN33]

Last night I had a call from a guy after some Lotus parts for his S2 Esprit, we had a chat and it turns out he is in Plymouth and had his car for over 16 years and covered only a few thousand miles.

I agreed on his parts and thought that was that when the phone rang again and he asked my full name, then said I was the previous owner of the car, He gave me the registration and colour which mean't nothing as the car was yellow and had an Irish plate fitted, after a little digging I asked what colour the clocks were and they were green, I clicked right away and asked if it was white before and yes.

To cut a long story short I bought this car towards the end of my apprenticeship after a long term childhood love of the Esprit and always said when I could afford it I would have one. The car was dressed like a Turbo with split rims but was a 78 S1 to start with, I wrote to all the previous owners who sent me photos and letters of the original car which left the factory in blue. I eventually sold the car to buy my first S3 Turbo in black/gold and have never seen it since. I sold it to a guy from a Ford garage.

The current owner bought the car stolen recovered from that guy and has had it since where it broke a cambelt and had the screen smashed. He since painted it yellow and fitted a S2 front spoiler but not used the car due to various problems.

If I had'nt bought my current S1 I would of had this one and put it back to S1 standard, I loved that car as I owned it when just 19, all my friends were driving hot hatches and there was me in my old Lotus which was scruffy but mine and I loved her to bits. Not sure but I think Rob would sell it although the work scope is large as the Turbo rear end has been grafted on, although it has the ears they are just dummies with no holes cut through.

Lost a little sleep over this one last night and not sure what to do next . Strange the car is only a few miles down the road and I have never seen it, just shows you don't know what is in peoples garages!

I will try and find some of the original pics and scan them in.

Here it was during my ownership, shame people did these things to early Esprits, you see so many now and they are not easy to put right. Still looked good though

[GavinT]

A very cool car to have at 19. I was one of those hot hatch boys. Had an Escort RS Turbo, called it a mini cosy. As you say, I bit of a mountain to climb to get it back to original but some people love the challenge.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Thanks Gavin

Ford RS is my other passion, I have owned a couple of Turbo's over the years, great fun car especially the S1. Had an Escort Cossie for a while but it was a money pit with electrical problems. I love the new Focus RS though.

Couln't have been many RS Turbos in the States I would'nt have thought?

My Lotus only cost me £3000 back then so bargain really.

Cheers

Dave

[GavinT]

Raised in the South Bucks Dave, came Stateside about 10 years ago. My RS was graphite gray on a F reg. My mates were trying to get me to buy the Escort Cabriolet but I wanted the Turbo. Didn't want to be labeled as a hairdresser!. I sold it after 2 years I think and went to a Mk 1 Fiesta XR2. The XR2 was a turbo techniques special. Now that car was fun...and the one and only car I banged up. Rear ended someone at the end of a motorway off ramp in Watford. I was really tired and just didn't slow down in time.

memories...

I read somewhere Mk1 Escort RS Turbos are worth 10K+ (GBP) for none abused ones, if that's possible.

[cbclotus]

Great Stroy Dave. I live in Exeter. Do you remember a yellow s1 from Plymouth RPP908R. It was my first Esprit bought approx 1985. i am now Lotus less but still love any thing lotus. Cheers Mike

[LOTUSMAN33]

Hi Mike

Never saw that one as I am sure a S1 in that colour would stick in my mind although I was only 10 in 1985, bet you wish you kept it now?

Shame there is no easy way to track down previous cars as I am sure many of us would buy them back with all the memories they hold .

[cbclotus]

Hi Dave. You are making me feel old LOL. Met my wife when i owned the car.It was yellow with tartan trim. My problem was i always wanted the next model. Went on to own S2 S3 Turbo. i now own a TVR S2 35OI. They are all great cars. Cheers Mike. I think you are doing a brill job on your cars...............................

[LOTUSMAN33]

Hi Mike

You sound like me, I always regret letting them go in the end but seemed like a good idea at the time chasing newer models, should just be happy with what we have got and look after and improve......hindsight!

Cheers

Dave

[mayevora]

Hi Dave.

Where are you in the South West? If you ever fancied a trip to Plymouth for a view, be happy to come with you. Always happy to look at any Esprit.

[Advantage]

I know what you mean about the historic fad of modding original cars to look newer. This is a pic of a friend of mine's S1 (and my old SE ) from a while ago. He bought it like that with the spoilers, skirts and wheel etc but it was still an S1 underneath. We can only assume this happened shortly after the G Turbo was released to give the illusion it was a fresher model. Unfortunately it expired in a firery grave not too long after this pic was taken, so no chance of returning it back to standard and cashing in on current market values.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Great pic and very De-Ja-Vu, looks like that one never had the Duck tail grafted on though. Shame it burnt, I had a Mondial Ferrari recently which went the same way, thats what you get for changing to Italian I guess..........Never again!

