1981 LOTUS ELITE 2.2 manual o/d 2 dr coupe sports rare classic

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£537.00 (6 Bids)

End Date: Saturday Jun-15-2013 11:31:18 BST

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[eliteman]

Called this one today. Guy is looking for £1700 to take off the auction.... Too much for me with a paint job on top.

[LotusElan17]

Viewed it this afternoon, very very tired example, "paint is flat" is a total understatement, every panel has paint flaking, total respray required which puts it well out of my budget, the elderly owner is being totally unrealistic about the value, peculiar when he only paid £1000 for it 5 years ago.

 

Also has a hideous blue velour interior, not to my taste so I won't be buying this one, good luck to the bidders, I hope they view it before bidding as it looks ok in the pictures, I can see it going for near the asking price but probably will be rejected and relisted as it is not as described, well at least he says it will benefit from a respray which I have to say is being economical with the truth, wasted journey from my point of view.

 

David

[eliteman]

Interesting, the guy told me he had a viewer from London Earlier today who offered him £1500 for both? I know what you mean about it being too much on the budget to fully paint a car. I would expect a good paint job to cost at least 3k and the rest of the car really has to be good or its just a waste of time.

[LotusElan17]

I did initially offer £1300 for both, then eventually upped to £1500, rejected and they wouldn't even give me a bottom line figure, at least you got a purchase price from him, other car is a total mess and has been sitting there for many years, I didn't really want it but thought an offer to take them both at the same time might have appealed. 

 

On the way home I was really relieved that he didn't accept my offer, the orange one is worthless and would cost me £150 transportation on top of the £350 he wants for it.  The S2 is still desirable to the right person, thankfully it won't be me, the owner's son (nice guy) offered to get a cheap respray for me at £700-£800 but I declined, would probably look okay for a few months, yes I was quoted £3K for a decent respray by my local body shop  .

 

David

Edited June 8, 2013 by LotusElan17

[eliteman]

Sounds like you done the right thing David. I have walked away relieved after a couple of declined Lotus bids. Is it an S2 you are after? I sold an S2 a few years ago to a guy who is selling it again, or was. Its pics are on the forum I think WNG 82X. Is the reg plate. Red car, S2 good history. I'm sure the guy said he would accept £4500 at the time. I can try and look out his e mail address for you, he lives in Surrey now. May well be over budget but its a good car.

[LotusElan17]

My passion is to get them back on the road after re-commissioning or partial restoration, a full restoration is still not commercially viable until prices increase, and they will one day (then again I have been saying that for the last 20 years).

 

I would buy the blue S2 at the right price, £1700 is not feasible considering the work required, not forgetting the interior which needs ripping out and re-trimmed in leather.

 

I am nearing the end of a partial restoration of a 1982 Eclat Riviera, the amount of work I have put into the car makes me think that I should keep it, that is until the next project gets listed on Ebay and I can't help myself, only a couple of years ago I had 6 project cars at one time, which I have now come to realise is 5 too many.

 

Thanks for offering to find out about your old car Liam but yes it is out of my budget, not really looking for complete cars.

 

David

[eliteman]

Ok David. Good luck

[Loose Cannon]

I am nearing the end of a partial restoration of a 1982 Eclat Riviera, the amount of work I have put into the car makes me think that I should keep it, that is until the next project gets listed on Ebay and I can't help myself, only a couple of years ago I had 6 project cars at one time, which I have now come to realise is 5 too many.

 

Wow, we are living parallel lives

 

Keep an eye on the auction, you may just get it for your wish price, and then the seller may be that much keener to include the spare car. TBH a few hundred quid either way shouldn't be a deal breaker when compared to the total cost of a restoration and the length of time involved

 

Personally I think the wool cloth interior is pretty cool if in good condition, but if it's not for you that will be more of a decider than the paint.

