Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Investor’s Special: 1983 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Growing up, one of my favorite Hot Wheels was a bright red Lotus Esprit. Of course, at the time I had no idea what it was, Lotus wasn’t a well-known car brand in our small Wyoming town. It wasn’t until we got the internet that I finally learned what a Lotus was and ever since, I’ve wanted one! What I would give to be able to afford this 1983 Esprit. You see, this one is car #22 out of 50 that was built to commemorate the return of Lotus to the US market. There’s no word as to why it was parked or what it’s 2.2-liter turbocharged engine is going to need to run, but this could be an awesome project! Find it here on eBay in Ontario, California with a BIN of $39k and the option to make an offer.

The seller states that the car was parked in 2002 in the previous owner’s garage. It appears there were a few spare parts, a pile of receipts and a service manual, so perhaps it was parked due to a mechanical or electrical issue? Perhaps the seats were just uncomfortable and after 33k miles the previous owner’s back just couldn’t take another mile? The interior cleaned up quite nicely, as did the exterior, so it seems likely that the mileage is accurate.

Here’s the Lotus-developed 2.2-liter turbo engine. It might not seem as exotic as a V10 or V12, but this isn’t your typical 4-cylinder. Lotus built all 50 of these cars specifically for investors, so each one was built to above standard specifications. The engines were blueprinted, balanced and dyno tested before being installed. Each one shipped with a graph showing its power curve and output, but this one seems to be missing its graph (the seller may not have thought to include a photo of it). The regular production version was good for 210 horsepower, but it’s hard to say just how much extra power they squeezed out of it.

This could turn out to either be a really simple or a really big project, it’s just going to depend on what’s wrong with it. While tracking down electrical problems isn’t fun, I’d much rather deal with that then having to pull the engine out for a full rebuild. If this were a naturally aspirated car, it would probably be the other way around, but these turbo engines featured special things like pressure seals in the carburetors. It’s not impossible, just adds a lot of extra expense on top of an already expensive car!

Comments

  1. Avatar Bruce

    I have a later one and things to look for is a gas smell in the engine compartment. The gas tanks are resting on foam and can get wet and rust out the bottom of the tanks and I would replace the gas lines with ones similar to the braided stainless steel ones for brakes. That is another problem area.

    For the most part lotus are easy to work on if you have the right tools. A engine lift is one of the biggest problems as the reach is so far. I have a gantry crane that is capable of holding both the engine and transmission and that makes removing the engine a great deal easier.

    There are a number of web sites devoted to Esprits of all version where you can get part sources and help. I have found a few wonderful YOUTUBE videos about removing the engines and rebuilding them. The biggest problem is that these cars are so small. Space is at a premium under the dash, the engine compartment and in the front trunk so find a helper with small stature and hands. That will be a bigger help then you might think. LOL

    When finished these things are enormous fun to drive. Cross between luxury car and go kart. With a lot of the best of both worlds. I have had mine for almost 20 years and the only problems I have had were induced by me and not as part of the design of the car.

    Last point you need to be of the right size. Over 6′ is problematic, I am 5′-8″ after many years and a few notable accidents and I fit perfectly. Getting in and out can be difficult in the beginning but you will find once in it is very comfortable to drive long distances. And looks, you will get plenty of them. A Esprit on the road is like a moving LOOK AT ME SIGN. Almost every time I am stopped at a light I see phones and cameras come out to photograph the car. I am certain it is the car because I am not that good looking.

    IF you are the purchaser get it done right and enjoy many happy years.

    Oh I forgot. Stainless Steel Gas tanks are available at a reasonable costs

    Like 38
    • Avatar Andy

      LOL. I’m 6’4″, and 230#+, and my first thought was “good f#%€£¥ luck getting my frame into that!!!

      Like 7
  2. Avatar Miles Rose

    My friend did the deal to bring Lotus back to the US. It was a tax shelter and each investor got a car as part of the deal. One investor would only do the deal if he got number 1. So my friend who did the deal had his car numbered 000.

    Like 13
    • Avatar Mike B

      I would have held out for 007.

      Like 30
    • Avatar John

      Miles,

      How can I get ahold of you? I have a question for you regarding your friend and car #000

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Dean

    It’s always nice to see someone actually knowledgeable and not a poser. I watched a fellow in a Lotus ( the little smiling bug-eyed model…Elise?) climb in one next to me at a Home Depot. I haven’t seen that much juxtaposition since I played Twister as a kid.

