Allan Songer Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Went to the LA Auto Show last week and have been thinking about this car ever since. I just put a deposit down on one, but it won't be here until March or April 2004. Guess I'll have to sell off some of my excess audio gear and tubes and STOP buying LPs for a while!!! http://www.lotuscars.com/elise_announcement.html Finally, a REAL sports car available again in the USA! NO radio NO air conditioning NO power windows NO carpeting!!!! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 Here's a good shot! http://www.lotuscars.com/pic2.jpg YOWZA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Allan, As my son would say..."That's what I'm talking about!" What a beautiful looking machine! Congratulations. Definitely my idea of what a sports car should be. The music comes from the sound of the pipes, gears, and engine. The air conditioning is provided by mother nature when the windows and/or top is down. Power windows require motors and add weight, as does carpeting. Screw that stuff. Those are many of the same reasons I never intend to sell my 1973 Alfa Romeo GTV. It, like that beauty you just ordered, is a car meant for a driving enthusiast. Go Allan, Go!!!!!!!!!!!!! Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornwaller Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Alan, Nice car!! The 1750 curb wieght takes me back to the days--I still have my Alfa GTV. Throw the rear view away! Cornwaller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 I have owned a number of Lotus cars in the past. A couple of Elans, an Elite, a Seven, a Europa, a couple of Lotus-Cortinas, a 51 Formula Ford, and a 19 Formula Jr. I sold the last one in the mid-90's and didn't think I'd ever own another. But DAMN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 That is really the most un-Lotus Lotus I have seen in awhile although I believe the Elise has been rooting around Europe for awhile with nothing but praise. That looks even more American-ized though, with more muscle-look than I am used to from ole Lotus. I am surprised you like the looks a bit, Allan. If only they had just toned down the boy-racer aspect a hair. Still, this will surely be a hot seller here. Porsche beware(if that isn't a two-syllable word to those reading then no need to apply...heh)! kh ps- Allan, did you REALLY put a deposit down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 The looks are marginal, I admit it. (It looks much better in person). But I had the chance to drive a club racer about 6 months ago at a Porsche club weekend (no, I don't own one, was there with a pal) at Willow Springs and I have to tell it might be the most fun I've ever had behind the wheel. This is a PERFECT sports car--unrefined, noisy, FAST, a little spooky at 9/10, but sticks like glue right to the limit. Man oh man. I also drove a Ferrari 360 Modena that weekend and the Lotus is more fun and $135,000 less money!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 How much are they telling you it will be at release? Can you get a quote they will stick to now with your deposit? I read reviews of the Elise when if first came out in Europe and they were already saying ThEN that it needed to come overseas. It looks a little more puffed up than I remember, however. I can imagine how it is. Lord. The CHP will be loving that! Can I hand you your $25 in person for a ride? heh... kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 The word is that the basic "sport" model will sell for $37K and the "deluxe" model with a/c, removeable hardtop ($1000 option on the base car) leather, power windows, carpeting, CD player/radio will sell for $41,500. Whatever the "list" price is when they arrive is what I'll be able to buy it for--no fake markup. I only put down a $500 deposit and it's fully refundable if I change my mind. The US model will come with a tweaked 1.8 liter twin-cam from the Toyota Celica that puts out 190 bhp, as opposed to the 160 bhp Rover power plant that comes with the stock UK version. The US model will weigh in at 1850-1900 lbs (damn air bags!) as opposed to the 1750lb. UK model Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Congrats Allan, It is one fabulous car - goes like stink and handles a dream. I have only been in one once with a friend hurtling round the backstreets of london at an ungodly hour. Real scarey stuff and way too quick to be wasted on the road. Find yourself a race track with lots of twisty bits and have a ball.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Allan, Now that's a nice looking car !! Congratulations !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Great car and looks stunning! Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryklipsch Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Allan Songer all you need now is a nice klipsch stereo intact,and k33's under the seats,k77's in the door panels.Very nice car,never seen one here in canada,Looks like you will be spending more time in it than staying home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scipio Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Nice car indeed. My boss wants me to work 15 straight days, I said that if he buys me that i'll do it. It might make a good addition if I we win the case and I get the bonus promised to me also. crossing my fingers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radiohead Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I would be all over the "sport" model. 190HP in a 1900lb. chassis. That is sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 That is one awesome looking ride. This thread has irritated me to know some are on here and not only are Klipsch guys but still have their Alfa GTV's. damn! I had Fiats and Lancia's but never could find the right GTV-6 although I love the car and swore I would own one. Now Alan throws out this Elise which is just art work. Given my sensibilities - the race bike is back together and running, just waiting on spring now, and it will smoke any of these cars from 0 - 90 while riding a wheelie - the decision between the Nissan 350, Mazda Rx8, and now Elise will be difficult. At least it will be fun to take test drives...actually, I can buy either of them and then wait for the Elise since it won't arrive until a year later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Crash The Alfa's are right purty but ........ I have owned 2 of the buggers and will never own another ! uno: 1969 Berlina 1300 cc. - Purchased new for $ 3200.00 - Great little car until about 36 seconds after final expiry of the warranty at which point the car mechanically disintegrated. Repairs would have amounted to about 3000.00 for a car that could have been replaced at that time for about 4000.00 due: 1979 Alfetta Sedan purchased used with about 20000 miles on the clock. The car had had various minor but ( invariably expensive) problems until one exceptionally cold morning ( - 40 ) when I fired her up and she started no problemo but the oil pressure stayed at 0 ! I called the dealer in Calgary who sounded rather amused - and dare I say somewhat pleased - and said: "Yep - We see that all the time in really cold weather. In fact this is the 3rd. call this morning ! Alfa casts its crankshafts in a solid block and then drills them afterward to create the oil galleys. That leaves holes in the outer surface of the crank that have to be plugged and ground level as part of the final finishing. The problem is that those plugs are made of a magnesium alloy which shrinks a lot more at these temperatures than the crank does. What happens is that when the very cold and therefore very thick oil begins to circulate - those magnesium plugs just pop right on out of the crankshaft and wind up in the oil pan. That causes the complete loss of oil pressure you see on your guage. So what we have to do is have you get the car towed to our shop and we'll just pop them little buggers back in for you !! Errrr - I live 35 miles from your shop so I expect that that trip will cost about $ 100.00 ! Can I be sure that once you put the NEW plugs in that I won't have the same problem the next time it gets this cold ? BTW how much is a new set of crank plugs going to cost me ? Not a bunch fer the plugs a set of them things runs out to about $ 80.00 + installation. You are going to need to find a heated gayradje fer that thing BTW 'cause it's likely that those plugs will fall out anytime the temp drops below about -30 . When do you expect your vehicle will arrive h'yar ?? - I needs ta know because another coupla folks called in and I gotta schedule things ! Errr $ 80.00 + 100.00 is getting a little heavy considering that this is likely to happen once or twice each winter ! You mentioned an installation charge ?? Yep we flats that at $ 800.00 (but truth be told given the actual amount of labour it really should be $ 1000.00) but we try to accomodate our regular customers. My second and last Alfa went on the block shortly after but not before $ 2500.00 worth of other minor issues arose. PS. I may sound bitter - and I am ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 hi lynn, ok, let me tell you about my fiat. i still love the car and blame my first wife. bought the car (79 spyder) the summer before my first year of college - back in 84. checked out the car and identified it had some minor valve noise but didn't seem too bad. on the drive home, noticed the damn thing was pretty drafty and the driver (me) sat very low in the car. upon arriving home, i discover the floor below the drivers seat was gone and the wicked woman who sold me the car had placed a board under the carpet to hide this. over the next week I welded a new floorboard into the car using floors ripped out of a junk fiat and welded it in with metal coathangers. driving home a week later, the front wheel fell off the car. replaced all the joints, tie-rods, etc. two weeks later, i am exiting the highway when i stab the brakes and the pedal falls smack to the floor. i end up replacing all the brake lines, master cylinder, and booster. few weeks go by and all is good, except that when the brakes failed I ran into the back of a van at a yellow stoplight (in Miami where NO-ONE stops even on red) so i decide to fix the bodywork and repaint the car. all is good. off to college, where I repeatedly wreck the car every so often due to having an over-exhuberance for the college nightlife - hitting trees and such in the parking lot necessitating body work repairs and paint jobs on far too frequent a basis. stumble upon an 81 chassis and body that is straight and bondo-less and promptly buy it and rebuild the car taking everything out of the 79. leave for Christmas vacation (leaving the car parked in front of my apt. building) and return to find a note pinned on my door a week later. meet my neighbor for the first time, a nice fellow confined to a wheelchair, who begins to sob to me about the breakup with his girlfriend, and finally getting around to his "opening the door and firing a few random shots from his .357" which happened to go straight into the front of my fiat necessitating new lights, radiator, fan, etc. decide to drive the car home the next vacation and the front bearings start melting 75 miles out of Miami. spent a couple of days chiseling them off the spindle and replacing everything. meet a girl, go on a date, throw a gear through the bottom of the transmission. date over, remainder of vacation spent locating and installing new transmission. 4 years of this and I complete college. decide to fix the valve noise and discover car has had a broken valve and bent valve for 5 years of driving. amazing in light it is the only thing i have not repaired or replaced and the car would spin the wheel off the line in second gear. fix this, put on a new top, and everything is good - car drives wonderfully, looks good, and is quiet. 3 months. meet wife. allow wife to keep car one day. wife decides to take the car to be detailed. car gets detailed. on the way home, wife blows the motor to pieces. game over. it was painful but I loved that car and spent my youth learning to be a jack-of-all-trades and repaired everything myself - with the supervision of a true mechanic. my son gets his license in 6 months. part of me wants to get him a Fiat for the pleasure it provides. part of me wants to get him one to teach him one of life's lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Great stories ... I think we talked about this a while back but I remember growing up that my dad's Alpha would always the hood up ... the thing was ALWAYS eating exhaust valves. I think he changed valves like some on this board swap K-77 diaphragms. Allan, great looking ride. Reasonably priced too! I wonder if I could talk my boss into letting me have one for a company car. Think I could get 4 Japanese guys in there with their Samsonites and golf clubs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 What is this? Person that can go into detail wins.... kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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