Lotus Elise - needs a bit of work

I would love to buy an Elise but sadly, this is the only one in my budget:

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/3657404362.html

trying to figure out exactly how certain parts are damaged and certain other parts that SHOULD be damaged are not. What the hell did this guy do?

Drive through the top of a tree.... that's kinda what my miata looked like when I did that. Long story, don't ask.

Spinout007 wrote: Drive through the top of a tree.... that's kinda what my miata looked like when I did that. Long story, don't ask.

Do tell...

I'm all for fixerupers, but that would still take a pile of money....

If it were only about 6-grand less...

Spinout007 wrote: Drive through the top of a tree.... that's kinda what my miata looked like when I did that. Long story, don't ask.

You can't bring up a story like that, then say, don't ask.

That is a parts car

And DO tell how you put a car into the tree top. I love long stories.

That'll buff out.

I'd call that junk and way over priced. Maybe because I'm not a Lotus fan.

Doesn't look that bad to me - all cosmetic. You couldn't replace with dealer sourced parts, but between used bits and borrowing a good one to get a mold or two.... you could get a reasonable facsimile back together on the cheap.

All I see there is a bitchin fp or xp car.

If the chassis and drivetrain are undamaged, that's a heck of a start to a race car.

With that sort of damage I'd be very concerned that the chassis might have sustained some damage and the chassis on those is non-repairable.

Don't forget those have carbon fiber pans.

Hooning on some back roads at 2 am on the way home from work, came around the last corner in the set, wound out second, third, skipped fourth and started coasting down a bit. Two long straights and I'm home. Combine the typical horrid NA miata lights with an exceptionally dark night. Trees on one side of the road, and barbed wire fence on the other. See something in the road ahead of me, concentrating on figuring out what it is while covering the brake. By the time I realized what it was, I was way to close to stop so I aimed for the top of the tree vs the 3ft thick trunk while braking as hard as I could. Damn old as hell oak had fallen all the way across the road, almost ended up in the fence, after getting a bit airborne. And yeah the top was down.

Happy?

BoxheadTim wrote: ...the chassis on those is non-repairable.

While that's the official line from Lotus, Elise chassis have been repaired successfully. A suitable glue has been sourced.

some one should kick the engine cover in.

You don't want Buck spoiled.