Anyone knows the history of this one?
It’s a Black Exige TT260 at Lancashire Trade Vehicles.
Anyone knows anything about it?
So i guess no one knows it…
That’s a pitty. I was starting to enjoy it and making some financial calculations. But its a long shot, and i’m kind of afraid to risk it.
Don’t despair, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be a good one.
If I was you, I would call Turbo Technics, they must have a list of all the cars they converted.
That way with a name you can ask around, maybe the lad does not frequent the lotus sites anymore.
But even if there is no name, go and see itm if it looks good go for it.
TT’s conversion must have some warranty. Ask them if they remember anything about the car and if they could check it out before (or after) you buy it.
I like that one, if I had some spare cash burning in my pocket I’d go for that one, not the softie new one
Jose
I agree with Uldis – i don’t know the car but t sounds like a nice one and warrants you asking around at TT and get the dealer to give you the previous owners contact details.
Hi Jose
It is possible it belonged to a friend of a friend of mine who I know recently sold a modified black Exige to a dealer .
If the previous owner comes from East Yorkshire , I wouldnt bother buying it because I know he crashed it into a tree stump earlier this year and the damage " I was told " was pretty bad ?
Best asking to see the V5 to be sure because I dont know the reg of his car .
I no there is only 4 260 tt coversions one being mine, a blue one, yellow one and this black one. Not sure about it being crashed but i no it was in tt about 2 months ago having the engine rebuilt cos it snapped a piston (must really kill it when he takes it out) so the engine should run perfect. If its not crash damaged it sounds like a good buy to me.
There is a blue one for sale on autotrader as well, with the TT conversion - but it’s advertised as a 190 upgrade and they only slip the conversion in the text. I think it’s the same one that was advertised earlier this year for 24995 - now on for 23495 IIRC.
The blue TT is Russel Morgans car, known to Pesky etc. I think fair to say whilst it will have been driven “hard” on his few outings however it will also have been looked after.
Hey Chris,
What’s your opinion on the TT conversion? How much faster is the TT 260 vs the 190 normal?
I no there is only 4 260 tt coversions one being mine, a blue one, yellow one and this black one.
What about David’s titanium one? Is this now yours?
Yes, Chris now owns my Titanium one… sniffle
yeah Davids one is now mine. Its alot faster than a standard 190, you really notice the difference. My opinion is if you can get your hands on one go for it, i wouldn’t swap mine for a standard one or any other engine powered one. There a real nice bit of kit. I wouldn’t bother with a Honda engine unless you intend to do something to that engine eg supercharge it to push it way over the 300bhp mark. I would say the TT conversion is the best you can get but its not cheap.
I wouldn’t bother with a Honda engine unless you intend to do something to that engine eg supercharge it to push it way over the 300bhp mark. I would say the TT conversion is the best you can get but its not cheap.
Sorry, but that’s just bollox. The TT conversion was the first available & is good, given the intrinsic design limitations/durability of the now elderly K series lump. However, time marches on, & without doubt the Honda K20A, Audi & Duratec engines are better engineered than the K series, & were designed to deliver circa 200bhp from a basic unit. There is therefore a fair amount of “tolerance” scope to increase the power output, without pushing the envelope to the limit, for a cost somewhat below that for the TT supercharged K series.
Also, as I have previously spouted forth, there are very, very few owners who can fully exploit the car’s 190bhp potential to the full, & the best value for � upgrade is investing in driver training. I am of course relating this to circuit driving (not road driving - where the car’s true limits cannot be safely tested).
Glad to hear you’re still enjoying your fantastic car
Well im having no trouble with my K series lump. Whats the point in upgrading for a Honda engine at 200bhp? Thats 8bhp more than standard, you wouldn’t even notice that increase. If you tune it then your spending more money to make that engine as powerfull as the TT one, which would mean it no cheaper that the TT conversion.
Well im having no trouble with my K series lump. Whats the point in upgrading for a Honda engine at 200bhp? Thats 8bhp more than standard, you wouldn’t even notice that increase. If you tune it then your spending more money to make that engine as powerfull as the TT one, which would mean it no cheaper that the TT conversion.
I think the big difference between the Honda and Rover is down to torque. The extra capacity and i-VTEC means that the Honda has not a flat torque graph, but produces about 80% of maximum from as low as 2500rpm (ish). Hence, a Honda engined car has the edge.
Anyone more technically minded will now fill in the correct answer.
Chris
I suggest that you blag a ride in a Honda powered Exige/Elise, especially on track, because the difference to a VHPD is instantly noticable Don’t forget that the Honda comes with a 6 speed box too. Personally, I’d go for the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) spec Honda - 225bhp, & limited slip diff, plus slightly different gear ratios.
Like you, I’ve so far not had any problems with my K series lump, but it was “refreshed” at 26K miles as a precaution. However, both the Honda & Audi engines have proven reliabilty, & were designed for the job of producing 200bhp plus - unlike the K which started its life as a 1.4 litre, 110bhp (max) unit, which has been stretched to its 1.8 VHPD form. I’m not saying it’s bad, but if you’re going down the upgrade trail, there are better (ie more reliable, power potential, & cost!) starting points ie Honda/Audi.
I’m certainly not having a go at your car (I know it well), & it really flies, but if David was starting again, I very much doubt he’d be sticking with the K series.
Perhaps we’ll have to agree to differ on this one
Im going to have a go in a Honda to see what this V TEC is all about, but from what ive been told they dont have any power till the V TEC kicks in at around 5500 rpm. A 240bhp Honda engine out of the s2000 has 208Nm of torque where as mine has 203Nm so if anything mine would have more torque than the standard 200bhp Honda lump. My engine only runs at .7 bar on the supercharger so if i want more power its no problem. If David was to start again with an Exige im sure he might go for the Honda engine but im sure you know he woundn’t be happy with just 225bhp. I just like beating the scoobys off the lights.
If I were doing it all again, I’d probably go down the Bernard Scouse Audi 1.8 route with 300bhp.
The Honda conversion is OK (particularly if you need to spend some ��� on your ailing std. K series) but as Chris says, there’s not really enough bang for your buck… I was a bit disappointed to be honest, I had expected more. (but you do gain a very solid engine, which is important)
To me, the Audi route is the best of both worlds.
The TT conversion only left me with a bitter taste due to the time I had to wait for it to be converted and that I was pretty much the guinea pig. The performance and (final) reliability were fine… as Chris can see for himself !!
The TT260 isn’t really a K-series, since so much work has been done to it, it barely resembles its origins. Much of the work was in strengthening it.
I think the TT coversion is great. Whats the Skyline picture for though David, is it an car of yours?
I don’t really think there is much point in argueing over which conversion/mods are best as it’s really down to what you, personally, want from your car.
If you want outright horsepower and top bragging rights down the pub then it has to be the Audi. There will be a downside to this though as turbochargers are complicated bits of kit and the Exige was never designed to suply enough air to feed an intercooler as well as dissipate heat produced from the engine. People go to great lengths to get the heat away from the VHPD engine let alone a turbocharged motor. On a more positive note the Audi engine has proven reliability in various cars so if the cooling problems can be cracked then there is no reason it won’t be a good option. You won’t want to put anything flamable in the boot though!
The Honda is a much simpler conversion and the engines are, apparently, bullet proof. You won’t get the ultimate power of the Audi (unless you supercharge it) but then normally aspirated power is worth more than turbo charged power anyway. The thing I like about the Honda is that it retains the essentual character of the car being lightweight and high revving.
I can’t see that there is anything the TT can do better than the Honda or the Audi and I don’t see any point in choosing this over either conversion unless you are buying an existing car for cheap money. It will proove unreliable though as it is very highly modded K-series.
As most people on here already know, my car is being Honda’d at the moment so I’m probably a bit biased. I’ve gone for a UK engine though as I wanted the longer gearing for everyday driving and I have heard the LSD can cause understeer as it’s designed for a FWD car.
You pay your money…