Isuzu/Lotus Elan advice

If they car is near perfect then go for it. Mechnically it shouldn't cost much more in maintaince or repair then say a Toyota MR2 turbo or a Supra of the same time period. The newer ones are completely different the Elans of 60s and 70s. Personally I perfer to stay away from turbo cars of any kind as they seem to be quite expensive in maintaince and repair.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SR:
...and was wondering if any of you guys have experiance with it and the older ones that could give me some advice about this newer model, compared to say a 1972 Sprint. Performance ? Reliability ? Parts ? Collectibility ?

With your experiance would you pick a newer Turbo or the Sprint if you were shopping ?

<hr></blockquote>
The "New" Elan and the original are totally different cars - I think personal choice determines which you prefer. The originals are far more collectable, the new ones probably more reliable. I've never driven a new one. My experience with the originals is that they are fragile in some respects but as reliable as any car their age. I've never driven a car that was more fun on the road.

Most parts for originals are easy to get - there are three or four major suppliers and all provide good service (Dave Bean and RD Enterprizes are two).

These are really two different cars with nothing in common but the name. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend an original Elan for a committed enthusiast.

I was under the impression that the Elan stopped being made in the early 70's. This morning I drove a 1991 with the Isuzu/Lotus turbo engine, that is for sale in my area. This is the first Elan I have driven and was wondering if any of you guys have experiance with it and the older ones that could give me some advice about this newer model, compared to say a 1972 Sprint. Performance ? Reliability ? Parts ? Collectibility ?

With your experiance would you pick a newer Turbo or the Sprint if you were shopping ?

As usual thanks for any help. The car by the way was in nearly perfect condition with 27,000 miles.

Regards

Steve

Newer front-wheel drive Elans discussed here:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000036

Thanks for all the help thus far guys. This car sold. I do not know enough yet to make a decision between this M100 model and the classic Elans. I have yet to find an old one to even see in person let alone drive. I find it interesting though that there are so many of the 1991 cars for sale. I have heard that only 500 were imported, but I can quickly find about 10 for sale via the internet.

Still shopping...

Steve

There are always piles of the later ones for sale on eBay. For the early ones try https://www.hemmings.com

I would recommend the M100 Elan (the FWD one) wholeheartedly, if only for the reliability issues. EVO magazine ran a buyer's guide for the car a year or two ago-reprints are available from the magazine-and seem to recall that not a whole lot really went wrong with them through design issues or bad manufacturing-just general wear and tear stuff.
-William

FWIW I was reading in Sports Car Graphics that a top for the new 1991 was 5 grand? Is that true?

I think they are cool cars..its a shame they never caught on and sold in big numbers..

How much do these elans go for now?

Does anybody know anything about the braking system in the M100, i have just purchased one and the brakes are bad,we have contacted our local Lotus dealers and they think it could be the servo,but they have never repaired one!!!! The lotus has only done 45000 miles,is it just a fault that the brakes seem to have no bite or could it be the servo?

Classics are still appreciating slowly, while the new ones are depreciating still. Quite a bit in the last few years it seems.

I'm personally not a fan of FWD, but it is a Lotus which could be driven every day. My experience with old Elans is that they are durable, reliable, and that they require maintainance. I did use a '67 Plus 2 for a daily driver for a couple summers in the late 80's.