Lotus Europa Community

Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: Soulsaver on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 03:19:01 PM

Title: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Soulsaver on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 03:19:01 PM
But not to Europas - I've had 5 and re built one to concourse winner in 1992. So I'm an oldy. And one of the few advantages of being old is you were around at the time.. so I can help on some of those odd awkward questions about originality... assuming I can remember the answer.

Best wishes with your projects.. I'm off to have a look at the pictures... see if I want to upload any of mine... 'course I'd have to digitise them first..  :confused:
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: andy harwood on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 04:59:04 PM
Welcome Soulsaver!
I was around at the time, but a newbie to a Europa.
You'll like it here, a great group.
Andyh
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: BDA on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 05:45:21 PM
 :Welcome: Soulsaver!

From another oldy who is the original owner of his Europa (though there is very little that's original about mine!)

Post some pictures when you get a chance!
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: 3929R on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 06:57:07 PM
 :Welcome: Happy you made your way here!
I tell people I'm the original owner of my Europa but really my dad bought it when I was 5 so my memories of it new aren't too many or too clear.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: BDA on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 07:36:13 PM
:Welcome: Happy you made your way here!
I tell people I'm the original owner of my Europa but really my dad bought it when I was 5 so my memories of it new aren't too many or too clear.
In the Lotus Europa world, that's pretty close to being the original owner!  :beerchug:
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: EuropaTC on Thursday,October 15, 2015, 10:32:44 PM
Hi there, and another  :Welcome:

You'll be surprised how many oldies there are on here, you'll feel right at home.  If you can scan any old photos from back in the day, I think that would make a great new topic.

We forget (or at least I do) just how recent digital photography is and how much fuss it used to be to get photographs.   Buying little canisters of stuff called "film", trying to work in rooms with no light at all and smelly chemicals, shining light through something called "negatives" and then soaking the result in trays.  Then you came into the light, saw the results and started all over again....

The things people did in the olden days  :)

Brian
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Soulsaver on Friday,October 16, 2015, 07:17:06 AM
Thanks Guys (and gals?) for the warm welcome.
I saw an Europa TC engine for sale asking £9,000 t'ther day; that's not only more than I paid for my car... it's more than the car & its restoration was..
I sound like me nan now.. :) Still, things move on in their crazy way. 
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: BDA on Friday,October 16, 2015, 09:26:42 AM
I'm not aware of any gals here (too bad, too!). Hopefully, if I'm wrong, none are offended!

The cost of some engines vs the cost of the car is an interesting issue. Here in the states, BDAs are probably mainly used for race cars, but many years ago, they made sense for Europas and Elans since the Kent block meant relatively few modifications were needed to make the swap. For me, it made sense historically since the BDA was sort of the next iteration of the TC. I understand the cost of building a BDA now is in the $20,000 neighborhood! That's getting close to the total cost of a nice Europa. As you found out, the TC is a similar if a little less expensive story. That makes a Zetec conversion a great option if you don't mind the non original aspect or the extra fabrication needed. I think you can get brand new Zetecs for a few thousand dollars!

I don't have any experience with the Renault Europas, but I expect their engines are probably less expensive to rebuild and I wonder if that is part of their popularity.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: 4129R on Friday,October 16, 2015, 09:37:39 AM
I bought my first 1975 TCS in 1978 for £3,530.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Nick in Beds on Friday,October 16, 2015, 01:58:53 PM
 :Welcome:

I'm quite new too - really good bunch on here  :)
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Friday,October 16, 2015, 02:41:31 PM
  :Welcome: welcome soulsaver, what part of blighty are you located? Bought my first Europa in 1975 for £1500. The more the merrier :lotus:
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Soulsaver on Tuesday,October 27, 2015, 06:49:31 AM
I'm from the West Midlands but in NW at the moment.
And why did Lotus Joe edit your post?
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Rosco5000 on Tuesday,October 27, 2015, 09:31:48 AM
Welcome aboard.  :Welcome:

I am one of those newbies that might need some period references I have owned my Europa less than 6 months and being born in the 80s I have seen very few on the road.  Though my Dad is usually my source of info, he was a Lotus dealer and serviced them, he never owned an Europa and sometime he forgets. He and his business partner have run an orignal Elite, 2 26Rs and a 47 as shop race cars so he has a bunch of bases covered and knows the twin cam well.  Plus he is restoring his own Elan+2 at the moment.
You could say we are a  :lotus: family.
Ross
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Bainford on Thursday,October 29, 2015, 09:28:16 AM
Welcome to the forum  :Welcome:. As you can see it's a great place for a Europa owner to hang out. Good to have you aboard. Cheers  :beerchug:
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: ron parola on Thursday,October 29, 2015, 09:42:24 AM
Cheers Mate, good for you. I'm an oldie also, did warranty work on the DARN things when they were new. British European Motors in Burlingame Cal. That was a LOOONG time ago!! ronp
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Lespaul166 on Thursday,October 29, 2015, 07:00:20 PM
Definitely not an oldie whatsoever. Hell, you could ask me a question about the 90s and I wouldnt be able to answer!

Gotta say, Im surprised by the amount of new people popping up here. Hell I just saw an original owner '74 on my drive home today! Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon? Maybe.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 06:58:33 AM
I think lotus joe edited my post because one of the symbols did not display just the word describing it.  It's happened again since
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: LotusJoe on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 07:03:48 AM
I'm from the West Midlands but in NW at the moment.
And why did Lotus Joe edit your post?
I was correcting one of the emoticons. Sometimes the code becomes confused.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: LotusJoe on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 07:07:32 AM
I think lotus joe edited my post because one of the symbols did not display just the word describing it.  It's happened again since
You are correct. Where is it happening again? I try and correct any coding problems when I find them. I also resize some photos when I see that they are super big.
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: pto on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 11:51:02 AM
hi where in the north west are you i live in helmshore and have a 1972 twincam

   jack
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: Chuck Nukem on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 03:01:50 PM
Jack, glad to see that you made it over from lotus talk! I loved watching your restoration unfold!
Title: Re: Hellooooooo I'm new...
Post by: BDA on Saturday,October 31, 2015, 09:38:26 PM
Jack, glad to see that you made it over from lotus talk! I loved watching your restoration unfold!
Pro, nice ride! I missed your renovation on Lotustalk. Can you point me to it? Of course we wouldn't complain if you posted more pictures here!  :)