Esprit Market Watch - Help for those searching

[Barrykearley]

it's easier to beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission!

That is exactly my life philosophy - it shall be engraved on my headstone!!!

[GTK]

"I do what I want"

...will cost you less 

[DaveyT]

Before or after the divorce?

[Barrykearley]

The key is just to keep them distracted on something else!!!

[GTK]

I'm going to read innuendo into that even thought I'm fairly sure it's clean.

[Vanya]

I would cite lack of pre-emptive maintenance, lack of money to buy the proper parts, and bodged repairs, where owners (or garages) simply cannot be bothered, or cannot afford to fix things properly. But lack of easy access for maintenance is probably the top of the pile.

 

I estimate it's going to cost me a couple of grand a year to keep my Esprit in good condition.

It's easy to get carried away here. When I think back on my SE ownership these last couple of years I haven't had to change a THING except for fluids (given the other stuff has been done such as aluminium tanks of course..)

Most of my money has gone to replacing stuff that has corroded. Other than that EVERYTHING has been rock solid, I probably could have run the SE on a shoestring - maybe 1-2 grand a year for fluids AND belt changes certain years, but I think it can be done reasonably cheap. 

Ruud - this seems to be a common trait for the Turbo SE - and indeed all 4-pot Esprits.... they seem to be extremely reliable cars, especially if used regularly. The latter being particularly important....I'm slowly starting to learn what happens when you don't do this (my V8 is leaking all over the place with hoses cracking on every drive...)

[The Pits]

You can't underestimate the influence of speculators driving the classic car boom at the moment.

With such poor returns from the bank and stock markets the prospect of rapid, tax free appreciation is impossible to resist even for those with no interest in cars whatsoever. I saw a documentary about Joe Macari. This man walked in and did a deal for £1.1m worth of cars on the spot. Joe Macari told him which cars he should buy, he signed the cheque and walked out. Several cars bought, never to be driven.

Some Lotus classics have got caught up in this such as the Elite and original Elan but mostly Lotus have missed out. This will turn out to be a good thing when the bubble bursts! It's simply a case of getting on the radar for the wider investment market. At the moment Lotus cars only change hands between Lotus enthusiasts. The Honda NSX broke through to a wider audience just within the last 6 months. You could get a nice car for well under £30k. Now, £60k all day long. We all know the Turbo SE out performed the NSX, 911 and 348 in most respects back in the very late 80's. But dealers are playing the Ayrton Senna car for all its worth and values have bolted.

I tried to do the right thing and invest in an ISA. It's lost roughly £1k every year. That money would have been so much better put into the right classic car and much more enjoyable. Lesson learned. ISA spent on Red Mitsubishi Evo Tommi Makinnen. Rally icon, only 211 made in red, also under the radar until very recently. The value has risen £2k between leaving Japan and arriving in the UK.

Everyone is looking for the next big thing. R32 and R33 Nissan Skylines are hotly tipped. It shouldn't be long before people start realising what great value Esprits are right now.

[Barrykearley]

When I had a blowing cat converter join........hmmm

Off to the exhaust place - ooh that's not fixable - new pipe at £270 plus vat or entire exhaust at £700 plus vat. That's a very reputable stainless steel fabricators

I politely declined and came away. On here and bought a lovely decat pipe for £40.

Down the local dairy equipment suppliers for stainless nuts and bolts - oh have them they say....... I use them for fabricating all sorts...

So - you can be ripped, spend as much as you like - or still do it properly on a budget.......

I wish I'd bought an old renualt5 turbo when they were buttons.........

Even the wife's happy for me to buy more - better than money in the bank

[Chinsterb]

I am pretty new to Esprit ownership, am am pretty sure I will have paid far more for my 85 turbo the many of you. I have spent the first 6 months of ownership sorting out poor shoddy work or things that have not been done. I have a long history with cars. I built them as a hobby in my teens progressing to selling classics in London in my 20's and then on to new high value cars in central London. I have always loved the esprit and when I decided to buy a keeper it was the esprit that I wanted. (911s have the engine in the wrong place and 80s versions are ugly and other marques are already out of reach).

I think there are a number of issues, some people want these cars to remain accessible, some seem happy to modify and change cars from original, people do servicing themselves, there is no service network and lots of cars that have poor quality work on them. Some of the trim, velour interiors can look ratty if not looked after, no 308 had velour interior! The list goes on it does not detract from the fact that the car was designed by 2 of the world's very best.

My turbo is now looking good and running well but work has been done by professionals, documented and recorded. It will now not get driven in the rain and will continue to have high quality work done on it. If the values are to rise, as a community we need to recognise we need to change. Or we don't worry and carry on on a shoe string as before. We are a minor brand and it is unlikely we will ever get to to lambo or prancing horse territory but they can rise from where they are.

I have heard some say 15k for a full retrim is expensive for an S1, I bet that is small

Beer to a Ferrari owner of a car the same age!

[Barrykearley]

Irrespective of the car marque - you still can still maintain properly without taking out a mortgage.

