Esprit HCI

B

BBShriver

Freshman Member

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #1

Hello,
My dad, brother and I are looking to get into some form of racing, SCCA regionals, club racing, maybe vintage. Just kicking the idea around right now.
Last night my dad and I stopped at a local used car lot that seems to be entirely "exotic" cars in need of some TLC. One that caught our eye was a Lotus Esprit Turbo HCI. Body was in good shape, interior was pretty shot. Looked like something that would be a potential race car candidate in that it was in bad enough shape we wouldn't feel guilty of destroying a nice car, but good enough we didn't have to start from scratch.

What are the details of the Turbo HCI? Any guestimate on what one in this type of condition is worth? I'd suspect it needs signifigant mechanical work, suspension etc. What is parts/upgrades availability for these? Also, does anyone know what existing classes of racing it may be eligible for?

Thanks,

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #2

As long as your budget is hefty:

https://www.lotusespritworld.com/otherstuff.html

Welcome to the forum, BTW. There are a few of us BCF members in your area.

I'd say if you're set on going racing, start with something a bit less "exotic" than a Lotus... Believe me, the adrenalin will come from under the fingernails in the same way no matter what car you choose! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif Rattle thru the "Racing" forum posts here and you'll get some other ideas, too.

Hope you enjoy your membership here: It's a great place to meet fellow enthusiasts, glean good advice and generally have a good time on line.

Again: WELCOME! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #3

OH! And responses here generally come in MINUTES not hours or days like *most* forums. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

OP

B

BBShriver

Freshman Member

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #4

Ok, just a bit more background here. Originally we'd been considering a number of less exotic cars. Front runner has been a fox-body 5.0 mustang, which can be bought, modified, worked on dirt cheap, and perform well.
however this local dealership has a number of exotic "back row specials" such as this Lotus, and an older 911 for $10k, several 924/944's.
The Lotus caught our attention from a number of aspects. First off, other cars we have are a (highly modified) Jaguar XK-140, Bentley Arnage R, 2007 Jaguar XK. So as you can see there's a soft spot for British Iron.
Also, a side-purpose of this idea besides just plain fun is advertising/awareness for our company (https://www.threesevenresearch.com), and it seems in something as flashy as the Esprit even if your racing performance is lack-luster, at least you look good doing it!

But I do understand that it would be a bit on the high-mainteance side, and that is certainly a factor. Just wondering if it would be competitive, and parts availability etc.

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #5

Well, it'd certainly be flash enuff. Making it competitive is easily possible but also easily quite costly. With that brace of English lumps you likely have a grasp of the ~possible~ pitfalls tho. What of a GT3 effort? They're about as ready as a car gets, right outta th' box.

Where in Florida are your folks headed?

 

OP

B

BBShriver

Freshman Member

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• Aug 1, 2007

• #6

I have found that "cheap" and "British" are two words rarely found in the same sentence.
By GT3, you mean LeMans?

Amelia Island.

 

G

Gwilhelm

Senior Member

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #7

My 2c as being a new Esprit owner: RUN!!!!!
I've owned my 88 Esprit Turbo since March.... I've driven her a total of 6 times..... Currently the clutch hydraulics are completely shot and I think the $$$ throw-out bearing $$$ is failing...

Don't do it!

Find something more reliable.... that is the MOST important part of racing. I understand a soft spot for British cars. I have one too. Parts for the Lotus Esprit are twice the price of other British cars and some are unobtainable. I recently saw an Esprit racing.... I was a beautiful site..... FOR ONE LAP!!!!!! The team had to retire due to mechanical failures.... typical Lotus! and I never saw the car again the entire weekend. How can you advertise when the car is sitting behind a wall or in your trailer?

The 944 on the other hand.... eh... its German never mind.

MGB and Triumphs can be excellent race cars and quite cheap to obtain and fully sort. You might even be able to find a roller that has already been converted to a full spec race car...

Welcome to the forum, BTW /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
Good Luck!

 

OP

B

BBShriver

Freshman Member

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #8

Thanks for the Info.
It turns out the dealer wants in the high $20k range for the Lotus. Right now front runners are a 73 Porsche 911 2.4 for $8800, or a 81 BMW633CSI for $2500.
Both german unfortunately, but both seem like they'd work well.

May look at an MGB or similar as well.

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #9

Lotus cars CAN be made into very competitive racing vehicles. It just seems a HUGE expense. The 6-series BMW would be a fair candidate, but an MGB would be my immediate first choice.

