This S1 looks like a good buy....
Legend.shooomer wrote:YupTom wrote:Gosh, I'm putting my foot in it todayshooomer wrote:Just get a set of later cant rails etc. If you buy the hardtop from Lotus all the kit is included. I ran a hardtop on my 96 and 97 cars but didn't do what you are saying.. I've been thinking for ages that that wasn't possible, and therefore immediately discounting the earlier cars
Part No. A111B05105
Pre May 98 Hardtop Retro Fitting Kit
Shug wrote:Only when you service them dude...mac wrote:They are a car for the enthusiast, the leak, they rattle and clunk and aren't the most reliable car in the world, no matter what you do to them.
Least my undertray bolts can be undone
Mac
S2 Elise (cobalt blue with stripes) - toy spec
Caterham 7 - hillclimb spec
Yamaha Thundercat - 2 wheeled toy spec
Caterham 7 - hillclimb spec
Yamaha Thundercat - 2 wheeled toy spec
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Titanium S1 111S (gla)
- Posts: 956
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 3:31 pm
Tom,
I've had an S1 111s for a year almost to the day and went through all the issues you have with the exception of all S2 issues. They were simply more than I had to spend a year ago although a good bit cheaper now.
I thought a hard top was an absolute necessity and got one which has been under my bed since the day I got the car. Not on once. I recon it was a waste of money and I keep stubbing my toe on it which is quite painful. I keep the car outside and while you get an odd leak when the rain is coming sideways it's nothing a wipe over with the towel which lives behind the seat doesn't take care of. The hard top also keeps all the noise in, the Elise is a convertible and I recon you should drive it with the roof off unless its actually raining (hard).
The 111s has a bit more power than the std and that extra power is very useable right though the rev range. The C/R box is also a big improvement on the standard one for everything except motorway cursing. I recon the 111s is a good option for an S1, as many have said the 160 is the prize, but has problems which the 111s does not.
The S2 is undoubtedly a better car but is probably not a better Elise if you want less noise, sturdyer build quality and less acrobatic access then go for the S2.
Just though I’d get my say in since everyone else has, if you want a shot in a 111s give me a shout.
Graham
I've had an S1 111s for a year almost to the day and went through all the issues you have with the exception of all S2 issues. They were simply more than I had to spend a year ago although a good bit cheaper now.
I thought a hard top was an absolute necessity and got one which has been under my bed since the day I got the car. Not on once. I recon it was a waste of money and I keep stubbing my toe on it which is quite painful. I keep the car outside and while you get an odd leak when the rain is coming sideways it's nothing a wipe over with the towel which lives behind the seat doesn't take care of. The hard top also keeps all the noise in, the Elise is a convertible and I recon you should drive it with the roof off unless its actually raining (hard).
The 111s has a bit more power than the std and that extra power is very useable right though the rev range. The C/R box is also a big improvement on the standard one for everything except motorway cursing. I recon the 111s is a good option for an S1, as many have said the 160 is the prize, but has problems which the 111s does not.
The S2 is undoubtedly a better car but is probably not a better Elise if you want less noise, sturdyer build quality and less acrobatic access then go for the S2.
Just though I’d get my say in since everyone else has, if you want a shot in a 111s give me a shout.
Graham
....must be the Philipe Starke influences......jke11y wrote:I think I must be the only person who never had the hardtop off (apart from when going to macs to remove the seats for DDtB)
I even kept it when I sold my s1 I liked the hardtop that much.
Anyway, that B&C 140 looks nice, doenst it!
twat
2010 Honda VFR1200F
1990 Honda VFR400 NC30
2000 Honda VTR1000 SP1
2000 Kawasaki ZX-7R
1990 Honda VFR400 NC30
2000 Honda VTR1000 SP1
2000 Kawasaki ZX-7R
No hard top, get a shower cape, as Shug says, keeps the rain out and fits behind the seats or in the boot. There fcuk all to get wet anyway.
Mine lives outside all the time mostly without the shower cape as I'm a lazy bugger- Just carry a towel. The roof just seems to trap all the low frequency noise for me. Buy a hat.
My 2p
Rich
Mine lives outside all the time mostly without the shower cape as I'm a lazy bugger- Just carry a towel. The roof just seems to trap all the low frequency noise for me. Buy a hat.
My 2p
Rich
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress
1980 Porsche 924 Turbo - Funky Interior Spec
2004 Smart Roadster Coupe - Hers
1980 Porsche 924 Turbo - Funky Interior Spec
2004 Smart Roadster Coupe - Hers
Re: This S1 looks like a good buy....
I seem to remember seeing this car in Autotrader about 6 - 8 weeks ago. I can't remember the price though. I never went to see the car so can't comment on condition.jke11y wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOTUS-ELISE-Super ... dZViewItem
Anyone here? Looks good for the £.....
The buy-it now price (£9K) is perhaps a bit high you'd be needing many months tax, newish tyres and recent C service for that kind of money for a car of that age.
Having been through the whole S1 or S2 dilema on budget recently, I know the thoughts in Tom's mind. However, I would say you seem to have picked up a lot of knowledge and you do now seem to know what you want and what to look out for.
As owners of elises/exiges we perhaps tend to think/hope that they are worth more than we would perhaps acheive if we were to sell. I know when I sold my car last year, there weren't too many callers.
It's still a buyer's market, there is no doubt of that. I also think that prices don't necessarily go up with the advent of spring/summer I really think all that happens is that more cars come onto the market.
Hang in there Tom. All good things come to those who wait.
Finally you can look at all the asking prices you want on Pistonheads, Autotrader, etc,. but these are only that - "asking". I think a fairly good barometer for prices acheived or not as the case may be is to look at the completed listings on eBay. Here you'll find S1's unsold for less than £6.5k with only one acheiving more than £10k. I think there were 3 for in or around £8k.
The right car is out there if you prepared to search for it and be patient. Just don't be too picky - the longest day is just over a month away!
2p
Stewart
I had my S1 111s for a year (a few years ago now) and would totally agree with the above. Hard top, if not fitted especially well, could leak as much as the soft top. It did have its uses though; it made a great two seater sledge!, and could then be refitted to the liz. Now try storing any other sledge in/on an elise.Titanium S1 111S (gla) wrote:Tom,
I've had an S1 111s for a year almost to the day and went through all the issues you have with the exception of all S2 issues. They were simply more than I had to spend a year ago although a good bit cheaper now.
I thought a hard top was an absolute necessity and got one which has been under my bed since the day I got the car. Not on once. I recon it was a waste of money and I keep stubbing my toe on it which is quite painful. I keep the car outside and while you get an odd leak when the rain is coming sideways it's nothing a wipe over with the towel which lives behind the seat doesn't take care of. The hard top also keeps all the noise in, the Elise is a convertible and I recon you should drive it with the roof off unless its actually raining (hard).
The 111s has a bit more power than the std and that extra power is very useable right though the rev range. The C/R box is also a big improvement on the standard one for everything except motorway cursing. I recon the 111s is a good option for an S1, as many have said the 160 is the prize, but has problems which the 111s does not.
The S2 is undoubtedly a better car but is probably not a better Elise if you want less noise, sturdyer build quality and less acrobatic access then go for the S2.
Just though I’d get my say in since everyone else has, if you want a shot in a 111s give me a shout.
Graham
I would not bother too much about the hard top. It is not even necessary from a security piont of view;- when did we last hear of a soft top getting vandalized?
Dominic