oouch.... this hurts.... but this project is for someone really looking for a challenge.... donot know if this car CAN be saved, otherwise maybe for parts....
I have ,my first Ellie is being restored again I believe,I spend more money on it than it cost,spyder modified,1978 503 in lagoon blue,bad for fading,second one 1979 in Roman bronze still about in Spain maybe recomissioned after sitting in garage for 9 years. Plus,finally 1980 s2.2 bought in bits spent 4 years getting it running was at brands hatch this year,so I have done my bit,frustrating at times but great when driving all of them,now in my older years have joined excel ownership,great car to drive but the elites had a real character
..........thing is there is hardly any left and I think this is one of if not THE most significant Lotus car there is. Of course I am biased but it was the last car Mr Chapman worked on etc etc.
I can remember when Europas were worth nothing and no one would touch them with a barge pole. ( I have always wanted one however). Even the Elite type 14 wasnt wanted much once !
All cars can be saved if you love them...........some things in life are worth more than money. (if you can raise the money to restore of course ! ).
if the remaining elites are such a great prospect financially as you think why not put your money where your heart is and buy the old wreck and stop trying to persuade others to throw money down a pit every time you see an ad. remember that actions speak louder than words.
i already have a 1981 Elite S2.2 which i have not been able to restore.
like many people I have had many personal problems stopping me from doing this. i also recently divorced loosing everything including my house. i also lost work due to health reasons. i could go on but will not.....................
if i could buy all the S2.2 around i genuinely would.
please do not judge yet again............... we ALL know you do not like the Elite type 75/83 by now...............
I don't think anyone should be put of trying to restore one of these cars, The guys at Lotus-bits have masses of parts and endless amounts of wisdom and they are not the only source of spares.
The fact is I bought, re-chassied, painted and completely trimmed an eclat for far less than I could buy a down at heel excel and convert it to 2.5. I took my my initial £850 pound investment, spent a fair amount of time, got lucky a couple of times (£350 pound paint job ect), spent a reasonable amount of money but I now have a rare and reliable car worth more than I spent (unlike my excel, which has once again left me unable to take it out. Due to sagging doors breaking door handles, I can now only get in from the passenger side but can't unlock that door from the outside.
However thank god I don't own a 308 Ferrari a customer of mine just spent £68k to re-commission and getting one of his 308s to run right. I bet his heart sank as he brought his 348 in and it was missing on a number of cylinders and failed the emission element of the MOT test. However if you own 7 Italian monsters, a modern roller and number of others classic cars you don't have to worry about money when you are a multi millionaire.
I also know people who have spent 2 times the value of MGs rebuilding them, a close friend of mine is spending the value of his nice Stag on having a top notch body job (he's dissembling it and he has been quoted £10-14K just to mint up a body with very few issues). Owning a classic car is made possible by one thing, I have friends with Triumphs, Mgs and even a DeLorean where they have suffered catastrophes which approached the value of the car, however they all had the one thing you need to make a classic car work for them: Passion, if you really are passionate about the car or brand you will continue on and value your car. If you don't why did you buy it? because if not it will lead to life of bitterness.
So If you have a passion for the Elite shown or indeed any car (in my case an Excel continues to test my passion), if you are willing to put everything into it money, time and passion go for it. However if you do not stay clear as you may turn into a bitter person unable to drive many miles before needing a stop at spa and whom only smiles when eating lobster.
The Lotus Eclat, a lot like the English Whisky company: comes from Norfolk and better than you are often told it is.
I think programmes like Wheeler Dealers to a lot to convince people they can spend a few quid on an old clunker and turn a profit. Never, ever can this happen if you do a PROPER job. Repairs will always be relative to what the car cost new.
wheeler dealers never include labour in their costs if they did they would ALWAYS make a loss.
ig hiss, from what you say you would not need to buy a run down excel to convert it to 2.5, you already have one.
there are five excels with 2.5 engines, i have seen most and they were not run down wrecks before conversion. though one that is well here known got the engine as part of a full and expensive restoration.
Your customer would get more for his ferrari than he spent, and remember that when the 500 series elite was launched it was only £500 less than the 308, the respective values now tell you all you need to know about both models.
finally do you have a problem with people who have lobster as one course when dining anywhere, including spas, i recall that the very idea caused you some consternation a while back.
Yep, but this car looks a lot better than the 'gumtree-car'. I mailed the owner if he would sell the car in parts, but he won't sell piece by piece. Next to that picking up the car and bring it to Holland is far too expensive for me, so if somebody is also interested in the car for parts, please let me know.
and I think this is one of if not THE most significant Lotus car there is. Of course I am biased but it was the last car Mr Chapman worked on etc etc. 
we ALL know you do not like the Elite type 75/83 by now...............