ALL ELANS IN AUTOTRADER

[Scott J]

Green with yellow stripes and wheels S2 no. 588 M811RJB. Anybody on here ?

[Rambo]

Green with yellow stripes and wheels S2 no. 588 M811RJB. Anybody on here ?

Keep up at the back Scott

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=23951&p=301689#p301689

Interested in joining the M100 Clan again ?

PS Horrible, nasty cloth seats - you'd need to get rid of them.

[Scott J]

so your link doesn't say much Rambo apart from nobody knows shite hee haw about it. Cloth seats in a S2, was that an optional extra.

the MX is possibly the most "perfect" car out there but doesn't float the boat the way an Excel or Elan or Elise does. Bit like a super model, better shag from a slapper in a Pebbles boozer lol.

[morciii]

is this car known to anyone one here?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

i've saw it on autotrader a few times, and at £3000 seems like it could be a good buy.

[Tuga2112]

is this car known to anyone one here?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

i've saw it on autotrader a few times, and at £3000 seems like it could be a good buy.

i believe that one is the same one that was on sale in durham about 6 months ago when i bought mine, it was £2500 back then, i wasn't interested in it because it had more miles than mine and was more expensive, however your buying from a dealer so the car should be in good condition.

[morciii]

it's about 3 hours from where i live, but i might take a wee trip down in march to see it

[Scott J]

Morcii, that dealers had that black one since at least last summer if not before. Had it when I traded with SMS last Aug. Makes SMS look expensive at £4500.

[morciii]

The price is appealing, but also makes me think of what's wrong with it so what do you think then scott, should i keep on looking, or give this one a try?

[Scott J]

I have no knowledge of the car so go and take a look and compare to my ex. As he has had it a long time you can always make a silly offer.

[morciii]

Making a ridicilously low offer sounds good to me could convice the girlfreind to take a daytrip to Durham on Monday

[Artaban]

Theres a couple of things you might want to consider and they may also help you in negotiating the price down. I would presume that this car has sat around outside and unused for some time and he makes no mention of service history so I'd assume there was none with it. Unfortunately in recent years these cars have been bought by people taking their first step into Lotus ownership and not realising that the cheapest part of ownership is buying the car. As such a lot of cars out there are unloved and it may be safer to buy from an enthusiast on this forum even if it costs more to start with. That said you could start with finding out when the cambelt was last changed. They need changing every 5 years even if the car has only done relatively few miles in that time. My last "B" service + cambelt and water pump change cost me £889 last year. The interior looks damp and if you find the floor is wet or damp then damage may have been done to the outriggers which you won't be able to see unless you are able to lift the carpet. Check the doors haven't dropped as the hinges tend to rust and that often means a new door (you can't just replace the hinge) and that can get very expensive as the doors are complicated and swapping over the components as well as getting the replacement door resprayed is a big job. Also check the lower rear wishbones as these are prone to rust and often bodged repairs. Currently the parts alone will set you back £1,126 incl VAT from SJ's.
I've just picked on a few things that if they are a problem will make you wish you'd never bought the car. Can I suggest you take a copy of the buying guide from this forum with you and make a list of as many faults as you can find. Even things like slow window motors will annoy you over time. Then report back and your findings and I'm sure myself and others on here will give you the benefit of our hard earned experience and give you some idea on the costs of putting things right. You'll then be in a position to negotiate hard on price. Ignore the usual "I've got several other people interested so I can't hold it for you" routine as the weather isn't yet warm enough for the impulse buyer.
Best of luck. They are great cars once working as they should and the biggest pain in the *ss when they are not.
Andrew

[morciii]

Hi Andrew, i gave the buying guide a good read and will definitely take a printed copy with me. i'm glad you pointed out about the interior looking damp as i hadn't even noticed, i'm going to give them a call tomorrow when i have time and ask about the service history etc. before i consider making the trip down. i'll let you guys know as soon as i get more information on the car

[clemo]

good advise ....

[Artaban]

Thought it might be damp because he mentions "recent new hood" and most people try and patch a hood up until things get desperate. The drivers floor carpet has that same look of dampness that mine did when I bought it 5 years ago. The family nicknamed it the "Aquarium" when I got it. However I just pushed the family of terrapins out of the footwells and dried it off in the garage with a dehumidifier. Thankfully the outriggers were fine. I also noticed what looks like mould/water damage on the back of the passenger seat (white staining) often seen when the rear window cracks and rain gets in. Perhaps that was the reason for the new hood.

