14 replies to this topic

[garyk220]

I'll be posting an advert on Pistonheads at the weekend, as soon as I get time to tidy the car up and take some photos. Until I get the advert up, if you have any questions about the car I can be contacted via PM.

Calypso Red, one owner from new, 27,500 miles.

Reg. GT03 VXT

Stage 2 map and full stainless Milltek exhaust system; mapped at 245 PS & 255 lbft February 2004.
Track focussed improvements and significant lightening make this an ideal track car, with approximately 60kg in weight removed.

Suspension/brakes:
Lotus Elise 4 bolt lightweight hubs
Eliseparts alloy-belled brake discs front & rear
Pagid RS14 brake pads
Speedline Turini lightweight 11-spoke wheels (16” front, 17” rear)
Yokohama A048R LTS-spec tyres
Brake cooling ducts

Engine:
Milltek stainless exhaust system (back box, sports cat and pre-cat replacement pipe)
Stage 2 map (15 psi overboost and 12 psi held boost) 245PS/255lbft
BMC Carbon dynamic airbox

Interior:
Black/red leather seats with harness cut-outs
Lotus factory fitted harness bar
Schroth 4 point harness (driver)
Standard seat belt (passenger)
Courtenay boost gauge

Bodywork:
Single skin colour-coded hardtop
Quick-release bolts for front and engine covers
Single skin engine cover
Jimsan 4 fin diffuser (powder coated black)
Astra G 2 part rubber front splitter
Rear clam vents
Quick-release fixings on rear clam
Boot mounted relays and fuses relocated to passenger cabin (rear bulkhead panel)

Weight reduction:
In addition to the above track orientated lightweight replacement parts, the following parts have been removed;
Stereo & speakers
Rear speaker panel
Rear speaker panel soundproofing
Heater
Front foglights
Front cover hinge & locking mechanism
Alarm
Driver-side seat belt
Engine bay bulkead soundproofing
Standard airbox

The modifications make this a very quick track day car with handling and braking enhanced by the carefully considered weight reduction programme. All external body panels are original. There are some scuffs and scratches on a few of the panels from track use and while stored in a garage a few years ago.

I would suggest the car is too track focussed for road use for most people due to the lack of sound-proofing and alarm. But it could be returned to a suitable specification to be used on the road very easily.

MOT’d till end-June 2011. It has been registered with a SORN since the end of last month.

For sale at £11,000.

Also available for sale is the original black soft-top for an additional £250.

[Wolfstone]

That sounds way too cheap to me especially given the spec. Need to keep prices on our little plastic cars up. But good luck with the sale anyway.

[Raffe]

All the parts that you have cleared due to weight reduction, will they come with the but or do i need to buy them all from scratch? Kindly Regards Raffe

[denno]

Too cheap

[Pidgeon]

Shame Gary. We had some fun with that car. What does the future hold for you?

[The Batman]

Shame Gary. We had some fun with that car.

[turbobob]

Shame Gary. We had some fun with that car.

[garyk220]

@ Raffe. No, I'm afraid not. Most were given away to other VX owners to replace damaged parts or thrown away during 2 house moves. @ Andrew, I'll be really sorry to see it go, but I've only put a couple of thousand miles on it during the last few years and it is too compromised to use as my main car. Short term I'll be putting the money into my business. Medium term I have often thought about swapping the VX and one of my road cars for something a bit more sensible and using it as my main car. A Lotus Europa would fit the bill nicely - a bit comfier and more practical/sensible for business use. So I hope to be back with a Velise chassis in a year or so.

[garyk220]

A few people have asked for photos of the car. I've posted some others in the Users Gallery.

[argyris]

very beatiful, had ever any crash? the reason for the low price?

[garyk220]

very beatiful, had ever any crash?

No. All panels are original with original paint.

the reason for the low price?

I reckon that is a fair price for the car, given the track modifications have reduced the target market. If I had not removed some of the parts listed in my first message, it would be priced substantially higher.

[garyk220]

Update - I've been working away for the last couple of weeks so not placed an advert on Pistonheads until I get time to prepare the car. It is still for sale. There has been some interest in the car, with a few people interested in replacing parts removed to use as a road car. For this reason I've looked into the cost of some of the parts; a new Meta alarm is £225 and used heater units sell for around £100. I have the original stereo and speakers which I can include with the car, but an aerial will be needed - £40 to £50 from Autovaux. I have already sold the 2-way Nitron suspension and have refitted the standard Bilstein VXT suspension (which has done approx. 12k miles). Remember it would still be essentially a track/occasional use car, as the front and engine covers can be opened from outside, there is no bulkhead soundproofing, the Lotus fitted harness bar occupies the original speaker position (requiring replacement pods to be added to the bulkead panel) and the hardtop internal skin has been cut-out. I previously fitted a motorsport rear wing requiring cut-outs in the rear clam for the wing supports. I have filled the cut-outs, but these will need to be prep'ed before painting. Alternatively a wing could easily be refitted if the new owner planned to use it on track. The car is MOT'd till end June 2011, but is due a service having been off the road for while now. With this in mind I will place an advert on Pistonheads in a few weeks with the car priced at £11,500 with an alarm, replacement heater and stereo fitted plus the car will be serviced and rear clam wing cut-outs repainted. In the meantime, if someone is looking for a project car to either use it on track as it is or take on most of the above work themselves, I will sell it via this forum for £10,250 with the hardtop only or both hardtop and soft-top for £10,500. I can also throw in a Corbeau FIA fixed seat and side mounts and harness lap straps to convert the harness to 6 point, if someone buys it to use on track.

[Q779]

Hi Gary Did you get the PM I sent you last night? CheersMarshall

[LazyDonkey]

I LOVE that car - shame to see you selling the beat Gary

[garyk220]

Cheers Martin,

Ad now on Pistonheads here. I'll begin sourcing some of the missing parts to put it back to a sensible spec for road use within the next few weeks and re-advertising at a price closer to the market value. So it won't be for sale at this spec and price for long.

Gary