Ahhh ok makes cense. As I said I know little about these cars.
Ahhh ok makes cense. As I said I know little about these cars.
As was noted above, modern Lotus chassis are constructed of complex aluminum extrusions bonded together with glue and formed-hole screws:
...very light weight, but crash damage usually writes-off the chassis and results in a totaled car.
So how dangerous is a repaired Chassis with the damage as shown in that photo. Is it a matter of the insurance companies being scared of the uncertainty of repaired aluminum and its cost?
Or is it an actual risk of repairs not working? What is the actual life after totaling?
Thorough chassis inspection and repair requires taking much of the car apart. Between the skilled labor cost to do that and the hard costs involved in replacing expensive front/rear clamshells, I'm sure that the decision to total these cars is based on expense much more than risk.
The car in the photo had the portion of the chassis responsible for holding the door and side structure ripped away. The tub was still good, so it may well be that the cross piece could be replaced and re-bonded. But from that point the car would need to be completely put back together. That's more of a restoration job than a crash repair ;)
Buy it back and own the Challenge after selling the expensive stuff off.
That wire wheel place (GRM advertiser) in Florida buys salvage title Elises and repairs them all the time. Look in the back of GRM for examples, and they have a very good reputation. I don't know if the frame is damaged or not. I suspect not, but it was a pretty good hit. Hard enough for the stereo to land in the passenger's seat. We're talking 4-5K lbs punching me at like 40MPH
Wow. If it was at those speeds I'm honestly impressed with how well the little bugger held together. 
That sucks, Hess. 
The local dealer still has this one on the lot:
http://www.sportsandspecialistcars.com/vehicle-detail/69/SCCPC11166HL31371/2006-Lotus-Elise.aspx
While it says "sale pending" online, I saw a "Sold" sign on the mirror last week, but this week that sign was gone, so the car may still be available for sniping.
Odd color, but those miles!
But...does he want another Elise?
<blockquote
..but the glue is very fancy stuff that can't be replaced.
Really? You mean like Elmer's? 
Dr. Hess wrote:
Ugh... I hate it for the car, but glad you are (mostly) unharmed.
BradLTL wrote:Dr. Hess wrote:Ugh... I hate it for the car, but glad you are (mostly) unharmed.
As a former Elise owner I feel for you. Glad to hear you are OK.
If memory serves the rear structure that holds the engine and rear suspension pickup points is steel and is bolted to the bonded aluminum chassis. Sooooo, even if it's totaled you may be able to buy it back and repair it yourself with a subframe and a rear clam. Just a thought. Please keep us updated on your situation.
Sorry to hear about the lotus, hope you feel better in the next couple days. My dad is a TV repairman, he has an awesome set of tools.
wnick wrote: My dad is a TV repairman, he has an awesome set of tools.
LOL, Wut???
Fast times at Ridgemont high
Oh, never seen it
I'd bet any good airframe guy could repair that chassis if its damaged. Fiberglass repair isn't difficult. I think insurance likes totaling these not because they're hard to fix, but because it can't currently be fixed by Joe Blow's bodyshop, and those who can take their time.
I saw something, not too long ago, on 6speedonline IIRC. It was about a Kia Rondo that bumped an exige at a stop light. Damage was barely visible, but you could put a light behind the rear bumper and see the cracks and tiny holes in the fiberglass. Most people probably wouldnt even notice.
Guy put the invoice from the body shop online. Something like 16K in damage. It was more than the msrp of a base kia rondo.
So if it was hit that hard its probably totalled.
An elise is worth about 30K last I checked, and from what Im told 50-60% is normally the threshold for totalling a car.
Car can be replaced though, glad to hear your okay.
wnick wrote: Sorry to hear about the lotus, hope you feel better in the next couple days. My dad is a TV repairman, he has an awesome set of tools.
I just actually laughed, my assistant is looking at my oddly now. Thanks.
Hope you feel better, there are other cool cars out there!
Glad you're okay. You aren't getting stuck with the medical bills, are you? (Asks the guy who recently had the $8,000 appendectomy.)
damn dude, glad you are ok sorry abut the car
DaewooOfDeath wrote: Glad you're okay. You aren't getting stuck with the medical bills, are you? (Asks the guy who recently had the $8,000 appendectomy.)
I would MUCH rather have an $8K appendectomy than a $50.00 appendectomy.
In reply to wvumtnbkr:
LOL, true, but neither is as good as not needing to have an appendectomy in the first place.
wvumtnbkr wrote:DaewooOfDeath wrote: Glad you're okay. You aren't getting stuck with the medical bills, are you? (Asks the guy who recently had the $8,000 appendectomy.)I would MUCH rather have an $8K appendectomy than a $50.00 appendectomy.
Biting tongue, biting tongue……Aaagghh damn it. My appendectomy was free to me on the National Health service. Bugger, I E36 M3ted up a perfectly good thread again didn’t I.
Back on topic.
Doc Hess. So, once you’re patched up and assuming the Elise is off to the great apex in the sky, what’s next? Another Lotus, or a new manufacturer with a better chance of longevity in your ownership like a no service records 308 for $20K off craigslist.
Alfa Romeo is the answer! I traded my Elise for similar concerns of parts availability after Lotus ceased importing the Elise. There were times when Lotus didnt have the simple parts for the Elise and the clams were often out of stock. Due to the insurance companies attitude toward an Elise, most of the cars out there have salvage titles and that will affect value and marketability. Now is the time to move on to an Alfa or Boxster IMO.
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