JKGSI
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Registered: 5th Jul 02
Location: Mansfield, Notts. Ibiza Cupra-R 180bhp
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I wouldnt bother tbh, would be a great car just to keep in the garage as a second car and bring it out for shows etc but not to use everyday, be such a waste.
If you've got that kind of money to spend go for an escort cosworth, impreza, evo etc
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Gambit
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Registered: 5th Jun 00
Location: Common Sense HQ
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it wouldnt even fit in a garage!!
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Rob
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Registered: 9th Jul 01
Location: hull
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id fucking have one anyday over most models of cars on the road today
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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A set of brake pads cost...wait for it..
...£750 !
Nice classic cars but the running costs are stupidly high, 16k to buy one is nothing when the price of brake pads are that amount
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Brake pads aint £750  who told u that
Lurrrvley cars, but quite high running costs. More power can be got fromt eh engines, but not much without a lot more going wrong. Already heavily tuned engines.
Still, one beat a new M3 up the strip at Pod 
Great cars, but getting a bit old now.
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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erm why do you think your always right? My dad knew someone who owned one.
Check the link here as there are some more details on faults etc
http://www.lotus-carlton.fsnet.co.uk/Faults.htm
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Sooty
Banned
Registered: 9th Mar 03
Location: FLAP CENTRAL
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Daimo I believe this man Nik is correct.
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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Indeed, reading up on info now...
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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I dont, im just saying, its still a vauxhall, and i can't see the pads being £750.
I will let u know when i have finished researching in a bit!
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Your apologie please nik??
From the website YOU just gave me the link too
came as a bit of a shock when I was told the cost of the parts. New rear disks are about £600 a pair, whilst the pads are around £100.
[Edited on 31-07-2003 by Daimo B]
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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quote:
Originally posted by Sooty
Daimo I believe this man Nik is correct.
Cough, your apology also please!!
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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No the original Lotus Carlton items are around £750. I'm sure aftermarket items the same will be cheaper I'm just saying. Not a cheap car to run and it's certainly not gonna cost the same as a normal Vaux.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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The whole lot
The brakes fitted to my LC are AP Racing units. The front’s are a 4 pot caliper with a 330mm vented disk, whilst the rears are a two pot design and a 300mm vented disk. For about the last five years, the car has had all its main services done by Welch’s in Bristol. About a two years ago, they advised that both the front and rear brake disks were getting to the point where they needed replacing. Shortly afterwards, a heavy vibration from the rear developed during braking. Because I live about an hour from Bristol, I took the car to a local garage to diagnose the problem. The cause was a broken rear brake disk – The webbing that connects the two sides of the vented disk had cracked, causing the two halves of the disk to spread apart, resulting in the vibration during moderate/heavy braking. The disk’s had to be replaced, so whilst they were at it, I got them to replace both the main rear brake pads, and the handbrake shoes.
It came as a bit of a shock when I was told the cost of the parts. New rear disks are about £600 a pair, whilst the pads are around £100. The only reasonable bits are the handbrake shoes, which apparently are the same as any other Carlton, and cost about £20. I had no time to search for cheaper equivalents, so I just got the credit card out and coughed up the dosh. At the end of the job I was advised that the brake caliper pistons were starting to corrode, and that I ought to try and find replacement piston and seal kits. I decided to do some research into this and the front brakes, which were going to need doing in a few months as well.
First stop my local Vauxhall Dealership. They were very helpful, but told me that replacement piston/seal kits are not available for the LC. You have to buy the complete caliper, and they are £500+ each. I went straight home to inspect both the front and rear calipers. All 12 pistons (8 front and 4 back) were in a similar state, and would all need replacing. What seems to happen is that as the brake pads wear, the pistons push further and further out of the caliper. The harsh environment around the brakes causes the chrome plating on the piston to be damaged. Once the chrome coating has been breached, the piston starts to rust. This in itself isn’t a problem, but when you fit new brake pads, the piston has to be pushed back into the caliper. If the corrosion is severe, this can damage the seals and/or bore in the caliper, and in extreme cases, lead to loss of brake fluid around the internal seals. I made a few measurements on my car, so that I could start phoning around for information.
Front Disk Diameter 330mm
Front Disk Thickness 28mm – (should be 32mm see later)
Front Caliper Top Piston Diameter 26mm
Front Caliper Bottom Piston Diameter 1.5 inch
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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It carries on saying
Next stop my local motor factors. Again they were helpful. They discovered that the rear brake pads are the same size and shape as the front pads on a 1973 Mini. This means that even my local Halfords stock pads for the rear ! The only thing to be aware of is that the material used for the pad is different, so braking may be impaired. You may be better off using competition pads, which are available from companies such as Mintex or Ferrodo. Since the rear brakes are responsible for less than 30% of the braking effect, I think that £20 for these is a much better idea than £100+ for Vauxhall ones.
But when it came to the front’s they were unable to help. Ferrodo do/did list the front brake pad in their catalogue, but when an attempt was made to order it, they said the part number didn’t exist. The motor factors were also AP Lockheed stockists, but they do not handle AP Racing equipment. They told me that AP Racing and AP Lockheed are two completely separate companies, and couldn’t tell me where I might get AP Racing gear.
So next stop, the Internet, to search for AP Racing. Success ! AP Racing have about 10 distributors in the UK. I rang the first on the list and they said they could supply the parts and gave me prices. However, when I attempted to place an order I discovered that they didn’t have some of the parts in stock, and they would be on 4-8 weeks delivery. So I rang some other distributors. One of them told me that the original brake disk thickness was 32mm, and that the minimum permissible thickness was around 30mm. Since mine were only 28mm, I should stop using the car until I had them replaced! I rang Welch’s to ask what the workshop manual said the minimum thickness should be. They were either unwilling or unable to tell me (the former I suspect), and told me that the check they perform during a service is only a visual one.
Eventually I rang BG Developments (see below), and spoke to Dave Buchholz. He was extremely helpful, and even sent me a list of the parts I would need to completely overhaul the front calipers and brakes. All of the parts were cheaper that the first dealer by 10% or so – another rip-off merchant trading on the exclusiveness of the LC !. The original list of parts and part numbers is available here. Since then, Dave B has sent me a revised 2000 price list, which is shown below. (prices excl. VAT & delivery):
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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''5. Is it expensive to run?
Compared to what? Yes if you are comparing it to a standard Carlton, no if you are comparing it to a Ferrari. A standard service costs about £350. However, it gets very costly if you break it, or need replacement parts. As an example, a set of new front brake pads cost over £350, and a new clutch is over £600. In general, if it’s not a part common to standard Carltons, it will cost ten times more than you were expecting, and you won’t find it at you local Halfords.''
http://www.lotus-carlton.fsnet.co.uk/Top10.htm
£350 for front brake pads, so 700-750 for a set of four.
[Edited on 31-07-2003 by nik]
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Sooty
Banned
Registered: 9th Mar 03
Location: FLAP CENTRAL
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moo
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Daimo B
Member
Registered: 20th Mar 00
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rear pads are £100. So £450 at the VERY worst for all 4 corners.
You just won't accept it will you
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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Nah your the one that won't except it by posting all that info. I mearly stated what I've been told by an OWNER I don't really give a fuck if I'm right or not it won't make my afternoon
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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In fact, if u read above, it says u can get the rear pads for £20 that work just as well also.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Nik, not arsed, i jsut didn't think that a set of Pads for a Vauxhll would cost £750, you bascially called me a liar, so i prooved you wrong.
Nothign wrong with defending what i say!!! God, i can't win, say im right, and prove it, and peopel still dont like it.
Least i have the balls to apologise when im proved wrong!
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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You said pads are £100 though, prove there that they are £350 for fronts from an owner of 4 years  That technically makes neither of us correct 
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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that didn't make sense.
You said £750 for pads. Then u said £350. PLease make up your mind.
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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Back to the original point of running costs, a pair of brake discs are around £600 too :eek:
http://www.lotus-carlton.fsnet.co.uk/Alternative.htm
Personally I'd steer clear and go for something a little more mainstream. The LC would be an endless money pit imo to keep it running the way it deserves
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nik
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Registered: 19th Jun 00
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quote:
Originally posted by nik
That technically makes neither of us correct
There is my answer.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Yes, it is a fantastic car, looks, power and speed wise. Although the car is getting old, and for the amount of money you would need to maintain it with, you could own something like a new BMW M3 convertable, or Noble etc.
Fantastic cars for their time, but getting a little old and long i the tooth now.
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