New here and need some advice please.

[Michelle-n-Kev]

Hiya

Need some help please, I have a 94 BMW M3, and am thinking of selling it for a Lotus Elan!
I will prob get £6500/7000 for my car, so this is all ill have to spend on a new one.
Am looking at ideas for running costs (petrol can no way be dearer than the M3!), also wanted to know what to look out for when buying the car, any common faults, tips any comments much appreciated

Michelle

[Steve_P]

Be careful and take your time as you could easily end up with a dog for that sort of money. The Elan is a very different proposition to a sports saloon!

If your M3 is in reasonable running condition then a standard Elan won't be any quicker and is a lot less practical

The Elan is a great car but the build quality is some areas is just lousy! Doors, Hood Seals and Dash for example.

If you are serious about a rare two seater convertable that handles brilliantly then if you can find a good one it could be just the ticket - but, you might have to pay a little more for one that doesn't need attention. Good Luck.

[GaryJ]

I disagree. You should still get a nice one for 7k (I did).

And as for reliability - I am sure you would have more probs with an old beemer than you would with an Elan (and I sell cars for a living).

[cjay]

I'd have to agree with Gary. I've had my Elan 8 months and it's had a few minor problems but compared to my 2003 MINI which was rubbish it's been a dream Plus I have enjoyed working on my Elan and with the help from people here I know it be fixed properly unlike the work BMW did on my MINI

Ditch the Bimmer and get an Elan you will not regret it

cjay.

[GaryJ]

Also, any 15 year old car is going to have some kind of problem (lets face it - most 15 odd year old cars are now in the graveyard). In all honesty, in the 1st year I have owned my Elan all that has gone wrong with it is the battery and ignition barrell - I can hardly complain about that now can I?!

The engine runs and sounds so much better than many of these 'modern' cars that I sell (not that they're dodgy or anything, alright?)

(Oh, and I HATE BMW's!)

p.s. We should not be putting people off buying Elans. They really are great cars.

[Michelle-n-Kev]

Thanks for your help guys, got some thinking to do now, as I will have to sell my BMW before I can get a new car, so got to decide what to do beforehand!
Cheers
Michelle

ps any ideas what to look out for if I do buy one?

[Steve_P]

Not trying to put anyone off the Elan, just trying to be objective about it.

It is a great little car but I couldn't seriously use it every day, although I accept that many do. For me it's a car for driving, not commuting as it seems a waste!

The difference between Elans is significant, I've recently driven some for a potential buyer and most needed considerable work to bring them up to standard. Most needed attention to the brakes, rear wishbones (SE), and A pillar seals. Most had over 75k and felt soft requiring new springs and dampers. Performance was also soft on all but one that had been modified.

I bought my Elan 8 years ago (when it was 36,000 miles and 5 years of age) and it was only after spending considerable time and money on it that I can honestly say that its performance, handling and braking were signifcantly better than a 2.0 V6 Jap Saloon I'd been driving.

When they are set-up and running well the Elan is brilliant but when they are not the pleasure is simply not there, and it takes a lot of effort to bring it back - just my personal view based on my experience of ownership

As you can probably tell I've had a love hate love relationship with mine!

[Kier]

Michelle,

The fact you've still got to sell the M3 is a good thing as it means you've got time to start looking at Elans and checking them out.

I've just bought an Elan a couple of weeks ago so it's too early to tell if I really have bought myself a good one or not, but I think (fingers crossed) I have and I got mine within the same sort of budget as you're looking at.

My advice would be to look at as many Elans as you can, I looked at some in colours I didn't want, just so I could make comparisons.

You will be able to tell from the owners of the cars if they are people who love Elans and have given them care and attention. Look for full service history with bills and receipts.

Check out the rear suspension underneath as if not treated these can rust.

Check everything electrical works, windows, lights, etc, look at the seals around the top corners of the front windscreen.

Good luck if you decide to get one!

Kier.

[delta]

Michelle
Now that you have found LEC, take a tour around the various subjects. You will find that people are helpfull and freindly and know what they are talking about, and you can find whatever info you need here on LEC.

This is a great place to be for all with an interest for the Elan M100. Take your time, and you will soon find out that the Elan is a wonder on wheels.

By the way.: Welcome Michelle.

[Stef]

Good move! Ditch the BMW!

Deending on where you live I know of a very sweet BRG possibly going for a good price in Northants.

Let me know if you are interested and I'll point you in the right direction.

[Michelle-n-Kev]

Hello,

This is Kev Michelles better half .
I owned a 89 Esprit SE turbo and on average it broke down every week as a second car!! But it had full service history, only a few owners and was in great condition.
I knew that most of the parts for it where just nicked off other cars like citroen, british leyland, renault etc.. but the parts that were not, cost a bomb!

I suggested the elan to her as its the only car that meets our criterea.
If we get one and it is as unreliable as my esprit she will kill me!
We have owned the M3 for over a year and its got 120,000 miles on the clock, gets driven hard (by me anyway:D) hardly any service history and has NEVER gone wrong.

Im aware what Lotus stands for and dont mind fixing the occasional problem but dont want to get envolved with anything like the esprit again!

By the way, cheers for the comments so far.

Kev

[PAUL30]

my humble opinion(and i've not owened one long and i still cant get the grin of my face ) is that its very reliable,just get a good one.before i got mine,i found out as much as i could about the elan and for a lotus its sound and considering there now all more than 10 years old,it was obviously ahead of its time .like any car from time to time it will have its problems,but a little tlc goes a long way.will b is your man for one with a solid background.good luck in your search for the last of the true convertibles!

[timmo]

will b is your man for one with a solid background.

I think he has gone travelling for a few months.

Correction - he has!!