Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh! Update: not gonna happen :(
- Bing
- Legend
- Posts: 26514
- Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:19 pm
- Location: Exiled Scot in Maidstone
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
That’s f***ing classy
Current... Silver Grey ///M Roadster, non-flimper spec, Imola Red nappa, permanent ear-to-ear grin
Previous... 3.0Si Sport Roadster, Black Sapphire, Dream Red leather with lots of toys and lots of mods...
Previous... 3.0Si Sport Roadster, Black Sapphire, Dream Red leather with lots of toys and lots of mods...
- Mr Tidy
- Legend
- Posts: 23608
- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm
- Location: North West Surrey
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Very 80s - it looks great (well maybe apart from those gold wheels).
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black
-
- Lifer
- Posts: 11026
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:27 pm
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Nowt wrong with a bit of 80’s tat Chris.....
Looks nice that mucker.
Looks nice that mucker.
M roady...OEM CSL’s, strut brace, Remus back boxes, ZHP
MR2 MK 2
E89 35i project car...mapped 365bhp, M4 stoppers & wheels, KWV3’s, H&R front ARB, M3 front arms, strut brace Eisenmann cat back race exhaust, VRSF downpipes inbound
E89 35is
G29
MR2 MK 2
E89 35i project car...mapped 365bhp, M4 stoppers & wheels, KWV3’s, H&R front ARB, M3 front arms, strut brace Eisenmann cat back race exhaust, VRSF downpipes inbound
E89 35is
G29
-
- Member
- Posts: 488
- Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 10:42 am
- Location: Wokingham
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
This is of interest to me as I was working at Lotus around that time! I probably handled parts of it, I might have done final inspection on it. I might have even driven or passengered in it around the test track (they were all tested on the track before being signed off).
Z4 S-Drive 35i
Audi TT S-line
Mazda MX5 Mk2.5 (for sale)
Wokingham Berkshire
Audi TT S-line
Mazda MX5 Mk2.5 (for sale)
Wokingham Berkshire
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:26 am
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
The time mine started to get warm was when the otter (fan) switch only started to fail ... the fan would normally start at exactly 92 degrees on my gauge and cut out at 87. If there was a slight buzz from the relay as the fan started, that was a hint that the otter switch was starting to fail! I never had any overheating problems at speed, including track days. I found the thermostats tended to fail on the cold side and open early - temp gauge on a cruise on mine was bang on 82 deg.Chris_D wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 11:47 amSteve67 wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 11:23 am I miss mine! I had a ‘90 SE with full leather - bought with 50k on the clock and sold with 165k, still running sweetly with compressions all even and over 200psi. At one point I was commuting 140 miles a day in it. Great car for eating the miles but also a lot of fun in the twisty bits - awesome steering feel! The engine needs some revs to get going but pulls nicely to 7k once you get above about 4K!
The best mod I did to it was fit 17” wheels so that the front brakes could be upgraded from 260x22 to 325x25 (modded mg ZT 190 discs - cheap as chips) with hi spec 4 pot callipers...
Lotusexcel.net is a great forum!Great to hear Steve.
Was all over that forum for research. It's where I found out about the weird green cam filter. Sort of a CCV system for the Excel.
Must be the middle box and not a cat I'm seeing then.
Did you have any overheating issues? I've had it out for 2 test runs. On the second run I was let loose on my own and it started to go a bit warm so eased back off the revs and nursed it back to the dealer.
He's going to give it a coolant flush/renewal and check the pump and stat.
Final shakedown will be next weekend after they've done an oil-change and general service after I suggested they should really get it into some form of 'sellable' shape as it's been standing for so long (only driven 500 miles in the last 5 years!!). see pic.
The brakes were shall we say 'lively' under hard braking, so they're going to balance them and swap in some new pads. The tyres are also very old but with a decent amount of tread but they felt squishy.
The aircon works but it was feeble at best so a re-gas will also be part of the refresh by the dealer. Was happy it was actually working tbh.
