Yes, I regret my decision.

[GavinT 109]

Hi all,

 

It's been about four months since I waived goodbye to 165H and I really miss her. I did good things with the money from the sale ...paid down some debt and expanded my business....but doing the 'mature' thing has left me unsatisfied.  Although I didn't drive her much, I was proud to be her owner. The rush when I opened the garage door is gone.  It sounds stupid to say 'I am still in mourning' but I think I really am. 165H will never be mine again but I feel that I will need to fill the void sometime soon. Life really is too short. In the meantime I shall take pleasure from your sharing on this forum.

 

Cheers to all.

 

Gavin.

 

[molemot 521]

"Mature"...."Sensible".....may the fates defend me from such unworthy thoughts!!!! As you have found, once it's gone, it's gone. Only twice in 68 years have I sold things in a so-called "sensible decision". Once was the MG TC...;which was sold when I was in the RAF and couldn't keep her as she should have been kept...and the other was the aeroplane, after I had wrecked my shoulder and couldn't reach the radios. Both bad decisions.  To get them back again would now bankrupt me!!

[GavinT 109]

I've learnt my lesson. In the future when it comes to things automotive I SHALL NEVER BE SENSIBLE OR MATURE.

[espritmania 34]

I was in the same boat,doing up a house costs spiraling as usual .Car stuck in the garage because all the time was spent on the house.So decided to advertise it not expecting to sell it (you know what I mean,just to get it out of my system).

A collector from the USA phoned me up and A deal was done before I could change my mind.

The short story is yes i am sad i sold my S1 but I paid off some of the mortgage and now have an S4 Esprit and also by luck an ultra rare Altaire green Esprit S3 .So I am quite happy still.

[Andy Esprit SE 87]

I know a fella who has just bought the same actual esprit for the 3rd time !! Going to get the full story at weekend but hes sold it twice for different reasons and bought it back again a couole of years later.

[GavinT 109]

I think next time around I will look at a later model Esprit. Either a G Turbo or a Stevens. I'd really like an S3 N/A but not available here in the States. I love the simplicity of the engineering on the S1/S2 but am all too familiar with the early models shortcomings. I think a later car, being better engineered will be somewhat easier to live with. In no rush but the search begins.

[Paul Coleman 471]

Screw sensible! I'm a bloke - I'm not supposed to grow up?

[Laurie Cross 15]

I bought mine at the time I should have been most sensible with the other half 3 months pregnant, Everyone asking where does the shopping/baby go. So hopefully I never get affected by this affliction that you all mention.

[islandbloke 1]

I feel your pain. I bought Lottie new in 1990 at a particularly exciting time in my life, and used her as a daily drive. Moved to the IOM in 1997 and wasn't using her much at all (it's a small island and I was working from home!) and she started to play up to the point that a mechanic I trusted said she needed a complete overhaul rather than messing around fighting small faults. So I rented a lock-up while I saved the £5k we thought that would cost (by now I wasn't making much money any more).

 

In 2002 my mechanic started the overhaul then called me one day to say he'd taken the engine out for a bit of refreshing and decided it actually needed completely replacing...so that was the budget gone with lots still to do. I'd been talking to Lotus engine guru Garry Kemp about the overhaul, and told him the bad news - he said he knew someone looking for an SE as a resto project, so to cut a long story short I sold her. It was like selling one of my children - as the trailer was pulling away I knew I'd made a big mistake.

 

Luckily I kept in touch with her new owner, who did lots and lots of work over the next four years, and told him if he ever wanted to sell her, to give me first option..

 

He did exactly that in 2006 and I bought her back, with a gleaming new paint job (which has now faded yet again) and an uprated engine per Garry's specification and guidance which he reckons makes 370-390bhp. I think he might be right, although I'm not going to risk a dyno run to find out.

 

Now we're back at square one - I don't use her much, she needs another respray and is booked in for new oil coolers and a raft of other jobs. I sometimes think I should swap her for an Elise (more sensible on our narrow roads here) but I know I'd regret it. We have too much shared history of good times (and bad).

 

So find out where yours is Gavin and plant the seed...

[rajesprit 13]

I get a stomach ache, just at the thought of selling my S1

[GavinT 109]

The chap I sold 165H to I think will be holding on to her for a long while, unless something really unforeseen happens. He had studied automotive design in his youth and the S1 was always his favorite design. He's not mechanically inclined so the maintenance costs of paying someone for every little thing might wear him down, but he certainly wasn't short of a penny or two.

