Thinking about buying an Esprit

[80srule]

I've loved these cars for a long time(well not that long, I'm 24) and I've been thinking of buying one. Specifically a Turbo SE.

This wouldn't be my first English car so I'm not coming in all gumdrops and lollipops and expecting to daily drive a 20 year old English limited production handbuilt supercar; it would be a weekend driver that sees a lot of love. I also own a 2000 Jaguar XKR Convertible(among a ton of other cars and bikes) that would be the weekday summer driver car, and a 97 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro that works winter duty. This car would be replacing a 1987 Corvette Convertible I've owned for about 6 years; I absolutely love the Jag for daily driving and think I would love a raw sports car for the weekend, hence Esprit.

1. I live in West Michigan in the United States. What am I looking at for parts sources? I bought tons of parts for my Triumph GT6 MKIII when I had it through Victoria British; is there something like that?

2. Reasonably, I think I can get a decent car for around $20k, does this sound realistic or do I need to wait and save a little longer?

3. How hard is it to work on yourself? On some forums I just can't find that many DIY people. I do everything myself; EVERYTHING. I just hate paying someone and worrying they messed with the car or did shoddy work.

4. How much should I budget for yearly expenses when things are average and no catastrophic failures occur? I was thinking of saving out $3k a year; and keep in mind that's for parts only, no labor will be incurred.

Any comments, questions or any advice on this?

Edited September 6, 2011 by 80srule

[Guy W Johnson]

1. For parts start here http://www.lotusespritworld.com/parts.html

2. $20k is okay, I would go around $25k to $30k. But also keep in mind there are deals.

3. I 'm 6 foot 2 and pushing A kind 280+ pounds. So anything I work on is tuff.

4. $3k a year is pretty good I think.

[richardvg]

If you really love cars and dont mind doing the work yourself ,here is the right place to find parts ,information and help.

I cannot really speak for the pricing of the vehicle over there but it is a wonderful hobby and fun to potter around with.

There is something about the Esprit that alters your thought.Certainly very eye catchin when driving around and great to go away for a long weekend in(obviously if there are only two of you.)

I have corresponded with many people and had tremendous assistance without the ostentatious ,plastic approach.

Buy it ! You will love it

[80srule]

1. For parts start here http://www.lotusespr....com/parts.html

2. $20k is okay, I would go around $25k to $30k. But also keep in mind there are deals.

3. I 'm 6 foot 2 and pushing A kind 280+ pounds. So anything I work on is tuff.

4. $3k a year is pretty good I think.

Thanks for the link. I usually don't have too much trouble with space, I've got lanky arms and at 5'9" 140lbs I usually can fit where I need to for working on things.

I'll be looking for when that great car comes up at a fair price or even a good price; this isn't a rush in thing because I need a car, so it'll be a minter when I do pop for one. So I'll likely have more money for it when it comes.

If you really love cars and dont mind doing the work yourself ,here is the right place to find parts ,information and help.

I cannot really speak for the pricing of the vehicle over there but it is a wonderful hobby and fun to potter around with.

There is something about the Esprit that alters your thought.Certainly very eye catchin when driving around and great to go away for a long weekend in(obviously if there are only two of you.)

I have corresponded with many people and had tremendous assistance without the ostentatious ,plastic approach.

Buy it ! You will love it

They seem to be a good get things done type crowd here with no nonsense or pretension.

On a weekend trip, usually it's my best friend and she packs loads of stuff just for a 100 mile trip. I don't see this as a real issue as I'm much more likely to take the XKR on a trip as it's got a lot more room and is a great GT cruising car.

Thanks and keep the posts coming!

[esprit22]

So what Esprit do you fancy...S1, S2, S3, S4..Turbo or N/A..??

[Bibs]

SE. First post, second sentence. Everyone knows they're the best ones too

[GavinT]

East Coast:-

R D Enterprises http://www.rdent.com/

West Coast:-

JAE http://www.jaeparts.com/

I tend to order more from SJ Sport Cars in the UK as long as the postage is not too outrageous. Normally works out cheaper even with the added cost of the post.

Edited September 8, 2011 by GavinT

[Mr_John111]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Others haven't said it so I'll be the first. These cars are best if used regularly and I know that you expressed the desire for a 'minter' but I'd be wary of very low mileage cars that you are offered. Condition, a caring owner and a detailed service history should not put you off 'high' mileage examples.

As an illustration, whilst my wife's car is about to turn the clock at 100,000 miles, when we got it we replaced brakes, shocks, springs, clutch, rear polybushes and gave the engine a complete rebuild. So if you had two to choose from a 'mint' car with 30,000 miles or my wife's you could easily choose the wrong one and end up paying the big bills that we did (but we got the car for a price that took into account all the work we had to do).

In terms of working on the car I agree with you - unless its a very specialist thing e.g. the gearbox or engine machining, that requires specialist kit eg cylinder honing, I do all of the work myself. I wouldn't want her hurtling along at 150 mph in anything that wasn't screwed together properly. Most things on the car are straightforward to work on (if a little cramped and you will find yourself clambering into the boot (trunk?) to do most service operations). The factory manuals are worthwhile but get the ''parts list'' as the exploded diagrams will often give great more clues on how things fit together than the ''service manual''.

