[espritwheeler]

Greetings folks. Ive always dreamed of having an Esprit and I was finally able to make this happen I have some questions for you knowledgeable people out there if you can help me.

1. My Esprit is a 98 V8 with the original battery. Obviously it needs replaced. No part stores seem to have any Lotus parts. What kind of battery does this vehicle take and where do you advise I get it from?

2. How can I find out what the production number is on the Esprit ?

Thank you in advance for any help I can get!

Tim

 

[G8nightman]

Take the Old Batt with you you can get 5 bucks towards the new one and they will match up with the old one.

 

[OnAir]

2) For a small fee, Lotus can put together a certificate of Vehicle Provenance for you. The letter details when the car left the factory, engine build date, which dealer the car went to, color code, etc., etc.

Oh! Congratulations by the way and welcome to the group. :clap:
You're going to be asked to post pics.

 

[DeanG]

For parts DB Engineering, JAE, RD Enterprises, Sports Car world will be your friends. Get a CERTIFICATE OF PROVENANCE from Lotus. Good advise comes from a few people on this forum. If possible get hooked up with Lotus Ltd and/or Golden Gate Lotus. Lots of Esprit people in those clubs. If you are within a day's drive attend LOG 34 and meet other owners. Good luck.

 

[maxvelocity]

Greetings folks. Ive always dreamed of having an Esprit and I was finally able to make this happen I have some questions for you knowledgeable people out there if you can help me.

1. My Esprit is a 98 V8 with the original battery. Obviously it needs replaced. No part stores seem to have any Lotus parts. What kind of battery does this vehicle take and where do you advise I get it from?

2. How can I find out what the production number is on the Esprit ?

Thank you in advance for any help I can get!

Tim

What is your location and where did you acquire the car. As in is it a car known to us?

 

[espritwheeler]

Hi Mike and thanks for the info! Do you know how I would contact Lotus to get all of the info on my car?
Tim

 

[jtrealty]

If it really is the original battery it is 16 years old! Yes, it IS due to be replaced. While you are at it check the date codes on the tires. If they are over 7 years old, start saving up for another set. How about wiper blades? Do you have ANY service history on the car? If you don't know how old the timing belt is figure on doing a "C" service and change all of the fluids and filters. Very few parts can be bought in a local store. Bulbs, fuses, spark plugs, fluids, battery, tires, but not much more unless you can cross/over to another car. There are cross/over lists but even with that figure on going to JAE for many of your needs. After you replace the battery get a Battery Tender or equivalent and use it for 1 day every 2 weeks. More important than were you are going for parts, you need to find a place that can service the car locally if there is one. Some things you just are not going to do like the timing belt.

 

[sleekgt]

[snip] Do you know how I would contact Lotus to get all of the info on my car?
Tim

Congratulations!

Post the VIN or at least picture/info - where bought, etc. It is likely someone here knows about the car.

Timing belt(s) Timing belt(s) Timing belts(s) - if they are old, you must have them serviced ASAP and I would highly recommend not driving it prior to that.
If you must drive it, low revs for sure.

Getting the maintenance up to date is job 1. Esprits are not forgiving in this regard.

Click on 'onAir' link on 'certificate of Provenance' - it goes to a site where you can contact someone at Lotus for info on your car.

 

[jfitz981]

Congrats on the Esprit!

I am using a optima yellow top Group 34/78 in my S4.

Post some pics!
Jason

 

[MidLifeZ]

Post pics or didnt happen!

 

[maxvelocity]

No part stores seem to have any Lotus parts.
Tim

rotfl
Walmarts sells a car dust cover of the type for use in a garage $20-30. I got the single layer breathable fabric. Size 3 it say right on the box Lotus Esprit with wing. Just helps to keep the car clean when it sits in a garage. On the box it says car cover water resistant but I use it just for dust in the garage. I don't think I would use this one or the one labeled outdoor exposed to the elements.

 

[Turbo R]

Optima Yellow Top Group 34/78 in my Esprit too...getting old though so will eventually have to replace mine as well.

Great idea on the inexpensive, lightweight dust cover for indoor garage use, Cal... I need to look into that!

Roy

 

[maxvelocity]

Great idea on the inexpensive, lightweight dust cover for indoor garage use, Cal... I need to look into that!

Roy

One day I was shopping with the wife in Walmart and in the auto dept buying jugs of oil and washer fluid. When she walks up asking "whats taking you so long". Oh looking for stuff for the Lotus. She says "like you are going to find anything here". So I pick up a box that says semi custom fit car cover and on the back of the box it says fits Lotus Esprit Turbo w/wing. She was like whaaaat let me see that because she thought I was kidding and there it was. So I bought it. Fits pretty good. It has elastic on the bottom so I hook it around the wing and tuck around the front and then go back to the rear and pull it down over the rear valence. One man job

Cal H

 

[Turbo R]

LOL...good job!!!

 

[Autocross7]

Welcome!

...and yes, I got lucky. Still have the window sticker copy from the original owner. Brian Angus shared quite a bit about my specific car with me. No telling who still remembers your car from the Lotus old guard. Great folks they are...

The greatest thing on my window sticker... the "estimated annual fuel cost using premium unleaded". $750.00USD. LMAO! That was $1.41 per gallon on average.

 

[e-spree]

2. How can I find out what the production number is on the Esprit ?

Thank you in advance for any help I can get!

Tim

Congratulations.
If you mean how many were produced you can go here:
The Lotus Esprit Fact File - Model Information V8
Production numbers at the bottom of the page.

 

[stugilmour]

Welcome Tim. Great advise here; really a lot of help when I got my car about a year ago.

I went with an Optima Red Top, which works fine and much lighter than the original battery. Would recommend getting the Optima Digital 400 Maintainer and Battery Charger if you get their battery and don't already have a smart charger/maintainer. My regular charger and other smart chargers were having difficulty bringing the Optima battery back from an accidental full discharge; they kept turning off. The Optima unit worked fine. In any case, the car will require a periodic charge when stored.

Agree completely to consider C service if you don't know the car's history. If tires are needed, Nitto makes a set in the correct sizes that are very popular.

Stu

 

[danutcha]

Congrats!!!!
Change your Timing Belt ASAP. Don't chance it, if you have no record of it. I screwed up by not replacing it when I got mine and it cost me $$$$$$ when it snapped. Now I change it every 4 years. $500 for piece of mind.