[Guzman]

If I was close to the seller I might check this one out. Since im not close.. I'm just wondering how you all might approach inspecting/buying this car, for my own knowledge.

Opinions?

Lotus Elise SC Convertible 2 Door | eBay

"2009 SUPERCHARGED ELISE, low miles 17,458 absolutely great running car, Zero damage The title is branded flood here in Canada so I,m selling it as A track car. with the supercharged engine its a great head turner and does 0-60 in 4,3 seconds. A previous owner submerged the car up to the top of the seat bottoms and the insurance company wrongfully wrote it off and branded it. That brand here requires water to be up toi the dash bottom which it wasnt and since most domestic vehicles have airbag modules under seats tons of wiring components running along the floor boards the insurance companys take no chances. What they forget is the lotus platform is a very minimalistic one with low weight being the main objective. Therefore there are no components or modules or anything below the dash board. The water line wasnt even up to the oil pan hence absolutely no wiring, engine components or otherwise were exposed to water. I,ve put over 1000 mniles on this car testing it out preparing to ship it over seas where our brands arent recognized, nor should it be as the water on bare alluminum has no impact.Thought I,d test out the market here in the U.S. though before incurring shipping costs for overseas then cutting in a distributor there who could get the car certified as fit there. Make an offer, I can bring the car to Port huron for viewing and you can have it checked out professionally, you wont be disapointed."

 

[Dylan]

Does it seem consistent that water up to the top of the seat bottoms was simultaneously below the oil pan? The pan is about an inch or two +/- above the undertray. The top of the seat bottoms maybe 3-4 inches higher?

 

[sturgeongeneral]

My brother in law took a chance on a 3 year old Boxter S over 3000 miles away totaled for water damage. Had it towed to a shop where he drained and changed all fluids,replaced filters, gave a thorough cleaning and drove it home. It lasted 4 years until his buddy wrecked it. He paid about $15K and had no problems. He was very lucky. Do you feel as lucky?

 

[bri3d]

If I were actually considering this car I'd do a full, deep PPI checking especially the wishbones, steering rack, and hub -> rotor -> wheel area. Dissimilar metal contact in that area seems to cause rapid corrosion and depending on how long the car was wet for, something could definitely have gone wrong there. I'd also pop the flywheel cover to see if it's rusted.

Another extra check would be HVAC functionality. The resistor pack sits low and is responsible for water-related problems in even non flooded cars.

Beyond that I'd do everything in my power to check that the seller isn't lying about how high the water came up. Given that they admit to trying to title wash it right in the ad, I'm not sure about that, although I guess honesty about doing something shady has to count for something.

The price seems very reasonable and this could be a killer deal if the water really only came up to the oil pan... or it could be a huge disaster... anyone like gambling?

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Also, what are the logistics of titling a Canadian car with salvage title here in the US?

 

[ageshelin]

re: Canada/US titles

For most cars moving between Canada and US is a $500 certification fee.

The Lotus is on a special no import list. So cannot import and register. Can use it as a track car...

Anton

Also, what are the logistics of titling a Canadian car with salvage title here in the US?

 

[CMP]

maybe its this one!

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Sold for $23.6k??? And here I was thinking $15k would be high.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Sold for $23.6k??? And here I was thinking $15k would be high.

Wow! I heard Canadian prices we're high but wow!