Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: jbcollier on Thursday,July 18, 2019, 11:03:47 AM
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I just got the “Lotus Europa Colin Chapman’s Mid-Engined Masterpiece” by Michael Vale from Veloce Publishing. Plowed through the first two chapters so far and it is a bit of a disappointment. There are no period photos, photos of modified cars not noted as such, points illustrated with photos of the wrong model, minor factual errors and, so far, one big whopper.
He talks about the S1 having somehow surreptitiously finding its way to North America. Well, distributors ordered them and the factory sent them, that’s how mine got to Canada. Few other minor things and then he goes into great detail how there were ventilation fans in the front compartment and the heater box! The first position of the fan switch turns on the fan in the front compartment, correct, and the second turns on the fan in the heater box as well(!?). As we all know, there wasn’t a fan in the heater box, and the second position of the fan switch turned on the rad fan in S1s and S2s.
When I heard that he was writing a book on the Europa, I suggested that he have a couple of list members proof read it. Maybe he thought I was trying to cage a free book but he came back with timelines being too tight.
Too bad really…
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That is too bad. I might have wanted one.
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I just got the “Lotus Europa Colin Chapman’s Mid-Engined Masterpiece” by Michael Vale from Veloce Publishing. Plowed through the first two chapters so far and it is a bit of a disappointment. There are no period photos, photos of modified cars not noted as such, points illustrated with photos of the wrong model, minor factual errors and, so far, one big whopper.
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When I heard that he was writing a book on the Europa, I suggested that he have a couple of list members proof read it. Maybe he thought I was trying to cage a free book but he came back with timelines being too tight.
Thanks for the heads up John, as I'm a sucker for buying books I would no doubt have bought it online had I seen it on Amazon. But one thing that really grates with me is bad proof reading or more likely, bad research leading to presenting inaccurate details as facts so you've saved me a disappointment. And I have no idea where the double fan thing came from. As if Chapman would add extra anything to a car, he's supposed to have complained about mechanics using washers saying "why are those washers going for a ride on my car ?"
Sadly I find similar things in modern UK magazine articles and as this is supposedly the home of Lotus you'd think we'd at least get the basics right. I put it down to sloppy journalism and the idea that if they fill a couple of pages 90% of readers won't know there are errors and 10% that do have already bought the mag based on the front cover anyway. Cynical ? who, me ? :)
I do recall the offer of proof reading on the forum and the declination because of time constraints. I didn't understand it at the time and still don't; if you're asking for detail confirmation and someone offers to check the whole thing then it's an odd decision to turn down help. Let's face it, most of us would get through such a book in a couple of days at most.
Brian
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Hi All
Sorry to hear about your disappointment with my book. I put my hands up to the errors noted by jbcollier and could you pm me with any comments so I can put them right if the book goes to a second printing.
To pick up one one comment - I made a conscious decision not to include many period pictures as I wanted to celebrate the current state of the cars, and I have no doubt that if I'd used many original shots people would complain about reusing shots they have seen before.
Most current cars have had mods and there is not enough caption space to list them - and that would probably a) also be criticised as nit-picking if I did and b) if I did list any mods and missed anything then that would also collect criticism....!
Finally you need to understand that writing a book it is a fairly intense task and mistakes will be made, especially when the finished product is scrutinised by you experts - and I work to fixed deadlines so did not have time to get the book reviewed by you guys. Plus Iin my experience an 'external' review will result in a lot of unnecessary comments which waste everybody's time - such as not liking a particular style and disagreeing with things that I know are true or are open to interpretation. The book is my personal work and as I say at the start I put my hand up to the small errors identified and am happy to change them in the next edition.
Incidentally, reviews in the motoring press have so far been overwhelmingly positive (see this motns Octane for example).
Finally the critics among you should ask yourselves if you would prefer to have a book on the Europa which has covered the car comprehensively but with a few, in my eyes, minor errors or no book on the car at all?
And just to show how easy it is to make these errors my name is Matthew Vale, not 'Michael'.... :)
Matthew Vale
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I can't comment on the content of your book since I haven't read it but I appreciate that it is a big undertaking to write one.
