Hmm, keep or sell 1990SE?

[Mysterae]

Hi guys, not been very active on the forums, nor has my '90SE Esprit.

So much so that I'm considering selling it. It's not in the best condition; despite my best endevours to turn the engine over once a month after I originally SORN'd it, I lapsed so on and so on. The car has been sat in my garage for 4 years (I know, sorry!) although I did move it 2 years ago, no problem.

There are a number of issues with it, nothing that can't be fixed with a big splash of cash. I'm in a quandary - do I "invest" the money with a mind to keep it or do I just sell it as is? This is a quandary because fixing it up to sell would be silly, it would make as much sense to give someone a grand to take it away! Also once I fixed it up I know I would keep it! On the flip side if I sold it as is I would get some cash and someone would get a great project with plenty of history, I've owned the car for over 10 years.

I'm not sure how much it is worth in it's current state nor how much it would take to get going again. If I did decide to get it going again with a mind to keeping it, I would go full out on it with a budget of £10k and change things like the dated interior, engine overhaul (or refurbed unit) and brakes upgrade etc.

Not sure, but I do miss drving it (but the other half says can't miss it that much as I've only moved it once in 4 years!). Anyone with any comments or suggestions?

[tcole6]

Well there must be a reason the car sat. I would say investigate what it was that had you leave a lotus sitting for 4 years, and realize that, like an ex girlfriend, it might seem like a good idea, but whatever made you dump her last time, will eventually have you dumping her again.

As much as I would love to have an esprit in my garage, I'd say sell her, and find something to put in your garage that you would never dream of letting sit for 4 days, yet alone years.

Just my 2 cents. And either way, best of luck!

[ramjet]

Hi Alan. Welcome back (though I never knew you before. )

Whether or not you should sell is not really a question that we can answer for you.

Basically, are you going to start driving the car again? If not, sell it as there will be someone that would take it off your hands for you. It is a pity to leave an esprit wasting away in a garage.

There is a free classifieds section on the forums here that you can post an ad up in as well.

[J400GED]

Hi Alan,

Where abouts do you live?

Ged

[SteveSmith]

Hi Alan

Welcome back !!

Bizarrely I was only thinking about you and your car (being a twin to mine) the other day and wondering whether you still had it !!

I remember you saying some years ago that you were considering selling the Esprit and getting a Nissan 350Z to replace it...

Regarding your car dilemma, I'm not best qualified to give advice as my car has spent much of the last 9 years of my ownership in the garage but I still love it and would be very reluctant to sell it despite the best efforts of my wife

Depending on what it needed doing when you garaged it 4 years ago, as long as your garage isn't damp and you've managed to keep the brakes freed up, there probably isn't too much that will have deteriorated - I speak from experience on this.

If you're still passionate about the car, I'd say keep it and spend money on getting it right. If it would be a half-hearted venture, I'd say sell it as is to someone who could take on what is probably a fairly minor project to get it back on the road again.

Cheers

Steve

[cbclotus]

Hi Alan .Any suggestions.Sell it to me.I would be interested if you could pass on your thoughts.Best of luck what ever you decide.....Mike

[V8 FOU]

I would guess that getting someone to look at it for you to assess its condition etc so you can decide where to go with it. There are plenty of people on here qualified to give a (slightly biased) opinion on it.

Tell us where you are located... and plenty will pop out of the woodwork, or should I say, the fibreglass work.....

[Mysterae]

Thanks for the replies guys, always welcome!

@ tcole6 (Tom) It's interesting that you almost compare it to a love affair. Indeed it was, but it didn't go sour, I just didn't have the time. I started travelling a lot with work, the kind of miles you wouldn't want to put on an Esprit and the weekends were spent with another love, of the human kind! There was still work to be done to the Esprit, but it lapsed. With the Esprit in the garage out of sight, it was easy to forget about it. I remember I did have a minor fault code - I think I posted on here about it, need to go hunting for that.

@ ramjet (Michael) Thanks for the welcome back! Well, I would start driving it again if I was to put the money in to get going, for sure. As everyone knows the Esprit is a great car and finding something similar will be difficult. It is a shame to have it sat hidden away, these should be on the road for all to see. The only Esprit I have seen this year was sat in the visitor carpark at work, still don't know who that was! A distinctive number plate if I remember, like E9 PRT or something (blue v8 I'm sure).

@ J400GED Ged, I'm in Swindon, Wiltshire.

