Purchasing S4 with 7000 kilometres on the clock..

[evo 11]

2 hours ago, ramjet said:

Are you a member of your countries driving association? Generally they can inspect a car you are looking at for a reasonable price that may pick up something you may not. Other than that, I have an S4 which I drive and I would not call it anymore expensive than other cars I have owned.

Fragile? No way. If I drove other cars that I have owned the way I have driven my Esprit, they would have broken.

Seems like it may be a good car if what Sparky has said has been looked after properly.

I have a general experience with cars so it wont be difficult for me to see if this is real 6900 kilometers or not.

I dont have experience with lotus regarding to overall finish quality.

So if i will see not perfec painting i might hear from the owner that this is lotus quality ?

Btw. Im experienced with exige/elise platform cars.

Here is my 2 times racing champion of Poland lotus honda car.

[pete]

are you buying it as a collector ? If you intend to drive it you would be better off buying one with miles on it

[Vanya]

There's another way to gauge the mileage - check the wheel arches.

Recently a friend of mine was working on a customers V8 with 70000 km on the clock. It had been advertised as such, but it turned out to be a typo - it was 7000. My friend noticed that the factory paint on the inside of the wheelarches was almost entirely intact. That ain't gonna be the case for 107 000 km. 

Other than that, what the others said - budget for new tanks and bushes. But the S4 is a rock solid dependable car. I'd go to war in one to be honest. 

And for 45 000 euros it's a fucking steal. There are some dipshits flogging Porsche 996(!!!!!!!!!) Turbos in Sweden for 75 000 Euros.....so from that perspective... 

If it wasn't silver and grey I'd have already bought it by now.

[Loose Cannon]

What a lovely S4, if only there were more still left like that. I know the Giugiaros will always be more sought after but in my humble opinion the Esprit really grew up with that car.

 

Karol, ignore everything people tell you about Lotus and find out for yourself. You seem to have decided already there is something wrong with them; "it's not the worst sportscar"?? No-one here will agree with that, it's one of the best ever made. Would people have bought them for 27 years if not?

 

This car will be no worse than buying any other Ferrari, Porsche etc. that has stood around a long time, and it will have a patina of originality inside and out that can never be restored - as someone once said, car is only original once. You sound like a collector who enjoys this aspect as much as anything else so buy it!.

 

[evo 11]

Guys,  esprit body is made out of plastic or metal? 

Front fenders, bonnet, roof, doors, rear fenders??

Thanks

[rocket63]

The body is composite and made of Fibreglass.

[Chillidoggy]

 

5 hours ago, evo 11 said:

Guys,  esprit body is made out of plastic or metal? 

Front fenders, bonnet, roof, doors, rear fenders??

Thanks

 

Good grief! Are you serious?

[silverfrost]

    This has to be a Joke surely ,  How could you possibly race an elise is a cup series and not know lotus have never built anything other than grp cars,  obviously the early alloy ones not counted     

[evo 11]

?

[Chillidoggy]

I knew it all along: A time-waster

[Steve V8]

6 minutes ago, ian29gte said:

I knew it all along: A time-waster

Don't jump to conclusions, the GP aren't all as clued up as you, I think @Vanya 's comment about the paint on the inside of the arches may have thrown him a curveball, if a respected member a forum suggests checking the arches for rust, then they must be made of metal mustn't they?

[Vanya]

16 minutes ago, Steve V8 said:

Don't jump to conclusions, the GP aren't all as clued up as you, I think @Vanya 's comment about the paint on the inside of the arches may have thrown him a curveball, if a respected member a forum suggests checking the arches for rust, then they must be made of metal mustn't they?

Woah there, I didn't say anything about rust! 

[Chillidoggy]

I stand by my comments.

 

[Steve V8]

24 minutes ago, Vanya said:

Woah there, I didn't say anything about rust! 

In my defence, I did say you were respected 

23 minutes ago, ian29gte said:

I stand by my comments.

 

Ouch!!! ? 

[Vanya]

11 minutes ago, Steve V8 said:

In my defence, I did say you were respected 

I'm flattered!

[Bibs]

Keep it friendly please. 

[Barrykearley]

Just looked under my arches - rust all over my springs, nuts and bolts......yet more jobs

[Chillidoggy]

41 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

Just looked under my arches - rust all over my springs, nuts and bolts......yet more jobs

 

You mean........your springs aren't made from GRP?

[swindon_alan]

2 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Just looked under my arches - rust all over my springs, nuts and bolts......yet more jobs

Athlete's foot mate. I can recommend some cream for that.

[Chillidoggy]

And evo11 has not been back here since he got rumbled.

[evo 11]

Guys, i had no time to travel ?

Will let you know immediately  after checking the car.