Ian, I am in Plymouth bud.

[espritmania]

Hi had mine when i was 19,luckily managed to hang on to it,now 47.

I fitted a 2.2 hc engine and it goes like it looks.(still have the 2.0 engine)

Cheers Paul.(weston s Mare)

[LOTUSMAN33]

Hi Paul

Always loved your S1, must be some kind of record owning it that long, bet it has a few tales to tell after all those years.

[Moxie]

The car was dressed like a Turbo with split rims but was a 78 S1 to start with

Just curious...the previous owner put on the "turbo esprit" decal as well as the skirts, spoiler, etc.?

[LOTUSMAN33]

Yes the car was done up like a Turbo with the decals, the pic is just after me buying it. The previous owner must have gone to great expense as the interior was S3 Turbo in black and white too. He had cut off the rear body section and grafted on the Duck tail rear end, good job but it was blended in without the Turbo join line.

[Moxie]

Wow. Almost makes me wonder if it wouldn't have been cheaper to buy a Turbo. Plus it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to put that decal on, unless he'd completed or was contemplating a turbo conversion. In any case, if I were 19 driving that thing, I would have been the coolest kid on my block.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Well nearly 10 years on I finally got to see my old Lotus, it’s in a poor state and looks like it will need a body off rebuild including replacement chassis, the S3 turbo interior has seen better days and trimmed in yellow!
I am in conversations to bring it home and restore now I’m finally finishing the second Mk1 mini build off.

Its going to be an epic job to put it back to lagoon blue finding all the missing parts and cutting body sections off front and back. 
 

What do people consider it’s worth, engine is incorrect as has an Eclat unit which was all I could afford back then with the engine being missing so never going to be a matching number car.

Only done 3000 miles in all these years.

Dave  

[ramjet]

I don't understand why people would buy an Esprit and then let this happen?

If it was a tupperware run-around, then maybe, but even then I don't get it.

[markt]

Well done  I assume you bought it back?

Get a restoration thread going - Looking forward to seeing it brought back to life.

[LOTUSMAN33]

No not bought it although made a rather healthy offer on the car, I think the owner over values it though so unfortunately it may never see the road again. 
The clutch is seized, it’s full of water, both fuel tanks are stinking of fuel so already failed, the carbs are seized up, the cambelt looks like it will also fail if turned over so 
not looking good for the poor thing. Chassis corrosion was picked up as seriously weakened in 2008 when last MOT’d.

The yellow paint is flaking off in several areas showing the lagoon blue.

What is the view on value as is with the wrong engine?
 

Dave  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bazza 907]

Go on then I'll have a go.

Really hard to put a value on it but I would guess in the current market something like £5k to £7k. 

At that end of the market I doubt having the wrong engine would make much of a difference. 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Thanks Barry, as you say the engine not matching isn’t an issue so much these days but have the correct motor would help.

I bought the car from SJ’s all those years ago for £3500 but Steve removed the Esprit engine as was going to break this car ( At the time he described it as a piece of s@%t but I could have it if I really wanted), I ended up buying it with an old Eclat engine he had kicking around the workshop. He was quite funny at the time as said it’s hideous but to me it was an Esprit end of 😁

He tried to sell me a lovely White dry sump with comps at the time for £9995 which looked almost new throughout but my budget was no where near it and insurance would have been crazy. 
It was the Joy rider era and with no garage I had to have a £600 alarm with pager installed for Footman James to insure me. It worked as had two theft attempts both times the pager waking the house up. Looks like the system is still fitted or at least some of it.

Dave  

[Paul Coleman]

If it was my money then £5k tops but £4k would be better.

[pete]

even at that price you are a brave man, how much is he asking

[LOTUSMAN33]

I must be mad as offered £8k 🙄

Not sure what he wants but don’t think it will ever see the road again as full of water, it was even flooded around the RH fuel tank which I managed to release by unblocking the drain hole.

My thought was the same as Paul really knowing the restoration will be £20k plus with trimming and paint even if you could find the missing rare parts like rear screen, seats, door panels etc.

Body sections are available so quite comfortable with that task and the mechanics.

If he doesn’t decide soon this post will die for another decade 😂

The blistering is quite evident on the panels which alone is not an easy fix as we all know and pretty devastating only to return if not dealt with properly following an expensive paint job.

It was a nice car once and isn’t beyond saving just economically it’s a case of wanting to save it rather than make a penny or two. 
I’m sure there are still lots like this slowing rotting away out there.

Dave