Paul Chandler's 1989

Paul Chandler from Oxfordshire, UK owns a 1989 SE in Monaco White, with a Blue Leather interior.

Model:	SE
Year:	1989
Colour:	Monaco White
Interior:	Blue
Driving Style:	Early mornings…. Fast
Miles per year:	2,000+
Owned Since:	June 2004
Purchase from:	Private Sale through LEW
Serviced at:	Steve Williams Sportscars
Other Cars:	Company van, Girlfriends car
Previous Lotus':	Calypso red 1983 Series 3 Esprit
Why an Esprit:	Childhood dream car (and X wings don’t really exist)
Upgrades:	See below!
Problems:	Rear discs. Seized rear caliper. Cam housing oil leak onto manifold. Cracked and welded manifold. Broken HT lead. Air-con expansion valve stuck shut. Intermittant code 26 fault. Wheel centers falling out. Headlight linkage fell to bits.
Info:	Plan to replace manifold (already bought) over the winter, and to de-cat and fit new sports exhaust. Also will fit SS clutch hose to improve gearchange. Might get later wheels.

My Reasons For Changing Models
After five happy years with my S3 I had finally decided to make the jump to a turbo. The S3 had been a superb car and the realisation of a childhood dream. I had spent so much on it that it was very hard to let it go. I originally was looking for another G-car and possibly an HC turbo if I could find a good one, but I had this nagging doubt in my mind:

I had bought the S3 as a ‘First Esprit’, intending to get a turbo in a couple of years. Truth is, that after spending big bucks on the engine & ’box, I kept her for 5 years to get the mileage out of the work. I had a good think this time as to whether I was already looking towards the ‘next one’ when buying this one…

So, I decided on the SE.
The reason I chose this model and not a later one is (if I’m honest) cost. If I could afford an S4s I’d get one.

I wanted the chargecooled engine and the SE is the first model to get it. By getting this engine spec I was getting an engine very close to the one that went in the last 4cyl Esprits to be made, so it was a car I was happy to keep for many years. Another reason I chose the SE is that I do in my heart prefer the G-car, and if I was changing shape than I wanted a huge increase in performance and spec.

The Search
The SE cost me over twice what I sold my S3 for. This meant I had to have a few months without an Esprit to work overtime and save the difference (was surprised how much I could save when I did not own a Lotus!). When I was ready to start shopping I quickly found there are a lot of bad (no, that’s too strong a word, make it ‘needy’) Esprits about. I saw cars described as ‘immaculate’ that were anything but. I saw cars advertised as SE, but they were non-chargecooled models. I had honest owners describe every crack and mark only to find the car was loads better than they made it sound. You simply have to see them sometimes. Five years previous ownership did not equip me enough to spot a bad one though, and expert inspection (absolute must) both proved me wrong about cars I thought to be good and saved me money.

My SE
After sniffing round several cars I bought my SE. It is an ’89 car with only 48k miles and 3 owners when I bought it. I made a 400 mile round trip to view it the day after it went on sale. It was inspected in the week and I made the same trip to collect the next Saturday.
The inspection found a leaking shock, seized brake calliper, missing manifold stud and intermittent check light. On top of that, the ‘C’ service was well overdue. I still bought the car though as these faults were nothing compared to other cars I’d looked at.
(pictures 4+5)
I had wisely decided to leave at least £2,000 left out of my budget for any work needed. This is the best advice I could give any Esprit owner (£2k is nothing to spend on any Esprit the owner decided to sell).
(pictures 6+7)

So after a 6 month search I had an Esprit again. All the while I was shopping for one, other owners were kind enough to give me lifts to various meets. Now I was able to get there under my own steam!

Strange how I always find another White for company…

Comparisons between the two models
Rather than an ‘updated’ model, I see the SE as a different car to my S3. I could show off the S3’s handling on the winding Cotswold roads where I live, and she was much more at home in this environment with motorways being less fun. To really show off the SE’s thrust a dual carriageway is a must, and trips up and down the motorway become much looked forward to rushes of turbo boosted acceleration.

The S3, with its normally aspirated carbed engine, did feel much lighter and felt more ‘chuckable’ into corners with its smooth power delivery. The SE is just as capable, but when going into corners at revs you have to be ready for the extra power that the turbo will give – and be aware it could snap out! I think if ever I could afford it, I would be more likely to buy another early N/A esprit G-car and have both, than to sell mine and get a newer one.

Mods so far:

My first Esprit.
I see this car at shows still. The new owner is making her all his own. She went to a good home and I will no doubt watch her get better and better…