 

BTW Liam your old red car was spotted on Flickr looking a bit sad for itself http://www.flickr.com/photos/93036177@N04/8566462324/in/photolist-e3ZmNh-e3CWLy-e3Ahpf-e3AgYy-e3AhF1-e3AhbU-e3AhU9-e3uypa-e3uAMz-e3Ae7G-e3AfAW-e3Agqj-e3uxZ4-e3AeXh-e3Aga1-e3Aex3-e3fCCe-e3gD3h-e3gF1y-e3gDPu-e2XMnc-e2pkqd-e2izxZ-dZTQKB-dZZug3-dZRXEz-dZRWAg-dZGcoo-dZGciU-dZAuy2-dZAuCr-dZGc7L-dZGccy-dZGc2j-dZAu9R-dZAug6-dZAurt-dZAumD-dZAutB-dZsHQ5-dZ5PRN-dZ5PMo-dZ5PQm-dYDmHa-dY8pJp-dY484a-dWUxS2-dX1cQJ-dWUxRR-dWUxQz-dX1cLE

[eliteman]

Yes, my wife and I popped over to see the guy last year for a visit. I must admit the car did look a bit tired and was in serious need of a paint job of professional polish! It was advertised recently for silly money but for the life of me I can't remember where I saw it for sale, can you remember? Sure it was a mighty 6k!

[Dunc]

has he changed the chrome strip around the windows? I seem to remember they were previously body colour on the ex-Bushell car?

 

Still looks quite sharp tbf.

[eliteman]

Think I sold it for about £4150 at the time a couple of years back, I lost a few hundred pounds on it as it goes. Think my total spend was £4500. At that time the paint work was polished every weekend and she had a new cam belt and mot. I think if its looking slightly sad now then 3-4k would be about right. I'm sure I saw it recently for 6 big ones? Tidy profit....

[el-torro]

that's good to know because my elite s2 restoration is way over budget

[Tocus]

its a big price for a car thats need a respray, but it still be a S2.2 and oversea bidders are searching for S2.2 cars,

they also know that they are rare, and i think this car goes to over sea and here are people how wanne pay 1700 GBP.

i know for sure! but we will see,

 

i had a bid before on my restored elite S1 of 10.000 GBP.

(everything is done, incl. motor overhauling..) and its a rare LHD,

but the guy wants to do a deposit but then he heard that he gone lose his job,

so he never take the car (and he came from 1200 km away from me so he was really interested!)

[eliteman]

I might take a stab at it. It is an S2 after all. David, how bad was it? Did it run ok? Was the interior original or had it been poorly retrimed? Would it make it to London? Thanks.

[LotusElan17]

I might take a stab at it. It is an S2 after all. David, how bad was it? Did it run ok? Was the interior original or had it been poorly retrimed? Would it make it to London? Thanks.

 

The paintwork is the worst I have seen in over 30 years of Lotus ownership, the roof is a mosaic of paint and undercoat, my concern there is that moisture has got through the gelcoat and a respray will fail within a short period of time.

 

Every other panel has very poor paintwork so a complete respray is required, I was hoping for just a top half respray but it needs more than that. Front and rear bumpers are damaged and will require fibreglass work and a respray, the front bumper in particular is almost hanging off.

 

The interior is a mid blue velour, quite the worst I have seen in any Lotus, and I have seen some horrible ones, none of my 19 Lotuses had such an interior, as stated it is not to my taste but others may find it appealing, it is clean and original at least, the worst bit is the material around the passenger A pillar has split and will need recovering, I would think it difficult to get a decent match.

 

The centre dash panel has a stick on fascia, quite badly done and looks horrible, the digital clock didn't work.

 

The engine started with ease and with good oil pressure, however, was reluctant to tick over whilst cold, the choke just made it worse, the carbs were way out of balance and there seemed to be a slight misfire when revved, however, I did not take it up to operating temperature.  The owner admitted to changing the head gasket, so it could have previously overheated, I would be careful to run for a good half hour to ensure the head is not warped if I was going to purchase.

