Overpriced? Sprints, & Register of Dodgy Stripes, Arches & D

[trw99]

I have started another thread on Sprint Decals (Sidewinders)

Tim

[Spyder fan]

Tim
Is it okay if we continue to discuss stripes here then?

I will try to ignore your new thread in case it trys to be too definitive on the subject and / or attempts to educate with a bias towards correctness and originality

.

[trw99]

Oh Lord yes, please carry on. I only thought that if some owner was looking for help in fitting decals they may find the new thread more easily.

So Alan, what is it that you need to say?

Tim

[Spyder fan]

Tim,
I went fishing in my kayak today, the mackerel were biting and I wondered if some other species would do the same if I used the right baiting technique.

I wonder if the Mackerel would be interested in the stripes thing

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Popcorn's ready & the beer's in the fridge waiting for the show to begin

[trw99]

I was in Dover Street, in the West End recently and was lucky enough to spot Alan's new project, complete with dodgy (or doggy) stripes....

Tim

[Spyder fan]

Tim
I abandoned that project after the owners club threatened to accept me as a member. I'm with Groucho on that point....... ( I
wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have someone like me as a member)

It was also far too slow with the castoff Elan big valve engine fitted that I salvaged from my +2.

Btw: I saw an interesting owners handbook the other day, it was titled 'Lotus Elan S4 / Sprint' dated in the 1970's. Any comment?

[trw99]

Alan

All quite normal. See: http://www.lotuselansprint.com/Document ... cebook.pdf

And before you ask, also see para 3 here: http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp

Hope that's clear - and I hope John (nebogipfel) reads that too!

Tim

PS Are you going to the Revival by any chance?

[Spyder fan]

Tim
Joking aside, your knowledge and passion for the Elan Sprint is inspiring, I didn't bother to open the book to check any of that stuff out, I knew you would have checked it out and linked it to your site.
Now we just need to work on your flexibility regarding roof chops and doors that fit incorrectly.


Off out in the kayak in about another hour, I'm hoping for Bass today having got a bit bored with those green and silver stripey fellows.

[garyeanderson]

Fish Stories now? I have one, this goes back to 1976 and my best friend Alan had owned an MGA (Endowed it backwards into a tree and lived) and Tom that had a 74 MGB that Alan was re-ringing engine at about that time and I had just got the burned Elan. We went out flounder fishing in a 8 ft pram, just off the dock at the Scituate harbor yacht club. I think we had Beer's (good chance as it happened a lot) and its quiet out on the water so we are trying not to be too loud and we get a bite, No joy though not flounder but an 2 foot eel shimmering in the sun as it reeled on the line. Soon it became very loud in the pram and the name became British Racing Eels for many years to come. Every time I see a BRG MGB it takes me there to that time and place

No flounder that day, do you know how hard it is to hold onto a slimly live eel and try to get the hook out. Yep - cut the line...

[nebogipfel]

Hope that's clear - and I hope John (nebogipfel) reads that too!

Read it Tim But ..........

[trw99]

I've just found this observation on the current classic car market place:

"So let?s go back to considering supply and demand, and consider that it?s not just usability and enjoyment that has defined this market. We have definitely noticed that the market has become more discerning, as it focuses on the naturally restricted pool of available cars. We find buyers today seek cars that are absolutely as original as possible. This has become ever more important. We continually find that, for these most original cars, demand never dips, and values steadily increase. The best of this already elite group soar above the fluctuating values of mediocre examples? or cars whose stories are too fruity to be credible! For many years, good original bodied cars were pulled apart to create racy specials. There is now a great ground swell fighting this mentality with real value being put on original cars. There is now an emphasis on preservation and conservation, rather than replacement, and that is something to be encouraged ? and cherished ? without getting too precious about it." Courtesy Fiskens

Tim

[ardee_selby]

I've just found this observation on the current classic car market place:

>snip There is now an emphasis on preservation and conservation, rather than replacement, and that is something to be encouraged ? and cherished ? without getting too precious about it." Courtesy Fiskens Tim

Interesting summary, Tim.

Not exactly a sports car...but had discussion on this area with friend who bought a '56 S1 Landrover...40K miles from new in the hands of the Auxiliary Fire Service. All original including paint & the "AFS" logos on the doors.
He established that it was used as the AFS command vehicle during the Torrey Canyon disaster...that tipped the scales...preservation/conservation...no question.

[Spyder fan]

I've just found this observation on the current classic car market place:

"So let?s go back to considering supply and demand, and consider that it?s not just usability and enjoyment that has defined this market. We have definitely noticed that the market has become more discerning, as it focuses on the naturally restricted pool of available cars. We find buyers today seek cars that are absolutely as original as possible. This has become ever more important. We continually find that, for these most original cars, demand never dips, and values steadily increase. The best of this already elite group soar above the fluctuating values of mediocre examples? or cars whose stories are too fruity to be credible! For many years, good original bodied cars were pulled apart to create racy specials. There is now a great ground swell fighting this mentality with real value being put on original cars. There is now an emphasis on preservation and conservation, rather than replacement, and that is something to be encouraged ? and cherished ? without getting too precious about it." Courtesy Fiskens

Tim

Tim,
As I am sure that you realise by now, I don't follow any set trend or pattern and much prefer to be my own man.

The future value of an item in monetary terms is only of relevance if the said item was purchased with the intention of making a financial investment for profit or with the intention of minimising losses on a depreciating asset. I didn't buy either of my Lotus cars with the intention of making a profit or to run and keep them in a condition that others may find attractive in the future and thereby minimising any financial loss. I buy my cars to enjoy them and at the moment I enjoy them best when they are modified to my taste, they do however have a significant monetary value and contrary to your personal feelings there is a quite large following for carefully and professionally modified classics, my cars may be modified but they are not old nails by anyone's estimation.

The cost of restoration to original specification still far outweighs the resale value of most classics, if you restore an old car you will make a financial loss in most cases. People restore cars mostly for the satisfaction of doing so, this is what they derive the value of their hobby from, money to a certain point is irrelevant (it varies according to wealth). Even buying someone else's hard work doesn't always pay off ---- If you bought a nice Elan Sprint 5 or 6 years ago for ?20k and have cherished it then you have probably made a paper gain of between ?6 - ?10k, this outstrips most bank deposit accounts but take away the ?3k you have spent maintaining the car and it doesn't look so attractive from a financial sense.

Just comfort yourself in the knowledge that I have reduced the pool of available original cars and that your (original?) investment type 45 Elan S4/Sprint may possibly be worth more MONEY in the coming years because of this.

Did you really buy your car as an investment? surely it means a lot more to you than that?

PS: I could always chop the roof of the +2 and upgrade the carpets for you, would ?35k be acceptable?

[trw99]

I too went fishing today. Cast a fly on still waters and up popped a trout! Caught me by surprise I can tell you.

Tim