Lotus Carlton
09 May 2003, 07:13 PM
#4
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Me too, me too!
Probably my favourite car ever
Loved them since launch, just something naughty and wrong about them that makes them so special.
Have seen upto 15-20 together yearly at Billing Aquadrome Vauxhall show where the Autobahn Stormers club brings them along.
Amazing cars, evo mag recently reviewed one aganst M5,RS6,E55 etc and it was still FASTER THAN ALL OF THEM,
10 seconds 0-100 MPH.
187 MPH top speed.
419 lb/sq ft.
It was designed in 1988-1989, amazing achievement for a car that old. Lotus at their very best imho.
One day i will have one, when i actually have a garage and dont live in town centre
And i will keep it forever.
Very,very special, future rare classic.
Fantastic car!
Probably my favourite car ever
Loved them since launch, just something naughty and wrong about them that makes them so special.
Have seen upto 15-20 together yearly at Billing Aquadrome Vauxhall show where the Autobahn Stormers club brings them along.
Amazing cars, evo mag recently reviewed one aganst M5,RS6,E55 etc and it was still FASTER THAN ALL OF THEM,
10 seconds 0-100 MPH.
187 MPH top speed.
419 lb/sq ft.
It was designed in 1988-1989, amazing achievement for a car that old. Lotus at their very best imho.
One day i will have one, when i actually have a garage and dont live in town centre
And i will keep it forever.Very,very special, future rare classic.
Fantastic car!
09 May 2003, 08:02 PM
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Last i heard Vauxhall did have 6-7 spare complete engines crated up at Luton and yes apparntly £25K
Discs/pads £700
Many parts NLS - No longer serviced. A year or so ago this happened to the rear shocks so if they failed your car was off the road!
NLS happens to a few different parts each year and then they have to get more made and people who need them have to wait 6-12 mths!
See www.lotus-carlton.co.uk Best LC site there is. Loads of info/knowledge
Discs/pads £700
Many parts NLS - No longer serviced. A year or so ago this happened to the rear shocks so if they failed your car was off the road!
NLS happens to a few different parts each year and then they have to get more made and people who need them have to wait 6-12 mths!
See www.lotus-carlton.co.uk Best LC site there is. Loads of info/knowledge
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09 May 2003, 10:47 PM
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Owned one for 4 years and great car (boyhood dream come true scenario - got it when I was 26). Some parts are as rare as a buyer for your granny. Remember though that parts for the GSI's can do the job just as well - its only the actual lotus modified bits that cost a fortune. I had my two rear 'lotus' and 'carlton' badges and a side 'Lotus' emblem one nicked and it cost over £200 to replace them. As for shocks - go for Koni (ok not original, but hey ho). Its a crime to keep this beast of the road.
Top speed was supposedly 177mph, not as above. But it was totally effortless upto 150-160 mark. The guy who bought my car hasnt had a thing go wrong since he got it last August and he uses in daily.
Top speed was supposedly 177mph, not as above. But it was totally effortless upto 150-160 mark. The guy who bought my car hasnt had a thing go wrong since he got it last August and he uses in daily.
11 May 2003, 03:21 AM
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Hi guys..I am new to this forum...a m8 of mine has a very nice Terzo Scoob ;o)
Right... I own a Lotus Carlton and also run a company that restores these fine beasts...also been an Autobahnstormer member for 6 years ish ;o)
They are bloody damn quick...I also own a cartlon gsi 24V whhich is no slouch of a car and after usin the Lotus it feels like a slow *** Micra!!!
Parts for them are ridiculous to get hold of....for instance you can not get the Head Bolts.... Please Please anybody out there that needs head bolts DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use 24v headbolts..you are asking for major trouble!
As far as my sources tell me there are no longer any Brand new Engines left with Vauxhall..if there are they will be stupidly expensive and very very hush hush.... Price from a dealer last time i checked would have been 18k + VAT.
Brakes are expensive but we are currently looking into doing Brake conversions on the cars which are appropriate to the performance and hopefully at a reasonable price....
Interior again isn't much of a problem...we have taken to doing full leather retrims on the cars and even make the gear and handbrake gaitors....
Bodywork again isnt as much of a nightmare as u may think...bodykit from a dealer for bumpers for example would cost 2k ...but they are difficult to get.... we manufacture full Lotus kits with all the manufacturing defects removed and with stainless steel fittings for half the price of the genuine stuff...and its better quality...and lotus badges and lotus mats ....and oil cooler covers and radiator cowlings...almost anything in fact...
in conclusion...they are expensive to run....as are any SUpercars...BUT...there is an awful lot of scare mongering hopping about with these cars...its all about knowing where to go and improvising.... i will make enquiries about sortin out suspension and shocks aswell.... most things you can get made to fit the car but its all about cost...
