LHD Excel - £35000

Eclat or Excel parts for sale.

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Hawaiis0
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LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Just seen this, wasn't this on a dutch site last week? for half that?

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1449170
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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Looks Good.
Pictures look to be taken by a pro.

Could believe it's worth the money if you are a 4 seater wedge virgin and used to looking at other Lotus values.
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Tanz
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Tanz »

Doesn't it have to older black top engine for a 1988 car?
Cheers, Phil
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Hawaiis0
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Tanz wrote:
Thu May 05, 2022 20:10
Doesn't it have to older black top engine for a 1988 car?
Good spot.

Not a HC engine.

Could that be an export thing?
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bash
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by bash »

What was the cut off date for Citroen mirrors and turbine wheels ?

Bash
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Pete Boole »

ISTR the mirrors are a '89 MY change.

Pete

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Hawaiis0
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Hawaiis0 »

I would possibly expect some mis-alignment of LHD vehicles to our RHD models due to 'federal' rules and possibly sale times etc.

Who knows how to date the chassis number on the build time line? --- edit found it :oops:

J = 1988 and 4 = sweden

MY89 for started at chassis 0427 from October '88 for all markets. This is 0417 so an MY87 car. Confirmed by the bumper and spoiler styles
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bash
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by bash »

If he gets the money I might nail my steering wheel onto the 'wrong' side.

Bash
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Hawaiis0
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by Hawaiis0 »

bash wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 16:33
If he gets the money I might nail my steering wheel onto the 'wrong' side.

Bash
You hold it, I'll hit it

There may be a business opportunity there 8) 8)
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JB455
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by JB455 »

There is also another LHD Excel that's been for sale at another US dealer at that same price of $45,000 USD. It's been on since last summer. https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/vehi ... otus-Excel
I know that LHD commands a premium- at least in LHD countries, but both of these seem quite high based on other sales.

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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by richardw »

Hawaiis0 wrote:
Thu May 05, 2022 21:08
Tanz wrote:
Thu May 05, 2022 20:10
Doesn't it have to older black top engine for a 1988 car?
Good spot.

Not a HC engine.

Could that be an export thing?
Possible - but Lotus did sell a few non - SE Excels after the introduction of the SE. In the home market these models also had a black centre console panel instead of wood effect. It looks as though a previous owner of this car has replaced the dash panels with a veneer, and the SE badging could also have been added.

Cheers, Richard
Image

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DavidOliver
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by DavidOliver »

Another spot is the single cap coolant reservoir.
As the car was Europe targetted I do not think Federal requirements were considered.
Perhaps the interior trim was a complete SE retrim spec, including the SE badge on the boot.
A further telltale on the engine would be the distributor, diaphragm or not, and purge valve.

Dave the cog.

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fueltheburn
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by fueltheburn »

Looking at this car - as noted by a few of you, it sits in a weird year.

It is classed as the 87-88MY update but has an earlier Green wickens badge from the 86-87 year excels of which only a few I know of carry a Green wickens badge. After 86-87 they went to the Black Wickens and then back to the Round lotus Badge for 89MY onward changes.

This car carries:
- Earlier 86ish badge
- LC 912 engine rocker covers (non SE)
- Single top coolant tank ( not twin of SE)
- 85-88 Wide body with twin vents on either side of bonnet. Does not have triple central vent across front of bonnet as per later spec 89MY
- Appears to have the rear diff carrier exntension to underside of boot modification to stop the boot cracking which came in 87-88. (looks like you can see the bolts in one pic)
- Elephant ear mirrors in quarter light window 85-88My - not citroen door mounted mirrors.
- 85-88 Speedline wheels.
- SE rear spats

This car is an oddity. It carries many different aspects of vehicles across the years and also different versions but I would say it is an earlier registered (unsold) car which has been upgraded with later items from the options list to improve the salability of it to an international buyer.
In my eyes it is a non-SE in a pretty party dress akin to Cinderella as the clock strikes midnight and her true identity is revealed.

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JB455
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by JB455 »

I was discussing this car earlier today via email with someone very knowledgeable with 1980s Lotus. He pointed out that this was originally a Swedish market car and thus built to their regulations- the headlight washers on this car being one of them. He went on to say "Swedish and Swiss spec Excel SE’s were fitted with the standard lower compression engine (minus 20 hp from the higher compression regular SE engines), in order to comply with local requirements."

The discussion was in response to write up on this car in Hemmings- https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2022/0 ... 2022-05-08

gusexcel
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Re: LHD Excel - £35000

Post by gusexcel »

VIN makes sense for the model year also per Seloc wiki

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