Considering Esprit, have questions

[NavyMA]

Ive been into corvettes my entire life but have really only now been considering the purchase of a 93 Esprit turbo since Ive gotten back from deployment. I am big on reliability and the ability to perform repairs and maintenance on my own. I have a lift and full set of tools at my disposal and just wanted to know how difficult it is to work on these things. And do they require a crazy amount of upkeep usually? Of course I expect some. I assume parts are also pretty expensive also?

[Simba]

Depends entirely on the car you get. If it's been well looked after and not neglected, it shouldn't require any more maintenance than most other sports cars (though probably more than your average 'vette).

If you get one that's got issues, there will be a lot more things that need attention, obviously.

Once everything is sorted out, they're no more painful to upkeep than anything else, barring a few idiosyncrasies. Parts in some cases are relatively cheap as they're cross-referenced (or direct replacements for) various Delco and GM parts. Some of the Lotus-specific stuff can get pricy.

[NavyMA]

Thanks alot! Ill have to check this car out. Its always been an interest of mine. I love how lotus' look and especially how they perform. I just need something that can be stable.

[jlj3394]

Originally Posted by NavyMA

Ive been into corvettes my entire life but have really only now been considering the purchase of a 93 Esprit turbo since Ive gotten back from deployment. I am big on reliability and the ability to perform repairs and maintenance on my own. I have a lift and full set of tools at my disposal and just wanted to know how difficult it is to work on these things. And do they require a crazy amount of upkeep usually? Of course I expect some. I assume parts are also pretty expensive also?

***Disclaimer: I've never owned one, but have bid/called/test driven a few. And I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night. I'm still looking for the right one.***

Esprits seem to be maintenance heavy compared to regular cars, but less than other exotics.

Be especially careful of any Esprits that have been hooned. I test drove one in Kansas that had $15,000 in repairs in the 24 months prior, and still wasn't right. Probably needed another $6,000-$8000 in repairs which didn't make much sense on an 88.

With that said, a disproportionate part of the cost comes from labor. There aren't many mechanics who know how to repair one of these, so labor adds up quick. The mechanics who do know how to repair them are often at the dealer which means ~$100/hr.

If you're willing to do repairs yourself, I think the repairs aren't bad at all.

[Twerthi]

Go here The Lotus Esprit Fact File, it will probably answer a lot of questions for you.

[carbuff]

Also look at Lotus Esprit World While this is a UK sight it may educate you a LOT.

Most of us Esprit addicts know where the good mechanics are.

I don't agree with the statement that dealer techs are always that good on the cars...they probably see a lot of Elises but not Esprits. The one advantage the dealer may have is, they have the special tools that you may not be able to afford (or buy anywhere, anymore).

[tesprit]

Originally Posted by NavyMA

Ive been into corvettes my entire life but have really only now been considering the purchase of a 93 Esprit turbo since Ive gotten back from deployment. I am big on reliability and the ability to perform repairs and maintenance on my own. I have a lift and full set of tools at my disposal and just wanted to know how difficult it is to work on these things. And do they require a crazy amount of upkeep usually? Of course I expect some. I assume parts are also pretty expensive also?

The Esprit is a great car, but after reading your opening post, I don't think it is the right car for you. Coming from a Corvette, you are going to find the working environment in the Esprit engine bay cramped and difficult to deal with. You are also going to find the Esprit is very finicky compared to a Corvette and harder to repair and obtain parts. Also the service intervals for the Corvette are going to be much longer than for the Esprit and you are going to spend a lot more time just doing regular maintenance on the Esprit compared to the Corvette.

[JohnnyQuik]

Having owned both, I can say quite plainly that a Corvette is a Chevrolet and an Esprit is a Lotus with all that that implies both good and bad.

[TrapperJohn]

I've worked on my Esprit (working on it right now), worked on several Corvettes (own one, 1970). They are definitely different.

The Esprit is more of a spaceship. You sit lower, wedged in tighter. You don't drive this car as much as you wear it. Handling is definitely more exotic. More so that the Corvette, the Esprit rewards a student of driving.

Maintenance? It's a little harder to do, but not that much worse. Things are packed in pretty tight, but same can be said for a Corvette. Some parts are a lot more expensive, but with a 93, some parts are not. Electronics are GM, some chassis and body parts are Toyota. There are several cross indexes that show you what Esprit parts can be purchased as GM/Toyota. The majority of wearing parts tend to fall into those categories, so with a bit of diligence, you can keep daily costs fairly low.

The maintenance intervals are a bit higher, but again, it's not that bad - for an exotic, the Esprit is remarkably reliable.

[maz]

god help you

[Stig Wannabe]

Originally Posted by maz

god help you

That was hilarious. Man, you never miss a chance to slam Esprit reliability! But from what you have intimated of your experience, I can't really blame you.

[E5PR1T]

There is a white SE for sale...good condition...see the other post.