Going to check out this 05 elise. opinions pls

[babydriver]

its selling for 15k. only cosmetic damage (looks like it was just rear ended). 35k miles. im going to look at it tomorrow. it would be a dedicated track car until i fix the back end. im looking for a car for the track but i dont know a ton about lotus except i like them a lot.

my questions:
is it a 111r or 111s?
whats up with that aero? aftermarket?
do i have to worry about the chassis being true?
is 15k about right?

thanks!

[curtis]

That one needs a new rear clam for sure. Cost for clam if you buy used $1500-$2000 plus paint which is another $1500 or so. I would take it to a lotus dealer to have it inspected (PPI) to make sure there is no frame damage. Do you know if it has a salvage title or a clear title? Thats really important to know even though it is going to be a track car. For the most part $15k sounds about right but by the time you are done you would have spent just as much to fix this one if not more than if you would have waited and found another one not needing any work. And you would also get one with a clean bill of health with no accident history which is not important for a track car but is for re-sale when and if the time comes to sell especially if this one has a salvage title which affects the overall value of the car. Just my .02

[aschen]

is the car in the austin area? It might be my old car. I can tell you a bit about it if so. THe new owner was rear ended. He said there was a bit of front end damage as well

[babydriver]

Originally Posted by aschen

is the car in the austin area? It might be my old car. I can tell you a bit about it if so. THe new owner was rear ended. He said there was a bit of front end damage as well

its actually in missouri.. and going over my budget i dont think i can do 15 right now. i might lowball the hell out of the dealer since its a salvage.

there is a little bit of damage on the front now that i look at it. it must be yours. but yeah any info you can give me on it would help. heres the link: http://www.74auto.com/vehiclesDetail.php?5906

[ee.engineer]

Banks don't like to finance salvage "exotics", insurance companies don't like to insure salvage vehicles. People don't like to buy salvage vehicles. You will run into problems at every turn if you get this.
Unless you expect to drive this thing into the ground, its not worth it.

[sturgeongeneral]

It does look like the front clam has a crack. With a double clam replacement you could be looking over$25000 at a shop. You could repair front clam.

[aschen]

I am about 95% sure it is my old car. I would avoid it simply for the reasons the others have said. It needs at least a rear clam, muffler and back end trim. The front could be fixed or left as is for a track car. the front damage was done by the toe truck btw. I was told the rear end was relatively slow. I seriously doubt there is any frame damage.

IF You ar a fiberglass guru and have a hookup mfor paint you might be able to make this work for you. If you need to buy a new clam, I dont think you can justify this. I sold it in good condition 2k miles ago for 24k.

ignoring the wreck, it was a good car otherwise. It had some decent upgrades when I sold it: BOE toe links, poly engine mount inserts, lightwt bat, micromirror, ferodo 2500 brake pads, and probably a few others.

The new owner told me he spent quite a bit on it. Ill assume most of the stuff is still there but i am not sure. From him and memory: BOE tilting clam, side sils and front splitter, gpan and several small cosmetic items.

Cliff notes: it was a good car, but I am not sure it can be economiclly justified at this point.

[BODYSHOPELISE]

I bought my 05 from that place (74 auto). That one is more complete than mine was said to be, but other than that the guy gets things done quick and they had there shipping compay deliver mine to indiana for $350

[sturgeongeneral]

Originally Posted by BODYSHOPELISE

I bought my 05 from that place (74 auto). That one is more complete than mine was said to be, but other than that the guy gets things done quick and they had there shipping compay deliver mine to indiana for $350

$350. Is dirt cheap for shipping.

[Hextavo]

Originally Posted by babydriver

its actually in missouri.. and going over my budget i dont think i can do 15 right now. i might lowball the hell out of the dealer since its a salvage.
74 Auto gives you a complete overview of each vehicle listed

Can't do 15 right now, then you probably cant do this car.. Good luck let us know how your low-balling works! 10k? lol

[MotoGeek]

Originally Posted by ee.engineer

Banks don't like to finance salvage "exotics", insurance companies don't like to insure salvage vehicles. People don't like to buy salvage vehicles. You will run into problems at every turn if you get this.
Unless you expect to drive this thing into the ground, its not worth it.

Insurance companies have no problem whatsoever insuring a salvage title.

All things being equal, a salvage title seems to ding these cars about $5k-7k below an equivalent clean titled car.

[lotuscrit]

As a lotus tech I would say it definitely needs a new rear clam. If you are hell bent on the car and 15k is out of your budget, borrow the extra you need and sell the LSS rims, hardtop, sideskirts and side scoops. If you do all that you would be closer to the 10k if that's your budget. It may also need a new rear subframe if the rear impact was significant enough to tweak it. If it still has the tilting clam that the previous owner installed tilt the clam if it will tilt and have a look at the subframe.

[rosscarlson]

Originally Posted by Hextavo

Can't do 15 right now, then you probably cant do this car.. Good luck let us know how your low-balling works! 10k? lol

+1000

And I seriously doubt any groups would let you track it in that condition. All the groups I run with have requirements that body panels can't be in that sort of condition (where pieces could fall off on the track). Maybe you're planning to cover it all with duct tape before tracking it? Even in that condition I doubt it'll pass a tech inspection.

If your budget for a track car is under $15k go for a track preped Miata - you'll get a lot more bang for your buck. Then in a few years when you're ready step into a Lotus (but not this one)

[Retsillacm]

"i don't know a ton about lotus except i like them a lot."

Maybe before you drain your bank account on a car, you should know more about it first since this is obviously a big investment for you. Why not save up for a few years and buy a really nice one? By then you may already be in love with something else, and you'll have more money! If not you have a better car in the long run anyways, and you won't have a hard time trying to sell that salvage titled car when you decide you "like something else a lot".