1977 Lotus Esprit S1

Location: VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia, 23452-7104
VIN #: 77040223H
Mileage: 46000
Transmission: Manual
Condition: Good
Exterior: Monaco White (Paint code L25)
Interior: Tartan

Seller’s Description:

Not a submarine, but it is a very good driver Lotus Esprit S1 in white with Tartan interior (as made famous by Sir Roger Moore as James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me). This car was originally white and tartan, not restored to be these colors as many others have been doing lately. This car is not 100% restored, but almost every system has been gone through and repaired and updated. This is an early example of the Lotus Esprit with the more reliable N/A 907 engine. This car is mechanically solid and should be a great driver for years to come, with only minor things to address. The bodywork is fine if you're looking for a driver car, but if you're looking to show the car, the body work will some attention and the car will need to re-painted. This car is you're opportunity to own this famous color and interior combo which is becoming very, very rare. This car is being priced as a driver car, as restored cars have been going to 50k-60k recently, especially in the white and tartan combination. Please read the write up below, as there is very little that needs to be done to this car to be an amazing car for the new owner.

This car was seen at the Lotus Ltd car club meet in Princeton (LOG36) and Birmingham (LOG37).

If you need proof of the quality of the car/engine build, check out the following YouTube videos of it doing 110-115mph around Talladega Speedway during LOG37:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcYZxjuGD7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPRzyDVc-I

I've done a lot to this car in the two years I've had it, so I've tried to list as much detail about the car below as I could but if there are any other questions please contact me.

History:

• I have owned the car for a little over 2 years. The motor in the car was blown due to a jumped timing belt and had been sitting in the corner of a shop for the better part of the last 30 years, I purchased it. I originally bought this car to tinker with, get running, and enjoy as I finished the restoration of my other Lotus Esprit, but my perfectionist tendencies got the better of me. After spending so much time, effort, and resources on this car, it's time to let it go so I can focus my attention on other projects.

Engine:

• Lotus 907 2.0L slant 4 cylinder twin cam engine. Not turbo.
• Matching numbers
• Engine completely rebuilt, with many improvements to increase horsepower, drivability, and reliability.
• Cylinders bored 0.030” oversized
• Heavy duty 0.020” oversized main and rod bearings.
• New 9.5:1 compression alloy pistons
• ARP head bolts
• ARP connecting rod bolts
• ARP exhaust manifold bolts
• Lightweight flywheel installed (8 lbs lighter than stock)
• Rotating assembly balanced
• New heavy duty 3 piece clutch assembly
• Cylinder head and block skimmed to factory nip specs.
• Intake and Exhaust ports ported and polished.
• Oil pan and cam tower gaskets replaced by Loctite anaerobic flange sealant
• Rubber gaskets used on cam covers
• US spec “C” cams.
• Intake cam retimed to 110MOP
• New Dellorto DHLA 45E carbs from Eurocarb
• Stainless 4-2-1 tubular exhaust.
• European spec (mechanical advance) distributor installed.
• Water pump rebuilt with ceramic seal (water pumps with cast iron seal are prone to frequent failure)
• Rebuilt belt tensioner
• All emissions equipment removed (including smog pump, air injectors, charcoal canister, etc)
• Stainless steel oil pressure sending line
• New coolant temperature sender
• New hot climate otter switch (radiator fan thermal switch)
• Custom Mishimoto oil catch system added to remove oil vapors from returning to intake.
• Engine recently tuned and dyno'd at 165 hp and 145-150 ft-lb torque at the wheels. More than the factory engine had at the crank!
• Car maintains good oil pressure and good temperature. Runs slightly warmer during the hot summer days, but does not overheat.