I also know where there are 3 brand spankin new crated Lotus engines...includin flywheel bell housing clutch turbos and all ancillaries.... i know about them cos i own 1 of them and have a share in the other 2.
If anyone who owns a Lotus or is thinking about owning one (We buy cars to restore them to as new condition and sell them as a full car so it saves all you lovely enthusiasts the hassle of doing it
) and needs any advice or prices on anything whatsoever..pleases feel free to pop me a line...e-mail me anytime...i am only too happy to chat about my favourite cars 
)
Also if anybody in the North region or Blackburn or MAnchester wants any respraying or bodykits fitted..thats our specialty.
We're looking to get into alot of the Jap stuff...I quite fancy a nice Porsche 928 GTS...what you all think
Anybody going to this years VBOA meet at Billing in July drop me a line.. I will be there and am always glad to make new friends
Peace out people and enjpoy your motoring...
[Edited by Bader23 - 5/11/2003 3:24:20 AM]
[Edited by Bader23 - 5/11/2003 3:27:01 AM]
Right... I own a Lotus Carlton and also run a company that restores these fine beasts...also been an Autobahnstormer member for 6 years ish ;o)
They are bloody damn quick...I also own a cartlon gsi 24V whhich is no slouch of a car and after usin the Lotus it feels like a slow *** Micra!!!
Parts for them are ridiculous to get hold of....for instance you can not get the Head Bolts.... Please Please anybody out there that needs head bolts DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use 24v headbolts..you are asking for major trouble!
As far as my sources tell me there are no longer any Brand new Engines left with Vauxhall..if there are they will be stupidly expensive and very very hush hush.... Price from a dealer last time i checked would have been 18k + VAT.
Brakes are expensive but we are currently looking into doing Brake conversions on the cars which are appropriate to the performance and hopefully at a reasonable price....
Interior again isn't much of a problem...we have taken to doing full leather retrims on the cars and even make the gear and handbrake gaitors....
Bodywork again isnt as much of a nightmare as u may think...bodykit from a dealer for bumpers for example would cost 2k ...but they are difficult to get.... we manufacture full Lotus kits with all the manufacturing defects removed and with stainless steel fittings for half the price of the genuine stuff...and its better quality...and lotus badges and lotus mats ....and oil cooler covers and radiator cowlings...almost anything in fact...
in conclusion...they are expensive to run....as are any SUpercars...BUT...there is an awful lot of scare mongering hopping about with these cars...its all about knowing where to go and improvising.... i will make enquiries about sortin out suspension and shocks aswell.... most things you can get made to fit the car but its all about cost...
I also know where there are 3 brand spankin new crated Lotus engines...includin flywheel bell housing clutch turbos and all ancillaries.... i know about them cos i own 1 of them and have a share in the other 2.
If anyone who owns a Lotus or is thinking about owning one (We buy cars to restore them to as new condition and sell them as a full car so it saves all you lovely enthusiasts the hassle of doing it
) and needs any advice or prices on anything whatsoever..pleases feel free to pop me a line...e-mail me anytime...i am only too happy to chat about my favourite cars )Also if anybody in the North region or Blackburn or MAnchester wants any respraying or bodykits fitted..thats our specialty.
We're looking to get into alot of the Jap stuff...I quite fancy a nice Porsche 928 GTS...what you all think
Anybody going to this years VBOA meet at Billing in July drop me a line.. I will be there and am always glad to make new friends
Peace out people and enjpoy your motoring...
[Edited by Bader23 - 5/11/2003 3:24:20 AM]
[Edited by Bader23 - 5/11/2003 3:27:01 AM]
11 May 2003, 09:05 PM
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Owned one too. Completely different cars to Scoob's and Evo's, etc...
Had an Evo II, changed to a LC, then to an Evo V.
The LC is a mighty fine car, looks awesome and is very quick, although it takes a bit of time to shift it's 1600+kg's from the lights.
The person that mentioned the badge's is spot on - I had to replace the 'Carlton' badge on the boot on mine and it cost £72!!!
At the end of the day, it all depends what you want from a car. It was too heavy for me, not nimble enough. I could go through the gears and still spin those back wheels in third in a straight line, especially in the wet!
I had times, in the wet, when I had to go that slow at roundabouts and around bends that a Mondeo could gain on me at an alarming rate!
Although the 18" tyres I bought for my Evo were around £150 each, the rear tyres on the LC cost me a good £200 a piece! 265's!
