Lotus : Esprit Turbo Coupe 2-Door

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I present my 1986 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCi with 64. 00 miles on the odometer for sale. I recently moved to Savannah GA and do not have a means to store or work on the car. Overall a very nice driving example. not a garage queen.

The exterior of the car is in good condition and the paint shines up nicely. There are some minor chips on the front of the car. a couple of minor scratches on the side and some areas of gel coat cracking near the headlight pods. These are limited in size and quantity. the largest being about 4” across. These areas are difficult for the untrained eye to spot and the car looks amazing from several feet away even to the trained eye. There is also a small crack in the rear bumper several inches across and some scuffs to the plastic covering.

The body panels line up nicely. and I have not found any signs of prior repair anywhere on the car. The front spoiler sits very close to the ground and has a few more scratches than other areas of the car. The most notable issue is some warping in the targa top. I believe a previous owner likely stored it in the boot without its leather cover. and engine heat caused the fiberglass to warp. The paint still looks great over these areas but the surface is raised perhaps 1/8” in a few areas (see pictures for details). The top lines up. latches and removes perfectly.

The engine bay is clean and original. There are a few bolts missing that are used to hold inspection panels in place as I believe a few of the holes have stripped out. The engine cover is in good shape. but the removable tray that it latches to has a crack in the middle meaning only 1 of the latches works. This tray is fiberglass and could be repaired. but it never bothered me enough to take action.

The interior is original and in presentable condition. The red leather looks great and is soft to the touch. There are a couple of split seams in the driver seat. and the leather has shrunk around the driver side defroster vent on the dash. The area around the shift knob suffers from a similar shrinking and could use repair. All the lights/electric mirros/windows work. though one of the windows is a little slow. All gauges work except for the gas gauge. I use the trip odometer to keep track of when it's time to fill up.

I have done significant work to the car mechanically to sort out a number of issues that have come up. as well as a lot of preventative maintenance. This includes within the last few years:

-October 2012 @ 62k miles: New clutch slave/master cylinder with upgraded SS hydraulic line (eliminates “red hose syndrome” )
-February 2013 @ 63k miles: Most of “C service” including: new coolant. timing belt/tensioner bearing. v-belts. air cleaner. transmission oil. rear brake calipers. rear pads. rear rotors resurfaced. new rear SS brake lines. clutch/pressure plate/throw out bearing. circlip in transmission upgraded to prevent input shaft liberation issue. new air filter
-January 2014: New battery
-February 2014 @ 63. 6k miles: all new tires
-June 2014 @ 64k miles: new hydraulic fluid (clutch and brakes) and oil/filter
-July 2014 @ 64k miles: A/C service and recharge with R-12. blows cold!
-August 2014: New speakers

The engine runs strong and idles well once warmed up. Oil pressure. voltage. and turbo boost gauges all respond as expected while driving. Transmission doesn't make any weird noises and can shift into all 5 gears without any grinding. The car needs no immediate attention other than normal maintenance.

A couple of non-standard notes about the car: The thermal otter switch to turn on the radiator fans is currently disconnected. so the radiator fans are turned on manually using a switch on the dash if the coolant temp is high. This generally only happens during extended idles. I never need the fans on while driving. No issues overheating ever.

Also with the engine at idle and most of the electrics on (head lights. interior fans. radiator fans. stereo. etc) the battery shows a discharge. This can be fixed by swapping the alternator belt for a tighter one or trying to further tighten the belt that's on there now. Either one should be a relatively simple fix. or just be mindful of your electrical draw at idle.

I have a clear title for the car in hand. I expect a $500 non-refundable deposit within 48 hours of auction close via PayPal and the car to be picked up or shipped within 10 days thereafter. Payment is due prior to or during pickup in the form of cash. wire transfer. PayPal (you pay any fees). or personal check with sufficient time to clear. If the purchase is not finalized during this window it will be re-listed. I have a clear title in hand and am happy to discuss the car to any interested parties.

Also published at eBay.ca

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