JB has mentioned a couple of issues that should be addressed in any future printings. From his review, I expect there are more. I would also like to echo his question about who proof read the book. From his description, it sounds like someone who was not as familiar with the subject as he might have been. Possibly you could have availed yourself of a broader range of sources.
I've never written a book and I reiterate that it is much more work that I probably assume (and I assume it's a lot!) so far nobody from here or the yahoo group has stood up and said he was a source. I would think JB, for example, would be a particularly valuable one, on the S1 especially, since he owns one, has intimate technical knowledge of them, and has shown a lot of interest in the history and early reviews. Some of us have been involved with Europas specifically and Lotus more generally and could also provide some context or details.
I don't mean any of this to be criticism but rather questions about how the book was put together. It might be you had other sources you felt were better suited to your project, but this forum and the yahoo group are the largest groups devoted to just about every aspect of the Europa that exists and I would have thought that one of us (and I'm not talking about me) would have had some involvement. Then on the other hand, maybe one or more of us did help you and they just haven't made themselves known yet.
Just a few thoughts...
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Hi Matthew,
Before I make any more comments, let me say full credit to you for responding to this thread and the comments that have been made. It's never easy to accept criticism, so well done for doing so and noting the points.
Like BDA I have never written a book, mostly because doing so wouldn't interest me but I have been marginally involved on the periphery of one well received Lotus book and I know how much effort went into researching that one and how deadlines slipped. Or rather they didn't slip because the author was fastidious in making sure he had correct detail and all known bases covered. It reminded me of something Chris Foulds (UK Lotus Specialist) used to say when customers complained about the time he was taking - "do you want it quick or do you want it right ?"
I think if you want to produce something that is seen as a reference for the marque, then it's got to be right. Books like the Robinshaw examples on both the Elan and Europa are held in high esteem even though well past their printing because they have loads of detail and, at the time of printing, it was acknowledged as the best source available. But not everyone wants that sort of book and a coffee table book with a general outline and plenty of good photos is equally popular, but again, the details must be right or they detract from the final product.
I accept your points about unnecessary comments on writing style, disagreeing with points you believe are true, etc. Comments on writing style are yours to consider and discard as you wish, it is after all your book. And it's not something open to debate (again, it's your book) so I couldn't see it as a massive time waster, or at least not of your time.
But if someone makes a comment on a detail which you believe to be true, then it's worthy of re-checking because you could easily be wrong or alternatively the critic could have a valid reason for stating his point. Lotus made lots of production line changes, just look at the interior detail changes on the Elans for example.
I've owned Lotus cars since the mid 70s and bought my one-owner Europa in what I took to be totally original condition in the 80s so you'd think I had a reasonable grasp on the Elan & Europa. But there are still things I discover to be either different or conflict with what I was sure to be 100% fact.
It just comes back to what you want to produce; a reference source which will sell well to both knowledgeable and casual enthusiasts, for example the authors Robinshaw, Buckland or Miles Wilkins' books, or a lighter book which is aimed at those who "just want to know a bit about Europas".
As always, your book, your choice. But again, full credit and respect for responding to criticism.
Brian
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Well, I've amazed how negative the response has been to the book on here. Yes, there are a (very) few mistakes in the book and I've put my hands up to them, and am happy to have any other ones pointed out to me. However the wave of criticism from people who have not even read or seen the book are frankly astonishing. When I was writing it I asked a number of questions on this forum and was very pleased with the high quality of the responses I got and I've acknowledged this in the book.
Rest assured, the book was professionally proof read and reviewed before it went into print and it is a very high quality product thanks to Veloce's production values. In addition, I worked closely with 10 or so owners, featuring their cars in some detail and all of them have come back to me to say how much they enjoyed the book.
Its all very well sitting back and saying how much expertise there is on the site and the yahoo groups, but at the end of the day I've sat down and persuaded a publisher to take the subject on, and have produced a book which I'm proud of and which you I thought you guys would appreciate. Apart from Bob Herzog and the Robinshaw/Francis books this is the only tome which specialises in the Europa which surely is a good thing?
