BIGGEST BILL YET on my LOTUS ESPRIT! How much does it really cost to run?!?

[@henryhol8538]

Good to see the Esprit back! We all love our modern classics, but yes, as you said, we have to buy them with our eyes wide open.

[@AndrewClark4MarkRacing]

Lovely cars ( my brother on his 3rd esprit turbo now a V8 se) reliable when maintained 😎

[@salidris6967]

Amazing looking car and sounds fantastic. The fuel smell could be the pipe that runs over the top of the engine hidden. Alloy tanks are £450 each. Oil cooler some Lotus owners have shortened the oil pipes to 2feet and moved it to the back venting it via the driver side skirt, with one bigger oil cooler. Better oil pressure and oil stays cleaner for longer. Also less weight. Any Lamborghini cost a lot more to run. Love your videos on the Esprit.

[@floatingonairandwater]

Your oil cooler leak is exactly what happened to my V8 Esprit about 4 years ago. One of the things i miss about the 4cyl cars is the larger instrument binnacle with the oil pressure gauge. So when you’re dropping oil in mine it’s not as immediately obvious unfortunately. Luckily i got away with it and had both oil rads and all pipework completely renewed. I’ve also recently had the main coolant rad replaced with a higher spec one and new fans so everything’s shiny up front now :-) Petrol smells: It’s really common for the steel petrol tanks to corrode over time because of water getting in around the 3/4 windows. My V8 had occasional whiffs of fuel for 2-3 years and then one of the tanks finally let go on the ground in NOV 2021. Paul Matty put new alloy tanks in about 3 months ago. The original fit that Lotus did had the tanks sitting on a foam that soaked/held water, which really didn’t help the steel. The new tanks, despite being alloy, are sitting on a different new material that cushions but does not hold water. They didn’t need to take the engine out, but a load of panelling got removed and the plenum chamber had to be taken off the top of the V8 to change the tanks. Not 100% sure about the 4cyl cars but i believe swapping tanks is not an engine-out job. Best of luck. If you’re interested here’s a walkaround of mine kzbin.info/www/bejne/baKmaZeJmaqVZ5o

[@mrgonk3060]

Re fuel breather - check exactly where you pointed and said 'it wont be there'. Its the adhesive that secures the pipe/carpet in that location that can degrade the pipe. I've run an early Turbo for 25 years, never let me down but would be ruinously expensive if I paid someone else to work on it!

[@supercrazysane]

First bill on my Elan M100 (circa 1999) was £10.5k 😬All the brake pipes were replaced was one thing i remember.

[@steve291274]

Nice to see the Esprit. When I had mine a had the fuel smell and your right about the places it comes from. I did both cheapest jobs first. The is a plastic tube that goes from one side of the tank to the other that perishes (easy fix). Also again there is a rubber gatior that goes over the gear stick that if is spilt can cause fumes into the cab, again relatively easy fix. It sounds like it's coming from the rear though as you said the smell gets stronger when you open the windows as the smell comes through the seatbelt holder thus creating a vacuum with the windows down which would probably mean tanks out, as they rot because they sit on foam that rots them...😬 Stainless steel ones on later cars apparently.... Best of luck with it..... Still miss mine..😥... but having a Evora makes up for it....👍

[@CharlieDrives]

Thanks Steve! Found the issue so will be doing another video soon on it :) Can't wait to drive without the bloody fuel smell!!!! :)

[@steve291274]

@@CharlieDrives .... Great to hear.... Hopefully it wasn't to expensive for you and you managed the job yourself, if not I'm sure Gerald sorted it as he does...😁 Look forward and keep a eye out for the video....👍 P.S I would love Evora but it's a bit much for me...😭....😆

[@CharlieDrives]

@@steve291274 Haha, put it this way, its not fixed yet and there is no way I'm doing it by myself!!!! haha

[@steve291274]

@@CharlieDrives ..... Sounds like tanks out.....😬

[@Keroppikun]

Love the Esprit! My Alfa 156 currently has the same in-cabin petrol smell. I know it’s the fuel pump and have one on order ready to fit. A recent long drive with the windows down almost made me sick. Watch out for those petrol fumes, over an extended period they are definitely nasty!

[@CharlieDrives]

Yep absolutely. I have found the cause of the issue. New video incoming soon. Watch this space!

[@TheLEMRR]

8:30 fortunately for we V8 owners, the Delco Moraine system was a last minute supply casualty and left Lotus scrambling for a new system for the V8. Kelsey Hayes stepped in and those units are fitted to our cars. 415 series for '96-'97 and 430 series from '98 onward. Aside from some power contacts that need resoldered inside the control unit after these many years of flat-plane vibration, I can report the system to be unobtrusive and non-problematic for me (car is at 48k miles).

[@brandonherrera2891]

Hi, I've been interested in buying a v8 Esprit. Does that kit eliminate the ABS entirely?

[@TheLEMRR]

@@brandonherrera2891 the Kelsey Hayes ABS systems in the V8 Esprits are generally not problematic. I’m not aware of anyone eliminating either the 415 or 430 systems like the older Delco-Moraine ABS from the ‘95 and older Stevens models.

[@brandonherrera2891]

@@TheLEMRR Good to know. Thank you!

[@jonathancollard3710]

Hi Brandon, I’m selling mine. It’s on with 4star classics in Hampshire…

[@brandonherrera2891]

@@jonathancollard3710 I'm in Texas, lol! But good luck with your sale.

[@jackthehatphoto]

I don't know why people are frightened of owning an Esprit. You get far bigger bills if you own a BMW 318 or a Land Rover for example. Imagine the cost if the gearbox fails on a modern car. Not only that, moderns cars will depreciate, the value of the Esprit will only go up.

[@JetFire9]

What you came for @20:45

[@drew699]

Is the petrol smell unburnt petrol smell or is it an exhaust type smell? The type of smell might narrow the source down a bit..

[@CharlieDrives]

Unburnt! I know what the issue is now. Video coming soon 😜

[@tris7]

So many people here moaning about the cost of repairs. The early cars are not that tricky to work on yourself- like lots of KZbinrs, if you keep taking your car to specialists to get fixed, you'll spend a lot of money very easily.

[@user-br5im9vy9n]

Hi Charlie how easy is it to replace the rear black plinth and where did you purchase a new one from? Cheers G

[@CharlieDrives]

Very easy! There are four screws inside the boot. Got it from SJ sportscars, they do a few different ones depending on what model you have!!

[@user-br5im9vy9n]

Cheers for the reply appreciated 👍

[@CharlieDrives]

@@user-br5im9vy9n no worries! what Esprit have you got?

[@user-br5im9vy9n]

@@CharlieDrives Lotus Esprit Turbo Mustard Yellow 1990 it was coming across your channel 2 years that gave me the idea so I have to say Thank-you Charlie 👍

[@jonathancollard3710]

Ref petrol smell, no nothing in my V8 GT.

[@tillyfoxtrotter]

Sorry Charlie but an S4 was never a 'super car'. Ive owned five Stevens cars including an S4S and never once thought it as a super car. If you do not do your own spanner work these cars can be ruinous and the single reason why I no longer have one.

[@harryt988]

Get a Camry and your repair bills will be a thing of the past !

[@lotusespritdecorps]

Oof