Maddest Lotus Modder of the year 2004
The Enthusiast who Modifies
http://www.southrun.co.uk/woty2004.php

Karl Sherratt's 1997

Karl Sherratt from Swadlincote, UK, owns a 1997 GT3 in Titanium, with a Black interior.

Model:	GT3
Year:	1997
Colour:	Titanium (not for long I hope)
Interior:	Black
Driving Style:	Depends if a bike upsets me
Miles per year:	10,000 (maybe less)
Owned Since:	June 2003
Purchase from:	Private Owner and may have been the worst day of my life as there was a dealer there trying to buy the car aswell, the car was advertised at £17k and in the end the dealer was offering £19k for the car, but the owner told the bloke where to go and I got the car for £17500, with only 5000 on the clock from new (BARGIN)
Serviced at:	?
Other Cars:	none (misses drives a modified scooby
Previous Lotus':	Lotus Elan SE Turbo (heavily modified) gorgeous car
Why an Esprit:	I went to the lotus show in my Elan and just loved the esprit and I thought it was a natural progression, the Elise is just to common for me im afraid, and its the closest thing I will get to a Lambo
Upgrades:	See below
Problems:	None really, braking system is still dodgy, need gaskets as the car hasn’t been used alot so they are brittle.
Info:	See Below

Modified GT3

  

  

SPECIFICATION

ENGINE: 2.0ltr Turbo, 100bhp nitrous (purge vavle out of wing vents), Chipped to 1.1bar, Blow off valve, Ram air conversion, One off Exhaust system NO boxes (very very loud) from blueflame

BODYWORK:
Front Bumper: Indicators/sidelights relocated and holes filled, Number plate relocated, St/st Bars in front vents, 350 lower lip put on and then chopped and bought out 1 1/2", Fog lights removed, to make vents bigger, Centre hole made larger, Bumper slightly flared at the sides, Perspex bonnet section
Rear Bumper: One off rear diffuser made, Carbon rear lip made, Sides of bumper Grated to meet the diffuser under exhausts
Rear End: 2002 Rear light conversion, moulded into spoiler and body, Join lines on lower spoiler removed, Badges removed, Centre section of rear spoiler chopped and made adjustabe in carbon
Roof: Aerial Removed
Sides: Door strips moulded in to smooth look, removed wing mirrors, Carbon SPA mirrors attached, Removed side indicators, Removed handles and locks, Remote control entry (solenoids), Vent in the front wing added, V8 arches added and moulded in, inc extra hand made sections, Side air intakes behind rear quarter window flared, side skirts lowered 2" and flared out

INTERIOR: GT racing seats, reear of seat painted to match car, Momo steering wheel, Alpine head unit, 6 speaker alpine system, Blaupukt sub in footwell, Trimmed in alcantara/special ducati material, Glass roof panel, Alloy gearknob, Fibreglass gear surround painted body colour, door handles/speaker pods/steering wheel painted body colour

WHEELS: Masitaly wheels (one offs to fit the lotus, imported from belgium), 19" on rear (285/30/19), 18" on front (235/35/18)

SUSPENSION: Fully adjustable shocks, Lowered 3" on rear and 2" front

BRAKES: 4 pot brembo's (Standard)

MISC: Nitrous bottle in a see throu bonnet section with neon, Blue neon under body kit + neon in bonnet and interior,
Private plate H 13TUS

PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph - 4.2 ish secs (with nitrous), Top Speed - 170mph+

Having the body kit fitted

   

Well as some ppl on this web site know already I am a "modifier" and some ppl frown upon this, but each to there own, well I bought the esprit last year and had the pleasure of owning my own lotus collection for 2 months, I had a the esprit in the garage and used the Elan everyday for work, but sadly the Elan had to go.

  

I will admit I hated the Esprit at first, its a very very hard car to drive and the pedal box is tighter than any other car known to man I think, after a while I loved it and its my favorite car to date.

  

As for modding it, I have only just started really, the DVD player went in straight away as did the screen and the sub, then the neon’s went under (im on my 3rd neon on the front so far), the neon’s are hidden by a piece of house trunking so you cant see them, carrying on the plastic theme!, the nitrous has just been installed (write up on LEW on the installation process and info coming soon).

   

The new wheels arrived from Belgium, a really nice bloke called Denis at DVR sorted me out with his own personal wheels that he used on his show car (one offs), at a amazing price, they are "masitaly wheels" and are running 285/30/19 rear and 225/30/18 front, they make the car look huge now, as they are spaced out as well.

  

Exhaust went on with no hassle at all apart from me waiting around at BlueFlame for 9 hours as they had to build it from scratch and they said it there first ever twin/twin system on an esprit. (personally I think it’s a work of art, these guys at BlueFlame know there stuff).

Purge valve out rear vents
Fake purge valve for show out the front arches
6" widescreen monitor with playstation 2

I will update my page every time something new get added I hope

Future mods to the car:-
Purge valve
Rear 2002 v8 wing (modified)
Front lip spoiler 2003
Rear light conversion
Respray (see above)
Lowered (maybe)
PS2 will be replacing the DVD player (install behind seat)
Boot install (maybe)
Windows tinted
Chipped
New air filter
Dump valve

Update
August 2010

 

here ya go ppl i have had a little re-model and a re-spray. (NO IT'S NOT A CRAPPY VINYL WRAP ITS REAL MATT - with a twist in the sun). its only 90% complete but i thought i had to put it on lol, my bodyshop mate will kill me for putting on the web unfininshed. The interior is being changed also so here is a quick taster anyway. i think the ppl that know me will be a little surprised. general
remark so far has been, "doesnt it look more expensive", "is it the same car","lambo mate lol"<<<you gotta love those ppl. so i hope ppl like it, again its not everyones taste but feel free to comment. (there are bits missing still, zorst surround/mirrors/drl's/stripe finished,diffuser finished,splitter etc etc)

Karluk29@aol.com