I think I've added something to the Europa community, especially in the interviews I did with Mike Kimberley and Oliver Winterbottom on the development of the Twin Cam so its a bit more than a coffee table book full of pretty pictures; and it gives a probably definitive account of the design and development of the car.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone on the site who had read the book and has constructive criticism or comments, please PM me and I will respond off line.
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Hi Matt,
Will gladly submit a detailed erratum sheet for you. I don’t think there’s a rush though. I imagine any second printing won’t be happening anytime soon. It’s just that it is high season around here right now. With five months of winter, I’d rather spend the summer doing than reading about doing.
Still, I’ll make some progress and post it chapter by chapter to this thread.
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Just to re-emphasize, I was not being critical of your book or the effort you put into it. I was responding to the impression left by JB's criticism and I had hoped that I included enough caveats in my post to make that clear. I commend you for interviewing Kimberly and Winterbottom. That fact alone makes me much more likely to buy it. I certainly do not wish you or your book any ill. To the contrary, I hope they are successful and a second printing is required so you can address whatever needs to be addressed.
I should also join Brian in saying that I appreciate your posting here. I might also sheepishly say that it wasn't till just now that I looked at your book (the part Amazon previews) and saw your acknowledgement for help received from this forum! I really appreciate that! And looking at your past posts, it seems I contributed a very small detail to one of your questions!
Now that I've had a (abbreviated) look at the Amazon previews, I see JB's criticism about not clarifying non standard aspects of cars in your pictures. I also understand you had limits on captioning. I thought noting those in the text might be useful, but then if you spend all your time doing that, you really break up the flow of the book. For your next printing, maybe there might be a middle ground. Maybe foot notes. And you may have done this but a "warning" that there are relatively few purely stock examples so the pictures may not necessarily be of unmodified cars. Again, I'm only trying to be constructive and understanding.
With the interviews with Kimberly and Winterbottom and the controversy that has erupted here and in the yahoo group, I think I will have to buy the book now! I should say there are some nice color pictures in the book too!
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(Note - selective quotes)
Well, I've amazed how negative the response has been to the book on here.
However the wave of criticism from people who have not even read or seen the book are frankly astonishing. When I was writing it I asked a number of questions on this forum and was very pleased with the high quality of the responses I got and I've acknowledged this in the book.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone on the site who had read the book and has constructive criticism or comments, please PM me and I will respond off line.
Whoa Matt, it's hardly a massive negative response or wave of criticism, there's only 3 of us who have posted ! Admittedly there is a more negative response on the Yahoo group, but even then I would say it's not been directed at the book but more about having inaccurate information in print.
That's the key IMO, we're all enthusiasts here and we're looking for something we haven't seen before about our cars. For example I've never had an S1 but when John (JBCollier) went to the trouble to get the S1 handbook reprinted on a small run I was very grateful to be able to buy a copy. Nothing to do with my car, it's in the wrong language (French ! ;) ) and I'll never own an S1, but boy, did I want a copy ! It's the same reason that most of us probably have a complete collection of the Brooklands road test reprints even though there's duplication; we're all keen for info.
So that probably explains the comments you've seen so far.
From my perspective all criticism is positive, even if it's not what I expected or wanted to hear because once I've gotten over the shock it gives me cause for reflection. And even though I'll probably grumble, I will go back and check my facts. I'll either be right, in which case I'll carry on, or wrong and able to make corrections.
I suspect if you had sent PDF chapters to a few on the Yahoo group or here, you'd have had a response within days and thus reduced the margin for errors to creep in. I even think it would have increased your sales because everyone wants to own a copy of something they've contributed to and we're all too old to be bothered to pirate a copy to read on the PC when we can get a real paper book.
Just a thought for next time.....
Brian
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:I-agree: Matt, In my humble opinion, Jbjollier who is one of this forums greatest sources of correct information makes only 1 negative response that I can find on this thread. I can't wait to buy the corrected 2nd. edition. In a small way I know how hard it is to craft words into a valuable piece of work.
