Welllll, I fancy me some Lotus Elises. Can someone break them down for me. High/low maintenance? Any inherent issues? What toyota motor are they rocking? Specifically the 2005 year model. Anythings I should look out for?
I've just found out that they run round about 25k used for pretty low miles. Is that a fair price or ???
Thanks!
Engine is a Lotus-tuned 2ZZ-GE as also used in the last-generation Celica GT-S and the Matrix/Corolla XRS.
Couldn't tell you much else about 'em that you likely don't already know, though.
Understand that almost every one of them has already been on the track at some point. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's good to know.
No limited slip until 2006, but Lotus didn't think that you need it and you probably don't.
Run away from any car that has even the slightest bit of accident damage.
2005 is the only year with a cable actuated throttle. They often end up with Salvage/Rebuilt titles as the result of cosmetic damage. That said, if the damage goes deeper than the one of the clamshells and someone patched it back together, don't hesitate to laugh at them and walk away.
Lotus Talk is your friend. $25K for a clean one seems like a good price based on the market in my area. Cars that don't have the sport package are the only ones I can find for the price or less with a clean title. Cheapest on I've found locally that hadn't been wrecked was 23K.
From what I've read (I don't own an Elise, but having 4 Loti, I keep my ears open), like Woody sez, avoid anything with accident damage. No, not avoid, RUN AWAY!!!
Lotus found that when they put LSD on the car, it was slower around the track, so that's why they sold it with an open dif. However, everyone wanted LSD, so they decided to take their money. There is a known oil starvation issue if you're tracking it and taking a really long sweeper. Later cars came with an oil accumulator. Moroso, I think. You can also buy an oil pan that is supposed to prevent this and is advertised in the back of The Mag. Also Moroso, I think.
I was at a talk given by the guy that ran the Elise design team at LOG 26. They took the same motor, a crate 2ZZGE, in an Exige and slapped on a supercharger, tuned it to 350 HP (without cracking a bolt on the motor) and went endurance racing in GT3. He also said that they tested all the aftermarket suspension mods sold for the Elise, and they all made the car slower.
Mmmmm, sounds good. I prefer cable throttle. Is the steering drive by wire or direct?
I didn't realize they where this cheap used. I've found a few realllly low miles for 27ish. I've gotta talk to the bank, but I'm pretty sure it's what I'm going with.
What's w/ all the power windows/door locks? Can I get them in manual both?
I'm fairly confident that the power windows are lighter than the manual ones. Not to sure about the door locks though.
That may be so, but I'm more concerned about long term reliability. I prefer manual everything I can get. :)
All the ones I'm finding are power windows/door, just was seeing if that was an option or standard.
Power windows are lighter. Steering is as God intended - manual. The touring package buys you the power window etc. Anecdotal evidence says you're more likely to find one with the touring pack and without the sport pack than the other way around.
Bonded aluminum chasis, this has it's pluses and minuses, if you can live with both, go for it...
Other than that I really really want a red Sport package car, you got to be careful when you have them on a lift. There's been more than one that fell off when a wheel was removed.
Wow .... is that a common thing ?
What does the sport package sport (har har har) that the standard does not?
Likewise what does the touring package encompass?
So far all the ones I've found have no modifiers to their trim level.
Oh, and the "QUICKLY" was more a joke than an actual demand, but dang do you guys deliver.
The clams aren't cheap to replace if you can't repair them. I have heard stories of people damaging them at an autox from hitting a cone. Can't verify those stories though.
Be prepared to travel for a $25k Elise. I couldn't find one within a reasonable distance when I was searching. There were plenty of $30k ones around, though.
I'll chime in. There is a recall for oil lines to the oil coolers for the 2005 and 2006 models. The Touring Package includes air, leather, traction control and power windows. The Lotus Sports Suspension includes slightly stiffer springs, two oil coolers (although early 2005 cars had two oil coolers, too), and more importantly wider, forged wheels.
Mine has been reliable -- although it certainly isn't luxurious (even with the Touring Pack). It shines on the track and autox course. I've added a baffled oil pan (hey, I'm an optimist about my track skills), and it has a "Stage II" exhaust whatever that means.The front and rear "clams" are vulnerable to damage on these cars (there are no bumpers) so check them out carefully.
It is a fantastic driver's car. Not so comfortable as a cruiser, however. I don't have the LSD, and I haven't noticed significant issues with the open diff.
Don't buy one if you are an introvert -- be prepared for lots of attention everywhere. Mine is Krypton, which likely attracts more attention than some of the subtle colours. Everyone seems to love it.
Rob
I have three <30k hanging w/ in 500 miles of me. 
Hey ZOO! I'm having trouble finding much info on them, recommended forum? Also, how does one get into that motor? I mean, seeing the bottom pan of it is pretty crazy, very sealed.