Electrical:

• New battery and battery cables.
• Rebuilt alternator (original Motorola unit) - now at over 90 amps. Alternator wiring replaced to handle higher loads.
• Rebuilt starter (original Lucas unit) - Sometimes doesn't engage properly (common problem with these starters).
• Upgraded wiring to remove major amperage loads from the ignition switch, including running new power wires with relays for the starter motor and door window motors. Also, ran new power wires from the battery to a fuse box and relays in the forward compartment to power the radiator fans. Also added in a radiator fan override switch.
• All 3 radiator fans work correctly.
• All lighting on the car works correctly, except that the turn signals stop flashing when the brakes are applied…weird issue and I haven't been able to figure this one out yet.
• Has the single headlight motor system. Motor works smoothly, but headlamp pods do not raise with light switch. They did not raise smoothly, so the wiring is currently disconnected from the motor so that the headlamp pods can be raised and lowered manually.
• Horns do not work

Brakes:

• Rebuilt all 4 calipers
• Parking brakes are installed, but cables are not connected to the rear calipers
• New stainless front flex lines
• Rebuilt master cylinder
• EBC dimpled and slotted front rotors
• EBC Yellowstuff brake pads front and rear.
• Fuel system:
• Gas tanks repaired and relined.
• New fuel lines
• New SU fuel pump (upgraded to electronic)
• New Flow lock valve

Exterior:

• Body is in good condition. No major damage to fiberglass shell. There is no evidence of any previous accidents.
• Car was originally white, but was poorly re-spayed the original white at some point in time. There are some chips, spider cracks, runs and speckling in the paint from use and the poor quality of the paint job. Cleaned it up as best I could and it now shines well enough that it catches everyone's eye. There are some flaws (like runs, and chips and spider cracks in high stress areas like door gaps, near handles or hinges, front spoiler, etc), but the car still looks really good from a few feet away. A re-spray and this car would really pop.
• The glass is good except for some scratching on the windshield. Scratches do not affect visibility as they are being the rear view mirror (see outside and inside pictures), but you may want to have these repaired or replace the windshield, when the car is re-sprayed.
• New euro bumper
• New rear bumper from Lotus prepared by Claudius (modified Turbo Esprit bumper)
• Original chrome wing mirrors (no longer available)
• Euro style tail lights.
• Original Wolfrace wheels (including spare)
• I have a new set of LOTUS letters for the rear hatch. I am including them in the sale instead of installing, in case the buyer chooses to re-paint the car.
• A lot of the original brittle black plastic pieces have been replaced with new fiberglass reproductions

Interior:

• New carpets installed
• Original seats, dash, and door cards. Interior was a bit faded, when I got it. The tartan insert in the seats faded to a blue and red, but the rest of the interior was re-dyed back to the original green color.
• Padding in the seats are in great condition. Passenger seat has only minor tears in the fabric.
• New wires and relays added for the door window motors. New driver window motor installed, and track adjusted. Some of the fastest window motors you will find in an Esprit.
• Original Lotus steering wheel. Can include a momo steering wheel adapter with sale
• All gauges, indicator lights, and switches (except the light dimmer rheostat) on the dash work. Dash lights and interior lights work.
• Speedometer and Tachometer rebuilt.
• Speedometer cable recently broke. A new one has been ordered.
• Dash and firewall speakers have been replaced, but radio is not currently connected.
• Heater replaced with a more compact unit, but the original unit will be included in the sale.
• Original spare and jack/tool kit.
• AFR gauge and panel shown in driver foot well will be removed prior to sale

Chassis/Drive train/suspension:

• No major rust on the chassis.
• Original Armstrong shocks (which ride much nicer than any available aftermarket units).
• All suspension bushings in good condition
• Gearbox shift linkage bushings replaced
• Replaced passenger side driveshaft U-joints replaced
• Driver side U-joints work, but may need to be replaced soon.

Open to reasonable offers, but a lot of work has gone into this car, and the rarity of these is only increasing. I would also entertain trade deals for a Lotus Elan +2 or 1950's Chevy pickups in nice condition. No international buyers please.

Price: $35,950 negotiable