Found first S1

[pete]

not sure whose the madder of the two, you for offering it or him for refusing it😂

[Bibs]

I'd have offered him £2.5k and a promise that you won't publish his address to the lynch mob that's ready and waiting on TLF! 

[Choppa]

Given your history with the car I think you are one of the few people on TLF or anywhere else who would have offered him that sort of money for a car that to all the world is only a step away from the breakers yard. My offer would have been very similar to Paul's, and that's probably why I never win any bids on eBay.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Absolutely, I started at £6k which to me was realistic but it is a car I’ve fancied getting back for 10 years now and really want to return it to its former glory. My last offer of £8k was after a few beers thinking he would just bite my arm off 😂

In fairness it would be a slow time project now I’m finishing the mini as to get these parts really is a case of playing the waiting game, my view would be to tidy it up, change the clutch and service it with new tanks, carb rebuild, rebuild the brakes and just use it for a bit. Shame about the pastel yellow though 🙄

My main focus is buying another JPS at the moment, I will leave it a couple weeks and chase him again, a few more rough winters and there won’t be much left to buy 🥺

Dave  

 

 

 

[drdoom]

Let him stew for as long as you care to, Dave, he's going nowhere at his price. Just daft. He'll be swimming against the economic tide along with most of us, post C-19.

[Paul Coleman]

On 02/01/2011 at 21:25, LOTUSMAN33 said:

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.

The longest single owner I know of is Lyn Wechsler in the US who has owned his since 1977!!

[LOTUSMAN33]

Wow that has to be the longest owner for sure Paul , not sure how long Gordon’s had his Red 001 car? 👍🏻

Wise words Steve and think we will all be in for a shock when the financial recovery hits us, interesting times 🥺

Dave

 

[cbclotus]

Hi Dave .Hope you get it .Great story .cant be many s1 cars around for sale ....it least  it's close to you .Mike

[Guest]

Dave, so hope you are able to buy it back.  Best of luck.

[Stuart Monument]

The bloke is mad if he doesn’t take your offer. Hope your keeping well, fingers crossed you will get it back. 

[Barrykearley]

Has he accepted yet??? That’s a very strong offer - as that chassis will probably snap in half when you remove that body.

 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Thanks Stu, hope you are all well in sunny Norfolk 😎

Barry, that is my concern from the limited View I could get from below, it looked worse than the last one I did which ended up with a replacement secondhand chassis. I think these days after rebuilding a couple 60’s Mini’s I would fabricate and repair, Matt on here has had sections made up.

TBH I think the car will perish as I won’t be increasing my offer and he doesn’t seem that bothered in fairness. Shame but maybe not meant to be. I have quite a lot of options now so I’m ok with it, I have a feeling he will contact me in the future when least expected, it only took me nearly 10 years to get a viewing 😂

Dave  

[drdoom]

Dave, I'll offer an optimistic scenario you might entertain. It was February '97 when I first took a look at the S2 I would later come to own and though the car seemed quite presentable it was undriveable and as the owner was fishing for rather more than what it should have fetched I walked. By September, ringing home after a day on the road to California for one last road trip in my Elan, m'lady informed me that the chap had called to inquire whether interest remained. Picture the Cheshire cat's grin on my face in learning of this! Of course I'd remained interested, I've got the Lotus bug as bad as any of you mad hatters, but had the patience to wait out the situation until terms were agreeable. To be honest I did not steal the car, probably paid more than I should have but a good slice less than what was first sought. FWIW  

[espritmania]

HI ,just been reading this thread and I see that I was writing on this thread back in 2011  when I had my S1,Wow.Since then I sold it to a collector in the USA which help me fund a house build and buy a Stevens X180 Turbo.I have never been without an Esprit but for the last 8 years I have lost my mojo. Anyway I was in the process of selling my latest Esprit and packing it all in, but I've called the deal off  and I am about to order a two post ramp and take the body off and do a nut and bolt rebuild .On what I have investigated so far it looks quiet good .Last on the road in 92 and kept in a dry garage the rust seems to be minimal ,the fuel tanks have only surface rust and on stripping down the headlights there is no rust in the brackets or lights.the paintwork (now I've polished it )is fantastic. No corrosion on the chrome,interior is concourse   and everything is original ,every document is present and all the original tools ect. There were only three made in this colour and they were only used by Lotus CEO's at the time.This one has 23,000 original miles from new.It still has Goodyear NTC's fitted. Even the original shocks are good.

I've priced the bits up and I expect to spend £5000 on parts and my labor is free just love. 

Watch this space ,I'm back the mojo has returned. On a lighter side ,the last time I worked on an Esprit I had good eyes ,now at 58 I need glasses.I love getting old.

Thanks Paul Godfrey

[TAR]

Now that is a great looking car and I love the interior (well I would, its the same as mine) 🙂

[stephenwhyte]

Any thoughts to when you’re going to get going with your green Turbo @TAR? Would love to see that one restored👌

Edited May 12, 2020 by Bibs

[espritmania]

Thanks.

 

[TAR]

@stephenwhyte I'm having a battle with the planners for my new double garage. If all goes well, that will be built later this year. Then I should be able to make a proper start. 

Sorry for the thread hijack! 🙂

[Fridge]

On 8 May 2020 at 18:03, Paul Coleman said:

The longest single owner I know of is Lyn Wechsler in the US who has owned his since 1977!!

Paul Clapham has owned his S1 from nearly new.

 

 

[LOTUSMAN33]

After 10 years since finding my first Lotus........😍

Dave 😁🍻

[Fridge]

Great story Dave, and to see it come full circle again, even better.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Thanks David, it seems like a life time ago driving that car yet jumping in it brought back so many memories, it still has the Cat1 Alarm system, the pop off steering wheel I machined and fitted, the lumenition I installed and the gear selector shaft I made on a lathe! Absolutely love it to bits all over again and can’t wait to restore after the JPS.

The car has had a few registrations but was originally supplied by Bell and Colvill under WMX30S which I will try and put back on the car.

Other plates have been;

AMM777, VJM859S, KEV523N and BRX246T then it’s current Irish plate.

Its amazing all the paperwork is still in the same envelope I had it in 27 years ago along with all the old V5 copies, letters I wrote to old keepers, every MOT and piles of receipts, even my insurance paperwork was present! It’s like stepping back in time 😃

No firm idea what I’m going to do with it, I have loads of S1 parts but part of me says keep it as is (not colour) as it was converted back in the early 80’s and still has no cracking now or sinkage. At the end of the day it’s spent most of its life like this and that’s where my memories are. To convert would take so much away if that makes sense. 
 

First owner was John Cooper..... I wonder?

Dave  

[jerzybondov]

Only just saw this thread crop up. Ten years long and what a story!! Keep us updated - looks like a mega restoration project. 😀

[Fridge]

I know what you mean about owning a car so long, or in the past.

I've owned one of mine since Saturday June 17th 1988.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Biu_W6yn5Pk/?igshid=1ietzxjrfa4zs

The DVLA were very helpful in returning the original registration number on my Esprit S1. They would rather do that, as it is already assigned to the car. Yours may have a whole list by the sounds of it!

[LOTUSMAN33]

That sunbeam is lovely, much prefer the wire wheels. 😎

I need to get it roadworthy first then apply for the plate I think, I’ve promised the Irish plate back to its owner as he’s owned it forever and wants it.

I already have a front spoiler in case I decide to keep as is removing that S2 one the last owner fitted. I may use it on my JPS as in better condition.

The car was Lagoon blue from build, we will have to see which way I go but will keep buying original S1 bits as they turn up for the future.

Dave