- Seller: John D (Contact)
- Location: Waco, Texas
- Mileage: 38,593 Shown
- Chassis #: SCCFC20AXJHF62319
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.2-Liter 16 Valve Inline-4 Turbo
- Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Whenever I see an ’80s Lotus Esprit, I think of my Commodore 64. When I was a kid, we had a computer shop down the street where I bought all kinds of car racing games for the old Commodore, including one called Test Drive, which required you to drive one of five then-current sports cars on a twisty mountain road in a specified time. Nothing could be simpler, but it was, as old video games should have been, a challenge. But the best part was looking at those outrageous ’80s dashboards, and one of those cars was the boosted four-cylinder Esprit. When it was restyled (on the same platform) in 1988, Car & Driver fairly gushed over it, and although it made no sense as a rational purchase, the argument was made that sports cars should never be rational purchases. Now, almost 40 years later, however, maybe an Esprit is a rational purchase. In fact, you could buy this one as a Barn Finds Auction in Waco, Texas, for far less than many of its contemporaries.
The seller picked up his Esprit back in 2012, and he calls it an “easy restoration project.” A series of health issues in the family have pushed the Esprit to the corner of the garage where it’s been sitting for the last five years, and the seller is very forthcoming on its issues and needs. When it was purchased, it had work done on the brakes, headlights, wipers, horn, windows, and ignition system, and almost all of that work was performed using OEM parts. While the mechanic was replacing the water pump, the passenger mirror was damaged, so both were replaced with Honda units.
Now that the car’s been sitting, it will need new tires, a replacement leather dashboard cover, and a new headliner (the current one is sagging). The air conditioning is not keeping up with Texas heat, “the radio works but the antenna does not,” and the seller describes the paint job as “a weak Maaco job” that “is developing ‘spider web’ cracks.” On the plus side, the body itself is in excellent condition with no dents or scratches anywhere and no rust in its steel structure.
And let’s face it, this is one high-performance car that looks as good today as it did in 1988. Car & Driver’s test revealed a zero-to-sixty time of 5.3 seconds, a quarter-mile pass of 14.1 seconds at 97 miles per hour, a 148-mile-per-hour top speed, and an .86 lateral g rating on the 300-ft. skidpad. While those numbers aren’t up to the supercars of today, they’ll still provide for an exciting drive that offers a lot of fun for the money. The Esprit cost $63,645 when new, and you’ll pay far, far less for this one today. If that seems like a bargain for a gorgeous Lotus, bid now!
Agent 007 🔫 wouldn’t approve of that paint job 😒
At that price i will guess this will be gone very soon, even says o.b.o.
I think it looks as good as many Ferraris and at a fraction of the price. If you took one these and removed the Lotus emblems and replaced them with a Ferrari horse, 98% of people would not know the difference. The knowledgeable people would know but today appearance (to the uninformed) is all important! This car is a real beauty!!
I almost got to a fist fight when someone in a Shell gas station in Athens insisted that my Fiat Bertone X1/9 was a Ferrari with a fake Fiat badge, to the point of denying my integrity as a person!
At worst that is a fair price, at best it is a bargain. I should have waited for this one, instead. The car gods shall smile on the new caretaker of this beauty. The only negative in my opinion are those red stripes on the interior. Yeeesh.
Ridiculously good price even with its issues. Glad it’s 1500 miles away. If it was close to home, it’d be in my garage/workshop.
Just WHERE did those taillights come from?
And the Hot-Dog-On-A-Stick color scheme inside is an acquired taste.
That price though….
The stress cracking in the glass body could be the expensive part (if it is extensive), unless you do the repair work yourself.
Just too costly at even $10K if you have to send it out to have everything done. This would need to be a ‘fun’ DIY project to make it pay.
I need this.
I live 80 miles from this car. How do I arrange to do a prepurchase inspection of the car? Looking for a new project and this may be the best opportunity.
Don
I would email the author of this article, Aaron Toth, he should be in contact with the seller. Best of luck!
I’ve forwarded your question to the site administrators, Donald.
This is the first time I have looked at Barn Finds and found a project that I liked. So, as a newbie, what is the procedure? Make an offer and if accepted then I am allowed to see the car? How do I communicate with the site leaders to inquire about offer, site inspection, etc. I have restored two Kaiser Darrins so the fiberglass is not a problem. Looking forward to some response.
Don
If you sign up for a membership you will be able to contact the seller and make an offer. All deals need to go through the site though. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
This is the first time I have looked at Barn Finds and found a project that I liked. So, as a newbie, what is the procedure? Make an offer and if accepted then I am allowed to see the car? How do I communicate with the site leaders to inquire about offer, site inspection, etc. I have restored two Kaiser Darrins so the fiberglass is not a problem. Looking forward to some response.
Don
At the top it says Seller: John D (Contact). But you need to be a member here to use that feature.
I am a member, but thanks Howie.
Thank you Howie but I am a member. I have tried clicking on “Seller” but nothing happens. O well, hopefully eventually the site manager will respond after the 4th holiday.
Don
If you click the “contact” link next to the seller’s name you should see a form to fill out. Make sure you logged in.