User:GaryDVO

On a damp misty morning on September the 19th 1999 I was taken to Peter Smiths Sports Cars by my good friend Kevin Livingstone is his 1971 Porsche 911 T.

On arrival the Wheels were different and a hump on the rear bonnet, not knowingly at the time the car was also 20mm higher than the original Elise. I was now the proud owner of a Lotus Elise 2000MY.

Since that day I have used my car to and from work in all weathers. In 2007 through a flood and then over the past few years that has been in the snow. To my surprise the Elise can go anywhere in the snow as long as you do not hit the go pedal.

Here is a quick potted history of DVO:

    Jan 2000 - 1000 miles - Throttle Body & Rivet for the accelerator spring at 1000 miles (fixed under warranty)
    Dec 2000 - 2nd service 18k miles new Disks (Lotus pay for parts)
    Aug 2002 - Blue Temp Sensor
    Jan 2003 - 54k miles disks and Pads (Steve Williams)
    Feb 2004 – After visiting www.lotuscars.co.uk Floor well rot (to be fixed under Warranty Oct 25)
    Nov 2004 - 84,000 miles Gear selection is as if the gearbox is possessed reverse put into first let out the clutch, still in reverse! (Trying to find out if it is linkage, Clutch or the gearbox)
    Feb 2005 - 87,246 HGF - Fixed with the help of AA parts & Labour insurance.
    July 2005 - 91,000 Other clip fallen off only 2nd gear. Clip on with cable ties to secure
    Oct 2005 - 94,000 went for a new Clutch walked out with Gearbox and slave cylinder.
    Dec 2005 - 95,500 Bilstien shocks now on.
    March 2006 - 97,300 Front rad hose (bleed valve one) leaking. Fixed at service. 
    Sept 2006 - MOT Clean pass
    Feb 2007 - New Drop links fitted. Quiet at the front now.
    July 2007 - A bit smelly after a dip in the burst river Loddon
    Sept 2007 - MOT Pass
    Nov 2007 - Plastic Throttle body RIP
    March 2008 - SOn #2 Yaks in the car - very smelly
    May 2008 - 117.5k Ultimax disks Mintex 1144 all round and a new clutch slave cylinder
    August 2008 - Outlet Manifold and downpipe let go. Hot gasses hit the heat shield and the car nearly goes up in smoke.
   Sept 2008 - MOT Clean Pass
   Jan 2009 - 4 x Kumho KU31's on at 123,250
   Feb 2009 - Rad blew, now fixed with help of AA P&L insurance - 124,373 miles
  May 2009 - C Service, Wheel bearing and HT leads
  June 2009 - 2 Offside bearings fixed - The Sound of Silence and miss fire gone :wub
  Aug 2009 - Missfire back :( New IVAC fitted. Also a new Battery (flat on return from Holiday)
  Sept 2009 - MOT Pass woo hoo
  Dec 2009 - Misfire back on overun when leaving Motorway after 2 hour journey :(
  Feb 2010 - New MFRU fitted at 132,711 lets see if this stops the missfire at med revs
  Mar 2010 - Top hose gives up (thought HGF) but thankfully not. Specialised do Magic again
  Apr 2010 - ECU temp sensor replaced, please stop the mis-fire
  May 2010 - A service resulted in head off all good now
  July 2010 - 135.5k miles Exige shocks on :cool
  Sept 2010 - New Drop links + Tyres Kumho again and a MOT Pass. 136.8k miles
  Oct 2010 - Clam repaint at Specialised :)
  Feb 2011 - Hose goes at work - Geary sends one all :)
  Feb 2011 - Heater hose goes, heater matrix drops jams fan blows fuse smelly. All fixed with Pop rivet and fruit shoot bottle
  Feb 2011 - corroded Alarm fuse = all lights & music no goey. New fuse and all well - For now
  April 2011 - 141k On the way tothe Jackie Oliver evening the car dies off the motorway 300 yards and does it again. 20 miles south on a flat bed and it all fine - ???
  April 2011 - 141k release bearing and fork gone. Clutch fine, new release bearing, fork and all is well.
  July 2011 - 142k Fuel pump replaced - Hot weather and dead, just like the Jackie Oliver Eve.
  Aug 2011 - 143k SH Exhaust (Janspeed MS) SH Cat and new Mintex 1144 pads
  Sept 2011 - MOT Pass

More to follow with some pictures