Do the "clams" just remove to reveal the inards?
side note - the one that fell off the lift - they have a full belly pan??!! Wow, now I want one even more....
accordionfolder wrote: Hey ZOO! I'm having trouble finding much info on them, recommended forum? Also, how does one get into that motor? I mean, seeing the bottom pan of it is pretty crazy, very sealed. Do the "clams" just remove to reveal the inards?
I like Lotus Talk and the Sands Mechanical Museum
The bottom pan drops with a series of 10 mm bolts -- it isn't a hard job. Access to the motor from underneath is good. From above, not so much. The clams are a challenge -- they take quite a bit of time to remove. I haven't taken mine off yet.
My biggest challenge so far has been with a broken clutch interlock switch -- I don't think American cars have this -- there is little room in the footwells for my head and both my hands.
Zoo, that's called "The Lotus Position." I'm glad to see that it is still relevant with the new ones.
There's one with 90k in DC area for $23k "cash". Apparently clean with no accidents. This is probably as close to exotic as I will ever get. I would be terribly tempted to do a k20 swap though.
If you're not the fastest guy at every track day, people will think you're a loser.
That's all I've got. Other than it is possible to put one on a lift without dropping it.
In reply to ZOO:
Do you have any info on the recall for the oil cooler lines? I have an early 05 with the dual coolers and I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before they go. Sorry to thread hijack.
I bought my 05 for $27K, but it was low mileage (16K) and highly optioned Here's a basic rundown of the 2005's:
Base - Came with roll up windows and cloth interior. Touring Package - adds leather, a little more carpet, a little more sound deadening, thicker soft top. Sport Package - adds stiffer shocks and springs, 1/2" wider front wheels, forged wheels all around, Yoko A048's and the dual oil coolers if it's not any early car that already has them.
Other options: Hardtop - mine came with one, it's a bolt on deal that takes about 10 minutes to install/remove. No way to take it with you. The car is pretty claustrophobic with it on. I much prefer to drive the car without, but Elises look absolute bad-ass with the hardtop on. Lifestyle paint - $1500 at the dealer bought you a fancy color. Chrome Orange, Laser Blue, Graphite Grey, Krypton Green. Later years had more choices and more levels of color expense. Saffron Yellow (non-metallic) seems to be the most common color on 05's. I had to have mine Laser Blue, and that color seems to add at least $2000 to the cost of a used Elise. Starshield - Clear bra made for Lotus. You want this. It covers all the vulnerable areas of the car from stone chips, which is most of lower 1/3rd of the car.
Beside the other aforementioned problems here's a few more: 1. Hot air always comes out of the A/C unit. There's a fix that bypasses hot water from the heater core. 2.Blower motor resistors- blow out, they sit in a natural spot for water to collect. Can be cheap to fix if you DIY, but you have to remove the front clam and some other stuff. 3. A/C thermostat - can fail letting the evaporator ice over. Another fairly cheap DIY fix that involves taking the front of the car apart. 4. Stock radiator - plastic end tanks crack. I was lucky as the PO replaced the radiator with an all-aluminum aftermarket unit. ~$500 for the radiator plus DIY replacement that involves taking the front of the car apart. 5. Oil cooler hoses- The crimping fails, leading to all your oil dumped. Usually on a wheel. Need to find out about the recall on this. There is also a Lotus Sport oil to water exchanger that mounts on the engine and removes the 27ft of hoses to the front-mounted cooler(s) 6. Oil Starvation - I guess it's an issue. 7. Frame damage - Make sure the frame is not damaged. The pickup points for the suspension are part of the unrepairable bonded tub. 8. Clam damage- Can be an issue. Supposedly they are not repairable, but plenty of folks over at lotustalk seem to fix/customize them all day long using regular fiberglass techniques. People parallel parking giant SUV's seem to be the nemesis of Elise clams. 9. Floppy Shifter - There's a DIY fix to anchor the shifter to the tub which is supposed to help with this.
Having said all that I absolutely love mine. It drives like no other car I have ever driven. The car does take a bit of getting used to, but I really love it now. I drove my back from Texas during the middle of summer and it was pretty miserable. If the A/C doesn't get fixed before Summer I'll probably just put the car away during the sweltering Florida heat. But for short trips on curvy roads it can't be beat! For all practical purposes you could build a turbo miata for the half the cost. I still love my Elise though.
$23k seems to be the magic number for cars with average to high miles, (50K miles is really high for an Elise), no hardtop and no sport package and no lifestyle paint. Touring package cars don't seem to go for any more or less than base cars.
IIRC Sport package cars also had upgraded brakes? or so I thought.
It's certainly possible to lift it without damaging it but the average tire buster may not be aware of the balance point.
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