With the greatest respect
Sandy
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I politely disagree. I have extensive and intimate knowledge of exactly one (1) S1. I collect any and all materials to do with S1s and some on S2s. I worked on Renaults (and Peugeots and Citroens) and all the various British cars for more years than I care to remember or acknowledge. However, I only worked on a small handful of twinks. I have learned LOTS from other forum members (and the yahoo group) and am grateful for their help and patient (well, mostly) corrections.
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Well, I've amazed how negative the response has been to the book on here.
[SNIP]
Its all very well sitting back and saying how much expertise there is on the site and the yahoo groups, but at the end of the day I've sat down and persuaded a publisher to take the subject on, and have produced a book which I'm proud of and which you I thought you guys would appreciate.
Guys, guys, guys, you (we) are insufficiently appreciative.
Read Matthew’s very first post on this forum.
Matthew says he’s written a couple of books on the Elan and Elite/Eclat/Excel. He also says he’s restoring a brace of Plus 2s.
Matthew is a writer and he’s doing research.
From the following bio, it’s clear Mathew has written quite a number of articles.
“The author
Matthew Vale has been writing books on classic British motorcycles and cars since 2004. Now retired from his work as a Chartered IT Professional specializing in computer security, he is devoting his free time to classic car and bike restoration, writing classic motoring books and articles, and spending time with his wife and family. In the past he has run such diverse classic cars as a Triumph Spitfire Mark III, MGB, Triumph Stag, and a Lotus Elite. He also restores and rides classic bikes, including the Triumph Bonneville, Norton Commando and BSA Lightning. With a lifelong fascination for glass-fibre-bodied cars (stemming from early holiday jobs at various glass-fibre factories, and ownership of many rusty cars), he is currently carrying out a nut and bolt (and glass fibre) restoration of two Lotus Elan Plus 2s.”
https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781787112841/Lotus-Europa-Colin-Chapman-s-mid-engined-masterpiece.html
Matthew has plainly stated he was constrained by fixed deadlines, caption space, reluctance to reuse photos people have seen before and he didn’t have time for anyone to do a review.
Recognise this is a commercial exercise and it’s governed by those considerations. Behind this is a publisher selling books.
Matthew was commissioned to write this book. He isn’t chronicling or romanticising about some personal journey with a Europa.
I’d expect the target market to be the ‘aspirationals’ and rather less aimed at members of this forum.
But . . you know . . please buy my book. :))
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I just received my copy of the book and gave it a quick read. From my perspective, the flaws of the book were ridiculously exaggerated. Yes there are several bits of misinformation and a few typos. And some of that misinformation is information catalogued from propagated Europa lore that has been around for years and taken for granted as fact. But the book is 150+ pages. And those pages contain quite a bit of both relevant and entertaining information. Several of you noted that you have never written a book but... Well my non-Lotus background is a little different. I am a college professor with a degree in Print Media Studies, graduate degrees in Creative Writing and Applied Linguistics, and doctoral studies in Literary Theory and Forensic Linguistics. I definitely view the printed word differently. Most textbooks unless they are the 3rd or more editions have a few first print errors and mistakes. It is next to impossible to produce a perfect first edition. I would never snub an otherwise great text because of a few errors only an expert in the field would catch. You simply move past them for greater sake of the work. Printed pages are rapidly becoming obsolete and this more than likely will be the last printed book on the Lotus Europa. Considering how overshadowed the Europa is by both the Elan and the Esprit, it is amazing this book was approved and published at all. I applaud Mr. Vale for getting the job done. I will try to break down the text as I see it.
The book appears to have three purposes:
1:) a historical background on the Europa backed up by behind the scenes insight gained from from former employees and key figures in the development of the Europa.
2:) statistical information in terms of key changes in the mechanical development of the Europa (There are some detailed charts with both part numbers and chassis numbers when those changes occurred)
3:)personal insight into what it is like to own and live with a Europa as seen through the eyes of actual owners (one anecdote was Chapman's personal pilot who Chapman insisted should own a Europa).
