Refurbished Alternators
- Thread starter JollyGreen
- Start date
Suspended
Hear hear.
Owning these cars is a learning experience. They're perfect gateway cars to more expensive sports cars. You get your mid engine/RWD layout. You get your dodgy reliability. You get your four figure bills when something breaks. You learn how to change parts for a smaller cost and you learn how to shop around the specialists.
See you in a Lamborghini in 10 years, JG
Owning these cars is a learning experience. They're perfect gateway cars to more expensive sports cars. You get your mid engine/RWD layout. You get your dodgy reliability. You get your four figure bills when something breaks. You learn how to change parts for a smaller cost and you learn how to shop around the specialists.
See you in a Lamborghini in 10 years, JG
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Lopez.......I think you just owned all the "Leaflet Browsing" nerds in here.
I can't believe people are slating him for having a go at the job himself. Even if it takes you a day to change an alternator, so what? Who here earns £500/day? I certainly don't. Not only have you saved £500 (or whatever the labour cost would have been, at least), you now know how to change the alternator on a Lotus Elise!
If you all want to give your hard earned cash to mechanics who most likely earn more than you do, that's your decision I guess
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JG - It's a shame the alternator was a dud but I'm sure when you get the replacement and fit that (it'll probably take you 1/4 as long) you'll be over the moon. Good luck with it
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If you all want to give your hard earned cash to mechanics who most likely earn more than you do, that's your decision I guess
.JG - It's a shame the alternator was a dud but I'm sure when you get the replacement and fit that (it'll probably take you 1/4 as long) you'll be over the moon. Good luck with it
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Soldato
[TW]Fox said:
I'd have replied sooner but lopez seems to have covered everything, truly.
Lopéz said:I totally disagree with Conanius on this one - I find myself siding with Fivelo and JGG.
Yes, "performance" cars will generally cost more to run than "normal" cars to run. This does not translate as "you must pour every penny, and your soul, into running said car". We're back to the old point I keep bringing up - there are a RANGE of options to suit a RANGE of needs and pockets. You can buy a DVD player for £15 but you can also buy one for £150, this does not mean that unless you can spend £150 on one you shouldn't own a DVD player.
If I had the option of a reconditioned alternator at around £200 or a new one at around £500 I know exactly which I'd pick, and it isn't the one that cost more than my car
He made some mistakes doing the job the hard way, he's learnt from it and now has a better idea of what he's doing. If anything else fails in the engine bay in the future he'll be a damn sight more confident about having a go. Getting a duff alternator in exchange is just unlucky and even happens with brand new components (as anyone who's built a PC will tell you)
You're all laughing at this guy for running an Elise on a shoestring, but he's got an Elise and you lot haven't (Nozzer excepted
For what it's worth, I think he's pretty mad for buying it the way he has but that's his decision not mine, and as long as he's happy with it then more power to him.
word
Soldato
Jumped into this one rather late but here I go...
JG, well done for having the balls to work on your car yourself. There are A LOT of Elise owners out there who do work like that on their cars and to be honest I wish I had the balls to do some of the simple jobs on my car but I don't
When my Alternator went I ordered this one from Elise Parts and had it fitted by a chap who has been working on Lotus cars for longer than a lot of people on this thread have been sucking down oxygen for another £60 so £220 in total. The £500 you were quoted is a joke so I suggest you find yourself a good local specialist for future work that you do not want to try yourself.
Conanius, whilst the Elise is not Mondeo cheap to run it is still not really expensive compared to its performance. Unless you are looking at one of the newer S2s the parts are readily available, things like brakes and suspension are easy to work on (so I've been told) and for £50/year you can insure yourself against the dreaded HGF by getting AA Parts & Labour cover. All my big bills have come in when rather than replacing a worn out part with a normal replacement I've decided to upgrade, e.g. spanking £600 on track spec brake discs and pads.
JG, well done for having the balls to work on your car yourself. There are A LOT of Elise owners out there who do work like that on their cars and to be honest I wish I had the balls to do some of the simple jobs on my car but I don't
When my Alternator went I ordered this one from Elise Parts and had it fitted by a chap who has been working on Lotus cars for longer than a lot of people on this thread have been sucking down oxygen for another £60 so £220 in total. The £500 you were quoted is a joke so I suggest you find yourself a good local specialist for future work that you do not want to try yourself.
Conanius, whilst the Elise is not Mondeo cheap to run it is still not really expensive compared to its performance. Unless you are looking at one of the newer S2s the parts are readily available, things like brakes and suspension are easy to work on (so I've been told) and for £50/year you can insure yourself against the dreaded HGF by getting AA Parts & Labour cover. All my big bills have come in when rather than replacing a worn out part with a normal replacement I've decided to upgrade, e.g. spanking £600 on track spec brake discs and pads.
Soldato
To quote a great man (my father) :
No amount of books or training will help, all you can do is dig in and do it.
And JollyGreen, you did it. Good on you, mate.
My Dad said:
No amount of books or training will help, all you can do is dig in and do it.
And JollyGreen, you did it. Good on you, mate.