A lifestyle choice

Sometimes, you make decisions you regret. Selling a 1984 Lotus Esprit Turbo before moving to New Zealand was one such decision, according to the owner of this car. He also sold a few other classic cars before moving out here, but there must have been quite a lot of dust in the air the day that his Esprit drove off in the hands of its new owner.

Luckily, he kept in touch with the new owner over the years, and, when he made noises about selling and immigrating himself, the opportunity to buy the Esprit back was a no-brainer. After a lengthy trip from the other side of the world and being cleared by customs, it was ready for collection.

Reversing the car off the flatbed, the car’s once-again owner noticed green fluid under the car. First start up and the water pump decided to break. The joys of Lotus ownership came flooding back, and this marked the start of a three-year (and counting) journey to get the Esprit back on the road.

The decision was made to give the car a thorough once over, which has resulted in the engine coming out for a refresh, and the oil seals, coolant lines, and fuel lines being replaced, along with the bushes, brakes, and anything else that might be needed for compliance. Next on the cards is a carburettor rebuild, sorting of the gearshift linkages, and a bit of fettling to make it an enjoyable driving experience. An interior retrim in Gold Tan leather and repaint in Lotus Racing Green is on the cards once it’s mechanically sound. The project is getting there slowly, and, hopefully, this year will see the final push towards finally getting it back on the road.