As someone else said, some parts are shared with a Carlton, but some that aren't - well, you could be in for a long wait...
Also, reference the engine - the person I bought mine off had the engine go and rang up a LC dealer to be told that an engine, complete with all ancillaries, would be £26k!!! (including VAT of course!)... Fortunately, he traced someone in the Autobahnstormers club who had one 'cheap'...
I will always remember the whistle of those two turbo's though - awesome.
Completely different cars to Scoob's and Evo's, etc...Had an Evo II, changed to a LC, then to an Evo V.
The LC is a mighty fine car, looks awesome and is very quick, although it takes a bit of time to shift it's 1600+kg's from the lights.
The person that mentioned the badge's is spot on - I had to replace the 'Carlton' badge on the boot on mine and it cost £72!!!
At the end of the day, it all depends what you want from a car. It was too heavy for me, not nimble enough. I could go through the gears and still spin those back wheels in third in a straight line, especially in the wet!
I had times, in the wet, when I had to go that slow at roundabouts and around bends that a Mondeo could gain on me at an alarming rate!
Although the 18" tyres I bought for my Evo were around £150 each, the rear tyres on the LC cost me a good £200 a piece! 265's!
As someone else said, some parts are shared with a Carlton, but some that aren't - well, you could be in for a long wait...
Also, reference the engine - the person I bought mine off had the engine go and rang up a LC dealer to be told that an engine, complete with all ancillaries, would be £26k!!! (including VAT of course!)... Fortunately, he traced someone in the Autobahnstormers club who had one 'cheap'...
I will always remember the whistle of those two turbo's though - awesome.
12 May 2003, 01:01 PM
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Agree with Bader23 (I know who you really are ). There is a lot of scare-mongering going on over spare parts. If you belong to the right club (AutobahnStormers), there are plenty of enthusists who can source either OEM or custom made (usually better than OEM) parts at sensible prices.
I can't imagine why anyone would need a whole new engine so long as they do some cheap(< £500) prevenatative work and replace the timing chains. The bottom end simply never wears out. These do not suffer from bearing/bore/ring wear at all. The only other potential engine failure point is the head gasket - ususally as a result of cooling problems. Cheap to fix (head bolts can be obtained elsewhere now). Better still, ring the bores and banish head gasket problems totally.
The quoted 377bhp appears to be on the conservative side - mine outputs 391 on the rollers (Tuning Japanese) and that's with a slight misfire. Others on the same day were measured at 415bhp. Want more power? Modifications can include replacing the ancient Garrett T25s with some Mitsubishi turbos. So long as you fit rings or a copper head gasket, it can take more boost.
The quoted 177 mph top speed also appears to be conservative. It was set at Nardo (banked circuit). Richard Noble (Thrust SSC) has had a measured (not speedo) 187 out of one.
Won't handle as well as a Scooby around the fabled "twisties" that are apparently 3 feet deep in wet leaves, but since roads like that are few and far between, it's not a problem. Getting the power down even in damp conditions is hard so I tend not to bother with it in those conditions.
Hugely fast and fun car. Highly recomended.
). There is a lot of scare-mongering going on over spare parts. If you belong to the right club (AutobahnStormers), there are plenty of enthusists who can source either OEM or custom made (usually better than OEM) parts at sensible prices. I can't imagine why anyone would need a whole new engine so long as they do some cheap(< £500) prevenatative work and replace the timing chains. The bottom end simply never wears out. These do not suffer from bearing/bore/ring wear at all. The only other potential engine failure point is the head gasket - ususally as a result of cooling problems. Cheap to fix (head bolts can be obtained elsewhere now). Better still, ring the bores and banish head gasket problems totally.
The quoted 377bhp appears to be on the conservative side - mine outputs 391 on the rollers (Tuning Japanese) and that's with a slight misfire. Others on the same day were measured at 415bhp. Want more power? Modifications can include replacing the ancient Garrett T25s with some Mitsubishi turbos. So long as you fit rings or a copper head gasket, it can take more boost.
The quoted 177 mph top speed also appears to be conservative. It was set at Nardo (banked circuit). Richard Noble (Thrust SSC) has had a measured (not speedo) 187 out of one.
Won't handle as well as a Scooby around the fabled "twisties" that are apparently 3 feet deep in wet leaves, but since roads like that are few and far between, it's not a problem. Getting the power down even in damp conditions is hard so I tend not to bother with it in those conditions.
Hugely fast and fun car. Highly recomended.
13 May 2003, 12:51 AM
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Thx for the good wishes Mr C
as for Billing..I think its on the weekend of the 12th and 13th of July but I will double check.
