1986 Lotus Esprit

Coupe

2.2L 2174CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

5 speed manual

SCC085916GHH10647

Clear

GAS

Behold an amazing example of the beautiful Lotus Esprit S3. This car is arguably the ultimate Lotus Esprit, marrying the gorgeous Giugiario body with S3 galvanized chassis, 5-lug BBS wheels, bigger brakes, and more robust rear suspension than the earlier models. This car is one of only a few in the United States and may be the nicest example on Earth! This car was purchased new at the factory by a Californian and shipped back to the United States when the gray market was alive and well. It has lived it's life in garages in California and Nevada and has zero rust and corrosion. I am the second owner of the car. The original owner parked the car in his garage with a thick cover on it in 1991. There is sat for the next 20 years. When I purchased the car, it needed a little TLC to get it running again. Exterior: The paint is in excellent condition except for a few small blemishes that are captured in the pictures (some rock chips in the lower front valence area, 1 chip in the right rear bumper, and one craze mark in the rear hatch near the lower left corner of the window.) The red color is very deep and could be polished to new condition without much elbow grease. I polished a few sections with Zymol as a test and they turned out beautiful. The BBS wheels are in perfect condition except for one small curb mark shown in the one picture of the front right wheel. The Goodyear Eagle GT tires are certainly period correct, and may be the original units. The tires are in very good condition with no cracks in the rubber. The sunroof is one of the great features of the S3. I've seen many Esprits hacked to try to recreate this effect, but this car has the actual factory sunroof with all the required reinforcement that go with it. For taller drivers, this feature helps provide more head room. The sunroof mechanism works fine and there are no leaks. All of the lights on the car are in good condition except for one crack in one of the front turn signals. The underbody of the car is in excellent condition with no signs of damage or jacking at the wrong location. Engine: I checked compression, rebuilt both carburetors, replaced the factory fuel line with modern braided stainless lines made by Dave Bean, replaced the fuel pump with a New Solid State Unit, replaced the spark plugs, changed the oil and filter, and rebuilt the clutch slave cylinder. It comes with a K&N air filter that has not been installed yet. The engine runs rough when cold but smooths out when warmed up. A tune up by a Lotus expert would help get the most from the engine, but it is driveable as it is. The engine has no oil leaks. Drivetrain: The transmission shifts perfectly into all gears. The clutch works perfectly. Brakes: The brakes do not pull to either side, indicating that all the calipers are functioning correctly. Interior:The interior is in excellent condition. The leather dash is like new and has had no chemicals put on it under my watch. The seats are in new condition, having been protected by custom sheep skins their entire life. The sheep skins are in excellent condition too. The carpet is in perfect condition. There are slight signs of wear on wear points like door handles. Electrical: All electrical components that I have tried work including the dash lights, turn signals, headlights, power windows, and radio, except the horn. I have not tried the air conditioning, but suspect it would need a recharge at a minimum. Note: the car will not be shipped with a battery. Accessories: The car comes with the original spare, manual, jack, and tool kit. The car has an audiophile stereo from that era including Nakamichi TD-500 deck, Proton amplifier behind the passenger seat, and Blaupunkt speakers. The car comes with service records dating back to the 1980s and all the receipts I have generated. It also comes with a thick form-fitting car cover that protects the car well. Things the car needs: The shocks for the rear hatch need replacing, I took the buckles for the engine cover off when I was replacing the fuel lines and have not put them back on. This is why the carpet looks like it is falling down off the engine cover in the boot area. The Actual VIN number is SCC085912GHH10647. I had to change the check digit to 6 for Ebay to accept the VIN number. This is probably the result of the Gray Market entry into the US. You can decode the actual VIN at espritfactfile dot com to see the manufacturing details of the car. Bottom line: If you have ever wanted a Giugiaro-bodied Lotus Esprit, this is your best shot of having a museum example. This car is amazingly correct with perfect seats and good original tires. It is currently located in Las Vegas, NV. I'd be happy to answer any other questions that you have. Happy Bidding!On Oct-21-13 at 19:27:08 PDT, seller added the following information: On Oct-22-13 at 17:26:50 PDT, seller added the following information: Additional Information.. Several people have asked about the paint. The paint is all original and there is no evidence of body damage and/or respray. This car will easily be a competitive concourse car. Also, I was contacted by a fellow sports car enthusiast in Florida that recently sold a white S3. You can see how an S3 looks and sounds on his you tube video by searching for (Lotus Esprit S3 owner)