The Lotus Grand Tourers

I am looking for a Excel SE, I can pay cash for the right car at a realistic price.

Please email me on: theburnsides@btinternet.com or phone me on: 07920048194

Thanks
Michael

Malvern Michael wrote:I am looking for a Excel SE, I can pay cash for the right car at a realistic price.

Please email me on: theburnsides@btinternet.com or phone me on: 07920048194

Thanks
Michael

Have you tried the usual reprobates.........Mike Taylor, Paul Matty etc?

Thanks for the names I will take a look, as I am new to Lotus searching I am not in the know as to who what and where so some quick learning is required.

I am hoping to buy privately but if the right turns up at a dealer then so be it.

Mike Taylor is the owner of http://www.lotusbits.com/ our leading light in the Excel world, he may well be able to put you in touch with a seller

Hopefully your realistic price is in the £4001 - £8000 bracket (if you want a really good one) and not £2000 to £4000.

FYI - Mike Taylor can be a bit slow in replying to email. However, he's always great on the phone

tonypoll wrote:FYI - Mike Taylor can be a bit slow in replying to email. However, he's always great on the phone

Good point.....Phone him is definitely the way to go..........

I now own Matt Debbages old car which although not an SE is an exceptional example of a properly maintained and fully sorted Excel.

Currently just advertised as I've found the Elites I was looking for and I've written a somewhat exhaustive advert which is live on car and classic website and will perhaps hit ebay this week.

Thanks

Simon

Troublesome Nikasil? I hadn't realised it was troublesome, no trouble on my 928, no trouble on my Excel! Apart from a brief stint of high sulphur fuel in the early '90s and Jaguar's efforts if it has a Nikasil engine and doesn't burn oil or bugger owt obvious up it'll be fine now. Hadn't realised you traded in cars, you've had all kinds of good stuff! Got to say, you didn't mention when it was last serviced! Looking forward to hearing about your world of Elites!

Sam

Nikasil liners also cost BMW an absolute fortune on their six cylinder petrol cars in the nineties with hundreds of engines actually replaced under some goodwill warranty and so they're not without potential issues - but aren't most old cars?

I write some copy for a marketing company as I like cars and like writing. Not sure what to do with the Elites as I only need one. Do I keep the early car which is special in its own right or do I keep the rarer S2.2 which is not as nice but has great potential and is documented as being one of Colin Chapmans company cars?

Best regards

Simon

it was the BMWs that I too had heard of issues but again it seems to have been linked with high sulphur content petrol, so now the industry seems to have moved to low-sulphur we should be safe, or until the 10%+ Ethanol starts to cause us issues.

I viewed my first Excel today hoping for a good one, although from what I did see it wasn't a bad one it showed signs of a previous respray which the owner confirmed was done before he bought it some 13 years ago although he did not know if it was due to an accident or ???????

Unfortunately I feel it was not the best of resprays as I found a run in the paint and the paint was cracking away from the windscreen also areas of orange peel in the finish so it would at least need another respray and I would still wonder why it needed the first one, so I guess the search will continue.

Michael - what is your location and budget?

There are a couple of corkers for sale at the moment, both silver; one in the classifieds (Matt Debbages LC mentioned above) and another HC off-list.

There are usually a few to choose from on Autotrader and Pistonheads classifieds, but watch out for overpriced ones sold by speculative dealers (usually ones who normally peddle everyday shite) who think they are sitting on a goldmine. There is a beautiful red metallic LC that appeared for sale very cheaply here once, but was snapped up and now has a silly premium attached with the same list of required jobs (cambelt/clutch etc)

I am located near Malvern in Worcestershire
I have looked at all the usual classic car websites ebay/piston heads/autotrader etc
The usual problem is when you find a car that may suit it is usually the other side of the country and as we all know pictures can be made to lie and description's by sellers are always economic with the truth.
As to budget, I don't really have a fixed limit I will pay what it is worth to me for the right car as you say the prices vary widely from £800 to £10,000 the one I looked at was I think around £5k.
There are a couple I am pondering one at £7k but 320 mile round trip and one at £8k but that is even further away.
My first choice would be a Celebration model which is what I looked at yesterday my second choice is an SE and although if the right car presented itself from the 80's a 90's car would be better as I have a spare private plate from 1990 that I would like to put on a car.
In the end I will see something that calls to me and I will get my wallet out I just hope sooner rather than later.

Simpatico wrote:Michael - what is your location and budget?

There are a couple of corkers for sale at the moment, both silver; one in the classifieds (Matt Debbages LC mentioned above) and another HC off-list.

There are usually a few to choose from on Autotrader and Pistonheads classifieds, but watch out for overpriced ones sold by speculative dealers (usually ones who normally peddle everyday shite) who think they are sitting on a goldmine. There is a beautiful red metallic LC that appeared for sale very cheaply here once, but was snapped up and now has a silly premium attached with the same list of required jobs (cambelt/clutch etc)

I am still looking, I think I have missed the red one that was for sale with Danbury for £6995.00 but I will find one soon I hope