Incidentally saw a superb Elan today. Its the red 30,000 mile one on autotrader for £7995. If anyone had the money and didn't mind that it was a non turbo model then I don't think you'd find one in better condition. That dealership is well respected in the area so they are honest and don't deal in rubbish. I went in to price up the Evans coolant which came to £126+VAT for the coolant and flush plus about 2 1/2 hours work at £45per hour. The guy who priced it up for me uses it in his Lotus and he says he's never got anywhere near overheating since he put it in. Might be the next project, Samco hoses, cool experts radiator, Evans coolant.....close to £1,000 all in.....maybe not! Suspension first.
Andrew

[morciii]

I saw the red one, it's an absoloute beauty, just a but out of budget for me

[morciii]

the car has a part service history, most of which is in the past. I think the guy said it was missing the last two and a half years or so. i've to give them a call back on Monday before i head down to see it.

[morciii]

i went and viewed the Elan on Monday, and will definitely not be buying it. The car is still for sale despite not being on autotrader anymore. http://www.marmadukegarage.co.uk/used-c ... 3062294517

after a 3 and a half hour drive we arrived at the garage, to find it was a small unit in a narrow lane, with houses on either side of it. it was locked up with no one around so had to give them a call. after 30 minutes the guy arrived. i gave the car a pretty thorough look over, using the buying guide for tips of what to look for and found the following faults

the rubber lip under the bumper was falling apart, battered and torn.
the brake discs were completely rusted
the indicators and lights on the bumper were cracked
the window seals were missing on the drivers side
all roof seals were needing replaced
the lock for the boot had broken off and was in the drivers side pocket
and the engine showed signs of leaking oil

i took pictures of all of the faults and was going to post here to find out how much i'd be looking at in terms of repairs. I asked if i could take it a little test drive (was told on the phone this would be ok) and the guy said that unless i was buying it today then i wasn't allowed to drive it. i said to him that i would need to price repairs before i knew if i would be buying it or not but he wasn't having it, he then said ''if you're not buying today, you're not interested'' before jumping in the car and reversing it back into the unit. Very strange experience. but i hope this post helps anyone else who may be interested in the car. the cars bodywork is actually ok, but the service history only goes up to 60,000 miles, last stamp in 2002.

[Enright]

That sounds like it must be the same bloke that this post refers to.
What a shame - somebody either needs to alter their prices or their customer relations skills.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, it's good learning for everyone.
Hope future searches produce better results for you.

[Artaban]

It sounds like he was banking on someone completely ignorant of the car to buy it. Then you turn up with a buying guide and he knows immediately it won't stand up to scrutiny. By the time you'd fixed those problems and done a full service with cambelt and water pump you'd have spent more than the car cost. For that money you could get one lovingly looked after by a forum member with loads of other mods done as well.
Keep looking but remember to make sure the cambelt/water pump has been recently done or at least factor in £1,000 to cover it. I say £1k because theres always something else that needs doing. What budget do you think you can go up to as it may persuade some on here to let go of their treasured transport? Bear in mind prices will go up easily £500 on a car when the weather gets warmer and owners need to be financially persuaded to part with their car rather than enjoy another summer of fun in it.
Best of luck though.
Andrew

[dapinky]

It appears that the 'seller' isn't particularly motivated to do a deal, but I can offer some sort of advice on the faults you list:-

the rubber lip under the bumper was falling apart, battered and torn.

simple to replace (about £15 inc P&P) - but what other damage may it hide to the front underside?

the brake discs were completely rusted

New front discs can be got for about £25 delivered - not uncommon to find them rusted if the car has been standing for a while, but it suggests that the whole brake system may need some maintenance.

the indicators and lights on the bumper were cracked

I've got a spare pair of OE lenses (so, just the cost of postage to you!) - clear ones are also available (which is why I've got a spare pair!) for about £70

the window seals were missing on the drivers side

If you mean the horizontal rubber strip between the window and the door, they are available from PNM engineering for about £70 a pair (or they can be modified yourself from a 'standard' profile bit - there are instructions availlable.
If you mean the spongy 'A' pillar seals, then see below answer.

all roof seals were needing replaced

Complete sets of OE roof seals are sometimes available as a set, or some can be bought seperately, however, Jamie-N in Scotland has adapted EPDM rubber seals to replace ALL roof 'A' pillar and door seals - instructions are on the forum, or he will sell you a complete set (or whatever you need).

the lock for the boot had broken off and was in the drivers side pocket

Again, not uncommon - it's only held in by a metal 'U' clip which can come off - the mechanism is seperate (I've got a boot lock somewhere round here....)

and the engine showed signs of leaking oil

It all depends where from - there are some 'common' leaks which can be repaired cheaply (or even free) - the CAS 'O' ring and blanking plate 'O' ring are the usual ones and will show up as a drip down onto the clutch bell housing which spreads arround and looks worse than it is.... Then there is the possibility of a leaking cam cover gasket (easy to change, or seal with silicone), anything else will depend on where it's leaking from...

My main concern is that he is advertising as 'Service History' when it's clearly only a partial history - so it must be assumed that (at best) the oil has been changed. Unless there is clear evidence to the contrary, budget for at least a cambelt change (along with associated tensioners/water pump).