@ Steve, yeah i still have your twin! I was concidering a 350Z a long time ago and even test drove one. Put the fear of god into the salesman on the test drive (I turned up in a beaten up Frontera, must have thought yeah right!). It was nice, but wasn't for me. In the end I kept the Esprit and kept it running for a while, flogged the Frontera and bought a BMW 320cd.

You've had your Esprit for almost as long as me, and probably quite similar stories. The other half isn't bothered by the Esprit (never been in it for a drive, which is a shame) but does say she would like to see it moving sometime! I know she thinks otherwise; it would be great to have the garage freed up for storage for her and a workshop for my other part time hobby.

I was a little disheartened to discover the brake discs are covered in surface rust from standing still. How deep they are pitted I don't know but I know at least one front brake caliper is siezed when we tried to push it out of the garage one day! Not going anywhere! So I did the routine of long time no start and when it was time she fired up first time and with a lurch I got it out of the garage.

Still passionate about it? The idea was for myself and the other half to move house with my 1 and only condition of a double garage for the Esprit, so I could do a running refurb. The housing market went stupid, banks became greedy and you know the rest. So the house buying was put on hold and invested in what we had. But things change I guess, hence the current thoughts.

@ cbclotus (Mike) Nice suggestion! I would welcome anyone to come and check the car over, I'll be honest as to what I've done and what I know is required. I would like to know what it's worth, but I wouldn't want to waste anybody's time travelling. How much I would get for it does have some bearing on what I would do, obviously. Too little and I'd keep it for when I have more time, a good price and I would sell it, but what's a good price. Time to be realistic I suppose. Do I sound reluctant?! I'm in no rush I'll admit.

@ V8 Fou (Paul) I do think I need it assessed to get an idea of value. I could post on here what I know / think needs doing. Nothing to hide and any serious Esprit buyer would find the issues anyway. Then there's the list of nice to haves like the interior, it doesn't really need doing but I always wanted to modernise it.

[cbclotus]

Thanks for the reply.And good luck with it.Dont suppose you would be interested in a 350i s2 tvr .i am in Exeter so not that far .Cheers Mike

[cbclotus]

Hi Alan i would love to see some pictures of your car if poss .Thanks Mike

[Mysterae]

Hi Mike, sorry for not replying sooner, I was away for the weekend.

I'm not really looking for another car, unless it can replace both of what I have so classics are not an option, nice car though!

I can certainly post some pictures, what would you like? I've got numerous pics of the car; on the road, in the garage, some of the jobs I've done etc. Here's a few from the archive.

Work completed on the lights, body polished and ready for a run (pre-new wheels):

Fitted with the S4 wheels..

I seriously need to stop looking at these images! Makes me want to go out and tinker and drive it!

[hopo]

Its a great car.. keep it

[cbclotus]

Looking good .Have you had any thoughts on its value....Thanks for the pictures......Mike

[Mysterae]

Not really thought of a value yet. It's obviously worth more to me considering the amount I've put in to it etc. But that has no bearing on what I'd realistically get for it. What's the going price for a good 1990SE, then I can work back from there! I'll have a dig around I think.

[cbclotus]

No worries Alan.It might be pie in the sky.But will have a chat with my wifey.Great looing car.........Thanks again Mike

[MalcolmS]

Hi Alan,

Your car looks great. Hope you keep it as I live in Wootton Bassett and you are the closest Esprit owner I am aware of....

All the best,

Malcolm

[Mysterae]

Thanks for your comments guys. I now have a plan...

I'm going to attempt to sell it as it is, take away price of 7k. If I get no takers near that amount then i'm going to get the necessary done to get it back on the road, which is:

- C service

- SJ SS sports exhaust welded. The exhaust is in fine condition, it's the bracket near the out pipe that has broken therefore the exhaust dips.

- New pads fitted. I actually have some EBC pads sat in the garage, just never got round to fitting them!

- The brake discs skimmed to remove the surface rust from sitting so long in the garage.

- Adjustable top links fitted so the S4 wheels can be set up better. Again, these are sat in the garage...

- Electric chargecooler pump fitted. You guessed it, I have one of these too, but from my computer when I used to watercool it (I'm a geek, what can I say).

- Gear linkage refurbed.

- MOT it and tax it for 6 months.

With the above done I'll increase my price accordingly.

There is a problem with my plan however! I have this sneeky suspicion that once all this is done and I drive it back, I'll want to keep it! Selling it is part of a bigger plan to get another car equally as fast and as special though. Getting back in the Esprit may delay that plan or scupper it completely.