I've been lucky I think - mines only been lotus maintained before I had it - off the road for 8 years though because someone could not afford the exhaust manifold, ecu and cam belt service if needed....

Unless you have a 308 and require a new indicator assembly at £3k.......that's just the market forces pushing up bits. Of course you take it to a Ferrari trimmers and they will have you pants down for sure

[The Pits]

Agreed, a full body off restoration of a barn-find Aston Martin is £200k. Same price whether it's a £500k DB5 or £50k DBS.

A similar amount of work on an Esprit would be more like £50k.

[Mike6]

Class  car buyer had an article about buying 80's sport cars a month or so back. Their hot tip was that prices for the Esprit were about to rocket and that it was about time they did given the pedigree and rarity of the car.

[Mark Blanchard]

Here's an article from today's paper about classic car prices soaring.  Shame the Esprit isn't on the list.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/11705523/Investors-send-classic-car-price-soaring-even-Golf-GTIs-and-Cortinas.html

And can't believe an 911 SC Targa is on there and they're at £31k!  Always thought they were an ugly pile of crap.  Even one of my Porsche mates say they're crap.  The world's gone mad.

[Loose Cannon]

 The world's gone mad.

Quite. We seem to be entering the era of the 7 grand Allegro and 20 grand Capri

[espritmania]

Hi,I am thinking of putting up my S3 for sale.

It was originally a Lotus company car for two years and  was given to Mr Tim J  Entright to use.Two years later it was sold to the Lotus car co ant then sold on to the person I purchased it from.It was last used 20 years ago and has been stood in a barn since.

As you can see the interior is immaculate ,everything is original with only 23000 miles from new,the bodywork is in fantastic condition as well is the glass and chrome trim, original wheels and tires.I have never seen another like this.I have a cert of provenance with all the details about the car and has all matching numbers ect.

Only four were made in this spec,all S3 N/A's.

Three to Europe,one to Japan.Mine is the last one made in this spec.

It will need a full mechanical rebuild,which is a piece of cake especially when nothing has been changed or modified.

Has anyone got an idea what it's worth,it's not an S1 but still a rare beast indeed.

Your thoughts Please.Paul G.

 

[Barrykearley]

The Capri I can almost understand.

I wouldn't give 7000 pence tor an allegro. Complete and utter BL shite. It should be scrubbed from humanities history books forever. I'm thinking - really hard - there's simply nothing more shit than an allegro. Even all the other rubbish BL stuff, which there was a lot of, is thousands of times better

Paul - I'd give you a couple of grand and come and get it later

[PhilW]

Excuse me Sir!!!!!!

I had an Allegro Estate.  I fine vehicle.  It used more oil than petrol, shook like mad, suspension that always leaked and looked like a pile of sick but it got me to work without fail if i remember rightly.

[GTK]

Paul (Godfrey), no one knows for sure which is prob why the lack of response.

If parts are anything to go by in general we really are on the cusp of the value jump. In my quest for parts I happened upon a factory S1/S2 steering wheel this morning on ebay. It's in decent condition and comes with the boss but doesn't have the foam capping. It was at £39 when I saw it this morn, this eve it sits at £147 (over €200) and interestingly one chap took it from £50 to £125 in one bid.

I feel both screwed and happy that things are coming to this. 

Good signs!

[espritmania]

Thanks.I have never come across one with such good interior.I bought my S1 when it was seven years old and the interior  was f%%ked.

I just bought a Landrover Disco which is seven years old and the whole car is immaculate.

[Chillidoggy]

Excuse me Sir!!!!!!

I had an Allegro Estate.  I fine vehicle.  It used more oil than petrol, shook like mad, suspension that always leaked and looked like a pile of sick but it got me to work without fail if i remember rightly.

They used to be known as the baby Scimitar, due to the slight resemblance of the shape. Apart from that, they were shite.

[PhilW]

I had a Scimitar too!!!!!!!!  SE6A.  Brown with tan vinyl roof.  God what a twat I was, although a lot say I still am!

[Bazza 907]

Paul

As you know it's really difficult to estimate a value but I'll tell you what I think to start the ball rolling 

I think I'd work out what an early S3 in good cosmetic condition would be worth (say £15k?) and deduct the approx cost of bringing the mechanical side up to scratch either by a talented DIY'er or by a specialist (or perhaps somewhere in between).  

Given that it's been stood so long and looking at the engine bay personally I'd assume a cost (paying for it to be done at £5-8k although it could be either more or less).

In which case I think it's worth £7-£10k in the current market for Esprit prices and bottom end if you wanted a quick sale.

There I've had a crack at it, shoot me down in flames!

[Chillidoggy]

I had a Scimitar too!!!!!!!!  SE6A.  Brown with tan vinyl roof.  God what a twat I was, although a lot say I still am!

Oh no, you weren't a twat. I've had two Scims, a 1982 GTE and 1980 GTC. Ran them as daily drivers. Superb cars, and I was sad to sell them.

[pete]

as a personal aside a green car is offputting enough but that green interior is a real deal breaker. Just a personal comment though .

[TAR]

That green interior is fantastic and identical to what is in my car (or will be when its rebuilt)