Just my 2 cents...

John

Edited September 8, 2011 by Mr_John111

[80srule]

I hear you on low mileage being an issue on older cars, so I want enough miles that it has been driven regularly, and not just on short trips. For mechanical jobs, I'll do gearboxes if there are parts available to me, and for machine work for engines there is a great shop in town I've used for over 10 major jobs(crank grind, resurface heads, engine bore jobs) that does a great job. I never though about standing the trunk to do stuff, would've been a smart idea when I've worked on Fieros and MR2s. I definitely will be picking up a factory service manual and parts list if and when I buy one.

This is one about 9 miles from me, and really the only lotus within quite a distance; so this is an opportunity to at least see if I really like the car or if my memories are playing tricks on me. I figure this is enough mileage that it's been driven regularly, and I'm viewing the gearbox rebuild as a very nice plus. I'll make sure they have the service history before I test drive it(if I test drive it) and will look at it to see regular timing belt changes, regular fluid changes, etc.

http://www.autotrade...&standard=false

I'm not going to jump on the first car I see, so I know I'll probably be walking away unless it really ticks all the boxes.

[s2mikey]

First thing is first - the '87 HCIP Esprits are the "best" ones. hehehehe

Anyways - I shopped for years and years and I saw a lot of suspect cars. I learned a lot along the way though. Many people have already said the right things. Here is my list:

• Garage queens and cars that sit a lot are worthles as drivers or will take a ton of money to make them into drivers. If your goal is to drive and enjoy the car, mileage is NOT on the top of the list of things to worry about unless its very escessive.
  
• Expect to pay top dollar for a top car - I did and it was the best decision Ive ever made. Ive been trouble free for 12K miles plus and the car is as reliable as a Honda Civic. I went almost $5K more than my initial budget and it was money well spent. There are not really any deals to be had - the best cars get the best money. You get what ya pay for and dont get what ya dont pay for.
  
• A thorough test drive is very important. These cars dont hide issues very well. If something is wrong the car tells you via noises or odd behavior. If it drives well and everything works, its probably a good car. Service records are nice to have but only the most recent ones really matter.
  
• The person selling the car is as important as the car itself. Is the owner an Esprit fanatic or jst some bloke that goes through a different sports car every 2 years? Has the car been owned for a while or just for a year or less? Do they know the car or are the clueless? Id avoid cars that have been owned by 8 people in 5 years.
  

[DanR]

That green car looks very good in the photos. It would have most of the GM mechanical improvements except for the door innards Brembos and seats of the later models. The dash colour isn't original.

Make sure the ABS is working properly and the check light turns on and off when the key's in the start position. Stomp on the brakes while testing it and familiarise yourself with the foibles of that system.

Check the rear bobbins and whether or not there's cracking around them or if they've ever been repaired. The body should feel tight on a bumpy road. You'll feel if there's any looseness between the body and chassis. Monitor the coolant flow and levels before and after the test. Better still is to check that and the overall health of the engine, gearbox and suspension etc if you think you'll buy it.

As you enjoy mechanics, these cars are relatively straightforward. A little unorthodox in some areas but you'll work it out. They also lend themselves to improvements without being obvious if that's your thing.

[Vulcan Grey]

as long as you do your research and know what you are getting into and happy with that deision... then you should be fine. I've never regretted it.

If you want to see some examples of DIY... take a look at my Picasa gallery link below in my signature.

[80srule]

That green car looks very good in the photos. It would have most of the GM mechanical improvements except for the door innards Brembos and seats of the later models. The dash colour isn't original.

Make sure the ABS is working properly and the check light turns on and off when the key's in the start position. Stomp on the brakes while testing it and familiarise yourself with the foibles of that system.

Check the rear bobbins and whether or not there's cracking around them or if they've ever been repaired. The body should feel tight on a bumpy road. You'll feel if there's any looseness between the body and chassis. Monitor the coolant flow and levels before and after the test. Better still is to check that and the overall health of the engine, gearbox and suspension etc if you think you'll buy it.

As you enjoy mechanics, these cars are relatively straightforward. A little unorthodox in some areas but you'll work it out. They also lend themselves to improvements without being obvious if that's your thing.

I know the dash isn't original but that doesn't bother me as I felt the stock wood look was entirely out of place with the rest of the car. Like when you see a wood dash kit applied to a Corvette; just looked tacked on. My XKR has wood all over the place, but in that car, it fits the character of the car and the look is cohesive across the interior, plus you kind of expect wood in a Jaguar.

That dealership said they haven't really been trying too hard to sell the car. The way I understood it, the dealership owner owned the car the last 6-7 years and it only had him and the original owner. He was pretty knowledgeable about the car and looked like he was just ready for a different car. I really need to get rid of my Corvette because I simply don't have space right now, it's for sale, and if it does, and this car is still there, I'll do my inspection, have a local import specialist take a look(2nd set of eyes with more experience with this model car is nice), and of course do what you mentioned.

The good news is that it isn't like my daily car got totalled and I need to find something, so it's no rush to find what I want.

Edited September 13, 2011 by 80srule

[Vulcan Grey]

best piece of advice that someone gave me ~12 years ago...

The 89SE has all of the good parts from all of the SE's, with none of the bad (ABS and Airbag wheel).