Anyway, next week I'll start the ball rolling and advertise it at the usual suspects.

[cbclotus]

Good luck Alan.Looks a great car .Mike

[hedgerley]

I can certainly post some pictures, what would you like? I've got numerous pics of the car; on the road, in the garage, some of the jobs I've done etc. Here's a few from the archive.

Wow, those pictures bring back memories. The first Esprit I ever drove was an H reg Pacific Blue SE, back when it was brand new. It was actually a prize in a competition run by the Daily Telegraph in conjunction with Autocar. It was a simple crossword with clues published over several weeks which then revealed a hidden word, which turned out to be 'Colin Chapman'.

Being the Esprit fanatic I got my entry in early and eagerly awaited the call to say I had won the car. Of course I didn't win it - but my best mate up the road did . I could of course have decided never to speak to him again but I didn't and the day after he picked the car up he came round to my house and off we went. But not until we had removed the spacers from underneath the drivers seat to liberate a bit more room - he is well over 6ft tall.

We went to the Motor Show in Birmingham that year (directed to the 'Supercars' only car park!) and he let me drive it part of the way back. I was in seventh heaven and that drive reinforced my belief that I would, one day, own an Esprit. It took a few more years of course but I did eventually get the car of my dreams.

We visited him a couple of years ago and he still has a photo album full of pictures, the various press releases and clippings from the Daily telegraph and other papers as well as the letter from Lotus congratulating him. He sold it on after about 18 months and I always wondered what became of it.

Edited July 27, 2012 by hedgerley

[Mysterae]

Glad to see the pictures stirs some memories Mark! It does that for me too, and the more I see them the more I wonder if it's the right thing to do.

Next weekend I'm bringing it out of it's long hibernation, a good clean and then arrange for the niggle list to be sorted. Think I'll have some fun in it before it goes . Don't think anyone would want to buy it as it is, too much unknown I guess. I have been told I should have lowered my "take it away" price, not that I have advertised it yet.

It's all part of my plan for my next British supercar either later this year or next.

[cbclotus]

I am sure its worth that amount,Looks a great car with a genuine owner.Iam just nearing completeing a front extention.If i had the money i would of loved to purchase a fantastic SE turbo .I am Fifty one now. Hope fully i will own a Esprit again.If and when i can sell my TVR.Can i say that word here lol....Watching with interest Cheers Alan .Mike

[Mysterae]

Cheers Mike, I can understand the money bit. An extension probably evapourates the cash just like an Esprit. I've been sorting out the paperwork for the car, putting it into some sort of order. It's amazing the things I've fixed over the ten years or so I've had it, doing many of the jobs myself. Let's see,

- changed the exhaust manifold and had it ceramic coated by Camcoat. It looked pretty sweet (chrome) when new but the temperatures of the manifold cooked it right off. I did that job myself with the engine insitu - never again!

- off-side fuel tank and sender replaced. I actually enjoyed that job despite stinking like a refinery draining the fuel that was still in the old ones.

- the S4 wheels fitted, really lifts and modernises the car.

- SJ adjustable shocks fitted

- SJ stainless steel sports exhaust (which now needs the bracket welded).

- cat bypass pipe fitted.

- ram air mod.

- mulitple chargecooler pump impellers (so needs an electric one fitted).

- red hose replaced with the stainless braided type.

- drivers door A frame replaced.

- Clifford alarm fitted.

- new headlights fitted x4

- new clutch, flyweel, fork & bearing, slave & master cycliners all replaced.

So many other things over the tenure I don't want to think about the time nor the money I've put in, but I soon forget all that when I'm in it, and it's 22 years old after all!

The neighbours once commented that they seen me more under it than in it! That's simply because when it was going it wasn't sat on the drive for long !

[cbclotus]

Good on you for doing all the work yourself.Itend to spend a lot of time when i have some under the tvr.Painting chassis etc.Nice car but no EspritMy wife allways comments if i spent as much time on her body as i do on the car she would be a happy woman LOL As i said i would love your car.If you do sell the car some body will own a well cared for car .Cheers Alan .Mike just going to carry on with some stud work .....lol..

[pwd95]

Watching with interest here. Just sold my TVR @ I think an Esprit Turbo or SE will be my next purchase.

[cbclotus]

Hi Wyn .i think the SE.Owned by Alan above is a great buy.Good luck Mike