This is what happens when you don't drive your supercar! Crazy reason 1990 Lotus Espirit doesn't run

Use my code CWIZARD to get an additional $30 off select items on orders $500+ with my link bit.ly/cwizard30 🚘🛞 Cars are meant to be driven and when they sit for too long bad things happen. You've got to hear the crazy story why this 1990 Lotus Espirit Turbo doesn't run. 🧙🏻➡️ Don't forget to check out ‪@MrsWizardsWays‬ ⬅️🧙🏻
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[@CarWizard]

Use my code CWIZARD to get an additional $30 off select items on orders $500+ with my link bit.ly/cwizard30

[@davidcooks5265]

Na it's normally electrics, the engine is not that bad if look after it and drive it regularly 😀

[@lovequeen7080]

Eek that woman's voice is hard on the ears

[@BrewBlaster]

Reminds me of a MR2.

[@typxxilps]

isnt that the famous car from Pretty woman, where Richard Gere was sorting the manual gear of his friends car when he met her ? Looks beautifull, I mean this car, but do not forget it is already 33 summers old which can be an awfull lot and not many british cars age that well. And now I have Roy Orbinson in my ear and for sure Roxette it must have been love from the soundtrack of the movie.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

l really like the look of this 1990 Lotus.....Thanks guy's 👍 Old F-4 Phantom 2 pilot Shoe🇺🇸

[@jackpalczynski7884]

A great lesson. If you're going to get a cool car, you need to drive it. If you have a fleet of cool cars (looking at you, Tyler), you either have to drive all over with all the cars or let someone else drive them or realize you need to downsize. I've realized this myself even with less cool cars with my tiny fleet of 4 cars but with 3 of us driving them.

[@cathrynm]

Yeah, I ran into this. My father has an old Porsche, and he got old so he wasn't able to drive it, but we got it fixed. Everything was fine until the pandemic, and then, oops, it ended up sitting again and we again got it fixed again.

[@Rhaspun]

There's a car museum in Southern Cal. The director of the museum during an interview said all the cars that are driveable and streetable are taken out for a weekly one hour drive on the freeway. He said cars will deteriorate faster if you let a car sit around. It even works like that with your home AC. If you think you're saving money by not using your AC unit. It takes only a few years of no use for the seals to shrink and dry up in the compressor. Now you'll need a compressor as a minimum.

[@robi4387]

Totally agree, but sadly here in the UK you have to insure, tax and annually test anything you drive. It also cost £12.50 a day to drive a non-EURO 4 car in London and another £15 if you go into the central congestion charge zone and parking is now dependent on how much the area hates your old car! So I always start and warm up a car every month, move it too and fro a bit and leave it on a trickle charger. I do try and drive every car I have on a Saturday or Sunday.

[@wilhit10]

This my old car. I have some crazy history on it. FYI, I added the radio, replaced the rear hatch struts, and the front floor matts(why they are a modern material). FYI, I sold it as project, the guy I sold it to did not.

[@bananasplease666]

This is my dads current car. What kind of history do you have on it? We'd be interested in knowing.

[@MercedesMan]

@@bananasplease666lol

[@MercedesMan]

@@bananasplease666I bet. 😅😂

[@robertschriever2201]

I am the guy who bought it from the guy with the crazy story to tell on it. I traded it to a pastor for a Delorean.

[@chrisd924]

Great job to get the new timing belt and other works done without taking the engine out. P.s.The size of Hoovies invoice folder made me laugh.

[@BrewBlaster]

I don't understand how that timing belt is dependably positioned without any visible curbs to keep it on.

[@hobo1452]

You may be surprised to know that that 'threes' phenomenon happens in aircraft maintenance shops as well.

[@skippypasta-sauce3121]

It's the matrix debugging itself

[@theredscourge]

I think it's the same phenomenon as where everyone thinks they're a better than average driver. Basically they forget their own mistakes but remember everyone else's, so they think they're better drivers than average. Random is random, but when you get 3+ in a row of the same problem you start to notice it, whereas the rest of the time when it seems more random you don't notice it, even though it's just as random as when you get 3+ in a row of the same thing.