As for 'reliability' the S-3 Elan here did duty as a daily driver for eleven contiguous years. Other English or Italian cars were relegated that duty off-and-on through the thirty-five years I've owned it.

Porsche GT3 was what I was thinkin'. But again, $$$. 'specially if it gets pranged.


Central Gulf coast FL here.

 

G

Gwilhelm

Senior Member

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #10

Not meaning to disrespect Lotus.... I LOVE my Esprit!!! Its just a major expense to get her reliable enough to stand up to the torture of racing....

 

S

smcmanus

Jedi Hopeful

Offline

• Aug 2, 2007

• #11

I have a Jensen Healey with the Lotus 907 engine and I like tinkering with it. Parts are available but expect long delays when you need parts. The parts are also very expensive. It took me a month this spring just to locate the correct shims I needed to adjust the valves.

I'm an recovering Porsche junkie. I still have one out there somewhere. Parts are very expensive. I'd bet the engine in that 911 will cost more to repair than the asking price of the car. Before you buy any Porsche, take it to an known expert or dealer for a full examination; money well spent. Better yet, skip the (money) hole experience and go with something cheap and fun. Expensive and fun isn't fun to me anymore.

Have a nice day
Steve

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #12

Steve! I thought I told ya I have a shim collection. Same as the 1600 Lotus. Some ain't the "best looking" ones, but they'll work. Don't HESITATE to get in touch if you need to do that again!

 

R

RonMacPherson

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #13

And if I remember right they also fit the 124 that uses shims(or could be Alfa) just remember that when I was at a dealer where we had them all(Jensen, Lotus, Alfa, VW, Subaru, Datsun, Fiat, etc) we could and did use Eyetalian shims on the Britmobiles) Even had fun with the Citroen SM.

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #14

Lotus shims are flat, an approximate 0.620" O.D. Alfa are "top-hat" shims with a "socket" on the underside of 'em. They fit the valve stem O.D. I have a fair collection in a "dealership" set of those as well.

 

Steve

Moderator

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• Aug 2, 2007

• #15

DrEntropy said:

Steve! I thought I told ya I have a shim collection. Same as the 1600 Lotus. Some ain't the "best looking" ones, but they'll work. Don't HESITATE to get in touch if you need to do that again!

Click to expand...

Oh SHIMS! I thought you said you had a collection of "shivs".......wouldn't have surprised me somehow! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

R

RonMacPherson

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• Aug 3, 2007

• #16

Then it's gotta be the 128/124 shims. Been better than 35 years, so grey cells have a hard time connecting some times(a lot of the time).

 

DrEntropy

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• Aug 3, 2007

• #17

Steve said:

DrEntropy said:

Steve! I thought I told ya I have a shim collection. Same as the 1600 Lotus. Some ain't the "best looking" ones, but they'll work. Don't HESITATE to get in touch if you need to do that again!

Click to expand...

Oh SHIMS! I thought you said you had a collection of "shivs".......wouldn't have surprised me somehow! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Click to expand...

No real collection of those. Just th' one, Steve. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

S

smcmanus

Jedi Hopeful

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• Aug 3, 2007

• #18

Dr E, thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind. I eventually traded around with some other guys who were also seeking shims. Of course, this is not the most time effective way to do things. There was a Saab that used the same shims. You should have seen the look on the face of the parts guy at the counter when I asked about them. NLA from Saab.

I ended up buying a few from Delta and all is happy. It would have been a one day job if I had a shim assortment handy but between trading and buying it took me a month to adjust my valves.

Adjusting the valves on this engine is a long drawn out procedure requiring multiple R&R of the cam towers. I think I ended up assembling it 5 or 6 times.

Have a nice day
Steve

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

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• Aug 3, 2007

• #19

I'm well aware of the proceedure /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

I also have a set of troughs and cams for that 907 engine sitting here gatherin' dust. The rest of it is likely useless. I got it for the 5-speed attached to it.

If you do go thru the job again, I've literally hundreds of shims. Owned Lotus cars from the early '70's 'til now and was both a sales weasel and wrench at a Lotus/Alfa/Porsche dealership for a number of years.

 

OP

B

BBShriver

Freshman Member

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• Aug 3, 2007

• #20

The dealer it's at are German/exotic specialists... Have 2 Esprits there that they're going through, several Porsche's Mercedes, Ferarri, etc. Not the most sophisticated bunch of guys, but seem to know their stuff. Anyway, I'll look into it more.