<<I tried to e-mail to topgun@brandeis.cs.edu but somehow I got it returned.>>
I own an '85 Lotus esprit turbo for three years, and even now I can't help but
love 'her' everytime I drive and see her.
The esprit is of course not so low-maintenance but not so hi-maintenance as
most people say. (Anyway, they expect different things in it.) If you are
ready to love it long enough and to be faithful, it'll give you an ecstacy every
minute you accelerate and you corner.
In that sense, the esprit is like a nice lady.
The other day, I was chatting with a friend how fun to drive a Miata with its
top open, then 'she' got jealous and suddenly the throttle cable broke down.
When I bought it, it had logged about 5500 miles and was almost a new car (I'm
the third owner.) but Lotus is a sort of semi-finished product at first, so I
had to fix leaking spots in its trunk and also the wind shield with silicone
glue. (It rains a lot in Japan, so it was a must.)
Comparing with the ecstacy 'she' gives me, it was just nothing and what's super
about this car is its fuel efficiency:30-35miles/gallon.
I felt like as if I married a very beatiful lady, whom I found out later she was
a devoted woman. (BTW, I've been looking for a woman like esprit!)
Long time ago, I posted my service history in rec.autos.tech. Here I'll repeat
it as follows.
Date Description Cause
------- --------------------------- ---------------------------------
'88 Dec Speedometer stopped moving Crack of pinion gear
'89 Jan Did not charge battery Alternator broke down
'89 Apr Window not moving Carbon on the contact of the power
window switch
'89 May Window derailed Pulley of window lifter broke down
'89 Nov Blower motor not working Burnt motor
'89 Dec Engine stopped while cruising Eyelet contact of ignition cracked
'89 Dec Lost 1st/2nd/5th/Rev gear Loose pivot bolt of gear shift
linkage
'90 Jul Radiator leak ---
'90 Sep Stopper of door hinge broke down ---
'90 Sep Gear not changeable Return spring in clutch master
cylinder broke down
*******************************************************************************
I got another major problem last December that the timing belt broke down and
the pistons in the cylinders #3 and #4 hit the valves and I had to have them
replaced. It took more than $3000 and six months as the repair shop had been
occupied with other cars.
When I have troubles, I get the necessary parts from the London Lotus Centre.
They are very reliable and quick: it always takes just a week to get the parts.
If you find it hard to get the parts in the States or if they are expensive,
why don't you try London?
I hope you'll get a nice one and love it for good!
K. Yoshizaki (yoshi%hpujisa.yhp.hp.com@relay.hp.com)
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