[@MercedesMan]

“If you want to understand the universe, think about it in the power of three’s” - Nikola Tesla - Inventor of electricity.. strange fella.

[@MercedesMan]

@@theredscourgeu have a degree in yapology

[@theredscourge]

@@MercedesMan tl;dr

[@Baconrips]

I’m a maintenance mechanic for an industrial plant. The things happen in 3’s is so true.

[@josueelombre931]

I always say, “cars aren’t meant to sit and look pretty in a garage for months”. They need to be driven.

[@jakeo.]

Great video as usual. It would be nice to hear the engine running and hear the fruits of your work as well as the engine’s signature sound.

[@blaketindle4703]

Yeah disappointing they didn’t show the engine running.

[@ImperrfectStranger]

It's a four cylinder turbo. What sound were you expecting? I added an aftermarket exhaust system to mine, but it still sounded bland.

[@Thomas63r2]

Sorr to disappoint, but do not expect to hear thrilling rorty exotic sounds from this engine. Honestly I think it kind of has a thrashy sound.

[@harrytop]

Hey there Mr. Wizard here's a fun fact I worked for Chevrolet for 26 years and in 92 my customer traded in a 1990 Lotus Esprit and we noticed that there is a whole list of parts on that car that is shared with the Camero & firebird, Steering wheel, waterpump ect... thank you for all the great content you put out..

[@clintonflynn815]

This makes sense s GM owned Lotus from about 1986 to 1993. The cars became heavier under GM ownership but benefited from improved and more reliable electrical components not the least of which were engine management systems.

[@fuse8052]

I LOVE those temp controls! SO analog and easy to use.

[@Rhaspun]

Temperature control and music volume should be analog.

[@kevinhay2267]

In the oil rich 80's in Scotland there was one of these at the top of our street - beautiful car

[@CarCrazy12804]

These are very under rated sports cars. I always loved the looks of these.

[@mchowdy22]

grimes is such an asset! great job

[@Immortalrounin]

Usually, when the conditions cause something to fail on a vehicle, it causes the same thing to fail on other vehicles. So if it's been an extra hot summer, you might get 50 head gaskets that summer.

[@j_freed]

I wonder if the parts suppliers consult meteorological forecasts…

[@Rekuzan]

It's called an 'Italian Tune-up' for a reason. Just get it on the road and drive really fast until the problem fixes itself!

[@valf.4589]

My friend has a 1990 Lotus Esprit with 37,000Km (we are in Canada). I am his mechanic (doing part-time) and I have done a number of repairs on his Lotus including electric window motor replacement, headlight motor overhaul, replacement of deteriorating gas hose vent, updated radio etc.

[@ImperrfectStranger]

Keep an eye on the rubber impeller on the chargecooler pump. Mine seemed to break every 6 months and the power loss was really noticeable, so I changed to an electric pump.

[@bobolulu7615]

​@@ImperrfectStrangerI have one of these, a 1989 SE turbo, had it for 17 years with 93000 miles on it and I've never had it in a shop of any kind and it is totally reliable. Usual story, one person as an issue and they tell the world the car is crap and the usual fools believe it.

[@ImperrfectStranger]

@@bobolulu7615 How do you know yours isn't the exception? I had endless issues. Cost me $30,000 in maintenance in the first 3 years until I learned to fix it myself.

[@bobolulu7615]

@@ImperrfectStranger Exception? They were all assembled using the same parts. I replaced the clutch and cam belts myself, other than that they are totally reliable. At $30,000 it sounds like you got ripped for no reason. Dealers pray on the exclusivity and nativity of owners. They are easy to fix.

