yeah - that would be me.
Yes - driven most Elises with everything from 120-300bhp. Theres a great network of specialists - where are you based? Personally I use
www.sinclairebodyshop.co.uk and
www.maidstonesportscars.co.uk who are in essex & Kent
Im 5.11 - but I know guys as tall as 6.6 that own Elises. The seat goes far enough back, most have removable steering wheels fitted to aid getting in/out and for security. Also a quick-shift is a good idea so the gearstick dosent touch your leg...oh and on track with a helmet on, drive with the roof off...otherwise it can be a tight squeeze.
Have a look on
www.seloc.org in the classifieds - theres some real nice sorted S1s for sale...some even with Audi 1.8T engines in the back
other good place to look is in the classifieds on
www.pistonheads.com
Other good resources for info:
www.elises.co.uk and
www.elise-faq.com
Dont worry about mileage and whether the car has been tracked...in fact Id sooner buy a well used one form someone that tracks it regular...it will mean its well sorted and has had all the usual niggles/upgrades done - its false economy to by an older, but near standard low miler car as it will probably need £1-2K spending on consumables.
If you are used to powerful turbo cars, then Id try and either get an S1 111s (vvc engine) or a modded car from a reputable tuner....the 120bhp base model will feel a bit slow over 80mph. Really quick Elises are generally 160-80bhp +
I wouldnt go for a K series engined car with more than 180bhp - they tend to be a bit unreliable above that sort of power...unless its a TT supercharged one (theres a couple of those for sale)
If you are into modding/tinkering and you want a really fast track/road car then buy the cheapest Elise you can...probably around £7-8K and then stick an Audi or Honda engine in the back (£7-10K) ..or buy one ready done...they do tend to hold their value though as they are in big demand - expect to pay about £18-20K minimum
get yourself registered on
www.seloc.org - theres everything you could want to know about Elises over there
