Forever cars

[Lotustoronto]

The car has a DeMan Motorsport 4.5L stroker and 2-5 gears shortened. It makes 570ish HP and 450ish TQ at the engine. Pulls in gear similarly if not a little quicker than my former 458 Italia.

what was the price for the DeMan upgrade? / Is it worth the upgrade? Something I would consider after warranty.

 

[NicolasB]

what was the price for the DeMan upgrade? / Is it worth the upgrade? Something I would consider after warranty.

I noticed his Spyder in the SavageGeese review where they show pics and sn invoice for the new gears.

 

[Kentviking]

101.000 kms. perfect running. new tires, belts, pads, fluids, etc: 10k Euros spent last December .
Selling it for 49.800 Euros

sounds like you are maybe hoping for a little too much overs considering the mileage.

I had my AM DB9 Volante for maybe five years...it would have been a forever car had I not had to pay some taxes.
Another similar experience was my Noble M12...I so wish I had been able to hold onto that one.
My actual forever cars are my MX-5 Mk1...bought new in 94 and still own today (with a brief period of ownership by my brother in between)... a 'hairdressers car' as quoted by all those who have never driven one and therefore don't understand just how accessible fun can be at low speeds
My Alfa 156 2.5v6 which I ran until it literally died,
and ditto my LR Discovery 3 HSE (for different reasons)
But I think I have yet to find my true "dream" forever car...it may end up being the Emira, may be a McLaren 570s convertible (or better yet the 600LT if I can afford it), but sure as hell is unlikely to be anything EV related, as much as I know I ought to go that way for my daily driver.

 

[hml_xy]

Why are your headlights up with the lights off? This is mine.

I liked the look and having the lights on vs having the "eyes open" are two different switches. In fact, the pop up lights work by a vacuum system and not by a motor. The vacuum is created INSIDE one of the chassis box segments, which means that having a rusty chassy causes the headlights to not work properly. Classic Lotus.

Is that different on your Elan? @Pugwash

 

[Pugwash]

Yes mine does not do that. The original UK wiring is that if you only pull the vacuum switch they will pop up and start flashing. It was a way for you to be able to flash headlights at another car. If you then push the rocker switch the headlights go into normal headlight mode. If you push the vacuum switch in with the headlights still on, the headlights disappear and automatically switch themselves off as they go down as you don’t need the headlights on then. Obviously the side and tail lights are still on. You would then use the rocker switch to switch them off. The automatic mechanism is controlled by micro switches in the nose. Some US elan pop ups are the other way around (although I think mainly +2s). They are permanently up on a spring and when you start the engine the vacuum pulls them down. It’s so if the vacuum fails the lights pop up and are visible. When parked up they eventually come up as the vacuum fades away. I did wonder if yours were plumbed like that. Of course nowadays some are converted to electric motors which I did also wonder if that applied to yours.

(I can see Tom itching to start a new thread).

 

[TomE]

Not a problem!

I had an M100 Elan with pop up lights and I think all owners of Lotus cars of that vintage developed the “Lotus wave” that survives to this day. This was because the lights took so long to pop up you couldn’t flash an oncoming Lotus to say hi, so had to wave instead.

When the Elise arrived, newcomers to the brand often didn’t realise why Elan and Esprit owners had to wave at them with their new-fangled fixed headlights.

 

[Pugwash]

I have an M100 too. They flash in the usual manner and the pods shoot up much quicker than the 69 Elan as the motors are electric. As the mechanisms wear you get to the scenario that one pod partly comes up and then twitch as if it is winking! Its a fairly easy fix to rebuild the motors, I have done both of mine.

(come on Tom, you know you want to create a new thread)

 

[Leonard]

I have an M100 too. They flash in the usual manner and the pods shoot up much quicker than the 69 Elan as the motors are electric. As the mechanisms wear you get to the scenario that one pod partly comes up and then twitch as if it is winking! Its a fairly easy fix to rebuild the motors, I have done both of mine.

(come on Tom, you know you want to create a new thread)

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Now im looking at older Lotus I'd actually love a new section for other models
Save me going to the 'other' forum that seems a little steady..

 

[JAhmed]

what was the price for the DeMan upgrade? / Is it worth the upgrade? Something I would consider after warranty.

4.5L engine was ~32k
2-5 gears was ~9k

It is absolutely worth every penny and the car is an absolute monster. I am considering sending Rick another car (PDK 991 or 981) to build a 4.5L track car.

 

[JAhmed]

I noticed his Spyder in the SavageGeese review where they show pics and sn invoice for the new gears.

Good eye, but for the sake of accuracy my car has actually had its gearing done twice. Initially, it was done by Bill Rader Motorsports and only did gears 3-5. Only after this was done did I decide to take the plunge on the 4.5L engine. Ironically, the gears that my car had were kinda TOO short for the new motor, so the gearing was done again...this time 2-5.

 

[Leonard]

4.5L engine was ~32k
2-5 gears was ~9k

It is absolutely worth every penny and the car is an absolute monster. I am considering sending Rick another car (PDK 991 or 981) to build a 4.5L track car.

I wish I had 32k to spend on that engine alone! Definitely happy to spend 9 on the box though.
What engine do they use as a base?

 

[Toomanyloti]

My S1 Exige is a forever car. I don’t think there will ever be anything made like it again. It involves a lot of compromises on practicality, though not as much as a Caterham or Atom. The analogue driving engagement is very special.

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Ditto - My Exige S1 is forever so is the Elan and probably the Esprit.....the Emira - remains to be seen..........

 

[JAhmed]

I wish I had 32k to spend on that engine alone! Definitely happy to spend 9 on the box though.
What engine do they use as a base?

They use the factory 4.0 9A2EVO as the basis for the 4.5. They can also build a 4.5 out of the 3.8L in the 981 GT4.

 

[lion shf]

They use the factory 4.0 9A2EVO as the basis for the 4.5. They can also build a 4.5 out of the 3.8L in the 981 GT4.

I’m sure I speak for Tom when I say you should post tons of videos. Thx

 

[Clam]

My S1 Exige is a forever car. I don’t think there will ever be anything made like it again. It involves a lot of compromises on practicality, though not as much as a Caterham or Atom. The analogue driving engagement is very special.

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Tom, your Exige photos are breathtaking. And I mean that for the car AND the garage, geez...

 

[Zardoz]

I have had my Z8 since 2010 & will never sell it. 400 hp, 6-speed. True analog driving experience