[@ImperrfectStranger]

@@bobolulu7615 Go to the Lotus forums and see how reliable they are. My engine ECU died shortly after I bought it (second hand, 45,000km). Refurbishments were not available at that time. By the time I sold it, I had repaired/replaced the ECU 3 times. The chargecooler pump is known to fail (and failed on mine numerous times). The aircon system is controlled by a maze of vacuum tubes which soften and fall off their connections. $30k comes up very quickly with gear change issues, headlight pod issues, steering rack issues, numerous oil leaks, tires which had to be specially ordered from Germany via third party because of the unusual size, rusting coolant tank??, heatsoak affecting relays in the trunk/boot, turbo issues, porous aircon lines (not suitable for the newer type gas), heat affected vacuum lines in the engine V causing a variety of issues, cracking fibreglass, fuel quantity indication issues, etc. Please explain the proliferation of people specialising in Lotus Esprit repairs for these "reliable cars".

[@nicnak4475]

I had an Espirit Targa in the same colour 35 years ago, non turbo though, bought it at auction and drove it back, only to discover the oil was full of mayonnaise ! 😲 The paper liners at the bottom of the cylinders, I found out later had given up, Luckily a mate of mine was familiar with such liners, as he had been a Skoda mechanic, they used similar liners. Once finished it turned out to be my favourite car of all time, went well, economical, was fun and handled superbly. It's still on the road now.

[@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle]

A guy in my previous neighborhood had one of these so I introduced myself as I figured he would be an interesting car guy which he was among other interests. He sadly passed away in his mid 40s suddenly heart attack. Super nice guy, very smart and successful

[@apreviousseagle836]

Hmm, sudden

[@Ijusthopeitsquick]

Did he die in 2021 or 2022 by any chance?

[@Mo-zm6hq]

White SE in NH? I know of one, bought his oem wheels .

[@felixbaum48]

My favorite Lotus Esprit is the SHOtus Esprit whith a Yamaha SHO engine conversion. Sold for 10k in Austin. I'm going to go find the audio track of the engine revving.

[@kenpringle6568]

6:40 "Super comfortable when writing those long estimates " 😳😂

[@Mo-zm6hq]

Love his humor... plus the Hoovies folder haha

[@Cogglesz]

I remember being a kid going past a lotus dealership in the UK quite often. The Espirit looked giant to me next to the fleets of elise's. Now i'm just laughing away seeing the flexispot chair is actually taller than the Espirit itself. I haven't seen one up to scale since i was probably 3ft tall.

[@crazyfroggie6546]

I've sat in an esprit in a lotus dealer. I'm only 5ft 7 but big around the middle. The esprit is cramped !! Inside.

[@BrewBlaster]

Why you looking in the ashtrays? Hoping to find some roaches? 😈😈

[@firefighter1c57]

​@@crazyfroggie6546I'm 6'4" and 300lbs and drive an Esprit S4. I will concede, the Esprit Turbo and Turbo Esprit did have slightly less interior room, but I wouldn't consider it that much of a difference

[@petesmitt]

'haven't seen one up to scale'.. never heard that expression before.. you mean seen one in the flesh?

[@Cogglesz]

@@petesmitt Just being used to seeing more of the espririt on TV & games etc, I thought the thing was huge in memory when i seen them in the flesh but i was half the size i was today so yeah, seeing it next to a common item like an office chair i could actually appreciate the actual scale of it, not what my old 90's memories told me lol. Sorry for the confusion.

[@blaketindle4703]

Been waiting for this! Love the Esprit!

[@richardsmith2721]

The same Italian designer (Giorgetto Giugiaro) designed the BMW M1, Mk1 VW Golf/Rabbit and Scirocco, Lotus Espirit and the DeLorean DMC.

[@CUTproductionsLtd]

This particular series (X180) was designed by Peter Stevens, who later also designed the McLaren F1.

[@richardsmith2721]

​@@CUTproductionsLtd*redesign.

[@eddieredmann3]

"Is it odd that Lotus uses so many parts on it from so many different companies?" No, because Lotus's financials have usually been held together by a shoestring and a prayer. It's why they were one of the first racing teams to pioneer corporate livery sponsorship in F1 with the John Player Special livery. They needed the money that badly. Also the Elises and the first and second gen Exiges share an engine with such powerhouses as the Toyota Corolla, Celica, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe. The third gen Exiges, Evoras, and Emiras all share a basic engine design with my mom's Highlander.

