Elise Registry Is Up And Running

[grantcv]

Hey, my VIN (#360) is already listed in the survey and it isn't my car. How can there be duplicates?

[grantcv]

Well, looking at the car listed, it is to be delivered in July. I hope Lotus isn't planning on repossessing my car, changing the options (the color is right), and delivering it to someone else. Otherwise, there is no way that such an early VIN could be delivered in July

[sandsmuseum]

The 360 listed in the registry is my entry and you are absolutely right, my car is not number 360! What was I thinking? My car is 160...

Worse, I ordered mine in January of 2004, not 2005. I also received mine in September of 2004, not 2005.

Who knows where my head was at when filling out the database. Perhaps we need to be able to correct our entries... I was probably thinking more about driving. I apologize for the misinformation.

Michael

[grantcv]

Ah, riddle solved. But coincidently, it was the pictures of your car during your delivery ride home on your website that caused me to choose Storm Titanium in the first place.

[adamant]

Oh well. i've added mine twice but it still doesn't show up

[qball]

How about an update? I completed the registry a few days ago, but it hasn't posted yet.

[Jonathan E]

Hi Guys,
This is an interesting thread,I wish Lotus could do something along the same lines,I understand that your registry is for US cars but I filled it out anyway,I do hope this doesn't cause any problems.My car is a UK registered vehicle and obviously has alot of differences to the federal car,but I recently asked a question on the Lotus cars bbs regarding VIN numbers and it would seem that even Lotus don't really understand them,my VIN number is 1374 it was one of the first UK 111r's delivered on 3/01/2004,I contacted Lotus to try and find out just how early a car it was and was told that Fed Elises,111s K series and 111r's were all built at the same time on the same line and there was no way of telling how early my car was unless someone at Lotus took the time to go all the way back to Aug 2003 counting what car was built and when,something they are not prepared to do.
It seems to me that Lotus do change things on the fly,hence some cars have bits others don't ie fuel cap straps etc,I think this even comes down to supply from outside sources,sometimes little bits are missing due to non availability from certain suppliers.Aswell as Lotus changing aspects of the car.
I understand you guys aren't that interested in UK cars,but I know my 111r was a very early one due to the fact that Lotus had always denied the Fed Elise ie Yota lump would ever be available in the UK,so you can understand how I felt when on a factory visit in Feb 2004 I saw Right hand drive Toyota cars being produced alongside Left hand drive US cars,My order was placed the next day and Lotus announced the 111r 3 weeks later I took delivery 1 week after the "official" announcement.I'm told the VIN number 1374 means Lotus built 1373 cars from Aug 2003-Feb 2004 and these cars could have been any of the Elise varients to date.
Sorry about the ramble guys but its interesting to see what your doing here and hopefully someone in the UK will do the same very soon.Keep up the good work.
Kind Regards
Jon

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Jonathan E

Hi Guys,
This is an interesting thread,I wish Lotus could do something along the same lines,I understand that your registry is for US cars but I filled it out anyway,I do hope this doesn't cause any problems.My car is a UK registered vehicle and obviously has alot of differences to the federal car,but I recently asked a question on the Lotus cars bbs regarding VIN numbers and it would seem that even Lotus don't really understand them,my VIN number is 1374 it was one of the first UK 111r's delivered on 3/01/2004,I contacted Lotus to try and find out just how early a car it was and was told that Fed Elises,111s K series and 111r's were all built at the same time on the same line and there was no way of telling how early my car was unless someone at Lotus took the time to go all the way back to Aug 2003 counting what car was built and when,something they are not prepared to do.
It seems to me that Lotus do change things on the fly,hence some cars have bits others don't ie fuel cap straps etc,I think this even comes down to supply from outside sources,sometimes little bits are missing due to non availability from certain suppliers.Aswell as Lotus changing aspects of the car.
I understand you guys aren't that interested in UK cars,but I know my 111r was a very early one due to the fact that Lotus had always denied the Fed Elise ie Yota lump would ever be available in the UK,so you can understand how I felt when on a factory visit in Feb 2004 I saw Right hand drive Toyota cars being produced alongside Left hand drive US cars,My order was placed the next day and Lotus announced the 111r 3 weeks later I took delivery 1 week after the "official" announcement.I'm told the VIN number 1374 means Lotus built 1373 cars from Aug 2003-Feb 2004 and these cars could have been any of the Elise varients to date.
Sorry about the ramble guys but its interesting to see what your doing here and hopefully someone in the UK will do the same very soon.Keep up the good work.
Kind Regards
Jon

I think the rest of your VIN will vary some to show that it is a different model year (2004) than the ones that first came to the US (2005). The last 4 digits is insufficient, as it will overlap with one built later.