 

I didn't drive the car, preferring to agree a deal before going to the trouble of a test drive, so I can't comment on the road manners, however, the gearbox selected all gears without issue. The whole car just seemed tired to me and felt to have have covered a greater mileage than the 79,000 showing on the clock.

 

Hope that helps Liam, good luck.  I offered him £1300 and I have to say I was being generous, I personally think it is worth less and was slightly relieved that he didn't accept, particulary more so today as I have just bought a S2 Esprit for partial restoration, had I bought the Elite on Saturday I wouldn't have had the room for the Esprit, fate I guess.

 

David

[eliteman]

Ok David. Thanks for the input. It does probably sound too far gone for me too, but will see how the auction goes. Esprit sounds better for you as at least the model will fetch decent money when complete. Take care and talk soon. Liam

[LotusElan17]

Did you buy it Liam?

 

Auction ended as no longer available, hope they got a good deal.

 

David

[Loose Cannon]

Long list of shite maintenance, neglect and bodgery.....

 

Just think, if it was any other car than a Lotus it would be a barn find and worth fifty squillion pounds!

 

If anyone here has bought it, I have found the original supplier for the cloth interior and may eventually have some offcuts

[eliteman]

Hi there. No, I didn't buy it. Prob went outside the uk and done me and my bank account a favour! Funny enough I have arranged to look at a White 944s this weekend so maybe that's fate too. I feel I may be looking forever for a decent Lotus at decent money so decided to look at some other cars which will fit a small family. I had a 944 years ago and really enjoyed it. This ones White, oval dash, 5 owners full history with 105k on the clock. Maybe its time for Eliteman to become 944 man, maybe I've owned most of the decent ones ;-)

Edited June 11, 2013 by eliteman

[LotusElan17]

Lucky escape there Liam, for you and me both, maybe we will get the new owners opinion on here, he will need a lot of support (and councelling), just hope it is not broken for spares although I have to say that was in the back of my mind, definitely worth more in parts.

 

Good shout on the 944, here is mine purchased 3 months ago, 87 944S 16V with OZ racing wheels and side skirts.  As a Lotus man through and through I know it is sacrilege and a blasphemous thing to say but if it comes to a toss up which should stay between the Porker and the Riviera I am restoring then the 944 wins hands down, without any shadow of doubt, however, by redemption I would also add that if it was between the 944 and the Esprit then there also no contest, Esprit every time.

 

David

 

[el-torro]

if the cloth is a kind of grey check ism after some , I have got some of the black cloth spare

[Dunc]

Hi Liam & Dave

 

Recently, I have been using Alberto Balsam mega hold styling gel, but I have seen these products in Tesco that look similarly packaged and they are around half the price - are they any good?

 

 

best wishes

Dunc

 

 

(I'm guessing any quotes on Eclat bits from the Enfield area for me have just shot up!!!!)

 

Porsche 2+2's on a Lotus forum....dear lord!

Edited June 11, 2013 by Dunc

[LotusElan17]

Yes Duncan add at least 50%!!!!

 

I wouldn't class the 944 as a hairdressers car, far too macho, now the other cars I have been driving recently, a Cooper S and an Audi TT, definitely have an effeminate quality about them, in particular in the Cooper S I keep getting waved at by men with handbags and weird haircuts, I have heard Simon Cowell drives one, nuff said.

 

Porches on a Lotus forum is nothing new, check out S E L O C , I think it is compulsory to own a Porker to be on there.

 

Now an Elise S2 is a definite hairdressers car, I have only owned an S1 Exige and a S1 Elise Sport 160 so no worries there, yet my thoughts are turning to a S2 111S, must be those handbags swaying me.

 

David

Edited June 11, 2013 by LotusElan17

[el-torro]

yup I have a 1966 Porsche 912/911 powered but have always been a lotus man , handling on 1977 elites far more forgiving