[@truantray]

There are many rumors of how Chapman handled Lotus' financials, and even rumors he faked his death after the DeLorean scandal.

[@frankhoward7645]

Couple of corrections. The first corporate livery sponsorship was not the John Player Special black and gold livery. It was the Gold Leaf Team Lotus red, gold, and white livery. Same company, but a different product. While they always had financial problems, Colin Chapman simply figured out a way to bring in more advertising dollars. Up until then, the cars displayed the colors of their countries for instance, French cars were blue, German cars were silver, Italian cars were red and British cars were green. That's why the early Lotuses were Green. Lotus added a yellow stripe to enhance the appearance thus Lotus colors were green and yellow. The F1 teams received nothing from their corresponding countries and rather then collecting relatively small amounts from several companies displaying small stickers, Chapman ditched the idea of painting the cars in their countries colors for nothing and he turned the whole car into a billboard for a major sponsor beginning with the John Player tobacco company. The rest of the F1 community soon followed and the team budgets skyrocketed. The reason this particular Esprit contained some Camaro parts is because at the time it was produced, GM owned Lotus.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Yes indeed, real powerhouses especially for 4 bangers - and reliable to boot - unlike the shitbox Rover K series Lotus used previously. The 2ZZ-GE, 1800cc and 220hp in supercharged guise - a most impressive engine. The 2GR-FE , in Lotus supercharged guise makes 400hp stock - again a real powerhouse.

[@RetroCaptain]

​@@ThisoldhikerMarathon motors. I almost bought a privately owned 81 model from the original owner. Had all the manuals and receipts from the factory and dealer in Chicago USA if memory is correct. It was "basically" a 1980 Chevy Caprice chassis and 5 Litre engine with the driveline pieces from 1Ton Van Dura and half ton Silverado, and the basic redesign of a 1956 Chevy and Marathon custom interior (basically redesigned Blue Bird school bus seats) If it weren't for the awful spots where rust had eaten into, I would have gladly bought it. Roof/windshield pillars had holes in them. Most rock solid auto I've ever seen apart from Packard.

[@enjoyingend1939]

​@@Beer_Dad1975i do not understand why they ever moved to the rover K series engine. The previous T series is so much better. A 2.0L when naturally aspirated it puts out 136bhp and up to 200bhp with turbo. Super reliable engine too, it's only issue is a little mess up when designing the head gasket which allows a minor amount of oil to weep out of the side of the block. My disco is powered by one of those and it's got nearly 200k miles on it while being almost entirely trouble free. Meanwhile i see the K series powered freelanders being in the shop constantly for head gaskets like it's a yearly need.

[@RunAboveIt]

Man, this baby must corner like it's on rails!

[@nonamesplease6288]

I used to see the these on the road all of the time, but I haven't seen one in years. It would be really exciting if this one could change into a submarine.

[@EVguru]

It's a 3 year life on those standard HTD belts, irespective of mileage. I use a frequency spectrum app on my phone to set the tension to Lotus 110Hz spec. Love my 1988 Excel, it's been 100% reliable so far.

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@EVguru wait you have a Hyundai Excel from the 80’s? Bro that’s rare AF nowadays. You own a gem

[@EVguru]

@@Blakecryderman7244Lotus Excel!

[@geraldscott4302]

Nice car. I always preferred the 1970s Lotus Esprits. They were more squared off and wedge shaped. The rounded look just doesn't really suit these cars, at least for me. I love that high, wide center console. My former Pontiac Fiero had a console like that. The gas tank was under it. I've been running the timing belt on my 1972 Ford Pinto 2.0L SOHC out in the open for more than 20 years. I can check it every time I have the hood open. It's about a 20 minute job to replace it.

[@rwdplz1]

The Peter Stevens design Lotus Esprits are one of my all-time favorite sports cars.

[@rwdplz1]

@@p80t5turbo I love Giugiaro's designs, especially the DeLorean, but Peter Stevens here definitely improved upon it.