I really didn't factor in how much personally the car meant too me. My mileage over the last couple of years was less than 500 a year and I figured that was way too low to really miss driving her. I think there are many on this forum that have made the mistake and now I know first hand what that regret feels like. It's spilt milk now so I shall not dwell but look forward to the next one. I'm not so looking forward to the vetting process though, as so many cars are missrepresented.

[GavinT 109]

One of the biggest things I miss is tinkering. I loved getting my hands dirty and felt such a feeling of accomplishment after a job was done. Even if it was a pain and a knuckle buster. Hell, my first ever solo timing belt change was on 165H. Never felt so afraid when I turned the key for the first time but that quickly went away and was replaced by a big grin when she fired right up.

[HowardRoark 42]

I feel your pain! My first Lotus was an 89 Esprit SE, white with white leather interior. I LOVED it. Sold it to pay some bills and I always regretted it. I now own a 1999 Esprit V8 in white (the only 99+ in white I have ever seen in the US), so I love this newer car, but I would always like to own that first one again. I kind of actually liked that turbo lag with the SE where you put your boot in, and half a second later, your head slams backward into your seat like a jet taking off.

[andy b 26]

i sold my mk 1 cortina lotus in 1987 to pay for some work on a lotus eleven i had bought. i missed it so much i bought it back in 1988 and i still have it.

A chap in the local garage sold his mk i in the seventies to replace a stair carpet i bump in to him about once a month the first thing he says is the mk 1 for sale. thats a long time for regret's

andy b

[Laurie Cross 15]

My dad is always going on about cars he had back in the 60's wish I hadn't sold my Tiger, Wish I hadn't sold my Lotus Cortina and the one we were talking about a month a go was wish I had bought that RS1600. someone offered him one in the 70's but wanted alot of money saying "They didn't make a lot of these they are going to be rare" My dad said his comment at the time was something like its just an escort it will never be worth a lot........

[lotusespritse 44]

I feel your pain! My first Lotus was an 89 Esprit SE, white with white leather interior. I LOVED it. Sold it to pay some bills and I always regretted it. I now own a 1999 Esprit V8 in white (the only 99+ in white I have ever seen in the US), so I love this newer car, but I would always like to own that first one again. I kind of actually liked that turbo lag with the SE where you put your boot in, and half a second later, your head slams backward into your seat like a jet taking off.

 

That white on white SE looks stunning.  Do you have more pics?  I would love to own that combo.

 

I had a 91 Jim Clark Esprit SE.  After selling it, I went through a lot of super cars looking for the same thrill, but came back to the Esprit.  It would be hard to go back to the SE from the V8, but if a white/white SE showed up, it would be hard to say no.

[Vanya 564]

...stay away from the SE's....they are addictive. You wouldn't wanna give up your V8 for one...but there's a risk you might buy an SE in addition to it for its raw power and addictive turbo lag. 

[Hemlock 4]

I hope you find another one soon, good luck in the search.

[HowardRoark 42]

That white on white SE looks stunning.  Do you have more pics?  I would love to own that combo.

 

I had a 91 Jim Clark Esprit SE.  After selling it, I went through a lot of super cars looking for the same thrill, but came back to the Esprit.  It would be hard to go back to the SE from the V8, but if a white/white SE showed up, it would be hard to say no.

Thank you Philip! Yes I loved the white leather interior. Here are a few more pics...

[Pat H 22]

Third time round for me.

 

I really should hang onto it this time. 

 

According to Lotus, it is the very last domestic market Giugiaro Turbo built in Monaco white.

 

It has now covered a whopping 34,000 miles.

 

It's damn good to have it back.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2014 by Pat H

[Bibs 11,126]

Please take some more pics Pat, is that the only one you have? I'm sure I first saw it on PH about 3 years ago, and a hundred times since and haven't seen any others. Shame for such a pretty car!

[rudolphwolven 96]

...stay away from the SE's....they are addictive. You wouldn't wanna give up your V8 for one...but there's a risk you might buy an SE in addition to it for its raw power and addictive turbo lag. 

 

Indeed...........raw power and addictive turbo lag......that's the SE...........