The text also delves into the racing aspect of Europas (including Type 47s). There is an incredible amount of high quality photos for those who like looking at Europa porn. The book is perfect for anybody wanting to buy a Europa or recently purchased one. It is fairly entertaining for the semi-seasoned owner who will enjoy reading the behind the scenes aspect of the text. For the Europa elitist, when was the last time a book was written exclusively about Europas and how many decades before the next. And for those top Europa one-percenters, you won't be able to look past the few minor mistakes to enjoy the rest of the book. I enjoyed the book and will email Mr. Vale personally to tell him the few mistakes I found.
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Hello Matthew,
I have a matching-numbers (but very, very rough) S1 if you wanted to take any photographs for a second print of your book?
(but to be honest there are far better examples than my car which have been kept original and intact)
I will look for your book and hopefully add a copy to my very small library of Lotus!
Mark
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There is an old saying “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”. As well written by Literarymadness, we should be very pleased that anyone has taken the time to write a book on Lotus Europa’s. (I am suitably impressed with your educational background Literarymadness). As a business consultant, I always look at the bigger picture and don’t get hung up on a few areas of small discrepancies.
I’m buying the book. And I’m not waiting for the second edition. Matt, anyway for me to have you sign it?
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HI:
This past Christmas I received "The Essential Buyers Guide Lotus Europa" by Matthew Vale ISNB 978-1-787112-87-2 (actually I bought it ,gave it to my wife to wrap up so I could act surprised on the 25th).
It was entertaining and did give some good points to the tyro who was entering the stormy Europa ownership waters.
I will probably go through the same procedure in obtaining the Europa book now being reviewed.
I authored a book(technical journal on the application of ground source heat pumps in a northern clime) and this was done prior to the internet when I was a rookie college prof.
I did not force the student body to buy the book by making it the necessary text for the course which upset the management of the place because they saw it as income (or loss of said).
Authoring a book is an artistic undertaking as you are hanging up your knowledge base for all to see.
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I bought Vale's book on ebay. It says there is only one left. They guy who is selling them has priced them much less than Amazon. If you're interested, you might take a look: https://www.ebay.com/itm/401805747387
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Thanks BDA, last one sold.......to me :beerchug:
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It looks like the seller was fibbing about only having one more. I think he just says he only has one more to generate interest. He still has one more! For those of you who are interested, the seller still has them!
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I received my copy of Matt's Europa book today and while I haven't been able to read a lot of it, I've read some of the section on the TC and I have to say that I think he did a good job. I found a small technical issue I THINK is an error and I wouldn't be surprised if there were other similar issues but over all, I really like it. It is a mix of some technical aspects and stories as told by some owners and Lotus employees at the time so it's not a dry read.
There was probably a lot more technical and production detail information and he might have included more test reviews by automotive publications or groups, but so far, I haven't really missed that sort of thing.
I recommend it.
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Got my book today too. But haven't even cracked the cover yet. I'm a bit busy trying to get mine on the road ........
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Part 1
(I ‘m one finger typing this on my phone so will break it up into manageable chunks over the rest of this week.)
Chapter 1
54s were federalized as well. The “Feds” in the US didn’t bring in their regulations in a coherent, rational manner. One example being the famous impact bumpers. They issued the 5 mph bumper regs a while before setting the minimum height. This caught out MG and resulted in their ungainly increase in ride height in 1975. Forgive my digression. With regard to the Europa the main problem was the headlight height. Initially lower arms were inverted to raise the front ride height with dealers/owners switching them back. Once the Feds discovers this they issued a recall to fit headlight “pods” to raise the headlights. One can imagine that most owners declined this “safety improvement”, especially as the pods were hideous. They are, unsurprisingly, virtually unknown even amongst Europa aficionados. The US headlight height issue led directly to the 65, and, having the TC/S following 65 practice.
pg 15
Engine compartment shown substantially different from stock. Wrong air filter assembly, incorrect hoses and routing, missing heater valve, plumbing strapping holding the firewall pad in place, etc.
pg 16 & 17
S1 photos show twin exhaust outlet, incorrectly painted wheels, Lucas “tripod” headlights, no door windows or trim, windshield rubber missing chrome filler strip.
pg 18
Incorrectly has R16 engine size as 1460cc. Later stated correctly.
pg 19
Another advantage for Renault was shifting a bunch of surplus marine spec engines.
pg 7, 15, 20, 31, etc
Should have mentioned at least once that the R16 front park/signal lights were used in some prototypes but that no production S1s were delivered with them. Turn signals were on the wings and park lights in the headlight reflector.
pg 21
Front suspension was from Alford and Alder, not from Triumph. It was also used by Triumph but Lotus did not buy parts from Triumph. Wishbones and geometry were from Lotus themselves.
