New Owner

If you spot one, shame them into owning up!!
If you are new to the Lotus position introduce yourself here. Please try to keep your the post to your introduction and your initial question/problems to the right formum.

Moderator: Board Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Crowman30
Junior Poster
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2021 15:38
Model: Excel SE
Colour: Calypso Red
Year: 1987

New Owner

Post by Crowman30 »

Hi,
My name is Don and I recently purchased a red 1987 Lotus Excel SE with 28,800 miles on the clock.
I had to do a couple of things to it including removing some double sided pad attached headrest in the rear seats (now done). Put on some rear exhaust rubber hangers, four in total, half done, rain stopped play.
A 2 amp fuse blew no indicators done. Need new fuel filler cap as old ones lock is broken. A new steering wheel as the old one has been painted to match the leather interior and my hands become stuck to the wheel. The headline is sagging a little but not too bad for now.
The Excel is a replacement for my Toyota MR2 mk1b T-bar which succumbed to the ravages of rust (Now sold). I am really looking forward to owning and using the Excel hoping the combination of fibreglass and galvinized it outlives me, dreaded sixty this year. I must confess I have always been a Toyota fan although the two car posters that where on my wall in my teens was a Lamborghini Countach and A Lotus Esprit. In conclusion a Lotus with Toyota parts, what could be better?

User avatar
MetBlue
Senior Poster
Posts: 1401
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
Colour: Metalic Blue
Year: 1974
Location: Northampton

Re: New Owner

Post by MetBlue »

Welcome to a great forum. What ever you need to on the car, they'll be someone on here who can help and advise.
I'm just into headlining this week on my car. Materials from Woolies, (alternatives are available) and for less than £100, you can transform the internals.
Enjoy a great car.
You mission, should you choose to accept it, is to post us some photos. 👍👍😜
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

User avatar
ChrisJ
Senior Poster
Posts: 201
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 22:52
Model: Excel SE
Colour: White
Year: 1989
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: New Owner

Post by ChrisJ »

Hi Don

Congratulations on the new car, and welcome to the forum.

If you haven't already done so, make sure all the belts have been recently replaced, and if in any doubt, replace them before driving the car. With 28k on the clock, it will have done a lot of sitting around.

Excels are a really reliable daily driver, so don't be afraid to use it, as Lotus cars in general, don't like sitting around doing nothing.

As Tony said - you need to post some pictures :)

Whereabouts are you located, there might be other owners close by.

Chris

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3711
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: New Owner

Post by Pete Boole »

Hi Don - a warm welcome to the forum! Lots of help available here if you get stuck. Such a shame about your MR2! The only bit of the Excel chassis to occasionally show signs of rust is above the diff, but it's rarely more than surface corrosion where the galvanising has sacrificed itself.

Pete

User avatar
Tanz
Senior Poster
Posts: 2071
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 22:05
Model: SE
Colour: Calypso Red
Year: 1988
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: New Owner

Post by Tanz »

Welcome to the forum Don. The Excel is the perfect car if you don't like rust. Mine has lived on the drive since 2007 without any rust issues. Only parts you have to keep an eye on are door beams and window frames. Both are available and can be replaced. 28k is very low mileage - I'm on 128k without an engine rebuild - keep changing the oil and the cam belt and it won 't let you down - too often :roll: :wink:
Cheers, Phil
Never take life seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway!

User avatar
Ray-s
Regular Poster
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 15:04
Model: Excel
Colour: calypso red
Year: 1988
Location: Grantham (close to)

Re: New Owner

Post by Ray-s »

Welcome Don as said plenty of help on this forum if needed enjoy...Ray
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ray...
Why is there always bits left over ?

TrevorK
Senior Poster
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 17:47
Model: Excel SE (Now gone)
Colour: White
Year: 1988
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: New Owner

Post by TrevorK »

Repeating what the others have said, welcome to the forum.

I can understand your wish to avoid a rusting car. I understand the Mk1 MR2 was bad for rusting. No such problems with the Excel apart from the aforementioned door beams and window frames.

The Toyota connection is good but the door handles are pretty much unobtainable and less robust than the Marina ones used on earlier Lotus and Esprits.

Good sources of parts (in the UK as I don't know where you are located) are SJ Sportscars https://www.sjsportscars.com/ and Lotus Bits http://lotusbits.com/.
What car is that?

tonypoll
Senior Poster
Posts: 832
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 19:27
Model: Excel SE
Colour: BRG
Year: 1992
Location: Hampshire/Surrey/Berkshire

Re: New Owner

Post by tonypoll »

Don,
Where are you? It's often good to find another Excel owner who is local to you so you can meet up, ask questions in person, and see how other Excel owners have resolved specific issues.
Tony

User avatar
barker_001
Senior Poster
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 19:50
Model: Excel SE
Colour: Calypso Red
Year: 1990
Location: Cardiff, South Wales

Re: New Owner

Post by barker_001 »

Welcome to the madhouse Don! I had Lotus pictures on my teenage bedroom walls too - some of them were an Excel brochure. Always wanted one, more so than the Esprit, and have now had mine for nearly 14 years. Most if not all the issues you will see on the car have been seen and fixed by someone on here, just use the search function on the forum.
Bryan

1990 Excel SE

"Look, there's a Ferrari..."

User avatar
Crowman30
Junior Poster
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2021 15:38
Model: Excel SE
Colour: Calypso Red
Year: 1987

Re: New Owner

Post by Crowman30 »

ChrisJ wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 19:13
Hi Don

Congratulations on the new car, and welcome to the forum.

If you haven't already done so, make sure all the belts have been recently replaced, and if in any doubt, replace them before driving the car. With 28k on the clock, it will have done a lot of sitting around.

Excels are a really reliable daily driver, so don't be afraid to use it, as Lotus cars in general, don't like sitting around doing nothing.

As Tony said - you need to post some pictures :)

Whereabouts are you located, there might be other owners close by.

Chris
Hi, sorry I have not replied sooner, I am a real NOOB to forums and had to ask my son to help me post some photos of my excel. I live near Battle East Sussex.

User avatar
Crowman30
Junior Poster
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2021 15:38
Model: Excel SE
Colour: Calypso Red
Year: 1987

Re: New Owner

Post by Crowman30 »

tonypoll wrote:
Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:34
Don,
Where are you? It's often good to find another Excel owner who is local to you so you can meet up, ask questions in person, and see how other Excel owners have resolved specific issues.
Tony
Hi, I am based near Battle East Sussex. Sorry it took a while to reply I am a real NOOB when it comes to forums etc.
Don

Post Reply