Nice looking Excel on Ebay

[ChrisJ]

Haven't seen this come up here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-LOTUS-Excel-SE-/381733827140?hash=item58e11bf244:g:IOAAAOSwgZ1XrZcF

That is a very nice colour, 219bhp, Only done 1500 miles over the past 10 years - although 1000 of these were in the past year or so,

 

[Barrykearley]

Looks loverly - I'm sure he's had that listed as an eclipse for a while 

[TAR]

It's got odd door mirrors. 

 

[ChrisJ]

Well spotted - How strange

[Orsom Weels]

It's been on the market since about August last year, & yes, for some reason they had it listed as an Eclipse?

I like the exterior colour, but personally, not so much the interior, & wasn't sure about the engine mods, I'd rather have tractable reliability than outright power, wasn't sure what it would behave like. It's a bit far away from me to go look at it just on spec

Another little anomaly, it's listed as a 1988 car, but date of first registration is stated as 29/04/87. I sent a couple of enquiry emails for more details, but got no reply, so tried doing a DVLA search on it, but the registration can not be found in combination with a Lotus, so might not have that plate any more?

Tim

[ChrisJ]

@Orsom Weels - it has an MOT history under that plate.

I'd take a 1/2 leather interior over full leather every time. I had a full leather Excel back in the 1990s, slippery, cold, sticky, hot - all of these at various times of the year, and a bugger to keep clean.

Now that Tim has pointed it out, the different mirrors (& doors?)  are something I'd want to know the story behind.

 

 

[Orsom Weels]

Well that's strange, I checked it back in about November last year, then again this morning before I commented in my post, & again just now & all I get is this,

 

GOV.UK

Vehicle enquiry

 

 

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Vehicle details could not be found

Vehicle details could not be found as it has not been possible to locate the vehicle details, your enquiry cannot proceed and has been cancelled. If you want to check the vehicle record held by DVLA...

Please contact vehicle enquiries:

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A bit of a mystery!

 

RE the interior, it's the colour more than the material, sorry, but I just don't like that combination . As I said, it's a personal thing. I've spent a good deal of my working life painting cars, & often got asked "what colour would you recommend" I would never answer, as what I may love, others may hate & visa versa.

[TAR]

MOT history check worked OK for me using D444 POB

 

[Dunc]

It sold at auction about 6-9 months ago.

i recall discussing it with a friend.

[andydclements]

12 hours ago, Orsom Weels said:

It's been on the market since about August last year, & yes, for some reason they had it listed as an Eclipse?

I like the exterior colour, but personally, not so much the interior, & wasn't sure about the engine mods, I'd rather have tractable reliability than outright power, wasn't sure what it would behave like. It's a bit far away from me to go look at it just on spec

Another little anomaly, it's listed as a 1988 car, but date of first registration is stated as 29/04/87. I sent a couple of enquiry emails for more details, but got no reply, so tried doing a DVLA search on it, but the registration can not be found in combination with a Lotus, so might not have that plate any more?

Tim

The engine mods sound very similar to those that Lotusbits use on their upgrades, may not be the same parts but sound of the same nature. Those Lotusbits mods make it very driveable especially at lower rev-range where the normal 2.2 tune is lacking,

 

Oh so tempted, and same colour as the TE, so I could use that one while I do the Celebration up.

[eeyoreish]

Why on earth would you put an odd door on it?? And then paint the mirror black in some strange hope of making it look 'right'?

Makes me worry what other 'fixes' there might be that are less visible...

[Barrykearley]

You sure they replaced the whole door ? It maybe they just couldn't find the correct mirror?

or maybe they used a garage ive used before 

[ChrisJ]

Neil - Exactly what I was thinking. I sent them an email yesterday asking about this - but no reply as yet

Barry - different styles. Passenger door, mirror in in the 1/4 light, drivers door in the door.

[TAR]

Yep, I think one of the doors has been replaced.  

[eeyoreish]

Weird. No pride in the car. Alarm bells.

[Orsom Weels]

13 hours ago, TAR said:

MOT history check worked OK for me using D444 POB

 

Well I'm off to sulk now Doesn't work for me. I figured it must be a cookie thing or something on my laptop, but I've just checked all my vehicles & they all show up fine. Grrrr 

10 hours ago, andydclements said:

The engine mods sound very similar to those that Lotusbits use on their upgrades, may not be the same parts but sound of the same nature. Those Lotusbits mods make it very driveable especially at lower rev-range where the normal 2.2 tune is lacking,

That's not so bad then, I prefer to have the power at the bottom end. Would there be any reliability &/or economy issues with such mods? I'm looking for a car to use more or less as a daily driver & need it to be reliable above all else.

[ChrisJ]

@Orsom Weels - try this link https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

The one you are trying is for the overall history - Tax & MOT dates only.

[Orsom Weels]

@ChrisJ Thanks for that, yes, I was using a more general vehicle enquiry. Found it's MOT history now

But it doesn't explain why details can't be found in the search I was using? https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/  If I enter a vehicles reg number & make, ignore the V5 doc ref box & hit search, I get info, like date of first reg, year of manufacture, engine size, type of fuel, colour, whether it's taxed or sorned, if it's MOT'd & for how long etc. Gives you a good bit of info on a car you're looking at as a potential purchase & can help tie up a description & pictures with what the DVLA hold on it. It can also serve as an indicator if a vendor is being honest or not. I've used it many times in the past, & the only other time I got a "Vehicle details could not be found", it turned out that the desirable registration number which was still shown in the pictures had been transferred, & the vehicle in question had been given an age related replacement, hence my supposition in my initial post.

It might help if the vendor would reply to enquiries

 

Cheers, Tim

[eeyoreish]

Maybe he's out looking for a wing mirror 

 

[andydclements]

10 hours ago, Orsom Weels said:

Well I'm off to sulk now Doesn't work for me. I figured it must be a cookie thing or something on my laptop, but I've just checked all my vehicles & they all show up fine. Grrrr 

That's not so bad then, I prefer to have the power at the bottom end. Would there be any reliability &/or economy issues with such mods? I'm looking for a car to use more or less as a daily driver & need it to be reliable above all else.

There's another option, I have a gold Excel with a few things that I really should finish (deal with lacquer peel that's appeared while I've been unable to drive it, and fit the front headlining rail) so if you were interested, I'd be interested in the blue one as a stop-gap until the Celebration is done.I'm sure we could find some sort of pricing that works.

[Orsom Weels]

14 hours ago, andydclements said:

There's another option, I have a gold Excel with a few things that I really should finish (deal with lacquer peel that's appeared while I've been unable to drive it, and fit the front headlining rail) so if you were interested, I'd be interested in the blue one as a stop-gap until the Celebration is done.I'm sure we could find some sort of pricing that works.

Certainly willing to hear more Perhaps we can have a chat Monday at the BIH if we both make it?

17 hours ago, eeyoreish said:

Maybe he's out looking for a wing mirror 

 

[andydclements]

I plan to be there unless the work meeting last thing goes really badly in which case I may be arrested for suspicion of murder.

[ChrisJ]

Although it is still on Ebay, this is no longer on dealer's website.

[andydclements]

On 18/02/2017 at 20:29, ChrisJ said:

Although it is still on Ebay, this is no longer on dealer's website.

 

[ChrisJ]

You haven't have you ?