Any other reccommendations, things to look out for from your perspective?
IMG_20190518_155805.jpg
The aircon was awesome on mine when filled with good old R12 - some days, it was so cold you’d get freezing fog out of the vents! It wasn’t quite so extreme on the eco R12 replacement (can’t remember the R number, not the same as modern cars!), but was still good! I found the a/c compressor took a fair chunk of power so left it switched off most of the time!
MOT time was generally ok, sometimes the carbs idle mix screws needed a 1/4 or 1/2 a turn in to get the target CO but go too far and the HC went high ... as soon as it passed, turn the screws back out so it runs smoothly!
Oh and keep a check on the condition of the cam belt pulleys - after about 100-110k my crank pulley developed sharp edges and started chewing the belt - luckily I spotted that before disaster struck!
The brakes came from the supra 2.8i and were also used on the Esprit SE turbo with 264bhp - even with calliper rebuilds and various different pads I always felt they were the weak point. Luckily the handling meant you didn’t need to use them much!
Overall, I loved that car and kept it 17 years! Feel free to PM me any questions!
Enjoy!
- Chris_D
- Lifer
- Posts: 6615
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Great tips Steve, many thanks!Steve67 wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 7:49 amThe time mine started to get warm was when the otter (fan) switch only started to fail ... the fan would normally start at exactly 92 degrees on my gauge and cut out at 87. If there was a slight buzz from the relay as the fan started, that was a hint that the otter switch was starting to fail! I never had any overheating problems at speed, including track days. I found the thermostats tended to fail on the cold side and open early - temp gauge on a cruise on mine was bang on 82 deg.Chris_D wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 11:47 amSteve67 wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 11:23 am I miss mine! I had a ‘90 SE with full leather - bought with 50k on the clock and sold with 165k, still running sweetly with compressions all even and over 200psi. At one point I was commuting 140 miles a day in it. Great car for eating the miles but also a lot of fun in the twisty bits - awesome steering feel! The engine needs some revs to get going but pulls nicely to 7k once you get above about 4K!
The best mod I did to it was fit 17” wheels so that the front brakes could be upgraded from 260x22 to 325x25 (modded mg ZT 190 discs - cheap as chips) with hi spec 4 pot callipers...
Lotusexcel.net is a great forum!Great to hear Steve.
Was all over that forum for research. It's where I found out about the weird green cam filter. Sort of a CCV system for the Excel.
Must be the middle box and not a cat I'm seeing then.
Did you have any overheating issues? I've had it out for 2 test runs. On the second run I was let loose on my own and it started to go a bit warm so eased back off the revs and nursed it back to the dealer.
He's going to give it a coolant flush/renewal and check the pump and stat.
Final shakedown will be next weekend after they've done an oil-change and general service after I suggested they should really get it into some form of 'sellable' shape as it's been standing for so long (only driven 500 miles in the last 5 years!!). see pic.
The brakes were shall we say 'lively' under hard braking, so they're going to balance them and swap in some new pads. The tyres are also very old but with a decent amount of tread but they felt squishy.
The aircon works but it was feeble at best so a re-gas will also be part of the refresh by the dealer. Was happy it was actually working tbh.
Any other reccommendations, things to look out for from your perspective?
IMG_20190518_155805.jpg
The aircon was awesome on mine when filled with good old R12 - some days, it was so cold you’d get freezing fog out of the vents! It wasn’t quite so extreme on the eco R12 replacement (can’t remember the R number, not the same as modern cars!), but was still good! I found the a/c compressor took a fair chunk of power so left it switched off most of the time!
MOT time was generally ok, sometimes the carbs idle mix screws needed a 1/4 or 1/2 a turn in to get the target CO but go too far and the HC went high ... as soon as it passed, turn the screws back out so it runs smoothly!
Oh and keep a check on the condition of the cam belt pulleys - after about 100-110k my crank pulley developed sharp edges and started chewing the belt - luckily I spotted that before disaster struck!
