The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe custom Elise says he’s in no hurry to sell. That’s despite the car looking hurry-up as hell. Let’s see if his price has you hurrying to empty your wallet.
In the song My Wife by the Who, John Entwistle bemoans the prospect of having to face a jealous spouse after enjoying a night of drunken revelry. To avoid the confrontation as long as possible he sings that he’s ‘gonna buy a fast car, put on my lead boots and take a long, long drive.’
In contrast to Entwistle’s envisioned need for a fast car to escape a vengeful better half, yesterday’s 1985 Mazda RX7 was promoted as having long been the property of the seller’s wife, and was now being offered for sale as the seemingly happily-married couple are planning a move overseas.
The Mazda’s terrific presentation and modest $4,900 asking price earned it an excellent 87-percent Nice Price win. Perhaps John Entwistle could use it to escape his relationship issues. That is, if he were suffering any. And if he were not dead.
You’re not dead are you? No? That’s good. It’s a positive because dead don’t dance, and they most certainly don’t drive wild cars like this custom 2005 Lotus Elise. Since we’re all alive and kicking, let’s see if this fat fendered little Brit has what it takes to meet its asking price.
Now, you may think that the Elise, while somewhat twee owing to its size and composition, is compelling enough in its original factory form. And truth be told, you would be right. Still, some people can’t leave well enough alone, and the seller of this Elise is one of those unappeasable individuals. In the ad, that current owner notes that he bought the car in 2011, and has since added 37K of its 42,000 miles on the counter, and has invested more than $30,000 in remolding it in his image.
You know what, I like what he’s done. In its current state the car features a longer and wider front clip. That’s paired with with extended sills and Exige scoops along the sides. Out back lives a massive wing and the whole car has been denuded of much of its badging. The Saffron Yellow paint extends to the windshield frame and like The Dude’s rug, that element really ties it all together. Enkei RPF1 wheels (15-inch up front and 16 in the rear) keep it off the ground.
Despite the presentation and potential, the seller says that the car has never touched a track, and in fact claims that he drives it like it’s ‘a grandma’s Oldsmobile.’ Not only that but he says that he washes it on a regular schedule and keeps it in a garage when he’s not underutilizing its potential.
Mechanically, that potential has been upped by way of a Sector 111 ECU chip giving the Toyota mill a little more grind. Hopefully that won’t go tits up anytime soon as I think Sector 111 went out of business. On the butt side of things, a stage 2 exhaust brings da noize.
The interior looks to have seen fewer mods than the exterior, but does sport a cool plaid gear knob for the six-speed box. When have you ever seen a plaid gear knob before? It’s not my tartan, but I like it nonetheless.
The seller describes the car in the following way:
- Mechanically: 10/10
- Exterior: 9/10
- Interior: 9/10
He notes that the car comes with a clean title, and is free from accidents and of smokers. He claims to have invested $30K in the car to get it to its present form, but as we all know, throwing money in a wishing well won’t actually make those wishes come true.
The seller of this Lotus is wishing that he can get $35,900 for the heavily modded car. It’s now your opportunity to grant him, if not that wish then at least the affirmation that it might possibly come true. What do you think, is this phat Elise worth its $35,900 price tag? Or, is this a modded Lotus that needs some modification to its asking?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to twowheelsev for the hookup!
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