Not all the gauges were Smiths. The ammeter was from Lucas.
pg 22
Chart referring to the 47 as a Europa is confusing. Lists series 1 and 2 but they are not related at all to the S1and S2 designations used for the 46 and 54.
Explanation of why “Europe” was used in some jurisdictions is incomprehensible.
Later S1s were “distributed” to Canada at least. Probably elsewhere as well.
The 47’s front suspension was completely its own.
States the S2 featured detail improvements of which many were introduced during S1 production. Then immediately lists improvements that were never on the S1: very confusing.
pg 23
Lotus used the Renault 1565 federalized engine in the US bound Europas because they could take advantage
of a loophole in the EPA regs and not have to do any (expensive) emission testing of their own.
pg 26
LJK was driven in a prototype. He never got to drive the car. Would be nice to reference the actual Car article.
pg 31
Shows S2 chassis when talking about S1 chassis design. They are different, especially at the front. At least it is noted as an S2 chassis.
Front section is a double box section fabrication. The resulting centre membrane adding significant stiffness.
Optimal design? Chassis flex is an issue especially when racing.
pg 32
Rear crossmember doesn’t “ reinforce” the upper shock mounts. It is the upper shock mount. Later stated correctly.
Poor quality, and incorrect, S1 engine bay illustrated.
Engine referred to as 1460 again.
pg 33
An even worse engine bay photo: totally whacked fuel system.
... more to come.
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pg34
All S1s had indicators on the sides of the front wings, not just the early ones. It can be said that early S2s had indicators on the sides of the front wings as they soon switched the front signals to “warts” above the front bumper.
pg 35
Radiator was not supplied by Renault. The S1 and S2 do not have a header tank. It’s a swirl pot. The TC/S had a header tank.
There is also a bleed valve on top of the Renault water pump.
Finally an excellent engine bay photo!
Describes Europa and Elan suspension as “Triumph-based twin wishbones”. Gets it right in the next paragraph (?!).
pg 36
Pictures would eliminate a 1000 words here and a lot more easily understood. Take the following example:
“The rear of the top wishbone through stud also carried the drop link for each side of the anti-roll bar…”
The use of the word “rear” is confusing. The through stud has a nut welded on one end to make it a bolt. The drop links are attached to the threaded “end” of the through stud/bolt. This puts the drop link at the front of the front suspension/car. Not sure where “rear” comes in.
Photo shows a “space-saver” spare.
The driveshaft (actually half-shaft) is not bolted to the stub axle.
pg 38
Pictured suspension is from an early S2. The rear of the chassis front “T” section is in the front of the passenger compartment on an S1. The head of the upper through bolt/stud is inside the passenger compartment in an S1.
Pictured rear suspension S2 again. S1 undertray and inner inner fenders completely different.
Steering rack is attached to the chassis by aluminium mounts, not bushes.
The front chassis box section is not a crossmember. A crossmember goes “a-cross”, bracing between two chassis sections. There is a crossmember at the rear.
There is a lot of confusion about the Europa S1 CBU (chassis body unit). It is made of three main pieces: upper body section (including body interior, dash, seats and bulkhead), chassis, and lower body section/undertray. The upper and lower sections are bonded together with the chassis sandwiched inbetween. The chassis is mostly attached to the body sections by rivets with only the tranny mount hoop and around the “T” section (to seal it) bonded.
pg 40
I don’t know that there’s much that the undertray keeps out. There’s certainly lots that it keeps in! Water sprayed up by the rear wheels for one.
An S1 quieter and more refined?! Not by my, and Car and Driver’s, books!