[@Mo-zm6hq]

I grew up next door to a Giugaro turbo but realize the Stevens look kept it modern til 2004 and here we are almost 2024! Pre 88 is rare parts sadly vs Stevens

[@Mo-zm6hq]

@@p80t5turbo a few on ebay... maybe few in Canada after summer

[@paulkane9863]

​@@rwdplz1I'd say updated rather than improved. Wedges were in fashion in the 70's and 80's. Then smoother shapes were popular in the 90's.

[@strat0871]

The mirrors are from Citroën CX of the 80's, as many other cars of that time, like TVR's for instance.

[@davidshanahan5134]

Lotus race cars were designed to fall apart as they crossed the finish line. If nothing broke Colin Chapman felt that the car was too heavy, and he’d thin out materials until something broke then he’d add a tad more material back in and call it good. Chapman called this process “adding lightness”. This theory often carried over to the road cars - hence a reputation for fragility.

[@tjroelsma]

The road cars were also where Chapman constantly walked away from, as he was often already done with a project when it was only partially finished, leaving the real finishing up to the mechanics. That added to their reputation fragility and being badly constructed with uneven panel gaps and/or interiors looking like they were just cobbled together with parts from the spare parts bin.

[@1183newman]

And yet lotus never built a "bad" road car.

[@330_Crew]

Every time is see that car I think of the silver one that Richard Gere borrowed from Jason Alexander in Pretty Women.

[@blaketindle4703]

That’s the Esprit Hoovie did a video with years ago right? The one his friend bought? It was certainly running great then!

[@markhutchinson3367]

"It runs great now"... why didn't you start it up for us to hear that beauty? haha

[@theshadowman1398]

The famous one that James may used in Argentina ( only his was a V8 ).

[@jmaxim80]

Wizard that new employee of yours seems like he's a very sharp young man. He is clear and concise he could definitely have his own KZbin channel or be a really good teacher one day.

[@johnmartin2079]

Great video, good to see Grimes in uniform , now you guys look like a team.

[@stumac869]

'It's very broken', it's a LOTUS (lots of trouble usually serious).

[@Andromahlius]

😄

[@anthonycarty9433]

That's the acronym I was trying to think of . Thanks .

[@amdinside5383]

😂

[@Grunt49]

I saw what you did there.

[@scottoleson1997]

Or is it Lots Of Terrific Unrelenting Speed?

[@adey88splace]

"Head gasket row..." Nice one! Thanks. Love the videos.

[@The-Sea-Dragon-1977]

The Pagani Zonda uses a Rover 25 HVAC controller unit. So Lotus are in great company!

[@seanhershey3390]

Good job Grimes!…instantly likable

[@Yourmission9]

Fun fact, this is the same car they drove in the beginning of pretty woman. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk

[@XXGunzNClipzXx]

I feel you on that rule, at VW we have two cars back to back rat chewed front main harness. Also had another car with fuse box wasn'takimg good contact, and then one week all Diesels with the DPFs lol

[@Czechbound]

Back in 2000 I worked in Sweden. The office had these electric desks. I had never seen them before. Half the office was standing to work, and they said it was much better for their energy and their backs. Up and down they would go during the day when they needed a stretch. I loved using them. And the desks when on the high setting could pivot forward like a draughtsman's table. It was so useful for sharing ideas with colleagues and sketching things out ( much easier than a whiteboard or doing it on a computer ). I miss that office. On Friday's a bar would open in the atrium, and all the businesses that shares this beautiful building would all come down at 4pm for drinks and mingling. It was perfect. Very friendly people too, except for the foreign CFO. "Never hire a woman in her mid twenties here ! They get years of maternity leave !" What. A. Dick.

[@henrycarlson7514]

So Wise , Thank You . Reminds me of what I would have to do every season with the Farm equipment . Things Rot when they are not used , we must not forget the critter factor. Thank You

[@gregorycasey3347]

When I was a kid I loved the lotus. Had posters on the wall and models made. Hot wheels which I still have in its packaging still.