    Like 19
    • Avatar Bruce

      Yea they tend to keep a person limber in their old age. LOL

      Like 4
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Getting into an Elise is 100 times easier than getting out……

      Like 0
      • Avatar Chinga-Trailer

        Prob’ly easier to buy one than sell too .. .. ..

        Like 0
  4. Avatar Ike Onick

    Is it one Lotus, two or more Loti?

    Like 6
  5. Avatar SMS

    There were quite a few Esprit special editions. Don’t seem to add much to the selling price. Then again these are under valued in my opinion any way.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar SC/RAMBLER

    Could be a nice car depending on what’s wrong with it,personally I have always loved the lotus elan, they were cute little cars, but one of these would be my next choice, especially a turbocharged one

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Chinga-Trailer

    “Spare parts, a pile of receipts and a service manual” pretty much sums up the Lotus ownership experience! . . . and how do I know?? Spent some formative years working for a Lotus dealer in California . . . I’ve never chosen to own a Lotus . . . then or since.

    Like 6
  8. Avatar Oily Dick

    Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

    But fun on those occasions when they are working right!
    The Go Kart analogy mentioned above is fitting.

    Like 3
  9. Avatar michael h streuly

    No way is that car worth 39k maybe 3900 hundred.

    Like 1
    • Avatar ShopperMan

      Why would you value it at 390,000.00 and complain about a 39,000.00 price?!
      I would give about 15,000.00 for it as is.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Brian S

      Agree. Silly price. More in line for a perfect Concours #1 condition car. I would say if you knew there were no catastrophic mechanical issues it could be worth $15-20K.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Eric_tencars Member

        Agree about the price being way too high . About a year ago a friend of mine in Wilmington North Carolina sold two of them . Both were in extremely good condition and I believe the high price he got was 26,000 for one and 22,000 for the other. They were newer and had the bigger engines but were in beautiful condition . He was happy to have gotten that much .

        Like 1
  10. Avatar Healeymonster

    I had use of a white version for awhile that a friend owned. You really had to rev the crap out of it to get it to perform. Unfortunately one day my friend called and asked if he could come over for me to take a look at it because the engine is making a strange sound. Well it broke down a block from my house. The timing belt that was supposed to have been changed by the previous owner had evidently not been done. The pistons and valves had a meeting that caused a expensive and time consuming repair.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Ronnie

    That body really looks like a exotic cars years ahead , they work wonders with those 4 cyl engines , I don’t know about handling but years after they design the suspension for isuzu impulse .

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Steve

    According to a member of the Lotus club in the Philadelphia area two or more are called Lotuses.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Chinga-Trailer

      Two or more call for a tow truck or two!

      Like 1
  13. Avatar Mike

    Once again BF beats out Bring a Trailer. BaT posted this a day later. Most of the time if both websites post the same car, BF is usually a week before BaT. Only once have I seen the reverse.

    Like 2
  14. Avatar DaytonaJoe

    Bought the wife an Esprit to keep her from a Ferrari she wanted in 1978. So I flew to the Cincinnati Airport where the dealer met me. Handed him $16,000 cash. Drove to Los Angeles. Took it to Lotus for service. Dealer owner reached over and put his hand on my shoulder, bowed his head. I asked, What are you doing? He answered, anyone driving this car that far is blessed. July, 1978, black, no air, over 120 in the desert, walked thru sprinklers by off ramps to cool off. National speed limit 55. So I drove over 100 constantly to get to another sprinkler before I dried out. Pee breaks before needing fuel. 500 plus miles before a fuel stop. Year later it needed 2 things. A 24 inch wiper blade and an eletronic fuel pump. Wiper blade, $90. at dealer. What? Went to Pep Boys, 2, 12 inch blades, slid into channel. Done. Fuel regulator, I forgot quote $. Back to Pep and bought a mechanical adjustable regulator. Done. Wife drove everyday to work. Kept her out of my 69 Hemi Charger 500 and 69 Daytona.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Chinga-Trailer

    Only goes to show that if a company builds enough of anything, sometimes they screw up and make a good one! My brother had an experience like that too – he drove his Fiat X1/9 nearly 250,000 miles with no major problems too.

    Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.