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I ran across this ad earlier and thought I would post it here, it looks like a good deal on an SE.
1991 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE, $15,500 - Cars.com
1991 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE, $15,500 - Cars.com
Nice se for a good price
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Nice Esprit for sale
Those are nice, but the ultimate Esprits are the Sport 300 and the GT1. Since both those kits are available, if one was going to build these replicas it would be a shame to spend $17k or $18k only to take it apart! This one is a great starting point to build such a car!
1989 Lotus Esprit
Those are nice, but the ultimate Esprits are the Sport 300 and the GT1. Since both those kits are available, if one was going to build these replicas it would be a shame to spend $17k or $18k only to take it apart! This one is a great starting point to build such a car!
1989 Lotus Esprit
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I would rather have a perfectly clean original example then a butchered up basket case which is what the third car looks like to me
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Hi.
This cars been for sale for awhile now.
I enquired about it and it has ZERO maintenence records.
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Nice se for a price
I was not detracking from the SE in the ad, it is a very nice looking car. I was merely offering this car up as a nice starting point for a GT1 or Sport 300 replica vs. starting with a "pristine" car.
As far as calling this car a "Basket case" merely because it is disassembled for paint, I don't know about you , i'd rather have the "Basket case" with all the maintenance records and all the issues which usually go wrong with these cars addressed! if not, the 23 yr old timing belt and other expendables which Vulcanize over time could provide the new owner with a very expensive surprise!
I was not detracking from the SE in the ad, it is a very nice looking car. I was merely offering this car up as a nice starting point for a GT1 or Sport 300 replica vs. starting with a "pristine" car.
As far as calling this car a "Basket case" merely because it is disassembled for paint, I don't know about you , i'd rather have the "Basket case" with all the maintenance records and all the issues which usually go wrong with these cars addressed! if not, the 23 yr old timing belt and other expendables which Vulcanize over time could provide the new owner with a very expensive surprise!
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Actually, the ad said the car had 'documented service records' - it didn't say 'ALL the maintenance records'. Buyer beware.
Also, I assume you meant 'harden' instead of 'Vulcanize' for old rubber parts. Vulcanization is for new rubber part manufacturing, not describing the degradation of rubber parts over time.
This car is now off the market. I bought it on Friday.
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4,184 Posts
Congratulations! You may want to introduce yourself and your plans for your Esprit - plenty of knowledgeable folks here to help you with the adventure of Esprit ownership. I've been very thankful for the help I've receive here and other forums.This car is now off the market. I bought it on Friday.
Couple immediate points - from the pictures, the timing belt is a regular factory OEM belt - you may want to verify the last time it was changed and likely have that done as a priority 1 item. If the belt fails, major engine damage will occur.
My 88 timing belt had been verified to be at least 14 years old/30K miles (it is suppose to be replaced every 3 years/30K miles), so that got done first.
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Welcome to the crew!!!This car is now off the market. I bought it on Friday.
:up:This car is now off the market. I bought it on Friday.
Hi all,
Thanks for all the warm welcomes! This community has already been really helpful - I've been lurking for a while..... I hope to someday be able to contribute in a useful way.
The PO (for 7 years) is a master mechanic and runs an automotive business and he also owns another Lotus. It appears the car has seen pretty good maintenance. Everything mechanical and electrical seems to be fine and up to date except for the mentioned belt. Starts right up, runs smooth, very quick, builds boost nicely, nice direct steering (ugly GM wheel), shifts silently (but the 1-2 is looong and the shifter is vague - normal?) firm brake pedal, firm ride, AC blows cold, rad fan comes on and goes off as expected. Newish BFG G-Force in correct sizes. No leaks, no smells, no odd sounds.
Next week, I am getting the cam belt (including tensioner) and many of the hoses replaced with the blue ones from JAE. Should I get the waterpump and Alternator belt done at the same time?
The weak points are the common cosmetic issues - cracked dash veneer and dried and shrunken leather and 10 foot paint (looks ok from 10 feet, but upon closer inspection.....)
One question though, where should the friction point be? It seemed to be about a inch or so from the top.
You have to remove the other V-belts to get at the timing belt, so you might as well replace them.
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Please explain your ? about the friction point.
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Regards the shifting, first step is to flush and lube the translators at the back of the tranny (visible from underneath). These change the forward-back motion of the shifter cables to left-right. If they have too much slop it's replacement time...
Some owners have needed to replace the shifter cables, too.
That said, you will NEVER get shift quality up to the par of a modern Honda...give the Esprit a couple months, you will probably get used to the shift action.
Still, sounds like a solid car for the price.
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Please explain your ? about the friction point.
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Regards the shifting, first step is to flush and lube the translators at the back of the tranny (visible from underneath). These change the forward-back motion of the shifter cables to left-right. If they have too much slop it's replacement time...
Some owners have needed to replace the shifter cables, too.
That said, you will NEVER get shift quality up to the par of a modern Honda...give the Esprit a couple months, you will probably get used to the shift action.
Still, sounds like a solid car for the price.
Hi Carbuff,
The clutch engages near the top of the travel - about an inch or so from the top. Is this normal? I guess I really just want a sense as to when the clutch will need to be replaced.
You are right, I'm used to Acura shifters and clutches - which are very light, smooth and precise.
The clutch engages near the top of the travel - about an inch or so from the top. Is this normal? I guess I really just want a sense as to when the clutch will need to be replaced.
You are right, I'm used to Acura shifters and clutches - which are very light, smooth and precise.
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My 88 Esprit had an unusually long clutch engagement compared to my 06 Mustang GT.
26K miles later, it's still like that.
To me it seems more like ~2 inches from top, but it definitely seems long.
You get use to it
Seems to me that the clutch is working OK. So friction point is the area where the clutch starts to grab?
As with any new-to-you used car, it's always advisable to change the ALL the fluids. Clutch & brake fluids are important, I change clutch every two years and annually for brakes.
If you have documentation that these services are done, then you can drive it with confidence.
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The clutch will need to be replaced once it starts to slip, when you give the engine power in the upper gears.
As with any new-to-you used car, it's always advisable to change the ALL the fluids. Clutch & brake fluids are important, I change clutch every two years and annually for brakes.
If you have documentation that these services are done, then you can drive it with confidence.
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The clutch will need to be replaced once it starts to slip, when you give the engine power in the upper gears.
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Huge congrats so where are the pics? Clicked on the link and add was no longer up.
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