The answer has never been...

Isuzu Impulse But now it might be. I am looking at one, drives great except the clutch is on its way out, as an interesting driver/to slowly turn into a challenge car. Anybody have any experience with these? Run away or go for it? It is a first gen turbo "handling by lotus" car.

NONACK wrote: Isuzu Impulse But now it might be. I am looking at one, drives great except the clutch is on its way out, as an interesting driver/to slowly turn into a challenge car. Anybody have any experience with these? Run away or go for it? It is a first gen turbo "handling by lotus" car.

I would buy the hell out of that. I want one of these or one of the "Handling by Lotus" Syluses. (Styli?)

I have the "Handling by Lotus" stickers on my Celica. Gets some funny looks.

They are cool Chevettes.

Is that the RWD model? It has been suggested that it is an almost ideal Locost donor.

Yes, the rear drive one. Looks like this:

John Brown wrote: They are cool Chevettes.

Which is one of the many reasons I want one.

Go for it!

I can tell you firsthand, that the non-turbo cars were painfully slow. Really, really cool cars though.

Scriocco II or was that the stylus?

pete-don't worry, it's a turbo. It was actually decently quick on the test drive, although the clutch slips in anything above 2nd gear. From what I've read, yes, many people think it looks like what the next Scirocco should have been.

In reply to NONACK:

I had two of them. an '88 non turbo and an '89 turbo, both with the Lotus Handling.. Solid car, surprisingly well built. The 88 was very reliable. It had the 2.3 Isuzu lump and was pretty slow but was still lots of fun to toss around. The turbo was much more fun to drive. All turbo models have an LSD and the transmission had better ratios. The main problems I had with mine was the rats nest of vacuum lines and various dry-rotted coolant lines under that really sweet clamshell hood. I'd say either replace them ALL when you get it and at the same time try to simplify as much as you can. If you're going for a challenge car, deleting alot of that plumbing should be on your list anyways. Headgaskets have been known to be on the weak side, mine had been replaced right before I bought it. It was mostly trouble-free save for the rubber bits for 120K+ (really hard) miles after that.

Wish I still had mine, They are uber-rare now, and to me at least, really cool and exotic looking.

Still a really cool little car. Buy it.

I always think of those wheels that looked like waffles when I think of those cars.

Maybe they were more like a tic-tac-toe board.

EDIT: On furhter review, I think I am thinking of Renault Fuego wheels. The ruling on the field is overtunrned.

rustfinger-thanks for the lengthy reply. My plan was to replace the clutch ASAP, and do the HG, timing belt, and I guess vacuum/coolant lines when it gets warm enough for me to work outside. And yes, the one I am looking at has the "waffle" wheels.

Who did that body, Guigario? I remember there were some really neat tricks with shut lines. It was almost a little too slick to be a production car.

The ones with the "Handling by Lotus" badges were the later first generation cars. I always liked them.

I never thought of them a Locost donors but that makes perfect sense, although I can't remember the last time that I actually saw one.

I think mine was the one of the last on the road in CT, and that was in 2000.

Keith: It was a Guigario design - 84 was the first year in the US, and wanna say it was shown as a concept in '80 or '81. '88 was the first year of the "Lotus" versions. Those last 2 years also had slight refresh of the hood, headlights, and taillights over the '84 to '87 cars.

Very cool little cars! Is the impulse motor the same one lotus used in the Elan?

In reply to 2002maniac:

The 2nd gen cars (Geo Storm cousin) had the motor shared with the Elan.

to bump this thread up a couple weeks, it just so happens that there's an '88 turbo in what appears to be very nice shape for $2000 here in Virginia. Not enough of a beater for what I want, and I'd feel like a douche putting that beauty on a rallycross course or something, lol....

And in case someone here is interested

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/1580028402.html

I had an 88 Turbo, Lotus tuned, it had the big block conversion, the 2.6 4cylinder from the Trooper with a RX7 TurboII turbo installed, it was healthy and had torque out the exhaust pipe

Somebody buy that, it'll go great with the '89 I'm picking up Saturday

why don't you buy both. It's not that far a drive, lol...

If I had the space, I'd do that and buy the Hearse in the off topic section.

I love the early rims!

I still hear, "HI, I'm Joe Isuzu"