[@theodoregarcia8830]

Nice team work , i like to watch your brains churning

[@victorwanstreet3038]

AMC used everyones parts and i felt they were good cars hard to work on till you figured out whos part was where

[@njw1977]

I have always wanted one of those but they are expensive to work on. We need a wizard in the Kansas City area!

[@details78]

If you're in KC you're a heck of alot closer than most of the rest of us. Make the trip.

[@firefighter1c57]

I picked a random house in Independence Missouri, a KC burb, and it's 3 hours to Omega. You're closer than I am...

[@details78]

@@firefighter1c57 how would you know where I live?

[@firefighter1c57]

@details78 I don't know where you live, but OP did say, the Kansas City Area so I picked a random Kansas Ciry Suburb... I say random, every city has suburbs that residents can afford exotic cars, and every city has suburbs that they typically cannot. So, I did pick a rather well to do KC suburb.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

My 1975 Alfa-Sud I used to own had exposed cam belts (horizontal opposed four). It made changing them easy.

[@SiCrewe]

Very nearly bought one of these about 20 years ago (when prices were a lot lower). Did the deal, drove to a nearby bank to get cash for a deposit and on the way back I realised I was following "my" Lotus along the road. Headed toward a junction, thought it sounded superb as it changed down through the gears... and then I saw the reversing light come on while it was still doing about 40mph. Tyre smoke and then oil and lumps of broken metal all over the road. I actually went back to the dealer a couple of times to ask if the car would still be for sale after it was repaired but it didn't seem like they were in a rush to fix it. Couple of months later I bought a 911 Turbo instead.

[@victoriaveit7156]

Long time watcher. I really enjoyed your new tech. His explanations are interesting.

[@NZBRG1]

Love the Citroën DS crouching in the background.

[@juki6377]

same with heart attacks at my work, if you start the day with one you can be sure you are going to see more throughout the day

[@Mo-zm6hq]

I own a 90SE, built 10/89. Lotta parts bin specials as GM bought Lotus. Many A.C. Delco parts. Blue Gates belt is a no brainer. No idea it's a 300ZX size. Compressor was easy to source? I'm redoing brackets on alternator now, totally wiggly. 85k miles and a blast with S4S upgrades and V8 wheels and brakes. Cheers to the Wizard

[@miketeeveedub5779]

That Lotus' water pump bearing and impeller looked like it was pulled from the Titanic. Considering both were from the UK it seems appropriate.

[@pancudowny]

I don't suppose that '82 Collectors Edition Corvette would happen to be the one my brother owned... which he had a Corvette specialty shop fit with custom-made hinges for the frameless glass hatch, due to a water leakage problem it had. The lead to the fuel pump from the fuse box was also repaired on it was well.

[@rjnation5042]

I keep a spreadsheet for all of my car's, everyone of them gets out regularly, I don't have many problems with lack of use, the guys I work with sometimes laugh at the cars I bring in, but they also drool over some of them too, the old saying goes "Use it or lose it", Rj in Oz

[@katywalker8322]

Lotus were owned by General Motors back then. But Lotus had their origins as a kit car manufacturer, and had been using parts from major manufacturers for years. From memory the door mirrors are Citroen items, interior door handles Morris Marina, tail lights were Toyota Corolla, etc.

[@MarkoVukovic0]

Yes, 100% correct. So many bits from different parts bins. The older Esprit turbo even used the trans from a Citroen. Not sure which this one has.

[@eddiefalcon8316]

The problem is the many unique Lotus parts are had to find.

[@katywalker8322]

@@MarkoVukovic0 think it is a Renault gearbox.

[@katywalker8322]

@@eddiefalcon8316 pretty much standard for any limited production 30 year old car.

[@MarkoVukovic0]

@@katywalker8322 yes, that's it! Amazing that those happily took the 300+ hp engine output.

[@muppetpaster]

4:00 I hate the fact that you don't sit straight behind the wheel...Always a little askew, seat/ steeringwheel/pedalbox.

