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1986 Lotus Esprit S3 Coupe 2-door 2.2l on 2040-cars

Year:1986 Mileage:19253 Color: The paint is in excellent condition except for a few small blemishes that are captured in the pictures
Location:

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
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 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)


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The time Elon Musk paid $1 million for James Bond submarine car that cost a couple $100

Tue, Dec 3 2019

Tesla CEO Elon Musk landed himself in court after insulting a diver who criticized his plan to rescue a Thai soccer trapped in a cave using a purpose-built mini submarine. Which reminded us that Musk's interest in submarines started years ago. The story begins in 1989, when a couple from Long Island put every barn-find hunter to shame by paying $100 for a locked storage unit, and cracking it open to find a 1976 Lotus Esprit buried under a pile of blankets. That's a cool find, the S1 Esprit is sought-after among enthusiasts, but CNBC reported they quickly learned their car was modified to star in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me." Ignoring Colin Chapman's "light is right" motto, the producers alchemized the Lotus into a fully functional submarine by welding in the wheel arches and the underbody, and adding winglets for more stability. Four propellers powered by a battery pack housed in the cabin moved the Esprit under water, and the coupe gained front-mounted missile launchers. The modifications reportedly cost $100,000. The couple had never seen a James Bond movie; they likely assumed it was a mad scientist's kit car, or a science fair project gone wrong. The $100 purchase price represents about $207 in 2019 dollars, so the unsuspecting buyers could have easily sold it as a parts car, made a small amount of money on it, and ended up with a free storage unit. However, they became aware of the Esprit's significance in Hollywood history when truckers identified it over CB radio while they were hauling it home. lotus-esprit-submarine-in-action-1 View 3 Photos They weren't collectors, and storing a submarine is terribly impractical, so they commissioned a cosmetic restoration and asked auction house RM Sotheby's to sell it in 2013. An enigmatic buyer paid $997,000 for the non-running movie prop. Musk later revealed himself as its new owner. "I was disappointed to learn that it can't actually transform. What I'm going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain, and try to make it transform for real," he announced. Even billionaire-owned project cars sit for longer than planned, and there's little evidence the Esprit is in swimming condition, let alone capable of morphing into a submarine at the simple push of a button. If it could, we're certain Musk would have hyped it up on Twitter. But while stalled projects normally draw the ire of loved ones as they take up garage space, Musk's turned into a well of inspiration.

Lotus updates Elise with new Sport, Sport 220 models

Mon, Nov 16 2015

There aren't a lot of models that stay on the market a full 20 years after their introduction. The Lotus Elise is one of those few, so to mark the occasion, the British sports car manufacturer is launching two new versions. Instead of simply dressing the Elise up with special trim and badges (which it has already done), the new models succeed the old ones by "adding lightness" and increasing performance in the classic Lotus style. Replacing the base Elise is the new Lotus Elise Sport, which cuts a good 24 pounds off the already featherlike curb weight – now down to 1,909 pounds. The 1.6-liter inline-four that is sourced from Toyota and enhanced in-house carries over with 134 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque for a 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds and a top speed quoted at 127 miles per hour. Fuel economy and emissions figures improve thanks to the decreased weight, but Lotus says the difference is most felt in the brand's signature handling dynamics. Those looking for a little more oomph may be more enticed by the upgraded Elise Sport 220. Taking the place of the outgoing Elise S, the new Sport 220 benefits from the same weight reduction as the Elise Sport, but packs the larger, more potent engine. The 1.8-liter supercharged four delivers 217 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque to deliver a 4.2-second 0-60 time and a 145-mph top speed. Along with the weight reduction, the new Sport models benefit from optimized throttle response, traction slip thresholds, and handling balance. They also feature new Bilstein dampers. Along with ten exterior colors available, buyers will also be able to choose between leather, Alcantara, or (our pick) classic tartan upholstery like the original 1976 Lotus Esprit S1. Unfortunately, we can't count ourselves among those potential buyers, since Lotus no longer offers the Elise in North America. The automaker is, however, tipped to bring the next generation back to these shores toward the end of this decade. And the incremental improvements that it constantly rolls out bodes well for what's to come.

The exotic '80s: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus and the Porsche 959

Thu, Apr 9 2015

There's no secret that we are big fans of the MotorWeek Retro Review series around here. In an automotive world that often focuses on the latest tech and what's coming in the future, it's refreshing to take a look into the past to get a new perspective. That said, the show is really outdoing itself this time by posting a full episode from the '80s to YouTube, complete with the original, jazzy opening. The video is an absolute standout, too, with drives of some of the best supercars that Europe could offer at the time. Among the now classic sportscars that MotorWeek got to drive are the Ferrari 328, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Lamborghini Jalpa and Autokraft AC Mark IV. There's even a preview that sings the praises of the tech in the Porsche 959. The episode is basically a showcase of most of the exotics from young enthusiasts' walls and school folders during the '80s and is not to be missed. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Ferrari Lamborghini Lotus Porsche Performance Classics Videos lotus esprit ac