Greetings everyone,
Well, seeing as how I've got a 3 month old daughter and I'm set to close on a new house in less than two weeks (which, of course, represents a bigger monthly nut than my current house), I have come to the conclusion that I should sell my Elise. On the one hand, I REALLY don't wanna. The car is just such a joy to drive and as an automotive journalist I can confidently say that it truly is unique in the world of autodom. OTOH, trying to get alone time with her these days is causing some stress on the home front, so some cash in the bank and a brief hiatus make sense. I'm not ruling out getting back in the Lotus game in a few years via an Exige S 240 (50 extra horse never hurt anyone). Furthermore, I have been kicking around the idea of having a different car on hand for winter use (i.e. ski rig, ice-autocross, ice track use up at the Bridgestone Winter Driving complex in Steamboat Springs) so an R32 or a previous gen Audi S8 could be in the cards in the interim.
So, the reason I am posting this entreaty for help up is that the car has a number of, IMO, very desirable upgraded parts / modifications and I don't know what I should ask for the car either in its “as delivered” condition or in its “currently configured” state. I know that prudence and common wisdom dictate that in order to maximize value, one should return the vehicle to its stock state and to sell the aftermarket goodies off separately. However, I am curious…
What should I offer the vehicle up for sale for in its current configuration and what should I ask for it were I to return it to its as delivered state?
Here are the details: I purchased the vehicle new from Hunting Ridge Motors in March of 2006 (as such, it is still covered under the factory warranty until March of 2009), it is Graphite Grey on black, has 12,500 miles and it is located in Boulder, CO. Here is how the vehicle was delivered:
2005 Lotus Elise
Hard Top
Lifestyle Paint (Graphite Grey)
Sport Pack
Star Shield
Touring Pack
Plus Hunting Ridge added the following items:
Stage II Exhaust
Satin silver stripes
Stainless steel braided brake lines
Seatback grommets
Furthermore, Hunting Ridge modified the following items:
LSS wheels powdercoated black
Diffuser powdercoated black
Fuel filler door powdercoated black
Plenty of pics of the as delivered state here:
amoroso : photos : Elise (after)- powered by SmugMug
In the interim, this is how the vehicle is currently configured, in addition to the above:
S111 Harness Bar
S111 CRD mount
S111 folding front tow hook
Stealth front turn signal bulbs
S111 black micromirror
JL VR-525CXi front speakers (w/ Jim Clayton’s adapter rings)
JL VR-525CXi rear speakers
S111 WorksBell Rapfix II Quick Release steering wheel hub
OMP Superquadro steering wheel
Passenger side airbag delete
Graphite Grey HVAC surround
Graphite Grey Shifter Console (rear portion covered w/ clear bra)
Graphite Grey engine covers w/ black script and satin silver stripe
S111 red fire extinguisher and bracket
BWR Unikey
S111 DownLow driver seat rail (modified for more leg / steering wheel clearance and an increased adjustment range)
Reverie Mulsanne C carbon fiber driver and passenger seats
S111 Fixed Passenger Side Seat Subframe Kit
Pagid RS-14 front and rear brake pads
Fujita CAI
S111 RTD Brace
FF engine damper
FF tubular exhaust manifold w/ high-flow cat
Charlie X ECU (lower cam changeover, FF header, high-flow cat / cat bypass, Fujita CAI).
Carpeting removed
Interior sound deadening removed
Smoked (VHT Nite Shades paint) rear reflectors
Lotus rear badge
People’s thoughts as to relative market values / suggested market values would be very much appreciated.
Note: I’m posting this in General Discussion as the Lotus Cars For Sale section stipulates: “Notices only. No discussion, no replies.”
Thanks,