Surely a stupid plan....

The wife'll get over it. Just do it :-D

You already have.................buying an Alfa and then a dreadful chinese clone Honda are not the most sensible of moves! k

I think I look at the ad - even I can recognise that this car spells TROUBLE in two foot high letters.

Don't do if you value the remains of your sanity.

It is so shit it is cool. Do you plan to see the missus ever again? If not, buy it. Do it. You know you want to. Stupid is as stupid does. Do it.

Just don't even comment when I suggest something as a project, even a fantasy one. or buy that Satin black Scimitar I posted just now.

Heh. I was kind of thinking of going to have a look - but I wouldn't know where to start checking out a Lotus. I know the basic engine / clutch / gearbox checks and to check the bodywork for damage, but the chassis worries me on an old Lotus more than anything else.

Buying it and doing it satin NATO green or satin black would be cool.

Yes, the Scim. appeals lots. I just don't have space for it.

If you have space for the Lotus, you have space for the Scim instead.

I don't have space for either.

HTH.

You know f*ck all about Lotus engines, and for someone like you that car would be likely to cost £10k + to get in a roadworthy condition.................

k

Which part of 'Engine runs very well, starts first time.' did you not understand?

As I see it, it's a bit scruffy, and due to standing will probably need the brakes fettling. Might benefit from a gearbox oil change, too - or it could just have a dodgy synchro.

If I had space, I'd take a gamble. As it is, I don't, so I can't.

Dude, you know I've got the 'vehicle bug' as bad as you do but even I wouldn't take a gamble on a Lotus - they're playing with loaded dice.

*Heavily* loaded dice, that is.

If you want one then you have to buy the best one you can afford, because everything else will end in disaster. Kinda like responding to Kenni Bois trolling, only worse.

Yes a Lotus twin cam motor, that doesnt have an air cleaner, and looks like it hasnt been looked at for years, is certain to run well!

As I said you know f*ck all about these engines (which are pretty dreadful things by the way), and that car would cost someone like you £10k+ for mechanical alone!

k

Butting a Lotus is going to make your head hurt whatever the price.

BUT compared to BUYing one it will less painful in the longer term.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

I've come close myself before.

Always managed to avoid doing it though.

It suffers from being crazy, British and idiosyncratic.

They bolted the body tub onto the chassis with felt pads used as insulation. We all know what happens to felt when it rains, and we all know what happens to poorly protected steel when exposed to prolonged exposure to moisture and oxygen. Conventional wisdom these days is to look for a galvanised chassis. If it doesn't have one then it's on the original. Not good. Then there's the engine....

Much as I love Lotii in general, I could only trust an Excel (Toyota running gear) a FWD Elan (Isuzu running gear) or an Elise S1 onwards.

70s era cars are just not worth the risk. That's why they are worth a fraction of the money of the Porsche competition that they cost the same as at the time.

There - is that enough ?

Heh.

I don't think that would have been enough to put me off, if I'd had space for it and somewhere warm and dry to work.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com, Bob Sherunckle wittered on forthwith;

*Bingo*

I've worked on the Lotus lump in the Sunbeams, we ended up taking them out and putting Alfa lumps in instead. The Lotus engines have a habit of heat-seizing on rallies. Annoying when both oil and water were at sensible temps, blocks used to flex when they got even slightly hot.

I drove a FWD Elan S1 for a while about 10 years ago, worryingly good to drive. Not /that/ quick, but incredibly useable. Reminded me of a very well sorted Mini for some reason. Wide though.

You don't need an excuse to not buy an old Lotus. You just need a semi-working brain... I'd love an old Elan with the 130 motor, which I suppose says a lot about me.

There's nothing wrong with that. At all.

Elan in gold leaf colours if you're buying. Or perhaps yellow / white two tone.

A spyder chassis would be more than sensible right enough just to make sure it's still there in a few years. (And while we're at it, might as well fit a zetec if you actually want to complete 'journeys' in it. It sounds every bit as good as a Lotus twink)