[@James-vc2xs]

10:44 Ding! Ouch!

[@mikefleissner4415]

I was a Ford lotus Peugeot salesman when this car was new.i still want one.fine machines

[@artoodiitoo]

I can top the usual "car did not start when going to repair shop", my car decided it was time for the starter to die while I was in the parking lot of a shop. I fetched a spare starter I had, and it was changed. It picked a very good time to break

[@bendeleted9155]

British test pilot diagnostics: "I was flying along when the engine began emitting a series of very expensive noises"

[@themechanic9226]

Good old Lotus water pumps. The 907’s tended to catastrophically fail and shoot shrapnel when they failed.

[@roryscottbrown]

The bodies of the 1990 Esprit are composite as it uses Kevlar in the Fiberglass in many areas. The timing belt also has Kevlar in it. Does the Nissan have that?

[@truantray]

The early Esprit firewalls behind the driver were made of plywood.

[@roryscottbrown]

True. @@truantray

[@jerseattle0722]

Wizard, you really are on my daily. You are so kind, honest and loving. An angel of the automotive world. Thank you so much and DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING

[@jimcear1766]

Grimes has very strong articulation skills . Good commentary

[@southernfriedshenanigans3639]

A Esprit has always been one of my ultimate 90’s dream cars ever since I watched Pretty Woman! I couldn’t find an Esprit but I was fortunate enough a couple years ago to purchase another one of my favorite childhood dream cars, a Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo. I’d be honored if you could do some maintenance and wizardly restoration for me sometime!

[@JohnArnis]

Wizard, always great vids! Are you going to celebrate your reaching one million subscribers? You are very close! Come on everyone help out Wizard!

[@cylonred8902]

Fell in love with the car when I saw it in... "For Your Eyes Only" I believe.

[@nathanielcargile7135]

It is truly amazing and refreshing to see how you and your wife work together and are such a good team.

[@06VistaBlueGT1]

People who know Lotus cars know it's IMPERATIVE that if you have an Esprit, they NEED to be driven. Not daily, but fairly regularly. When an Esprit is sorted out and running good, leaving them sit for extended periods of time is the ABSOLUTE WORST thing for them. A nice drive once a week (on a weekend) is perfect for them to keep in top running order. And with it using GM parts, this car was made during the time GM owned Lotus, so they used a lot of parts bin stuff. That steering wheel for example, GM parts bin airbag wheel. The most modified part is usung an Elise or an Evora without cruise control steering wheel as a replacement. 👍👍

[@garyleibitzke4166]

As far as a car using parts from others Jeep did that for DECADES. In the 1960's the same model of Jeep used a number of different alternators and distributors. Just depended on whatever they could get at the time.

[@cencio_1976]

Ah, the good times playing Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge series on my Amiga 500

[@xjp1998]

You talk about a dream car that Lodus was the one the moment one was on screen for James Bond you fell in love with that car. Looks absolutely beautiful.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

10:45 Ouch.

[@andrewmooreandrewrmoore7615]

About right. In the UK there's a saying LOTUS = Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

[@HP-mx6jb]

I love the toyota rear tail lights.

[@erickhartman6136]

Whoooo... 1990 Lutus ~ Sharon Stone drove a white one in 1992's BASIC INSTINCT movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 🎟

[@stkrrauch1]

such a beautiful car and desk

[@gdb5448]

I know EXACTLY how that water pump got that rusty. If a car sits for a long time but has the proper coolant mix it will NOT corrode that badly...but if a car sits and there is a majority water mix it will rust like crazy...the coolant/anti-freeze is also a corrosion inhibitor. When you mentioned the owner stated the Lotus had a leaky water pump I knew what happened...as the coolant level got low the owner would top of the coolant system with plain water instead of coolant, knowing that it would leak out again the owner didn't want to "waste money" on using expensive coolant. It only takes a few times of doing that to get a destructive amount of straight water in the system and then you get what you see here with the Lotus.

[@TheNismo777]

Expensive lesson to let the car sit long periods

[@mattsmith6514]

Those Esprit Turbos still look amazing.

