Anyone have any experience with a Lotus Esprit?

[fastfredracing]

I had one come in my shop a few years ago doa. I spent a few hours on it, and surmised that the ecu had failed. I used my ecu cross reference guide and figured out that it used the same ecu as an early 90's grand am with a quad 4. One call to local Advance auto, and $75.00 later, it was out the door running the same day. Fun little car to drive though.

[EarlyPorsche]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I had one come in my shop a few years ago doa. I spent a few hours on it, and surmised that the ecu had failed. I used my ecu cross reference guide and figured out that it used the same ecu as an early 90's grand am with a quad 4. One call to local Advance auto, and $75.00 later, it was out the door running the same day. Fun little car to drive though.

Wow! You are a good tech. I had no idea there was an ecu cross reference.

[targa911S]

two words..renault and renault.

[HarryD]

Some fun reading: Guy's Lotus Page

[Embraer]

always loved the series 1 cars. I almost bought one last year down in the inland empire. car didn't run right, and was overpriced.

there was one on ebay last year....I loved the color combo. puke yellow with a green tartan interior.

series one cars were not fast, but there's just something cool about them.

[Embraer]

Primary Colors: 1977 Lotus Esprit S1

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

Just buy an MR2 Turbo...It's close enough and would be 1000x more reliable. Cheaper too.

Fun car, I'll bet!!!

[Stonestreet]

I have always wanted one. Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by targa911S

two words..renault and renault.

I don't understand the connection youre drawing to Lotus?

OP, one of my best car days was being handed the keys to an Exige and ripping around the English countryside. The Toyota engine variant. The most fun you can have sitting down. But- a very hardcore car. Its got nothing (in the Chapman manner). Two people, no room for a even briefcase inside. Big high intrusion sills in the monocoque. Would be a challenge as a daily driver.

But what fun.

[Bob Kontak]

I have worked on an early Series 2. Dellorto carbs.

Pretty cool. Typical English complexity - old-ish complexity - but still pretty simple - damn that thing was fun and handled the road.

[beepbeep]

Originally Posted by stuartj

I don't understand the connection youre drawing to Lotus?

OP, one of my best car days was being handed the keys to an Exige and ripping around the English countryside. The Toyota engine variant. The most fun you can have sitting down. But- a very hardcore car. Its got nothing (in the Chapman manner). Two people, no room for a even briefcase inside. Big high intrusion sills in the monocoque. Would be a challenge as a daily driver.

But what fun.

As far as I remember, gearbox in Esprite was from old Renault, pretty hard to find nowadays.

[afterburn 549]

Lucus -Prince of Darkness
he Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."

Lucas denies having invented darkness. But they still claim "sudden, unexpected darkness"

Lucas--inventor of the first intermittent wiper.

Lucas--inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.

The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF.

The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.

Lucas dip-switch positions: LOW and BLOW (Bruce Miller, Hermit Software's Wellbiz - Software Development)

The original anti-theft devices--Lucas Electric products.

"I've had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never experienced any prob...

If Lucas made guns, wars would not start either.

Did you hear about the Lucas powered torpedo? It sank.

It's not true that Lucas, in 1947, tried to get Parliament to repeal Ohm's Law. They withdrew their efforts when they met too much resistance.

Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night, since they all look the same?" "He replied, it doesn't matter which one you use, nothing happens!"

Back in the '70s Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which didn't suck.

Quality Assurance phoned and advised the Lucas engineering guy that they had trouble with his design shorting out. So he made the wires longer.

Why do the English drink warm beer? Lucas made the refrigerators, too.

Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone. Thomas Edison invented the Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit.

Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: check the position of the stars, kill a chicken and walk three times sunwise around your car chanting: "Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant."

Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.

How to make AIDS disappear? Give it a Lucas parts number.

Recently, Lucas won out over Bosch to supply the electrical for the new Volkswagens. So, now the cars from the Black Forest will come with electrics supplied by the Lord of Darkness -- how appropriate!

Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices.

[zelrik911]

Originally Posted by beepbeep

As far as I remember, gearbox in Esprite was from old Renault, pretty hard to find nowadays.

I think the first series Esprit had a Citroen SM gearbox and then they replaced it with a Renault gearbox in the later series.
This was probably at the time Lotus was developing the DeLorean with PRV V6 engine and Renault gearbox, so Chapman could have got a sweet deal from Renault.
I heard there is a weakness in the input drive shaft which breaks in two.

The 'backbone' of the Esprit delaminates as well on poor examples.
Great pity as its a memorable car, but I have never been brave enough to buy one.

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by beepbeep

As far as I remember, gearbox in Esprite was from old Renault, pretty hard to find nowadays.

that is what is was referring to..lots of French bearings and stuff in these.

[targa911S]

My last name is Lucas.......lights dim when I enter a room..

[aschen]

Originally Posted by Stonestreet

I have always wanted one. Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.

My Elise and exige have both been great cars but I can understand where the saying comes from.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by aschen

My Elise and exige have both been great cars but I can understand where the saying comes from.

The Esprit doesn't have a Toyota drivetrain either.

[Stonestreet]

Originally Posted by aschen

My Elise and exige have both been great cars but I can understand where the saying comes from.

I'm sure the new cars are brilliant. This was definitely in reference to the older cars. My uncle gave me that bit of wisdom, he lives in the world of automotive design/engineering. I've still always wanted one. I fell in love with the S4S when I was a kid.

[aschen]

I'm not so sure, I don't really get the evora and it has some quality issues as well. The eliges just don't have much of anything to go wrong. They really are fantastic cars to drive. My 930 feels like an SUV compared to the exige

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Lucus -Prince of Darkness
he Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."

Lucas denies having invented darkness. But they still claim "sudden, unexpected darkness"

Lucas--inventor of the first intermittent wiper.

Lucas--inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.

The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF.

The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.

Lucas dip-switch positions: LOW and BLOW (Bruce Miller, Hermit Software's Wellbiz - Software Development)

The original anti-theft devices--Lucas Electric products.

"I've had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never experienced any prob...

If Lucas made guns, wars would not start either.

Did you hear about the Lucas powered torpedo? It sank.

It's not true that Lucas, in 1947, tried to get Parliament to repeal Ohm's Law. They withdrew their efforts when they met too much resistance.

Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night, since they all look the same?" "He replied, it doesn't matter which one you use, nothing happens!"

Back in the '70s Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which didn't suck.

Quality Assurance phoned and advised the Lucas engineering guy that they had trouble with his design shorting out. So he made the wires longer.

Why do the English drink warm beer? Lucas made the refrigerators, too.

Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone. Thomas Edison invented the Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit.

Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: check the position of the stars, kill a chicken and walk three times sunwise around your car chanting: "Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant."

Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.

How to make AIDS disappear? Give it a Lucas parts number.

Recently, Lucas won out over Bosch to supply the electrical for the new Volkswagens. So, now the cars from the Black Forest will come with electrics supplied by the Lord of Darkness -- how appropriate!

Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices.