Marmite?

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This is my recently aquired Eunos V-Spec (or is it a V-Spec2? If there actually is such a thing?).

I’ve only had the car for about a week and apart from the test drive I’ve only managed to get her out on the road once, and that was a very nice experience… Still haven’t driven the car with the top down yet, if only it would stop raining!

 

“Elephant In The Room”

It’s had some customising done to the front end (Zoom Engineering perhaps?) and a paint job that pays homage to the Sprint Elan and some rather nice JDM wheels, plus the Lotus looky-likey badges that actually say “Eunos”. It’s still badged “Eunos Roadster” on the rear, so it’s not trying to fool anybody about it’s true DNA, I think it’s just a nice twist on what is already a great piece of design.

I think you’ll either love it or hate it. I must admit that when I first saw it I had to drive around the block to take a second look… But it did bring a smile to face, so I made some enquiries, did a bit of haggling and a week or so later completed the deal… Then came the rain!

 

Details, as far as I know are:

1993 or 1994 Eunos Roadster V-Spec (or V-Spec 2?)

Log book says 1994, but the insurance company (Footman James) say 1993?

Import date: 2000

Vin starts NA8C- ****** (I don’t know if the engine is an 1800 or an 1839… Any guesses?)

Wheels: “Lorber” (JDM).

Various Zoom Engineering after-market bits.

New tan mohair hood. (I think the original one was black).

 

The photos added here are the ones taken by the vendor.

 

If anyone can give me any info about this model it would be greatly appreciated.

It may even be the case that that you’ve seen this actual car before, if so I would love to hear your comments.

Many thanks.

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As someone who remembers the Elan and used to work on quite a few. I like it. They certainly make me smile. There is a red and white one around in North Kent & I like that.

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I’ve seen some photos of a red & white one on-line… I wonder if it’s the same one?.. I’ll keep an eye-out for it as I’m Sussex which is not too far away.

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This was Bluebelle down on the Gold Coast

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Very nice… Just a tad far away from me though!!

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A thinner gold stripe around the front and back bumpers would be perfect. Just my opinion, I do like the paint combo and the way it’s done though and the interior looks fab.

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The Lorbers look gorgeous. Don’t suppose you know who refurbed them do you? I have some on my car - good condition but the rims are painted, not polished.

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A couple of red and white ones around that are based on the Gold Leaf Lotus colours. I rather like them but think yours looks even better. Front end, colour, wheels, hood, interior, all really nice. I like Marmite too.

 

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Good one, do your own thing, as the saying - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I used to get slagged off by the MX5 purists because I modified my Mk1 (and then Mk2) for hillclimbing and had different coloured body panels on it with stickers etc, my comment was “I built this car to please me and to do a job, not to satisfy you” that sums it up, yours looks good as well, rgds, Paul H.

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Looks good to me; love the interior. 

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Great looking car. Enjoy   

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Well, it is aV-Spec 2, and still has the MSSS-1 sound system. Whether the bodysonic system still works after the interior was retrimmed is another matter. Its not a Zoom conversion, but something DIY. I suppose someone could have done a better job customizing the front bumper (you have to pop up the lights for sidelights?). There are actually aftermarket bumpers available for this Elan look.



Sulton Hills’ homebrew effort

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Many thanks for the positive replies…

I too really like the interior, although I think that the seats have either been re-covered or replaced as they are a very slightly paler shade of “Tan” when compared to the rest of the interior and I don’t think that they are leather…Which is probably no bad thing for me otherwise I’d start getting too precious about the leather getting wet!.. Just found out that they also have the speakers in the headrests. (see photos). Am still trying to get to grips with the stereo, (see photo). I think it’s a Pioneer radio, cassette, cd player. I’ll probably go on-line and see if I can find a user’s manual to download as there appear to be way too many knobs and buttons for my brain to cope with at the moment.

I like the Nardi wooden bits but they do need renovating, especially the handbrake lever and the gear knob… I think I will probably just clean the palm grease from them, key the old varnish with some 5-O wire-wool and then apply a couple of coats of a 2-pack clear acrylic wooden floor sealer. This will be harder wearing than varnish and should be impervious to sunlight & moisture.

 

Received my ZeeZeeTops cockpit cover just in time to give it a full-on test in the tail end of the hurricane that hit us last night… And amazingly, it’s still on the car this morning! (see photo).

My car lives under a half timbered-in carport. I’d read all the tales of woe about full car covers damaging paintwork by flapping in the wind or trapping moisture and producing mocro-blisters in the paint so I decided to buy a cockpit cover and see how that works for me… The cat loves it, I found him fast asleep on the cover last night, so at least he won’t be clawing my new hood!

 

Doug - I will try and find out who re-finished the Lorber wheels… They now have wheel centres in the front wheels bearing the “Eunos/Lotus type” badge but the set I’ve got for the rears don’t seem to want to fit and will take a little fettling. (see photo).

 

Paul H - I couldn’t agree more. We all have different tastes, requirements and expectations (especially with cars!). I have an equal respect for the person who runs a “Concours” vehicle right the way through to someone wants to drive a Rat-rod… I may not fully understand why one owner wants to spend all day polishing chrome and another wants to add fake rust to his panels but I do admire the passion and the commitment involved.

 

SAZ9961 - Great photos!.. That front bumper does look dead-sexy… I think the bodysonic thing is working as when I pressed the “Wide” button it reall did alter the delivey of the sound. The side-lights are inside the headlamps. To operate the lights the stalk turns the lights on and the dash mounted button raises and lowers the lamp pods.

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Have re-posted these 3 images as I think they were too large!!

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Miata.net has articles about the Pioneer MSSS system.

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Did a bit of ‘knob-twiddling’ with the MSSS-1 stereo today and everything appears to be working ok, including the Bodysonic “thumpers” in the seat backs… Well chuffed :slight_smile:

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There are at least two red over white cars in Kent and I have heard rumours af another but not seen it.

 

One lives Chatham way and the other was in Edenbridge although it was up for sale so may have moved on. The Edenbridge car was I believe built by the same firm that did yours. Both cars were at the Edenbridge motor show some years back IIRC

 Edit just had a quick look through and I did remember correctly and it was indeed your car

 PS It had a black hood in June 2012.

I do have pics of both Red over White cars at a meet a few years back, and I will post up if I can work out how…

 

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This is the Zoom Elan front

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in reply to the original post

V-Spec 2
1854cc
128bhp
8.8:1 compression ratio engine

Model year 1994 (so could be a 1993)

Original hood was Tan Vinyl