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Scott Walker's 1976

Scott Walker from Reigate, Surrey, UK owns a 1976 S1 in Yellow, with a Tartan, Green & Orange interior.

Model:

S1
Year:
1976
Colour:
Yellow
Interior:
Tartan, Green & Orange
Driving Style:
Careful
Miles per year: 2,000
Owned Since:
April 2005
Purchase from:
Private
Serviced at:
Bell & Colvill, Max @ Lakeside, CT Cars.
Other Cars:
Lotus Exige S2 ( Company Car ), Lotus Elise S1 Sprint 170 ( Classic Team Lotus Colours), BMW Mini
Previous Lotus':
Lotus Elise S1
Why an Esprit:
The shape has fascinated me for the last 29 years. For me it had to be an S1, with it's purity of line, and period cues such as Wolfrace alloys and the '70's interior.
Upgrades: None, totally standard and original car. Only thing to change is the
addition of a 1977 period radio cassette, to replace the Phillips Radio.
Problems:
Big service just completed. Release bearing starting to squeal; new clutch kit on order. Primary gear shift tube fell into chassis - no gears! Found the bolt on the drive and did it myself.
Info:
See below

  

Chassis Number 0134G was built in June 1976, and registered in September. The car was a Roger Clark Cars demononstrator ( still wears his plates front & back ) and Lotus were kind enough to provide me with the build sheet and the internal warranty claims record. This makes for interesting reading: the cars had to be audited upon completion, and a sheet with 40 inspection points needed to be completed. 0134 registered 22 faults! Anything from headlamps not raising, to a leaky exhaust system. The warranty record shows 19 claims in the first 8192 miles! Loss of gears, boot leaks, burnt out exhaust valve etc.

  

The car has had four owners, all of which have kept bills, photographs (have a black and white of the car being Pdi'd ) service books, and a large history file.They have also kept the car totally original: she still wears the factory pass out label, has an unused spare, and even the Triplex label at the base of the windscren is still there.

 

The old Black & White below is a fave - this shows the car @ Roger Clark cars in Leicester – the car has just been Pdi'd plates fitted. This was taken September 1976, plates are still on the car, 30 years later. I will also keep the car original, have thought about a gleaming nut and bolt rebuild, but the car would lose the smell, the feel and patina earnt after 29 years. I'd rather keep her how she is.

This Esprit can be seen in the Roadtest Section of the website "Cradle to the Grave" Practical Clasics 2003.

swalker@bellandcolvillplc.co.uk

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