elise mk1 wide body

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

some years ago I've seen for sale here in italy a too nice lotus elise wide body(think they used parts from the mk1 exige).
Does anybody of u know if there is some comapany around selling wide body parts for elise mk1?

[TimOz40]

Paolo,
You can buy S1 Exige panels here:

prototype composites

Lots of $$$$

My brother has an S1 Exige, very sexy car!!

You can fit exige panels to a standard S1.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Thank u for the link Tim,but this seems a website from carbon fiber workers (also I know many good ones and very cheap down here, as the novara compositi web: NOVARA COMPOSITI).
The car I saw here was just lightly wrecked and then rebuild to exige wide body standards (the guy told me he bought the parts directly from lotus cars in uk, but I dont thrust him,cause he always blaimed Lotus to be really too much expensive in parts supply,and body are just plastics.He had a lot of british suppliers..).
The too nice Elise mk1 (the nicer one at all IMHO) becomes terribly sexy into the wide body of the exige,aven more cause the back of the car was still in elise mode and not "cutted" as in the exige s1

Think that vehicle was absolutely the nicest (not the fastest,cause they didnt touch anything serious inside..) elise i've ever seen, also cause was painted in aston martin graphite color.
Unfortunatley at the time i didnt took any picture of the car (with black 17"bbs wheels)
Today this car is in Florence, but i am sure there is a way to make it without spend too much in carbon fiber parts.
A friend of mine has an mk1 and really love that body option too,so i'm trying to help him.

Btw, dot ask me why but in novaracompositi factory I've seen the rear part of a kurtzheck 917k done in fiberglass...really dunno for whom and where...

[TimOz40]

Paolo, this guy did his own wide version of the S1 rear, with the exige front and keeping the open top. I think it looks great.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

exactly what i mean Tim, exactly as this in (I think) nicer aston martin color.
So sure was handmade by him or also he found parts from somewhere?

[TimOz40]

I'm pretty sure i read that he did it himself. He has recently moves from England to Australia.

Here's a picture of my car:

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

thats too nice Tim, but i've read u have add some serious hardware to that little

[TimOz40]

Ummm, yes. It goes a little better than "standard"..... hehehe.

[Pete.]

Very nice Paint Tim, it looks terrific.

[TimOz40]

Thanks Pete. It's actually all vinyl (other than the base silver).

I thought you would appreciate our Team Name (look at this pic) since you own a prancing horse.... it's our Aussie version.

[Pete.]

Prancing Wombat, aptly named Tim. Wombat. n. An Australian Marsupial that eats roots and leaves. Isn't that what you and you crew do?

[Jac Mac]

Hmmm, P.W.R. , could be some 'Heavy' connections on this team!

Jac Mac

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

I've driven the little elise several times,and thats honestly too fun to drive, also if Monza is probably the very worst place where to be with an elise (including exiges..).
Too nice little one,and the mk1 was absolutely the nicest done.
Note the name Elise comes from Elisa Artioli, daughter of ex Bugatti factory owner(romano artioli),at the time owner also of lotus cars ltd.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Listening to Tim, I've anyway contact the lotus ltd directly about prices in uk for nose and tail of the exige s1 and this was the answer I've got:

Good afternoon
Ref you eamial about Exige S1 parts the partial body assy retails at
£3931.03

Front Clamshell £1217.47
Rear Clamshell £1802.07

If you have a fax no I can fax you the pictures from the parts list.


Kind Regards

Aidan Coughlan
Senior Dealer Liaison Officer
Lotus Cars After Sales
Telephone No : 01953 608279
Fax No : 01953 608253
email : acoughlan@lotuscars.co.uk

That is more or less 6000 euros to have a sooo sexyer body,and genuine Lotus parts

[Keith Hardy]

Originally Posted by kenshiro8

Listening to Tim, I've anyway contact the lotus ltd directly about prices in uk for nose and tail of the exige s1 and this was the answer I've got:

Good afternoon
Ref you eamial about Exige S1 parts the partial body assy retails at
£3931.03

Front Clamshell £1217.47
Rear Clamshell £1802.07

If you have a fax no I can fax you the pictures from the parts list.


Kind Regards

Aidan Coughlan
Senior Dealer Liaison Officer
Lotus Cars After Sales
Telephone No : 01953 608279
Fax No : 01953 608253
email : acoughlan@lotuscars.co.uk

That is more or less 6000 euros to have a sooo sexyer body,and genuine Lotus parts

Coughlan? Are they genuine or photocopied? (Just kidding folks )

[TimOz40]

The killer for us in Aus, is transport. Shipping front & rear clams from UK is horrible.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

maybe the local club can organize a collective import of one complete body and then replace there by some local carbon fiber racing parts producer.
I've already asked to italian CF suppliers...if they have to make more than one part, the cost is really lover than the original fiberglass body (that can be used for mouldings).
To have an idea, for 5 or more cars, nose and tail of the exige will be for not more than 3-4000 euros....and in carbon fiber.
(note: the price will be the same for a complete gt40 body..)

Maybe those parts can be loaded on a Ford transit,and if so it will be possible to go there directly and pick the parts saving shipping cost that will be surely expensive also for Italy.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

just received today via fax the complete part list for the exige.
Too cool:The factory added also some too nice technical drawings of the body and the mono chassis (where u can also find the underbody differences between elise and exige).

Lotus really has a great customer care

[Dalton]

Interesting thread. Oz is disappointingly far from Europe for we enthusiasts, adding high shipping costs to many things. One friend of mine brought a limited slip diff back from Germany as cabin luggage, in desperation (pre Sept. 11).

A couple of expressions made me laugh: earlier on, Paolo, you used the expression "The car I saw here was just lightly wrecked..." Love that. Just lightly wrecked!
And "Prancing wombat" is surely pushing the envelope. If you've ever picked up a wombat you'll know they are unlikely to prance. However, great name for a team. Has a more local ring than "Scuderia Escargot" or some such.

Dalton

[TimOz40]

Dalton,
the Prancing Wombat thing just started as a laugh at work. It has now become our business logo, and race team.
I think it's a classic aussie thing, taking the piss, and not taking life too seriously....