Intro - new member in herts

[Jimb976]

Hi there

I have recently joined the forum after looking at the very useful advice on here for almost a year.

In the more recent months I have seen various cars with a view to purchase them, none of which have been quite right.

That looks set to change as I have put a deposit on a car I hope to collect tomorrow, a two owner 92 model that seems to tick most of the buyers guide boxes but does require a bit of recommissioning.

I hope to post up some photos in due course and look forward to seeking guidance on a number of matters.

I am based in St. Albans, can anyone recommend a lotus service specialist nearby? This will be my first lotus, more used to German cars and currently own a very good (95% concours) vw golf gti mk1, which is another great driver's car that I look forward to comparing to the élan.

Thanks

Jim

[Rice crispy]

Jim welcome and good luck with the car.
David

[Dave Eds]

Where is Herts? Never heard of it

GST at Newmarket - always go there!

Castle Lotus at Stansted.

Morland Jones over Hammersmith way.

Highline (I think) in Mead Lane, Hertford - used to be Lotus/Bentley people in Barnet.

Welcome to the font of all M100 knowledge

[paulous]

Allon White

[Jimb976]

Allon White

Thanks very much for the recommendation. Have now had two very good discussions with Mike at AW and he has already provided a quote for some of the work I want done to the car, which by the way I had delivered on Weds.

I have been pleasantly surprised with the purchase having set my expectations fairly low, based on the number of cars I'd seen and what i'd learned from this forum. Thinking as practically as possible, I booked the car into my long term servicing garage, the guys responsible for everything mechanical on my Mk1 Golf, to immediately get the cambelt changed and to allow them to run the rule over the car from a non-Lotus specialist mechanical/structural review perspective, with a view to getting Allon White handle some of the more specialist work I have in mind. I asked the guys to do a thorough pre-MOT check, and in advance of this, yesterday I put on four new Uniroyal's, changed the wiper blades and put in one new bulb.

Anyway, the good news from the workshop is that the car does indeed appear to be everything I'd hoped (i took the 'buyer's guide' from LEC with me to the viewing and literally went through every point, along with some others I'd been advised of). The feedback from the workshop today was that three wheel bearings are shot (I had thought it was all four), the rear brake pipes are corroded and need replacing immediately, there's a small golf ball sized hole present on the rear sub frame and there's a broken bracket on the S/S exhaust rear silencer. So, all in all nothing too scary i thought. I've booked the car in for next week to have all of these items dealt with as well as having an oil change and fluids flush and replacing the alternator and starter motor, which is just as well as the SM is definitely on the way out and I don't fancy attempting that myself.

Based on what I've gleaned from here, my next priorities following the above 'urgent' work are:

- Complete front end brake system upgrade (AP Racing)
- Damper replacements (open to suggestions from members here...)
- Rear caliper overhaul (pads and discs are recent and good)

After that;

- Seat retrim (tatty but intact)
- Wheel renovation (all scuffed and need to get one straightened as the tyre fitment showed OSR is slightly buckled (kerbed/potholed)

Along the way there are plenty of niggly little broken trim pieces and cabin issues to overcome, but all non-urgent. However, my welcome to the world of elan ownership was baptised this morning since the journey to the garage left me with one damp sleeve and a sodden wet right thigh.

For those of you interested to know more about the car itself it's a 1992, two owner SE in BRG with 82k mileage and fairly decent, if incomplete, history. The immediate past owner is a lady that bought the car as a year old vehicle and initially maintained it through a main dealer, later switching to a local workshop. It was laid up for a few years between in the late 1990's, revitalised up until 2010, then off the road again until 2013 after which the dealer i bought it from acquired the car.

In time I will post up some pics and I'm sure ask for help on all manner of challenges!

[Jamie N]

Sounds like the basis for a great wee car, good luck with it, and remember we like pictures on LEC .