Metalwork
The Lotus Carlton/Omega is more prone to 'tin worm' than other Carltons by virtue of the fact that some of the bodywork was removed to make way for the wheel arches. Places to check are as follows:
| i) | Under the front and rear windscreen seals. |
| ii) | Along the bottoms of the doors. |
| iii) | The re-enforcement panels under the front wheel arches. |
| iv) | The re-enforcement panels under the rear wheel arches. |
| v) | Inside the back door shuts. |
| vi) | Rear wheel arch dogleg (door open) - specifically at the bottom. |
| vii) | Around the sunroof. |
| viii) | Underneath the complete rear wheel arch |
| ix) | Spare wheel well. |
| x) | Underneath the rear bumper. |
| xi) | Around the roof aerial. |
| xii) | On LHD cars in the UK, check around the side repeaters on the front wings, these will have to have been fitted when the car entered the UK for the MoT. |
The thing to remember is that the original bodywork was modified by Lotus with various panels and holes were drilled in exterior panels so the rust proofing may have been compromised.
The above is not a conclusive list but is a good place to start.
Check the condition of the paint, don't be too worried about stone chips on the front as these are common but make sure than none have turned to rust patches. It is likely that the front will have been re-painted on at least one occasion. Check for signs of general abuse i.e. deep scratches or car park dents in the side panels. Ensure that the roof panel is straight too!!
Ask about any accident damage, this is not necessarily a problem (depending on the nature of the accident) but inspect any accident repairs carefully for mis-aligned panels or poor anti-corrosion treatment.
Bodykit
The bodykit on the Lotus Carlton/Omega is made of fibreglass and is of a fairly flimsy construction. The panels are prone to crazing where the gel coat has a number of random, fine cracks. These can be repaired by a fibreglass specialist but if you see a car that is perfect with this exception, use this as a negotiation point. The particular place that this is most prevalent is on the central aperture on the front bumper where the lower edge can catch kerb stones or the corners of the bumpers.
The bodykit consists of the following panels:
Bonnet louvres
Front bumper
Front grille
Rear bumper
Rear boot spoiler
Front wheel arch spoilers
Rear wheel arch spoilers
Front door lower mouldings
Rear door lower mouldings
Sill panels
Another thing to check is the attachment of the door panels along the lower edge, there are mild steel brackets that fix the panels to the doors and these can corrode away completely.
Glass
Check the front screen for bullet holes and cracks. The screen should have a tint band along the top.
All the body glass is tinted and may be etched with either the chassis number or the registration number. Ensure that the etched numbers tie up, if not, ask for an explanation. Lotus Carltons tend to wear more than one identity.
Badges
Make sure that the boot badges and the wing emblems are in place. If these are missing they are expensive to replace.