[@MrDanielmarlowe]

I saw a couple new at a car show at a big car show at the Charlotte convention center when I was a teenager in the 90s.

[@jeffancelet7366]

Colin Chapman (Lotus founder) was famously a big smoker hence the cigarette lighter in each door panel.

[@oldrrocr]

Splendid car! a lot of people mistake my 1989 RX7 for one when they see it coming, but it isn't of course because it is running and everything still works...🤣

[@tonymunoz3921]

..and hopefully the oil leak seals do not need replacement oftentimes 🤣

[@oldrrocr]

@@tonymunoz3921 🤣🤣🤣 Nope!

[@tonymunoz3921]

Probably works on normal driving. I used to go wheel-to--wheel club racing and autocross and those oil gaskets mostly failed (both for 2 and 3 rotor engines). Quite normal according to former Mazda mechanics who would replace them often. That also includes problems with the newer RX-8. When they worked, they are fantastic motors and turbos were added to make them faster. Probably why Mazda discontinued the rotary, not only because they were gas guzzlers as well. Obviously YMMV. Peace.

[@morten-mortenmortensen7317]

Made famous in the Bondmovie, the spy who loved me, when it turned into a submarine. Its a great story on how the Lotus ended up in the movie

[@Orrinwellsbigo]

Anything that lotus puts their hands on turns to gold this is one of my dream cars😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@darbbively3406]

As far as all those parts from other car companies? Because of how famous Lotus is, many people don't realize they are a very small company that doesn't build many cars. The Esprit Turbo SE was made for five years, 1989-1993. They built just over 1600 of them in that period, so an average of 320 per year. In comparison, in 2018 McLaren sold nearly 5000 cars... It's in no way economical for such a small company to build prosaic parts like turn signal indicators and miscellaneous electrical components, when they are easily purchased from larger manufacturers. I owned a Lotus Europa S2 in the early '80s, and my brother-in-law had an MG. He was convinced that Lotus must be a British Leyland company because of all the miscellaneous parts from BL. It wasn't of course, they just bought lots of parts from them.

[@truantray]

I love these comments as if a 33 year old Corvette will have no problems. 33 years is a long time.

[@stevengreco7132]

What a beautiful car!

[@brian88xx]

Hey Wizard, I would've liked to hear the engine run! Great videos thnx!

[@MurderMostFowl]

The last few years before they were discontinued, (2001? ) Esprit v8 was my dream car for awhile. Dark blue. Loved it

[@thundercockize]

The only part of "Pretty Woman" I remember... I'll never forget again how many toys I can afford when I'm single!

[@SPNKr16]

This is the same Lotus that was in that same era Jim Belushi comedy. Same colour too.

[@kokoshadowstryder9020]

The hard part, such as with Gen 1 and Gen 2 Vipers, is trying to track down accurate cross references for what parts came from what other automotive name brands, manufactureres, and companies.

[@sakatagintoki7811]

10:44 oh no, Wizard met the Espirit's wing

[@spookerr]

I have 4 cars and mostly me driving them. I need to get rolling. Especially my very reliable mostly stock garage queen, 91 300ZX 2+0 5-speed manual, triple black w T-Tops.

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

Young Grimes seems like a real asset for the shop... so many young mechanics just aren't interested in learning to do the old diagnostic techniques and the skills to recondition unavailable components. Word of advice for any young folks thinking about a career in the trade: the demand for skilled restoration and reconditioning technician is way, way over the supply. Get yourself a good mentor, learn your craft well and you will be able to name your price. When you own a vehicle that there simply are no other options, people will pay what they have to pay and be grateful. I have an old friend who owns a business making parts for rare classic British and Italian race bikes. Thanks to the internet, he has so many orders that he essentially doesn't take on new clients and struggles to keep the ones he's got supplied. He's been trying to find a good apprentice to take under his wing for ages and few seem interested. It's a real shame, because he's not too far from retiring and when his 50 years of experience is gone, it's probably gone forever.