Lotus Elise

OK, so it's the early version but still a late model Lotus...
MikeP's Elise's interior is modular designed / symetrical probably to facilitate bolt-in change from LH to RH drive. What more is needed for DOT compliance?

I like the chassis and would love to redesign the body panels like Opel and Vaxhall have done. Maybe after the Neo914-6

xsss

Opel

Vauxhal

On importing, basically no. Not economically. If a car is 25 years old or older, the EPA will waive the need to federalize the car to meet emissions, and I *think* you can get a similar waiver from the DOT (crash tests, etc). However, you still have to deal with the state if it has emissions laws. Since no Elise is older than 25 years old, you're hosed even at the Federal level.

There are some exemptions for small-volume manufacturers as far as the DOT regs go, and someone in SoCal took out a license to retrofit early Elises with Acura Integra engines that were CA smog legal. They sold a handful of these cars, I've seen one in the Bay Area. The original Elise engine made 160hp, as I recall, and the Integra engines made 180hp. The first Elise was also a LOT lighter than the version on sale here now (1600lbs v 1900lbs).

Personally, I preferred the styling on the early cars. I like the round headlights v. the slashes with the projector lamps they put on them now.

You CAN import a car for motorsports use only, but licensing it is out. There are various extra legal means to license them, anyway, but I'm not about to detail how you do that here.

I know kit cars and Ultimas are imported w/o engines to avoid regulations. Has anyone done it?

There is a girl here with that exact yellow car, and she's had it here for at least.. 3-4 years?

Next time I see her, I'll ask what she did.


M

Yeah, good EXCUSE to talk to a girl...

Oh dood! I stay away.... women I know are evil, and the other ones are unknown for a reason, and need to remain that way.

Hey! It's lonely, but I don't have to argue to get my way, and I'll never kick my own ass.


M

pay somebody to put it into a hige container for a ship

then get miles to ship you some goatskins to cover the car up with.

then layer it with sheep wool

QUOTE (Neo914-6 @ Aug 6 2005, 06:05 PM)

I know kit cars and Ultimas are imported w/o engines to avoid regulations. Has anyone done it?

This is the "small volume manufacturers" exemption I spoke of. Caterhams and the like are brought here that way. The engine, however, still has to be smog legal. There's a loophole in CA that allows some kit cars to be made smog exempt, but the rules are pretty goofy. Something like 400 cars a year TOTAL (as in all of CA, by everyone, not 400 per person, or 400 per company) are allowed.

It's also apparently not hard to get bogus paperwork in the UK (the so-called V5 documents), and have the car shipped over as a "1965" model, or whatever. Hundreds of Minis ("classic" Minis, which were actually produced until 2000) are brought in every year this way, and there are quite a few 1992-2000 Minis driving around registered as 1960s models, with factory DIS ignition, port fuel injection, etc.

QUOTE (redshift @ Aug 6 2005, 07:54 PM)

There is a girl here with that exact yellow car, and she's had it here for at least.. 3-4 years? Next time I see her, I'll ask what she did. M

Before the "federalized" Elise there was a US co. that would import one for you and fit it with all the goodies needed to pass DOT inspection. The cost was $15,000 + the cost of the car. R&T did an article about them.

-Ben M.

Seems like we could just sneak one into Mexico, and drive across the border, then swap to some obscure (couterfeit) Canadian plates.




M

Until Homeland security shots it full of lead...

Nah, we'll wear black ski masks, and heavy coats, in summer...

They'd never suspect a thing.



Name on my passport is Allan A. Ckbar


M