Lotus on Ebay

there may be some things to do as a result of the neglect...but effectively a new car for $40k. seems like a great deal for someone that wants new. i have always liked these cars. there have been many threads on the legitimacy of naples and the owner but this car would probably pass muster and hard to duplicate.

the tires are true vintage "new" good year gatorbacks!

pcb

 

If you want to never drive it, then it may be a good deal. As soon as you start driving it, it will depreciate heavily and I am sure there will be lots of maintenance from the lack of use.

 

If you don't mind shoveling in another 10-15K to fix weird garage queen problems, it's a great deal.

 

Nice looking car. I know a guy that just bought one almost identical to that.

 

I'd say the price is good, but you could just about buy a V8 esprit that you could actually drive for that money.

 

Its going to need all new belts and hoses everywhere. Probably going to be a maintinence nightmare. True it has low miles so all of the body/interior things will be straight, but engines need to be driven.

 

Another problem with that car is that it has nothing to offer except extroardinarily low miles. There is nothing special about a '91 SE. It's right in the middle of the run of the "Stevens" 4 cylinder cars. '88 is the first. '95 S4s is the "best".

I am aware of a '95 S4s with <5000 miles that sold recently for a bit over $40k.

Better to buy my maintained 77500 mile S4s for $30k. IMHO.

 

buying this car would not be such a daunting proposition. agreed, there will be issues to contend with...they will likely be very managable and not a huge financial burden. any mishaps will not occur simultaineously either...all used cars have some issues or desired areas for changes.

this car needs nothing cosmetically so there is huge assurance there.

who cares about depreciation...i would rather drive a $40k new esprit daily than a $40k lexus. the lotus may hold its' value better than the lexus and will have less compete w/ in the secondary market when you decide to sell.

the new owner should smoke those good years off ...and have fun doing it...then put on some new rubber.

clear bra the front to preserve the paint.

have fun with this car...buy it!

 

Actually the biggest problem with this car is that it's being offered by Naples Motorsport.

Worth a read if you are considering doing business with them - especially over the internet:

My HORRIBLE experience with Naples Motorsport. Pics included with this post!

>8^)
ER

 

Those things were troublesome when they were new. Why would you think that won't be a total headache now that it has sat around for 15 years.There were no parts for them and we gave up on servicing the 4 cylinder models. Just remember that if nobody wanted it when it was new ,its not a classic.

 

With their "Buy it now" amount I do believe you can get a nice late 90's Esprit V8 with decent KM. Alot more car for the money IMHO.

V..

 

Holy carp! Took me almost an hour to read through that diatribe. Anyone ever hear if Steve got his money back...it's like reading a good mystery only to find out the last 7 pages are missing

 

Too much money for a 91. Like said before in this thread the only thing that car has going for it is the mileage. If you want a 4cyl then get a S4s I know a S4s for sale in the mids 30's that is a great car. The 91 will keep going down in price. I bought my 898 last year from a 1 owner with 20k on it for 17k. A 91 for 39k is nuts even if it does have low miles. That would be like paying 50k for a 82 308

 

indaville, I was in that car myself and can say that it is in perfect condition and seemed to ride fine. Obviously the tires would need to be replaced because of there age (Naples is only leaving them on for now to show it in it's original condition) but other than that the car rode like a new Esprit. I would have it checked out to see how all of the hoses and belts were but even if they need to be replaced those services are nothing like Ferrari's and won't set you back 1/2 the cost of the car!

The problems mentioned above w/ Naples Motorsports are definitely not the norm. I have bought 6 cars from the guys over there and have never had a problem with any of them. Rob and Todd are true professionals and are very well known and liked in the Ferrari / Exotic car world. There are two sides to every story but the only way to feel comfortable is to call them and see how you feel about them. If this is the car that you want, you won't find a nicer one.

 

Matt! That car is stunning. Great choice. Much more car! Please fill us in with the details. Is that a 99?

 

very nice, congratulations (almost!). I had a yellow '99 that I bought from Rob at Naples. Great car. One of the nicest stock exhaust notes you'll hear and alos one of best looking exotic interiors out there. Do you have any interior pics? Does it have piping on the seats?

 

Looks great, there fassssst!

 

i love the interior of the esprits save for the stearing wheel.
this is nothing against you or your car indaville but i think the wheel in my 98 accord is a better design.
not saying that it would keep me from buying one. but its still quite an eye sore.

-Thomas

 

They are fast. Very, very fast

Once again, what a beautiful car.

 

What a great looking car...congratz on the upcomming purchase.

Could be the way the light hits the side of the headrest but it looks like it is piped in grey.

 

The steering wheel is out of the parts bin at GM. They needed an airbag steering wheel and it would have been too expensive to design their own. I agree though, ugly. The colors don't even match up, which is why putting an earlier, no airbag Momo wheel is a popular conversion.