1977 Lotus Esprit S1 for sale in Los Angeles, CA

Listed at $59,999 USD.

1977 Lotus Esprit S1 – Factory Black – Extensive Chassis-Off Restoration & Performance Build – Final Assembly Required – Factory Black– 2.2L / 104 Cams – 90% Complete – USA VIN 77090462H（Chassis 0462H） To Prospective Buyers Please read the following information carefully and contact me only if you have professional-level knowledge and technical expertise regarding Lotus vehicles. Due to personal circumstances, I am selling my 1977 Lotus Esprit S1. Unfortunately, when ESPRITs are restored, many vehicles are restored as cheaply as possible, with minimal investment, and are often finished to a relatively low standard. For this vehicle, I have carried out a restoration that includes upgrades while preserving the original style and character of the car. I have invested a tremendous amount of time and money into this project. The frame, engine, drivetrain, transmission, brakes, and virtually every other part of the vehicle were completely disassembled and rebuilt or restored with the goal of bringing the car up to the highest modern standards. A substantial amount of money has already been invested in this vehicle. Once everything is completed, I am confident that this will be an ESPRIT S1 that exceeds the original in performance and quality while maintaining its original style and appearance. Rather than simply comparing this vehicle with the prices of typical ESPRIT S1s in poor condition, I would like to sell it to a new owner who understands and appreciates the work and specifications described below. The restoration is currently approximately 80–90% complete. The buyer will need to complete the final detailed assembly, brake setup, interior finishing, complete installation of the body onto the chassis, and final adjustments. Once these items are completed, this should become one of the highest-quality restored Esprit S1s. Vehicle Overview & Major Restoration Work The next owner will need to reinstall the body components onto the chassis, complete the brake-related work, reinstall the interior, and complete some remaining body finishing work. Once these items are completed, I believe this will become an exceptionally beautiful Esprit S1. Build notes and work records will also be provided. Photographs documenting the restoration process and work performed to date are also available upon request. The engine has been completely rebuilt and internally upgraded. It is now 2.2 liters with an 11.5:1 compression ratio. Custom-order Ross forged pistons have been installed, along with 104 camshafts on both the intake and exhaust sides. No additional engine rebuilding should be necessary. The cylinder head has been completely refreshed, ported, and polished. The valve springs, guides, and stem seals have also been upgraded. I have photographs documenting all stages of the work as proof of the work performed. The transmission has also been completely refreshed and fitted with a newly custom-ordered SPEC clutch system. The original flywheel was resurfaced, slightly lightened, and fully balanced. No additional transmission work should be necessary. The chassis has also been upgraded. The brake master cylinder has been upgraded to a higher-capacity unit, and the interior and body work are also nearly complete. Asking Price: $59999 Body • Approximately six months were spent repairing the fiberglass body, sanding, stripping, and preparing the entire body. • Work was performed on the doors, front hood, rear engine compartment hood, headlight covers, side panels, upper body rails, inside the engine compartment, and inside the front trunk, completing preparation and restoration of the entire body. • All side moldings on the body have been replaced with new parts. • Both left and right rear taillights were replaced. The housing shapes were corrected and the housings were resealed. • The aluminum headlight linkage mounts were repaired and the gaskets were replaced. • The sagging doors were corrected and adjusted. All internal door components were reassembled, and the weatherstripping and dust seals were replaced. • The interior rear window glass was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. • The parking brake system was removed, serviced, and reinstalled. • UK-specification front and rear bumpers and home-market-specification front turn signal lights have been installed. • Other seals and weatherstripping have either already been replaced with new parts or new replacement parts are included. Chassis & Brake System • The chassis was completely disassembled. The old finish was stripped from the frame, all metal components, all control arms, tubes, and drive shafts. Rust was removed, the components were refinished, and everything was powder coated. • Reinforcing metal tubes and metal bars were added to increase the strength of the front suspension frame. • The front and rear swing arms have been upgraded to spherical bearings. • Serviceable spherical-bearing housings were designed and installed at the rear swing-arm mounting points. These components have also been powder coated. Adjustable tension rods have also been added and welded into place. • The front and rear control arms have been upgraded to allow camber adjustment and have also been reinforced for increased strength. • The steering gearbox and shift linkage have been completely overhauled. • The rear engine compartment frame has been reinforced. Additional tubular reinforcement was added to the front section to increase the rigidity of the rear chassis area compared with the original design. • Most chassis-related bolts, nuts, and washers have been replaced with new