Life after elan

[RobCapper]

well yes, my lovely +2 is up for sale... a very tricky decision as most of you can probably sympathise, but I've had it and loved it for 3 years, and just fancy a change.. I also use it almost everyday, so sometimes require a little more than it can give..
SO.. now that my therapist has final prised a for sale ad out of me, and assuming it sells, what shall I buy next? The current leaders are an elise 111s or a Dare Ginetta G4.... anyone gt either of those and could offer some advice? Failing that, anything I've missed? I'd love aa baby elan, but d enough long drives to make having only 4 gears quite hard work... I'd love to have 2 cars, but on my salary, and at only 27, that ain't going to happen...
I know I will regret selling the elan in years to come, but at the moment, it's the right thing to do... so, what would best soften the blow?! I need a new toy...

[kenny]

Caterham 7................buy one, have a few months or so in a proper supercar and then sell it getting all your money back............the "free car" theory as my Mrs. hates me saying

Elise.....have to agree. ( Insurance will be dear as opposed to 7's and elans though)

Westfield Megabusa at similar money

Z cars of KAD Mini

old shape C43 AMG C class merc.........if you're feeling sensible.

Kenny

[twincamman]

buy yourself a corvette and always get to your destination -starts in the wet -and your mates will gather around just feel the ground shake when you start it up - -ed

[sk178ta]

I `m on my 3rd Elise, 111R (fabulous), so I`m quite keen....... but If I had to sell the S3 Elan or the Elise, then the Elise would have to go. At 27, insurance will be another issue.
Jim

[oldokie]

Ed is right about 'vettes starting in the wet, however, I live in Southern California, it doesn't rain that often, or that hard, most Corvettes here are not driven in the wet because they handle so poorly; once they start to slide, their weight makes it nearly impossible to reel them in without the aid of another solid object such as a tree, a guard rail, a parked car, etc.

Someone accustomed to driving a Lotus will soon do himself a mischief driving a Corvette in the same manner!

[twincamman]

ya --but you can change your name to 'Bob ' and get a crew cut --Vet drivers just cruise the strip and admire themselves in the store windows any how ---and Brits know how to drive in the 'damp' ---the one wet day in so cal must be busy for the tow trucks --- --ed

[oldokie]

Ed,

You must have been watching our local news, it rained on the Grapevine Friday night! They'll be days getting that cleaned up.

[twincamman]

oh yes we get the world famous K T L A NEWS UP HERE -----helps when we are huddled around the T.V. for warmth when there is 4 or 5 or so feet of snow out and the cat wont even go outside that some bodys warm ----what caused that pile up ???---ed

[oldokie]

0.10" of rain. It's crazy out here when it gets damp! All the smog,etc., settles on the roads all year long, then the first little rain turns the freeways into one huge oilslick!

[DrEntropy]

"Back in th' day" my Elans were driven as daily transporters. Up where elancoupe lives. Rain, shine, SNOW... Now here in Florida I wouldn't take one out in the wet without a long thought. Not because it doesn't cope well, rather the place is littered with Buicks piloted by feeble minded blue-hair'd incomps. As soon as it drizzles they look like "dodgem" cars at the fair in every intersection.

"If it's Snow-bird Season, why can't we SHOOT 'em?!?!"

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Rob,
There's an Evante for sale in the latest "Classic & Sports Car" magazine.
May be of interest to you?

An Elan with all the needed improvements:- discuss

Exits rapidly

John

[Elanintheforest]

Four words sum it up for me....
Great engine, looks crap.
Mark

[elansprint71]

Four words sum it up for me....
Great engine, looks crap.
Mark

Two words missing: really and really.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Well that discussion set the forum on fire, a bit monosyllabic & very obviously a tabu subject.
What about Ginetta G15's?

runs for cover

[elansprint71]

G15 is a great little car but it's no Elan, the chassis is fairly complex, built in just such a cheapo fashion as the Elan's but it is bonded into the glass. Therefore it's an absolute bastard to separate the two.
When I sold my first Elan in 76, I regretted it the next day (on my way to work in a V12 E-Type), just roll your car into a corner, forget it for a couple of years and buy an old Mini Cooper.