Which Mid-Engine Money Pit Is For You? 1977 Lotus Esprit vs 1991 Acura NSX

We look at a lot of cheap, terrible cars on here, and once in a while I like to mix things up on Fridays and show you some non-terrible cars that are also not cheap. Today is not one of those days. Today’s cars are not cheap, but in their current state, they are absolutely terrible.

Yesterday we looked at two terrible convertibles: the wrong Mustang, and an orphaned Renault. To my absolute surprise and delight, the Renault seems to have eked out a narrow victory, despite being more expensive and decidedly more obscure. I love this site. Buncha car weirdos, all of you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I, of course, prefer the Renault as well. I have nothing against Mustang convertibles, but if I was going to get an Essex-powered automatic one, I’d look for a newer SN95 and get fuel injection and a little more refinement. I’ve never actually seen an Alliance convertible in person before, I don’t think, but I have driven a few hardtop Alliances and Encores over the years, and I like them a lot. And if all the convertibles really were 1.7 liters, as some commenters said, then that’s even better.

The name of this feature, “Shitbox Showdown,” wasn’t my idea. I’m pretty sure it was Jason. I’m totally in favor of it; I like alliteration, and cuss words. But I do find it funny that every once in a while, I get a comment saying that the cars I’m featuring are not in fact shitboxes; they’re too nice for that term. Or that a car can’t be considered a shitbox if it’s above a certain price. Originally there was a price cutoff, but that fell by the wayside early on. The fact is, shitboxery knows no price limit. Dreadful cars sell for ridiculous prices all the time, and nice cars can fall into disrepair at the hands of careless owners. The nicest and most expensive Hyundai Excel in the world is still, by anyone’s definition, a shitbox. And as we have seen before, so is a Bentley that has been sitting in a field for a decade. Can a shitbox cost fifty grand or more? Of course. Let’s look at a couple.

1977 Lotus Esprit S1 – $65,000

Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter DOHC inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Odometer reading: 36,000 miles

Operational status: Mostly restored, but needs reassembly

Show of hands: Who else fell in love with a car as a kid based not on the actual car, but a toy of it? I had a lot of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars as a kid, but one of my favorites was the “Royal Flash” Lotus Esprit, with the giant Union Jack on it. I wore the paint off that thing playing with it, and I have been a fan of the Lotus Esprit ever since. I don’t have a Royal Flash in my current collection, but I do have a few other Esprit toys and model kits. This one is kind of like a model kit, only much bigger – and much more expensive.

The Esprit, like other Lotus models both before and after, is built on a central backbone chassis with a fiberglass body dropped on top. It’s mid-engined, with Lotus’s own twin-cam four mounted longitudinally ahead of the rear axle, driving the rear wheels through a Citroën-sourced five-speed transaxle. The original Esprit engine displaced 2.0 liters, but this one has a larger 2.2-liter version from a later Esprit. It has been fully rebuilt, and is ready to go – as soon as the rest of the car is.

All of the mechanical parts are ready to go, in fact, except for the brakes. Apparently, Honda brakes are a recommended upgrade for early Esprits, and the seller has started the conversion but has not finished it. You’ll have to source a few bits and pieces to complete the system. But the seller sounds like they’re willing to provide advice and support to help you get it all back together.

The body is ready to be reinstalled on the chassis, with new seals and weatherstripping. The seats have been redone and are ready to go back in as well. The carpet and headliner need to be installed, but it sounds like they’re included. Obviously, there is a ton of work yet to do, but considering the amount of work that has already been done, this actually sounds like a decent deal for the right person.

1991 Acura NSX – $50,000

Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter DOHC V6, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Portland, OR

Odometer reading: 72,000 miles

Operational status: “Can be driven,” but…

The Acura NSX surprised everyone when it came out. Honda had made some fun cars, but this mid-engined Ferrari fighter was on a whole new level. It looks like that, and it goes that fast, and it’s as reliable as a Civic? Yes, please. I honestly hadn’t thought much about the NSX in a while when I saw this car for sale, and I was surprised to see one in such rough shape. I assumed they were all pampered prized possessions.

This NSX has a rebuilt title from an accident, and from the sounds of it, it wasn’t quite repaired right. The seller says the right front wheel “sits back a little” in its opening, indicating some bent suspension parts or an improperly-repaired unibody. The seller says it’s drivable, but do you really want to drive a high-powered, mid-engined, rare sports car with wonky alignment? Best get it checked out by someone who knows what they’re doing.

The interior is partially disassembled, and the seller says they have “most of the parts.” That’s not great to hear; some of the switchgear is probably shared with other Honda and Acura models, but I’m sure all the interior trim is unique, and probably not easy to come by. Where did the missing pieces go, I wonder?

The photos in this ad are terrible; the car is in a garage and we can’t get a decent look at it. If it is drivable, why not back it out of the garage and take some photos in the sunlight so we can see it? You’re asking fifty grand for a car, and this is the best view you can give us? I’ll never understand it.

These are out of reach for most of us, of course, but they are bargains compared to really nice examples. So let’s just imagine you could afford one, and you have a nice well-stocked garage to work on it. Which looks like a better project to you?