CLH
CLH GRM+ Memberand New Reader
7/24/10 6:49 p.m.

So I was at the Western Washington All-British Field Meet today and saw this:

Not that I NEED another car right now, but the asking price seemed reasonable and the car appears to be very solid. It does need some cosmetics, but it's only got 60k miles and has been owned by the same owner since 1993. What do I need to know about this thing if I decide to get serious about it? Are parts tough to find for stuff like brakes, clutch, etc.? I've done some Google digging but need some real-life info...the seller is packing up to move to Hawaii and is looking for a quick sale.

Thanks!

Chris

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
7/24/10 6:55 p.m.

As the current owner of four Loti, yeah, be careful, as that's "the reliable Lotus." Seriously, though, it's called the fastest, best handling FWD car ever made. Turbocharged < edit> Isuzu < end edit> engine and said to be a blast to drive. While I have no direct experience with that particular Lotus, I'm gonna say that pretty much every part you need is out there, and probably from your local autoparts store if you know what to ask, or quite reasonable from JAE and I think there's an Elan email group or web site/forum based on that car.

triumph5
triumph5 Reader
7/24/10 6:56 p.m.

Many, many followers of the marque don't consider this a real lotus--an abomination of sorts in some minds---which may explain the price, To each his own.

pres589
pres589 HalfDork
7/24/10 7:14 p.m.

Correcting the good Doctor, the motor is from Isuzu. Lots of little bits of Isuzu and GM in the car although they may not be from North American vehicles. There's another guy on this forum that has one and I think he's quite enthusiastic about it so I hope he sees this thread, I cannot remember his GRM Forum screen name.

EvanB
EvanB GRM+ Memberand Dork
7/24/10 7:22 p.m.
pres589 wrote: There's another guy on this forum that has one and I think he's quite enthusiastic about it so I hope he sees this thread, I cannot remember his GRM Forum screen name.

That would be Jay, he should have some insight on the matter.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
7/24/10 7:58 p.m.

Ah, yeah, Isuzu. By bad. All them ferrin' jap names sound alike to me. Not Toyota.

MCarp22
MCarp22 Reader
7/24/10 9:52 p.m.

I'm about 99% sure that the M100 elan and the Miata were switched at birth.

Hasbro
Hasbro HalfDork
7/24/10 11:53 p.m.

This guy:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/124/

Best forum:

http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/index.php

Give them the car's vin and probably more than one person will know the car's history.

I've driven a couple of them and absolutely love them. Yes the motor is an Isuzu but a lot of the car can cost in the big bucks range. They can be very dependable but you would want another car available as parts availability can leave you waiting. Did I mention that I love M100s?

Just for fun:

CLynn85
CLynn85 Reader
7/25/10 7:36 a.m.

I know absolutely nothing about them, except for the fact that I want one in my driveway.

Jay
Jay Dork
7/25/10 11:16 a.m.

Sorry guys, I'm on an island in the Indian ocean right now and don't have a huge amount of time to post. I will say, the Elan is the best sports car I've ever had. If you hate FWD on principle maybe you won't like it, otherwise take it for a drive and see what you think. I bet you'd be impressed.

My complaints are a leaky roof, kind of poor panel fit, and dodgy electrics (not engine), usual British car stuff. If you're a big guy you might not fit, I'm 5'10 and 80 kg, and I wouldn't want to be any taller, but I have an aftermarket roll bar installed. Without that 6'1~6'2 should fit depending on your legs:torso ratio. The Isuzu engine is perfectly suited to the car and can make 200 HP with a chip.

Honestly these things get scoffed at so often for the Isuzu drivetrain and GM switchgear. This makes no sense whatsoever to me, as Lotus have been successfully raiding parts bins for their cars since the '50s. The new Evora uses a Toyota drivetrain and even the mighty Esprit V8 took its gearbox from Renault.

Parts can be rediculously cheap if Lotus Aftersales is selling them off, I got a brand new steering rack for 127 GBP. Rock Auto usually stocks basic stuff for the engine.

If you want to head over to LotusElanCentral.com, somebody on there probably knows that specific car and if not they know everything else about them anyway. The LEC Wiki has lots of good information and all the service manuals are available.

CLH
CLH GRM+ Memberand New Reader
7/25/10 11:21 a.m.

Thanks to everyone for the info. After spending a lot of quality time scouring over forums, spec sheets, parts manuals, shop manuals, etc., I've decided to pass on it. Based on what I saw the car will need a decent chunk of change to get it up to the level I'd want it. I didn't spot any major issues, but there are lots of little fiddly things that would have to be addressed or they would drive me crazy. Not the least of which is that there are numerous minor scuffs and blemishes in the paint, some cracked sections (the paint, not the bodywork), and some sections that appear to not quite match color-wise. I can almost guarantee that it's had some paintwork redone since new, though the owner says he doesn't think so. If it landed in my garage it would be in for a full bodywork workover and a re-spray, and I'm just not THAT into it.

If anyone is interested in it, shoot me a PM and I'll send over the contact info for the owner.

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