Lotus Elite 1974

You are bidding on a Lotus Elite 4 passenger sports car sedan.  It has the Lotus 907 2-Liter dual overhead cam engine with 160 bhp, twin Dellorto side draft carbs, 5 speed transmission, aluminum wheels, and four wheel independent suspension.  The Lotus is right hand drive.  This is the first year of this body design, which was Colin Chapman's entry into the sports sedan market.  They were fast, they handled extremely well, and they were economical.

The car is in inside storage currently in southern Illinois about 40 miles from St. Louis, MO.  The car has been in storage for around twenty years.  The pictures are from before it went in storage. As such, there may be several problems that need to be addressed from long term storage.  

The car is an excellent candidate for restoration as it is all original and nothing has been changed from its factory configuration. It is not in a hundred pieces in some jigsaw puzzle you'll never solve.  It is all together.  The exterior is the blue-green original paint.  The interior is the original beige cloth seats.  An AM-FM cassette stereo with recorder is installed from the factory.  Air conditioning is factory installed.

The car is not near me so I cannot check on its current condition.  I also cannot send more recent pictures as I am too far away to have access.

Extras / Spare Parts - Available at Extra Charge

There is a spare engine that does run.  The spare engine is complete from the carburetors to the starter and flywheel.   The only difference is the spare has the Stromberg carbs and the original has the Dellorto carbs.

There is also an extra transmission.  It is a four speed while the one in the car is a five speed.  Still, it is an extra.

More Pictures

Condition:

The Lotus is not running.  The timing belt snapped and so some of the valves are assumed to have hit and bent.  I have seen this before and other than the bent valves and a broken belt, the other engines were fine.  Pull the head, replace the bent valves, put on a new belt, and you are back in business.  

The body had some minor damage that had been repaired to the left headlight from a car backing over it.  The bodywork was repaired but the area was not painted.  However, the age of the paint probably needs to be repainted anyway.

The interior was in fairly good condition.  However, the results of long term storage may have changed this.

The air conditioning was functioning.  However, the freon no doubt has leaked off from the long term storage.

The tires are probably flat.  They may or may not hold air at this time.  As such, you should be prepared to buy cheap, or bring with you, 14 inch diameter tires to have mounted for transporting.  If this is necessary, I will help you locate someplace to purchase and/or change tires.

All mechanical systems need to be checked thoroughly due to the long term storage.  This would be true for any car you buy that has been stored for a long time.  You will not simply charge the battery and drive away. The Lotus must be towed on a trailer, truck, or rollback wrecker.  It should not be towed on a dolly or flat-towed with a tow bar.  The fiberglass bumpers will not survive a conventional wrecker with a sling.

This is a "Barn Car".

Everyone talks about finding a car in a barn. 
This is one.  Parked 20 years ago, waiting for someone to find and restore it.

This is an excellent opportunity for restoration with the spare engine or a killer Q-ship street car.  I have seen GM V6 engines dropped in and even the Buick 215/Rover 3500 and a quick car becomes a rocket. As most have never seen one of these, you could have a lot of fun on the street.

To give you an idea of other Lotus cars, here are some links: 

Terms:

A $500 deposit must be received within 7 days of the end of the auction.  The remainder must be paid in full prior to me traveling to meet you or your representative to pick up the car.  Payment can be by certified bank check, money order, or wire transfer.   I need two weeks notice as to when you wish to pick up the car so that I can make my travel arrangements to meet you there.  If you decide upon inspection to not take delivery of the car, your payment minus $400 will be refunded to you.

There is no title for the car.  I will give you a notarized bill of sale.  Title services can assist you in obtaining a title if you require one in your state.  The age of this car does not require one in many states.

The car does not have to be picked up immediately.  It can be stored for an extended period of time, if needed.  Storage fees must be paid for $20 per month.

 Serious bidders only please. Bids will not be accepted from anyone with a total negative feedback. Due to bad experiences in the past, we cannot accept bids from buyers with 0 feedback unless you contact us by email before placing your bid!

Thanks for bidding. 

Please visit our other auctions for more items.

Pick Up:

After all monies are received, we will arrange a date to meet at the car, preferably a weekend.  I cannot ship, but I will work with your shipper to make this as easy as possible.   I can be very flexible to meeting the shipper's schedule, assisting in any special needs for loading, and cooperate in any way possible.  This is to our mutual benefit for this to work well.  However, weekend pickup is the very best and probably the only chance I can give due to the location.

The Lotus must be picked up in Illinois near St. Louis, MO.  Delivery may be arranged within 75 miles for an additional fee.

I recommend that you arrive to transport the car yourself.  The reason is there is a spare engine and transmission.  Most auto shippers do not have the facilities to haul an engine along with the car.  As a Lotus is small, I can't just toss the spare engine and transmission in the trunk (won't fit).  As such, I would recommend arriving with a pick up truck and trailer, or prepared to rent a trailer locally.  I will assist you however possible at the storage location.