The Lotus Grand Tourers

Hello everyone

I am currently restoring a Lotus Excel SE from 1988, the interior of my car is incomplete (2 front seats / steering wheel / gear knob are missing) and the rest is in very very poor condition!

so I'm looking for either ideally a complete interior, or at least the 2 front seats and a steering wheel.

If anyone here had this for sale or knows anyone who might have it that would be great and will allow me to complete my restoration.

thank you all

You should try Lotusbits if not already. They have steering wheel advertised. Front Seats could be swapped out - I have XJS convertible ones

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Glad you've found us, I hope we can help you with any questions or advice you are after. It'll be good to see some pics of your car, we like pics of work-in-progress just as much as shiny finished cars (Possibly more, for some of us!).

Yes, Lotusbits is the best source for used parts. They have a shed full of old seats. There were a number of different styles over the years; if you are keen to find the correct ones for your year, I'm sure someone here will have a same-year model and can advise. The Lotusbits shed also has Esprit seats and Elite/Eclat and maybe others, so it helps to know what you are looking for! Finding any with good condition leather/fabric will be unlikely, but at least if you have frame and foam you can get new covers made if required.

Mine is also a 1988 SE. This might help you identify the right interior if originality is important.

Many thanks for all your answer

I already asked Lotusbits but unfortunately they said they don't have any interiors available at the moment

here are some photos of what the inside of my car looks like :

standauto17 wrote: Thu May 16, 2024 21:48 Hello everyone

I am currently restoring a Lotus Excel SE from 1988, the interior of my car is incomplete (2 front seats / steering wheel / gear knob are missing) and the rest is in very very poor condition!

so I'm looking for either ideally a complete interior, or at least the 2 front seats and a steering wheel.

If anyone here had this for sale or knows anyone who might have it that would be great and will allow me to complete my restoration.

thank you all

I've only just seen your message and may be able to help...
Back around 2018, I purchased a complete leather interior for an Excel SE from Lotusbits with the intenton to refurbish and recolour it. It's been stored in the roof of my garage ever since, as I didn't get very far with the project.

I've sent you a PM with my details.
Martin.

That's a funky steering wheel!! Some "interesting" red highlights in that interior too. Wonder if the previous seats had been done in the same shade of red??

Slightly worrying if LB are disposing of their old stock of secondhand interiors

I know conventional wisdom in stock control tends to be ‘if it doesn’t move, scrap it’ but that is more applicable to a fast moving operation rather than one supposedly more to do with supporting restorations.

Cheers, Richard

richardw wrote: Mon May 20, 2024 20:38 Slightly worrying if LB are disposing of their old stock of secondhand interiors

I know conventional wisdom in stock control tends to be ‘if it doesn’t move, scrap it’ but that is more applicable to a fast moving operation rather than one supposedly more to do with supporting restorations.

Cheers, Richard

They might have merely sold all the complete, usable interiors they had? Doesn’t seem like Mike to throw anything away!

Slightly worrying if LB are disposing of their old stock of secondhand interiors

Mike will have full interiors, just still fitted in barn finds and he needs a good reason to start breaking another car down. We've commented here numerous times how much room a dismantled car occupies compared to an assembled one.
Tony