I dunno whether I will be there in my GSI 24v Carlton or somethin like a Lotus replica or maybe even the real thing...but am expectin mucho chat on the LC front
Hopefully the weather will be gr8 and it will be a wicked weekend...I am gettin excited already..LOL
as for Billing..I think its on the weekend of the 12th and 13th of July but I will double check.
I dunno whether I will be there in my GSI 24v Carlton or somethin like a Lotus replica or maybe even the real thing...but am expectin mucho chat on the LC front
Hopefully the weather will be gr8 and it will be a wicked weekend...I am gettin excited already..LOL
18 May 2003, 04:25 PM
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Thanks for the info.. Can't be bad if no-one has a bad word to say about them.. I was sure the words "twisties" or "std uk model" would have come into it somewhere!
Cheers
Chris
Cheers
Chris
18 May 2003, 06:47 PM
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I recently saw an ad by a trader selling new lotus carlton shells if anyone is interested?
I did think of buying one and reshelling a bent omega version into it.
[Edited by Y2K RS - 5/18/2003 6:49:37 PM]
I did think of buying one and reshelling a bent omega version into it.
[Edited by Y2K RS - 5/18/2003 6:49:37 PM]
18 May 2003, 06:54 PM
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you most certainly can re-shell them as long as the chasis is ok... although converting rhd to lhd and vice versa can be a pain in the ****
but it can be done..think we have done that a couple of times....certainly managed reshells no problem and i vaguely remember chatting to some1 about converting rhd to lhd...hmmm..i'll have to think about that 1
but it can be done..think we have done that a couple of times....certainly managed reshells no problem and i vaguely remember chatting to some1 about converting rhd to lhd...hmmm..i'll have to think about that 1
18 May 2003, 07:16 PM
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I understand the new shells are RHD therefore you could use a "normal" 3 litre carltons steering rack , dash etc and then just take the special bits from the lotus omega and bin all the LHD kit.
That way you get a nice hpi clear car that would be virtually brand new, and RHD.
The only reason I did not persue it was because of the horror stories over bodykit parts as at least some of these would be damaged on an omega donor, but it good quality replica bits are around then thats not a problem.
hmmm, starting to think about it again.
That way you get a nice hpi clear car that would be virtually brand new, and RHD.
The only reason I did not persue it was because of the horror stories over bodykit parts as at least some of these would be damaged on an omega donor, but it good quality replica bits are around then thats not a problem.
hmmm, starting to think about it again.
18 May 2003, 07:20 PM
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m8...good replica parts ARE around...and I (well my friend ) makes them!!
its better than the original and nobody can tell the difference..and half the price.
if you need any info whatsoever e-mail me anytime.
as for reshelling and changin the car like i said...i dont see a major problem. dashboards can be rertrimmed to lotus spec aswell
its better than the original and nobody can tell the difference..and half the price.
if you need any info whatsoever e-mail me anytime.
as for reshelling and changin the car like i said...i dont see a major problem. dashboards can be rertrimmed to lotus spec aswell
18 May 2003, 07:28 PM
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Whats the market for lotus Carltons like, I had guessed they were a bit sticky, and hard to shift unless cheap.
I am trying to sell my brand new 3 dr cosworth at the moment and getting plagued with timewasters, I had thought LCs were even more of a problem to move on.
I am trying to sell my brand new 3 dr cosworth at the moment and getting plagued with timewasters, I had thought LCs were even more of a problem to move on.
18 May 2003, 07:33 PM
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Hmm..yes and no...for good ones and i mean top nick low mileage late ones (k or l plate) the money is still good..u look for over 20k for them..but alot have been abused..not properly looked after and are shabby (this is due to expensive parts and alot of no longer serviced bits and people trying to run them on the cheap)
so because of the tatty ones this tends to bring the prices down. They suffer quite badly from rust under all that bodykit (water traps i am afraid) but usually as long as they are mechanically sound you can restore and LC to its former glory for about 4 to 5k ish depending on what needs doing on them.
is mechanically and mileage wise its ok once that works done you have a 19 to 25k's worth of prime motor car....
but the market is a little lethargic,...lol i am rambling again
so because of the tatty ones this tends to bring the prices down. They suffer quite badly from rust under all that bodykit (water traps i am afraid) but usually as long as they are mechanically sound you can restore and LC to its former glory for about 4 to 5k ish depending on what needs doing on them.
is mechanically and mileage wise its ok once that works done you have a 19 to 25k's worth of prime motor car....
but the market is a little lethargic,...lol i am rambling again
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