hardware, while some original hardware has been cleaned and reused. The cast-aluminum cooling components inside the frame have also been cleaned. • The left and right front hub bearings have been replaced. The components have been finished with black powder coating. Steering Gearbox • Completely refreshed. Shift Linkage System • The shift linkage system has been refreshed using new rubber bushings and some specially fabricated metal bushings. • The entire shaft system has been completely cleaned, and the current shifting action is extremely smooth. • The shafts were removed from the vehicle to perform this work. Suspension • All suspension components, including hubs, arms, and related parts, have been powder coated. • Custom JIC Magic coilover system. The rear system is completed and installed. The front system is currently under fabrication, and the upper and lower mounts have already been fabricated. Completion of the front system will need to be discussed. • The front stabilizer bar mounts were redesigned and upgraded using new stabilizer tension rods. • The front stabilizer bar mounts were newly designed and installed. (The original vehicle does not have a rear stabilizer bar.) Brake System • To improve braking performance, a Honda S2000 brake master cylinder and brake booster have been installed. Their appearance is similar to the original components. • All metal brake lines have been cleaned and restored. • The rear brakes remain original. The rear calipers have been rebuilt. • There are currently no front brakes because the poor-performing original front brake system was removed. The next owner should obtain Civic or Integra Type R, or S2000 calipers and rotors designed to work with Honda 14-inch wheels, then modify and install them as the front brake system. These components can be installed with an appearance similar to the original brake system while retaining the original wheels. Engine • Engine: Completely overhauled and rebuilt to 2.2L specification. No additional rebuilding should be necessary. • 2.2-liter displacement with an 11.5:1 compression ratio. Ross forged pistons are used. • A crankshaft from a 1989 2.2-liter Esprit Turbo is used. Full piston weight balancing was performed, along with weight balancing of the piston pins and flywheel. All gaskets, bearings, seals, O-rings, and the head gasket were replaced. • The cylinder head has been refreshed and polished. The exhaust ports were polished and enlarged, and the port shapes were matched to the gasket size. • The air-pump nozzles have been closed with 1/8-inch metal plugs. • 104 camshafts, a solid timing tensioner, an upgraded JAE timing belt, and green-dot sprockets have been installed. • The cylinder head has been rebuilt. Porting and polishing were performed, and the valve springs and seals were upgraded. • A pointless ignition distributor has been installed. • The camshaft housing covers have been powder coated. Carburetors • Completely overhauled. No additional rebuilding should be necessary. • To match the 104 camshafts and the new high-compression engine specification, the main jets and pump jets have been upgraded, and most of the jet-related components have been replaced. • All information regarding the carburetor setup and settings has been retained. Cooling System • The large copper radiator has been rebuilt and pressure tested. • The water pump system has been completely rebuilt. Transmission & Drivetrain • The transmission has been fully serviced. The oil shaft seals for the main input shaft and drive shafts have been replaced. No additional work should be necessary. • Custom SPEC clutch system. • Fully balanced lightweight flywheel. • Drive shaft bearings have been replaced, and the drive shafts have been powder coated. Fuel System • The left and right metal fuel tanks have been completely rebuilt and coated. There should be no need to inspect the inside of the tanks again. • The interiors of the tanks were cleaned, all rust was removed, and the interiors were resealed. • All fuel hoses are new. • The mechanical fuel pump, fuel hoses, and fuel filter have been replaced with new parts. Wheels • One set of original S2 14-inch wheels and one set of 14-inch mesh wheels are included. Interior • The interior trim on both left and right door panels has been completely refreshed. • The front seat foam has been repaired and the seats have been reupholstered. The seat-back panels, center console, dashboard panels, and other interior components have also been completely reupholstered and finished. • Carpet will need to be ordered. • The center console includes new air ducts and a new metal panel for the power-window switches. • The front sun visors and the clear plastic cover for the interior light are new. • The floor sound-deadening material and other interior sound-insulation materials have also been replaced with newer-design materials. • The interior still requires installation. Instruments / Gauges • All original gauge and instrument systems are included and are in very good condition. No components are missing. • Several spare switches are also included. All gauges are in excellent condition. • The instrument dashboard has been reupholstered. Installation and final interior finishing work are still required. Air Conditioning • The compressor is already installed on the engine. • The blower fan and evaporator system were already missing when I acquired the vehicle. • If the next owner wants air conditioning, an A/C system can be installed. A new condenser is included. The next owner can decide how to complete the system. • The air-conditioning blower hoses have already been installed inside the main frame.