1985 Lotus Esprit

Coupe

4 - Cyl.

Manual

SCCFC29A8FHC20586

Gasoline

This is an extraordinary 1985 Lotus Turbo Esprit custom ordered in 1985 direct from Lotus Cars in Hethel, Norfolk by the previous owner. This car was factory fitted with numerous custom features which make it likely one of the most unique and valuable Turbo Esprit’s in the United States today. The car includes the following features: BODY: · Factory composite resin front and rear bumpers color-matched to body · Factory color-matched rear louver · Rear hatch keyed release on rear exterior · Factory-painted BBS wheels · Hella Fog lights · Original factory paint – Calypso Red in concurs condition despite its 26 year age ENGINE: · Factory fresh-air Turbo intercooler · Matched Dell’Orto 45M side draft Carburetors · Engine professionally torn down and rebuilt by Viking Motorsports with 7,400 miles on clock · Citroen-based 5 speed gearbox torn down and rebuilt by Viking Motorsports with 7,400 miles on clock · Fuel Tanks removed, cleaned and sealed · New fuel lines and hoses · New cooling & heater hoses · Cockpit operated Turbo boost control SUSPENSION: · New brake lines and hoses · Calipers rebuilt · Dampers/springs replaced with new uprated Lotus/ Bilstein units · New Tires – Cooper Radial GT - fronts P195/60R-15; Rears P245/60R-15 As of this listing, the car has 10,879 miles on the clock despite being over 26 years old. Part of the reason the car is in such remarkable condition is that the previous owner who purchased the car direct from Lotus Cars, Ltd., let the car sit in his garage for 12 years with very few outings. As a result, the car’s fluids (and seals) congealed in the fuel system, braking system, engine, gearbox etc. When I purchased the car, I chose to have it professionally refreshed back to factory original condition. This required replacement of all fuel lines, brake lines, coolant and heater hoses, fuel tanks, brake master cylinder, A/C compressor & hoses and rebuilding of other systems such as brake calipers. I chose Harry Appleby’s shop in Costa Mesa, CA – Viking Motorsports whose skilled staff worked their magic on putting the systems back to original. This listing contains some photos of the engine & gearbox rebuilds, and other work being done on the car. The result is a car that both looks factory new, and runs exceedlingly well. The car is very fast and due to the suspension upgrades, the handling is even better than my 1994 S4s, which of course has a further refined suspension design. The car starts every time with a pull of the manual choke and turn of the key, the deep exhaust note comes to life. So why am I selling the car? Two reasons, I have 4 other Esprit’s and I need the room. I can barely squeeze in between this car and my S4s in my garage, plus I already rent a warehouse which is standing room only. This is a Bill of Sale transaction only. I will endeavor to locate the title which was signed over to me when I purchased the vehicle. I do have copies, but cannot locate the original right now. The car was never fully registered in California, as I only operated it on 30-day permits. Please, do not bid on this car if you do not have the cash to complete the transaction. Regrettably, I have come to appreciate that somehow the Lotus community has attracted a tiny fringe element who believe that Esprit’s can be repaired and maintained with $20, a screwdriver, hammer and gaffer’s tape, who often bid on eBay listings when they cannot afford to pay in the first place. to the 99% of you who are not amongst this group, I heartily welcome your bids. This is a very special car, it will sell for its intrinsic value, if you find the photos compelling, then bid. If you win the auction, I will work with you on payment schedule, shipping, etc. I have helped many Lotus buyers over the years get their dream car, if you have the cash, I will work with you to get you into this car as well. The car comes with a full set of maintainence shop manuals and custom stretch-flannel cover custom made by Classic Editions Shropshire, UK. I noticed the eBay VIN fill-in system scrambled the VIN number. The correct VIN number is SCC082910FHH10586. The car was first titled in Pennslvania and most recently in Georgia prior to my purchase.