Finally can stop looking for an S1! Result!!!! :o)

[Ferg]

Thanks for the run last night Andy, real eye opener and great info too. Compared to that I had only ever been on a sunday drive in one.

It's totally confirmed that the handling is the sort of experience I'm looking for to replace the bike. And with the bike now sold, yes the search will pick up a pace.



This popped up the other day. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1193013.htm
Looks nice and if the engine mods are all receipted and not ancient might be a good car.

And yes, Sanjoy.... it's blue......

[GregR]

£9,800

51k miles

It's an S1 - I'd rather have one with 51K on the clock than 20K. You know what the Elise is like if it sits unused...

Cor, don't normally have to mop up your misunderstandings Malcolm. I'm gutted that one with that number on the clock is worth so much, given how long mine took to shift, with upgrades (and cosmetic 'alterations' ) for almost 2k less!

[jj]

Depending on where it is in London, I am down (again ) next weekend and will have an afternoon to kill, as my bird has work thing on the Saturday, and can take a look for you.

[Shug]

£9,800

51k miles

It's an S1 - I'd rather have one with 51K on the clock than 20K. You know what the Elise is like if it sits unused...

Cor, don't normally have to mop up your misunderstandings Malcolm. I'm gutted that one with that number on the clock is worth so much, given how long mine took to shift, with upgrades (and cosmetic 'alterations' ) for almost 2k less!

Point being it's more about condition than mileage on an S1 now - IMO. With respect mate, your car wasn't the cleanest and you sold at the bottom of the market. I've not looked at the ad (or more importantly the car in the flesh) but my point is that mileage (within reason) to me, isn't an important factor next to condition...

No misunderstanding at all Gregor...

[Ferg]

Depending on where it is in London, I am down (again ) next weekend and will have an afternoon to kill, as my bird has work thing on the Saturday, and can take a look for you.

Thats a very kind offer JJ. I think considering the market movements at the moment, if I want to be involved in this one I'll need to move a little quicker than that. I'll keep it in mind though.
I'm hoping the new cold spell we're having will be increasing peoples desire to sell.

[Ferg]

This actually sounded very good. Full service history with all the usual stuff sorted, and the engine upgrades were done by Lotus approved garage very early on in it's life. Last owner 9 years.

The main issue I've got is that theres a crack in the plastic leading edge strip of the roof. And as I want to use it all year round, thats likely to be a problem.
I don't mind living without a hardtop, but the soft top has to be sound.

It's near to my brother in London so easy to get to. Awaiting pics of the crack to see if I'm still interested.

[DDtB]

Don't worry about the crack on the plastic strip...

Mine was cracked for a couple of years. Sent the roof off to Lotus to get refurbed.... came back with the new improved bendy plastic strip...... and then snapped again about a week later. Easy to do!!

Works fine though...

Cheers,

Dave.

[Ferg]

got the pic. the plastic is almost split into seperate parts and the stitching is coming out a little on the top side. It's not exactly bad, but Iook at it and think if I put it on and off a lot it's just going to get worse. Have you seen this a lot on S1's?

[campbell]

A Lotus Hethel refurb of the roof takes care of the leading edge strip, elastics on the "tails", damaged tensioner cams / cable (if required), and stitching.

Just be sure to ask for the full refurb...there is a cut down, cheaper version which does a bit less (can't recall for sure, but if you ring Hethel and ask for Technical they will explain I am certain). Will cost you £100-£200, and has to be dispatched to them by a genuine Lotus dealer.

If that is all that's iffy with the car, you should press on with it...even if you have to fully replace the roof at some point (which on a 10-yr-old car or thereabouts is an increasing likelihood whatever you buy...mine has been well cared for and re-treated etc by me regularly, but it is still starting to look tired on really close inspection).

[s29ttc]

I wouldnt let the plastic bit on a soft top be the deciding factor to buying a car. As advised if you speak to most the front strip on the soft top is usually in 2 pieces to allow it to be poped in the boot easily. I would say mines in like 10-15 small pieces but once you feed it all under where it fits its all good, works totally fine. If your really bothered as advised lotus do the refurb so I would mind paying £200 extra to get a good car

[Corranga]

When I bought mine the front soft top rod was in 3 bits, with the middle being only 1 inch long. Was a pita to fit it (leaning over the car trying to work in the centre section), but tbh fitting the s1 roof is a pita anyway so wouldn't worry

Mine has been back to Hethel for the 80ish quid refurb. They replaced the front plastic rod, restitched around the whole roof, they removed the loose parts of the old stitching, but just stitched over the rest, you can see 2 or 3 lines of stitching at some parts. They also replaced the 2 elasticated pieces at the back, and I reckon the tensioning wire too. They treated it with something as next time it rained, the water beaded nicely, like a well polished car, and run off. It was still a bit faded though. Didn't realise there was a more expensive refurb tbh!

If you do end up with one with a soft top that you think you simply can't live without, someone on here will lend you one whilst yours is away, probably someone with a hardtop that they fit in winter, or a loan of a hardtop if they don't fit it in winter

Or maybe you'll get one with a hardtop - if you do, make sure you also get the roll bar cover. It's about the width of the car, colour coded, and maybe 8/10 inches wide. It holds the rear window in when there is no hardtop on the car!

Chris

[Ferg]

That's great stuff chaps, thanks.

So the roof doesn't go in the boot without folding that plastic bar then. I now understand why they get broken!

How much is a replacement roof?

[Ferg]

Heres the pics put together so you get the idea...

On his own admission the roof is barely ever on the car so it's probably needing a good refurb/treated anyway.

[BiggestNizzy]

my roof is in worse nick than that, whats the deal with the big refurb and the wee refurb ? as I was planning on having it done in the winter now the hardtop is on.

[Corranga]

So the roof doesn't go in the boot without folding that plastic bar then. I now understand why they get broken!

The roof most definitely does fit in the boot without folding the bar as my bar is now in 1 piece, and I put my roof in the boot.
It is easier (lazier!) to put it in the boot with the rod broken though.
If you fold it in half (ie broken rod) it wouldn't fit in the soft top bag.

The plan seems to be:
Remove roof
Tuck tension brackets into elastic (I do this during removal)
Fold the outer sections of the roof inward (the bit with the poppers)
Roll the roof from the plastic rod end.

It then slots into the back, and into the boot.

Other than that - ealry s1 = boot bag. Carbon soft top rods slot in behind seats.
Later s1 = boot box. Rods fit in the boot.

How much is a replacement roof?

When I was looking, I found that replacements roofs are expensive and hard to find. Check Elise parts, they do a non-original one, other than that you'd be looking at breakers yards I reckon, but the refurb should sort you out either way.

Chris