Not selling my Excel..but now I am...No, I'm not...

[Lotus-e-Clan]

[Moderator Note : split from Wanted thread - please try to keep them on topic]

I have seriously thought about selling mine for the following reasons:

1) Since Clarkson et al declared that moderns (like Astra Diesels ) are faster than old 70's supercars, more people in moderns want to race an "old Lotus" and I'm then compelled to prove the Stig wrong ...and the Excel has never let me down in this department..even shown a Scoobie or two how to carry proper speed through corners (in the dry mind you)..etc but the problem is I'm probably gonna lose my licence sooner rather than later.

2) I hardly use it. I don't like to take it out in the wet or on salted roads during winter, and I prefer to drive my Clan when the weather is good! The Excel is unexciting at 'normal' road speeds compared to the Clan which feels lithe, agile and connected at any speed but particularly just so on the National speed limits ...so I'm less likely to lose my licence, Moderns don't race me in the Clan and if they do anything at all its a smile, thumbs up or a wave ie I get more respect and less hassle from Moderns when I'm in the Clan.

3) My family has grown-up so I don't need the four seats.

4) I used to use it for holiday trips to France and Cornwall etc but the default holiday transport is now the Camper Van!

5) The Clan is my "project car" and fulfills my need to get hands dirty and improve the spec. The Excel really doesn't need that sort of attention...apart from when I did the electric water pump conversion and PAS removal (still have all the bits to return to factory PAS).

6) It's taking up garage space which could be used for ....another Clan ...Ginetta G15, baby Elan or TR2 (always wanted one of those) ...I just prefer small cars.

But I'm very reluctant to sell it ...It would be insulting to the car itself to let it go at current rates (less than £5K for an A1 example) especially when i took the time to find a nice one ( paid £6.5k nine years ago and it has done less than 20k miles more since I bought it (@ 38k miles).

So realistically it'll probably spend most of it's time in the garage until Lotus F1 starts winning and perhaps the ticket price for 'old Lotus' will benefit a little.

[gerald]

buy an elise then

[Lotus-e-Clan]

No

I don't like the engines----- too thrashy i'm afraid...and I like the sound of twin Dellortos or twin Webers..injection just doesn't do it for me.

And once you've tuned into the turbine smoothness of a tuned Imp motor you find it hard to accept thrashy motors.

Luckily, one of the (many) good things about the Excel (well my example at least), is the 912 sounds nice and revs reasonably smoothly.

[Simpatico]

If you can think of 6 reasons to sell and only one to keep, it sounds like it's time to move on.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

You're right!

Just need to find a buyer then.

Open to offers

Spec on request

Sorry Mr moderator it was on topic ..I was just fishing in a non-committal sort of way

[Delsexcel]

Hi Peter
A beautifully reasoned treatise! As you surely will be aware, the Kibitzer always sees more of the game than the player, and it seems clear to me that you must sell the camper van - you'll probably get more for it then the Excel anyway - and take more holidays in France in the Excel, where the back seats come in very handy for extra luggage, and allows you to exercise the Excel very well. If you care to venture down to our neck of the (French) woods, you'll be very welcome!
I understand your love of the Clan - I remember seeing them in the Scottish Rallies many years ago - they sounded wonderful and went like the proverbial Sh*t off a Shovel!
Best wishes, whatever you decide to do.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I've changed my mind already...

It's a keeper!

The mistake I made was to buy too good an example at the time...this made me wary about putting on miles or using it in the wet or on salted roads.

I should have bought a tatty one then it would be still worth the same money.

no ...........it's a keeper

Anyway I just shelled out £600 for a full custom stainless exhaust and I'll never get that back.

The wife has also intervened saying she wants a west country trip out of it next year..maybe even a French trip if the euro drops a tad....

thanks for the word of wisdom....

[chrispons]

Good man,Peter .

I do love the little Clans too,there's one on the hills that I photograph,fab ,quick little car and sounds superb.

Am I allowed to post pics on here ?

Pons

[Ozzy_UK]

No

I don't like the engines----- too thrashy i'm afraid...and I like the sound of twin Dellortos or twin Webers..injection just doesn't do it for me.

And once you've tuned into the turbine smoothness of a tuned Imp motor you find it hard to accept thrashy motors.

Luckily, one of the (many) good things about the Excel (well my example at least), is the 912 sounds nice and revs reasonably smoothly.

Buy a JPS Europa then

[Ozzy_UK]

I've changed my mind already...

It's a keeper!

The mistake I made was to buy too good an example at the time...this made me wary about putting on miles or using it in the wet or on salted roads.

I should have bought a tatty one then it would be still worth the same money.

no ...........it's a keeper

Anyway I just shelled out £600 for a full custom stainless exhaust and I'll never get that back.

The wife has also intervened saying she wants a west country trip out of it next year..maybe even a French trip if the euro drops a tad....

thanks for the word of wisdom....

supprised your worried about £600 exhaust! i just spend £700 on the last service, just a few little issues left with the car now...
3rd Brands hatch track day in 10 days, and cant wait!

probably spend 12-15k in the last 3 years bringing her up to scratch, and will probably spend that much again in the next 3-5 on a honda engine or similar to bring her up to date...

shes a keeper tho! and she was my wedding car! nothing will replace that!

Oz.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Talking about money pits......wait til you're kids go through Uni....

My two girls have done 4 years each at Oxford (Classics) and my son has just started his Oxford journey (English lang/lit) and it's not the cheapest university placement in the world to support as everyone probably knows..........so £600 on an exhaust is just a case of camel, straw and back.

I know what you're saying though Oz ...I chuck far more money on the Clan (Imp specialist engine parts/machining etc are just as expensive as the Lotus kind).

I bought the best Excel I could find at the time (low miles and £6.5k) so it wouldn't end up as a money pit and I've spent relatively little on it over the last nine years...best way to go ...but the downside is lack of engagement with the car compared to the Clan.

[Ozzy_UK]

Talking about money pits......wait til you're kids go through Uni....

My two girls have done 4 years each at Oxford (Classics) and my son has just started his Oxford journey (English lang/lit) and it's not the cheapest university placement in the world to support as everyone probably knows..........so £600 on an exhaust is just a case of camel, straw and back.

I know what you're saying though Oz ...I chuck far more money on the Clan (Imp specialist engine parts/machining etc are just as expensive as the Lotus kind).

I bought the best Excel I could find at the time (low miles and £6.5k) so it wouldn't end up as a money pit and I've spent relatively little on it over the last nine years...best way to go ...but the downside is lack of engagement with the car compared to the Clan.

lol! true! my little one is 19months old, so i dont have to worry about uni fees for at least 16 years! hell i will be 43 by then and retired! lol! (i wish!)

[Lotus-e-Clan]

lol! true! my little one is 19months old, so i dont have to worry about uni fees for at least 16 years! hell i will be 43 by then and retired! lol! (i wish!)

Hopefully by then there will be a move back toward work-based education / sandwich courses etc paid for by industry...just like it used to be...the idea that university is for everyone is bonkers.

Universities are very good at providing conceptual education but very poor at providing the technical training that industry needs. Many of the current undergraduate courses would be more effectively taught part-time alongside real work experience.

Government knew there would be a mushroom in the unemployment figures during the nineteen eighties so they extended and expanded education to save their political skins....still doing it today of course.

EDIT:

Oh yes I've always fancied a 72 Europa BVH twin cam...I especially like the idea of the lying down driving position...but what put me off Europas is that the early Lotus GRP bodies tend to stress crack far too easily.

[chrisw2811]

Perhaps a Banks Europa then? http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/index.php

[MrCoolA]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm a 62s please