Buying private?

[Lee Blue]

Hi all,

I was advised to join this forum as I’m considering entering the world of Lotus. 
 

Im supposed to be going to view an S3 S, Supercharged Elise tomorrow from a guy named John up in North Wales. An aviation engineer who’s maintained the vehicle himself since he bought if from Bell and Covill back in 2013. He has loads of maintenance records that appear to be well put together and consistent.  However, I’m very nervous that it could all go horribly wrong and I get stuck with a nightmare vehicle.

Is there such a thing as a Pre Purchase inspection you can have on a Lotus? 

Burning in my mind is that if it looks too good to be true then it probably is… :/

What to do? Any thoughts?

 

Lee

[jep]

How experienced are you with buying cars? How good is your antennae/instinct? If you're taking uneducated guesses and you buy a dud, look in the mirror.

Plenty of lovely cars sold privately, plenty of horrid cars sold by traders. 

For RPM (real peace of mind) buy from known Lotus specialists like Bell and Colvill etc....

If the seller has nothing to hide, he'll no doubt allow you to pay for an inspection but make sure it's at a Lotus specialist not a generic garage. Frankly, a brand new MOT should show it is sound (assuming you hear engine and gearbox are working) but suspension is key to a Lotus and MOT may not show geo issues.

HPI the car. 

Good luck. And if the seller says 'they all do that ......', be afraid. 

Justin 

PS. From the advert it looks a good car but not I think especially cheap for a private sale. Remember, many buyers want FSH by a specialist so consider that for when you need to sell. 

 

[C8RKH]

If he is in North Wales then he has probably self maintained as there is no "local dealer". As @jepsays buying from a dealer, even a reputable one, is no guarantee that you are not getting a lemon. Just as not having a CAT marker is no guarantee that the car has not been in accident (but everyone seems to assume it does!  go figure).

Again, as Justin says, have it checked over by someone who knows the cars. Not cars, but Lotus cars.  Check the condition and if it has been enthusiastically owner maintained I am sure you will spot the difference in its superb condition.  

Also, as a Lotus owner for some 9 years, he may well be on one of the Forums (here, Seloc etc) or a member of one of the Lotus clubs. Ask him. Find out which ones and his "handle".  Then Google is your friend as you may be able to see many threads re his enjoyment of, and work on, the car.

As with every major purchase. Do your homework and research. Go in with your eyes wide open. And of course, i wish you very success with your future Lotus purchase.

[jep]

Buying from a dealer has redress and no established Lotus dealer would not compensate if the car had subsequent issues especially B&C who are top-notch.

Buying privately has no redress unless the car is blatantly mis-described but getting a private bod to play ball is near impossible. And the court route for litigation is currently a waste of time - it used to work but COVID-19 has screwed our legal system.

This seller reads legitimate to me....but I'm not underwriting your purchase 😃

Justin 

 

[Bibs]

You could always have an inspection at either North Wales Lotus or Oakmere Lotus? They'll know their way around the car...

https://www.northwaleslotusspecialists.co.uk/used-cars/

https://www.oakmeremotorgroup.co.uk/lotus/aftersales

[MJON]

@Lee Blue agree with Jep’s comment. The price does look high but they seem to have rocketed in the last twelve months or so. Bought a one year old Sport 220 in 2018 direct from a Lotus dealer with 3k on the clock for £35k. They had three there at the time. Should have bought them all 🙄

[Lee Blue]

Hi again all,

Thanks for the replies. Very much appreciated.

Long story short, I bricked it and shat out 🤦‍♂️
 

Sourced a verified one. Stroll on! 💪😃

 

 

[C8RKH]

Nice one @Lee Blue. Where's the piccies? Come on, don't be shy. Let's have the full frontal, the killer side shot, and of course the booty shot!  Come on now......

[pete]

One of the car too😜

[Lee Blue]

All in good time friends, all in good time. Gonna savour the initial delights on the qt with the fam and close friends. Soooooo excited tho, it’s mint. I can almost hear the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains calling me from afar! 😆😃

[Lee Blue]

Hi Guy’s,

I’m back! 😃 👈and smiling! 😃 It’s a shame there’s no ear to ear smiling emoji because I’d be using that!

My other motor is a VWT4 and in that gang that van’s gotta be named. Zeebo the wonder van is the name my daughter bestowed upon her back in the day. I’m not sure if we all give names here, but I’ve been compelled to do the same for my little stealth flower. 

So without further ado, I have the distinct pleasure and privilege to introduce to you, hailing from deepest darkest Wales, the masher of mountain roads, beater of B roads, A road accelerator, roundabout king and motorway mile muncher, DARTH. 

As you can probably tell, I’m chuffed to bits. Every time I drive it, it’s magical. 
Alright it’s a bit small inside, with no storage, noisy, a bit stiff on the road and I need to use Jiu Jitsu to enter and exit (Drop in and swivel out, for those who know😂) but all that goes out the window as soon as the road opens up.

Absolutely glorious!

Lee 😃

[Bibs]

Very nice, congratulations! A used to have a red car, green car and blue car but my daughter insists they're now ruby, emerald and sapphire!! 🤣

[CocoPops]

Shouldn't you rename yourself Lee Grey? As opposed to Lee Blue 😛

 

[ADF]

Simply stunning, love the colour combo. Definitely a thing to cherish and look after and drive the nuts off, once your used to it. Enjoy!

You need to try to get in and out of an S1 Elise, believe me you will never complain again.  Its like posting yourself through a letter box.

[Gashead1105]

I think you need to identify which Darth it is purporting to be. I have Darth Maul: