I have had my S1 Exige for 11 years and in that time I have toyed with plans from a restoration to selling it. It’s 20 years old and still looks great but has some stone chips, a couple of star cracks and a graze here and there. My policy has been originality and letting it live with its patina. Where I have fixed or upgraded (Nitrons) I have kept the original parts. So how will others be keeping their Exiges, converting to Honda, immaculate restored, original and used or cotton wool in a garage?
As above, I think Honda conversions have got their place but a properly sorted VHPD S1 is a wonder to be around.
There are maybe subtle improvements that can be made that remaining “in keeping” with the car such as the Nitrons, but with a car like that I’d aim to keep it usable and not fall into the trap of minting it up to the point you’re afraid to use it!
I’m in this camp too. I try to keep mine as lovely as it can be, which is very very nice indeed. And similar to yourself any part changed I have the original, including shocks, exhaust, cat etc. which I think is a nice for history of the car.
I want to enjoy it and not be afraid to use it, as that’s would rather defeat the point for me. I’ve toyed with a colour change, at which point if that ever happened I’d also ceramic coat or full ppf it for protection and to keep it shiny (!) but other than taking care when I use it, I’m not motivated to turn it into a garage queen.
My outlook is it’s my car I use and enjoy it as it makes me happy. I’m not into people who seem to be preserving their cars for someone else by not driving them and hiding them away. I’d Rather have the memories in my lifetime
I would replace as fails, but I wouldnt ever try to make it mint. It just spoils the whole experience in my opinion. I had a car that was paintwork wise perfect. Everytime a stone flicked up I winced, parking was never fund and in the end I didnt enjoy driving it really.
Cars should be used , and enjoyed. Otherwise just buy a painting and put it on the wall.
I wouldnt swap out the K series, unless it failed …
Just to be clear, I have no plan to do anything other than use my car and keep it in good fettle. I have just rejected a very serious offer to buy it, the really nice guy who wanted it was very keen on its originality and patina. I also agree, there is no point saving them for someone else.
My total mod list is Nitrons, verniers, exhaust, prrt, brake pads!
Great debate Keith, luckily myself and my dad are in both boats as we have his immaculate but driven original Ice blue S1 Exige and we also have our Chrome Orange (was originally silver) Honda supercharged S1 Exige which has had pretty much every upgrade possible (mechanically). All the work carried out by the brilliant Martin and Steve Edwards.
Both are still so rewarding and exciting to drive, the noise from the K series and janspeed exhaust still sounds fantastic to the brutal kick in the back from the savage Honda supercharger
So either original or converted, whichever works for you, these cars were made to be driven and enjoyed
There is no ‘correct’ answer. I’m in the get it mint. keep it mint, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get used. Making it mint IS part of the experience for me
I can take you through the lengths I go to that Im sure some people would say point to a mental illness, maybe it does
But the way I figure is I refuse to spend that much on something and only enjoy it when I drive it - mines a year round labour of love. Getting it in its best possible state is what drives me, but I am the same with all other bits - its just in your wiring
You should treat your car how it makes you happy - having the best example possible makes me happy, treating it like a washing machine and not loving it makes others happy. No one should claim their way is the best.
I’m preserving my car so its in the best possible state FOR ME. I couldn’t give a crap about the next owner thinks
My policy has been originality and letting it live with its patina. Where I have fixed or upgraded (Nitrons) I have kept the original parts.
I’m in the above camp. Just maintained to a high standard, courtesy of Ollie at Phoenix Motorsport, No mods, except above mentioned Nitrons, carbon intake, alloy radiator, braided brakes.
On SORN at the moment, only second year I have done this. Sorely tempted by the spring-like sunshine today to get it back on the now dry and salt free roads.
I saw JonnyFox’s better than new restoration, it was fantastic, I can see why people would want it. Ben’s Honda Exige (also by Edwards) must be epic and looks stunning in primer grey and must be better to drive than an original. I would still keep mine over either, ignoring that they would be worth more than mine. It is each to their own. What I am sure of is, I must try to use mine more this year, Covid permitting.
This is the ticket, and where I’ve gone wrong in the past is to obsess with keeping it nice for the next owner. That’s bloody pointless really, when you consider on a ~£30k car the delta value for a scruffy vs mint paintjob is probably only 1500-2k either way, is it really worth stressing over during the entire ownership experience?!
I do like a shiny car though, but when I get paint sorted - I now do it for me rather than the next guy.
For me, I had a choice. Engine needed a rebuild and the car needed other work as well (suspension refresh etc).
Right now there is still very little out there I want to try at this price point which helps as well. I had the fortune of driving the vhpd for two years so ticked that experience.
Enough rambling; I chose the car/engine combo I wanted. Not one I thought the market might want. Yes there are other Honda S1’s out there but hardly any like mine so to me, that adds to the drive/experience.
I’m trying to get less precious about the satsuma (he says as it’s being trailered back to mine tomorrow!) and I’ve booked in another ceramic coating session in may!!
There’s no right or wrong, I just consider myself lucky to own one.
I’m no expert on S1s as only having owned S2s but isn’t the S1 now in the proper classic category & won’t an engine conversion devalue the car even if it’s faster or better if value is something to consider.
My first Elise and Exiges had been total garage queens with no wet weather use and wheels off clean after every time they went out , My last Exige I decided to actually use , I suppose life is short and they should be used but it always annoyed me it wasn’t mint anymore.
I had always spent a fortune modifying the cars making them faster and louder and adding more carbon obviously but now I think I should have saved my money and just enjoyed the standard car .
So for me the best option is what you already have
Just my 2p .
As Moomin said - if the S1 is to be seen as a genuine classic, then originality is going to be the big plus point.
How many times do classic sales stress things like ‘matching numbers’?
The other thing to consider is the difference between restoration and modification. One potentially adds value, the other reduces it. Problem there is the crossover, so how to assess the impact of a period modification, eg. different springs/dampers.
I guess the answer is going to come down to the person buying - they will pay only on what they decide suits their requirements…
I’m certainly with “it’s mine, use it for me”, I even took mine on track twice last year, with people coming up and saying “it’s too nice/rare for that”. I did pick very safe tracks though, I don’t think I’d take it to Cadwell or Oulton Park, they could be terminal with a minor impact.
I have decided to give up thinking about future value, after the last year and my age I think it’s time to enjoy stuff and, who knows what petrol cars will be worth in 10 years time? I can see the likes of an M3 or 911 being used for stock car racing, which will have a knock on for all “classics”.
I’ve not even done a suspension refresh on my s1 because there is nothing wrong with it and I just put rust inhibitor on the wishbones each year. It does not look like a shiny new car but it looks better than my 3 year old daily (monthly these days).
I was tempted to swap mine for a FE Elise but I have got over that now. The Elise is more in the spirit of the S1 to me, at least size wise. Prefer to maintain and use mine.
I’d much rather see a car (PARTICULARLY if it’s a track special of something like an Exige) get bent on a track than to spend its poor life sat garaged up somewhere in dry storage.
Actually I worded that badly, I don’t wish a trackday smash on anybody - but ultimately insurance is there for a reason, as amazing as these cars are they’re not THAT special and almost everything can be fixed or replaced with enough love.
Agreed, I occasionally have such thoughts about the S1, but then think about the proper multi-million-pound classics racing wheel-to-wheel round Goodwood or somewhere and resolve to use the car as intended
Regarding originality and values, I think the recent collectingcars sale showed Honda conversions are probably valued at least as much as original VHPD cars at the moment. I imagine long term that might change; if values continue to rise there will be a point where the premium for a Honda’d Exige vs. an Elise or Elige will be hard to justify.
That boils my piss when people say that!