You can always track by the build date instead of VIN. It is only accurate to the month, but that is something at least. It is on a plaque in the door jamb area, near the other information plaques on the driver's side (at least, on the US cars).

[Simon S]

Pah,

ageist lot you are!

what about all us lot with orriginal Elises (as in 1996 on...)

[Jonathan E]

We don't get the plaque on the door jam,just the vin sticker so I guess its something I'll never know,I had this reply from Nick Adams on the Lotus cars bbs:

"Hi Jon, the last four digits of the VIN number are the serial number of the car, which show in your case that your car was the 1374th Elise built that year. the year of manufacture is shown by the tenth digit of the VIN (the number immediately before the "H", so if you car has a 4 it was built in 2004 model year, if it has a 5 then it is from the 2005 model year etc. The model year starts rather confusingly in August of the preceding year, ie: the 2005 model year production started in August 2004, with the serial number being reset to 0001 at the same time."
Hope that helps, Nick

Never simple with Lotus is it


Simon,
Not ageist just getting to an age where my original Nautilus S1(97) got a bit too much as a daily driver and only car,the 111r still gives me everything I had with the S1 just a little more creature comfort.
Regards
Jon

[Tyger]

Originally Posted by Jonathan E

We don't get the plaque on the door jam,just the vin sticker so I guess its something I'll never know,I had this reply from Nick Adams on the Lotus cars bbs:

"Hi Jon, the last four digits of the VIN number are the serial number of the car, which show in your case that your car was the 1374th Elise built that year. the year of manufacture is shown by the tenth digit of the VIN (the number immediately before the "H", so if you car has a 4 it was built in 2004 model year, if it has a 5 then it is from the 2005 model year etc. The model year starts rather confusingly in August of the preceding year, ie: the 2005 model year production started in August 2004, with the serial number being reset to 0001 at the same time."
Hope that helps, Nick

Never simple with Lotus is it

That's the way it is for ALL cars (at least in the US), not just Lotus.

[grantcv]

It seems that this registry is not being updated An erroneous entry overlaps with my car and it has never been fixed. So, for my car at least, the data is wrong.

[adamant]

Yup, worthless thread

[cranium]

Originally Posted by adamant

Yup, worthless thread

Sorry been working 20 hour days. The database remains up, but the results are not dynamic. If you are entering it in the database, its there. I just need to clean it up and post it. Another couple of weeks and work will die down.

[sandsmuseum]

Now that people have entered data into the registry and seen the results, what is the feeling about continued use of it? I PM's Cranium about fixing the mistakes, me being one of the offenders, and he was generous in providing me access. So now the questions:

Is the current implementation sufficient? Should more fields be entered as new cars come with more modifications?

How should the errors be fixed? Do you want to be able to fix your own or should an administrator do so?

Do you want to be able to enter your full VIN and see it decoded, including manufactured date, type, etc?

Other enhancements?

(I am considering this an exercise in programming. I used to make a living doing programming for many years but have not done much recently. Perhaps this is a chance to play...)

Michael

[David]

Can we add shifter shaft and steering rack as new categories? I'd be interested in knowing when Lotus upgraded these.

Apparently we can check the shifter by removing the console cover. Anyone know if it's possible/easy to check the steering rack?

[sandsmuseum]

I am implementing a new registry. It will decode the vin number, allow you to enter your options, takes into consideration running changes Lotus has made, accomodates the 2006 colors, allows a comment field and will allow you to attach a picture. Best of all, you can edit your entry.

I finished the add, edit and database stuff today. I still need to add additional information on things like how to tell the finish on your gas filler door. I will try and finish it up tomorrow or the next day and will advertise it here.

I may eventually need pictures of things like door texture, painted rims, new shift lever and other things that happened after my car. However I should be able to find most of it on this forum.

Any one want to help me beta test it?

Michael

[andykeck]

Originally Posted by sandsmuseum

Any one want to help me beta test it?

Yes. All of us, I think.

[apkom]

Yes. I'd like to test it, too.

Originally Posted by andykeck

Yes. All of us, I think.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by sandsmuseum

Do you want to be able to enter your full VIN and see it decoded, including manufactured date, type, etc?

Unfortunately, there isn't much information in the VIN. All the Federal Elises should have exactly the same information except for the last four digits (the serial number) and the check digit. But there is no information on options of manufacture date in the VIN.