The brakes came from the supra 2.8i and were also used on the Esprit SE turbo with 264bhp - even with calliper rebuilds and various different pads I always felt they were the weak point. Luckily the handling meant you didn’t need to use them much!
Overall, I loved that car and kept it 17 years! Feel free to PM me any questions!
Enjoy!
I'm really hoping the overheating issue isn't more serious i.e. cracked/warped head. Hoping the worst case scenario is air bubbles or blockage somewhere and I'll suggest to the dealer before next weekend to look at the fan switch too.
How did you get such precise temperature measurements from yours? From the guages?
It's currently on a D service and I believe the belts are changed at C (?). It may be worth swapping some new ones in however and checking the pulley condition at the same time.
I'll PM you for any detailed questions and thanks for the offer!
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:26 am
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Yep, measurements were just from the gauges! Unlike most modern cars, the gauge does actually move as traffic conditions change! My R53 Cooper S gauge used to show exact “middle” temperature from 77-to over 105 degrees FFS, what’s the point in having a gauge!? The Z is probably just as bad, I just haven’t checked it against the OBD port or hidden dash menu yet!
For the life of me, I can’t remember whether there was a radiator bleed on the excel - but I think there was a small bleed pipe from the thermostat pipe / outlet back to the header tank and it’s worth checking that isn’t blocked!
For the life of me, I can’t remember whether there was a radiator bleed on the excel - but I think there was a small bleed pipe from the thermostat pipe / outlet back to the header tank and it’s worth checking that isn’t blocked!
- Chris_D
- Lifer
- Posts: 6615
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Reet thxSteve67 wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 10:07 pm Yep, measurements were just from the gauges! Unlike most modern cars, the gauge does actually move as traffic conditions change! My R53 Cooper S gauge used to show exact “middle” temperature from 77-to over 105 degrees FFS, what’s the point in having a gauge!? The Z is probably just as bad, I just haven’t checked it against the OBD port or hidden dash menu yet!
For the life of me, I can’t remember whether there was a radiator bleed on the excel - but I think there was a small bleed pipe from the thermostat pipe / outlet back to the header tank and it’s worth checking that isn’t blocked!
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
- Chris_D
- Lifer
- Posts: 6615
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
So, today was supposed to be full of joy and excitement as the plan was to pick up the Excel after the dealer promised to get it into a 'good sellable condition' after my previous 3 visits to view and test drive it. The overheating and brake issues were the highest concern and he advised that they had both been addressed, along with the replacement battery, aircon re-gas and wheel balancing.
It's on old rubber but that will have to be addressed at my expense due to the fact that I negotiated almost half the asking price away.
But, as with all the best laid plans, it turned out to be a bit of a damp squib.
I rocked up with a bag of cash and before parting with said bag it was down to business with another long test-drive.
30km in and the overheating issue sadly was still present. I was on back roads around Soesterberg with a lot of stop-start driving, giving it some beans here and there. This, after the dealer assured me it had been sorted and tested.
The braking was, if anything, worse than before! Before it would squirrel around under constant brake pedal pressure. Now it seemed to pull to the left quite badly. So it's definitely still unbalanced. The pads have been replaced though.
The only thing that did seem to have been adressed was the aircon. I actually had to turn it off after a while due to an icicle forming on the end of my schnozz!
Disappointed to say the least.
We spoke some more when I got back and the dealer went into pantomime-mode at his 'chief mechanic' who I thought was a decent bloke.
In any case, I advised that I was still interested but only if they can get these issues addressed.
Glad I didn't put a deposit down but by the same token I'm really into this car now. It just has to work!
@Steve, I advised about the otter switch relay and suggested they replace the relay to see if it makes a difference.
I also suggested to replace the temp sensors in case the guage is reading false.
It doesnt smell like it's over-heating, if you know what I mean? No boiling coolant smell or excess heat from the engine bay. But that's a dangerous supposition perhaps.
Any ideas from you?