The bulkhead is open on each side and hollow “reverb” chambers reach around the passenger compartment. The chassis is also not that well insulated from the body. Vibration and resonances are a major issue. Though it might not look it on paper, the S2 is much quieter.
It should be noted that the body number is not the same as the serial number.
pg 41
Early S1s had one piece door windows, mostly in perspex, but also some in glass.
Can anyone confirm that early S1 bonnets were held closed by “keyed” pins?
pg 43
Unfortunately, air flows in through the rear grill opening. This sets up air recirculation that leads to high engine compartment air temperatures.
pg 44
S1 throttle pedals can be moved to one of three positions. Brake and clutch pedals can be adjusted to any position within their respective ranges.
pg 45
The S1 dash and console are molded fibreglass. The dash top has vinyl glued directly on it. The console has a vinyl covered cushion. Otherwise both are bare.
pg 46
The S1 had a Renault handbrake pull. Later Europas had Ford. Maybe starting with the TC?
photo missing choke/heat decal.
No mention anywhere that the dash labels, and all handbooks, were in French.
Again, console not covered. Minimal padding in footwells and inside door “cubbies”. Vinyl trim around rear window, panel above doors and on a-pillars. Doors and bulkhead were bare fibreglass.
There are NO period photos of an S1 with a “Europa” or “Europe” badge on the rear cover (or anywhere else). That badge was introduced with the S2 and it was common for S1 owners to update their cars with that badge (and the L-O-T-U-S letters).
pg 47
No Europa ever came with a fan inside the heater box. It can be added to an S1. Probably not enough room in the S2 and up.
Fan switch: 1st postion turns on the plenum fan, 2nd position turns on the radiator fan as well. It’s all in the owners manual.
pg 48
“Negative Earth” decal not original.
pg 50
S1 – fixed, one piece door windows
S1A – fixed quarter windows, pop-out main section
S1B – change to Lucas rear lights
chart “hot air hose” chassis number has too many digits
pg 52 – 53
Very nice S1 indeed!
Enclosed chassis actually traps water inside. Corrosion follows.
Disagree strongly about the low levels of NVH!
pg 55
Yes, some features did carry over from the S1 to the early S2 -- for example button door latches and wing indicators which soon changed to “wart” signals and normal door handles – but, seats, dash, etc were hard changes. The book uses the example of an S2 with 46 seats but the car has no history prior 1989. Too many Europas were pranged, shunted and plain corroded to use a car without full history as proof of anything.
Type 65s also ended up in the UK due the usual Lotus expediency.
I’m going to stop here but I could easily go on. The book is full of pictures of modified and incorrectly finished cars. Nothing actually wrong with that as long as it is noted as such!
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That's quite a sobering list John, and much longer than I would have imagined. Well done for taking the time to produce it.
I'm nowhere near expert on the S1 or early S2 and some of the things you mention I simply don't know about, but others I do recognise. Some details have even been in print either in the Brooklands series, several older books covering both the Elan & Europa or Robinshaw's Europa book and therefore available for research. I'm sure that had a preview been available then such errors wouldn't have made it into the finished book.
I'm reminded again of my mate Chris Foulds and "do you want it quick, or do you want it right ?".
Brian
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The S1 had a Renault handbrake pull. Later Europas had Ford. Maybe starting with the TC?
I’m not 100% sure about the actual handbrake pull, but on my Type 54, the reaction lever bolted to the top of the backbone has the Ford emblem loudly stamped on it.
The ~’65-67 Mark 1 Cortina GT uses the same reaction lever as far as I can tell.
The pull in the Cortina GT is obviously from the same family of parts but with different add on mounting tangs etc.
The Europa handbrake is very similar to that used in the Elan, as well.
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Thanks for the correction!
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Talking handbrake levers, the one Gavin shows is very similar to the one in my 68 Elan, which is Ford derived. It would seem reasonable that Lotus carried the same lever over to the Europa to simplify parts stocks.
The TC Europa has a very different handle, a pull/twist/turn to release which I believe is original (and fitted to some later Elan Sprints) but I don't know for certain the origin.
Brian