Description
Registered August 1st 1997, and a car I supplied to the second owner in September 2001, when I worked at Bell & Colvill - so 23 years in last ownership. I always remembered this GT3 fondly due to its rare colour combination, which still works for me today. The sales order and Bell & Colvill stocklist confirms a mileage then of 8, 500 miles, and the specification was detailed as:
Racing Green Metallic
Black Leather V8 seats, Green Piped.
Green Carpets
A/ C
Cat 1 Alarm / Immobiliser
Radio Fitting kit (recently upgraded to DAB audio)
There’s some service history, 5 main dealer stamps in the green wallet from Haydon and Bell & Colvill up to 11, 200 miles, and then local specialist servicing, supported by invoices that document much recent expenditure.
In 2019 the car saw much recommissioning work, including a PNM upgraded clutch kit, gear change cables, and linkage kit, the replacement of both fuel tanks, fuel crossover and breather pipes, electric charge cooler pump kit, new water pump, front main oil seal, rear main oil seal, front cover gasket, camshaft oil seals, drive shaft oil seals (though OS is starting to weep once again), and a full belt and fluid service.
In 2023, further works saw new front tyres, (full set of matching Continental Premium Contacts - 7mm front, 5 mm rear), new brake Goodridge brake lines, new front discs and pads and new rear discs and pads.
The car is MOT’d until April 2025 and it drives superbly, just as one would expect from a GT3 - nice turbo delivery, smooth engine. It also has quite possibly the best gearchange I've ever experienced with the Renault application! The car also features a recently fitted stainless steel, single exit sports exhaust, consequently it sounds so much better than the standard mild steel offering, without being offensive.
As a result, the car has an awful lot going for it, but it will need further investment to some areas.
Whilst it looks great in most of the images, there are a few more illustrating that the paintwork suffers lacquer lift to localised areas - the rear tailgate, the removeable roof panel, passenger door, and nearside dummy filler panel. In addition there’s some osmosis localised to the front cant rail and rear spoiler. Whilst it does not require a full "back to fibre" respray, it will need the attention of a good paint shop to correct these areas, and whilst there, remedy the localised stone shipping commensurate with age and mileage. The protective sill tape and rear arch tape is all original and now looks pretty terrible, but templates can be remade and fitted with modern PPF. Of importance, its an honest car that shows absolutely no evidence of previous repair - the only item that I can find non-factory paint is the rear spoiler.
The ABS light comes on intermittently and as such it's believed to be a rogue wheel speed sensor, but this could be an accumulator or ABS unit issue, albeit these are normally indicated by a solid ABS lamp. The heater operates in terms of fan speed and orientation but the unit will need to be removed and the vacuum elements will need to be replaced, as there's very little heat output.
If I were keeping it, along with all the above, I’d have all four OZ wheels refurbished, new centre caps fitted, and I’d break from originality and have a new set of GT3 sidewinder decals made up in corresponding silver.
I bought the car with the fullest intention of getting it absolutely match fit, but other Lotus Esprit commitments realises the opportunity to own a really good GT3, being offered to a new owner.