It's on old rubber but that will have to be addressed at my expense due to the fact that I negotiated almost half the asking price away.
But, as with all the best laid plans, it turned out to be a bit of a damp squib.
I rocked up with a bag of cash and before parting with said bag it was down to business with another long test-drive.
30km in and the overheating issue sadly was still present. I was on back roads around Soesterberg with a lot of stop-start driving, giving it some beans here and there. This, after the dealer assured me it had been sorted and tested.
The braking was, if anything, worse than before! Before it would squirrel around under constant brake pedal pressure. Now it seemed to pull to the left quite badly. So it's definitely still unbalanced. The pads have been replaced though.
The only thing that did seem to have been adressed was the aircon. I actually had to turn it off after a while due to an icicle forming on the end of my schnozz!
Disappointed to say the least.
We spoke some more when I got back and the dealer went into pantomime-mode at his 'chief mechanic' who I thought was a decent bloke.
In any case, I advised that I was still interested but only if they can get these issues addressed.
Glad I didn't put a deposit down but by the same token I'm really into this car now. It just has to work!
@Steve, I advised about the otter switch relay and suggested they replace the relay to see if it makes a difference.
I also suggested to replace the temp sensors in case the guage is reading false.
It doesnt smell like it's over-heating, if you know what I mean? No boiling coolant smell or excess heat from the engine bay. But that's a dangerous supposition perhaps.
Any ideas from you?
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
-
- Member
- Posts: 738
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 10:12 pm
- Location: Thatcham, Berkshire
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Nice clean car. Not many around with originality. Plenty been stripped out and ruined. Saying that , a Jag V8 or a Lexus V8 do fit in there
Have a look at Seloc.org for info . Used to be on there when I had an Elise
Have a look at Seloc.org for info . Used to be on there when I had an Elise
E86 In sapphire black
- Chris_D
- Lifer
- Posts: 6615
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
It’s tempting to hope that the engine is actually toast on this one as that would enable me to negotiate even lower and then it would be a proper project car and opening the door to perhaps a swap-in of a tasty v8 as you suggest.Thrustyjust wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2019 10:38 pm Nice clean car. Not many around with originality. Plenty been stripped out and ruined. Saying that , a Jag V8 or a Lexus V8 do fit in there
Have a look at Seloc.org for info . Used to be on there when I had an Elise
I’m a bit ambivalent however. We’ll see how the dealer gets on this week....
Feeling lucky i didnt put any money down on this already. Dealer is in for 100’s more (apparently) since we started negotiations.
Thx for that link.
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
-
- Lifer
- Posts: 9529
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
- Location: South west Buckinghamshire
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Oh, the joys of old Lotus ownership Chris
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
- ShaunKC
- Member
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Fri May 03, 2013 10:59 am
- Location: West Yorkshire
- Contact:
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Here is one I saw on my travels today, a bit more of a project car, but the same model I think!
- Attachments
-
- IMG_2078.jpeg (413.4 KiB) Viewed 1263 times
Previous: Z4C 2007 Montego Blue // Current: Z4MC 2008 Sepang Bronze // Instagram: ayorkshirechap
- Chris_D
- Lifer
- Posts: 6615
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
It's quite literally become part of the scenery!
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.
-
- Member
- Posts: 488
- Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 10:42 am
- Location: Wokingham
So I just bought this. Don't laugh!
Check the seat belt mounting on the sill. I was in goods-in when a faulty batch came in with the captive nut welded on the wrong side. I refused to sign them off despite pressure from management. Eventually they got another inspector to sign them off and a few weeks later I was sacked due to my poor attitude. If it is the faulty batch, the seat belt mount will basically be held on by just 2 small welds rather than be being clamped by the nut.
Z4 S-Drive 35i
Audi TT S-line
Mazda MX5 Mk2.5 (for sale)
Wokingham Berkshire
Audi TT S-line
Mazda MX5 Mk2.5 (for sale)
Wokingham Berkshire