S1a removable windows?

[DreamsOfA47]

Hello all,

I know well enough to not believe everything I read on the internet. That being said I have seen on multiple websites the notion that S1a Europas have some provision to remove the plexiglass side windows and store them inside the doors themselves. Can anyone confirm this and if so, post some pictures of the door storage set-up? The windows on my S1a have been glued into the door frames and at a minimum I'd like to replace them with the S1 rear opening vent style, but preferably the fabled removable S1a set up if it does exist.

[jbcollier]

On the road right now but the S1a/b had removable (aka: fall out) plexiglass windows.  There was a slot in the door right beside the window so you could store them there and they would rattle away and get scratched up.  It was a great system (insert sarcastic emoji).

[Zeusguy]

Here is a link to a S1A that has removable windows.

https://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1967-lotus-europa/gallery/slides/1967-lotus-europa-s1-055.html

I have a left side window set I hope to use as a pattern to have a new set made.

Scott Edrington
Escondido CA

[jbcollier]

You can see the slot in the door in this photo:

https://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1967-lotus-europa/gallery/slides/1967-lotus-europa-s1-049.html

[lotusfanatic]

Hello DreamsOfA47,

Here's a photo of a window being removed (or reinstalled having fallen out)

[DreamsOfA47]

Scott, JB thanks for sharing that link! That's an awesome reference for interior bits and layout I can refer to! The more I work on my car the more I realize thing have been modified. That"s fine by me except that it means a little research has had to be done to figure out what I'm working with, and some things had me  until I could figure out what was going on. It seems my car either has had S1 doors installed or had the fall-down windows removed and a S1 style plexiglass side window bonded in. The fact that the doors don't have the slot makes me think that the doors have ben replaced.

Lotusfanatic that's an excellent pic of what it seems happens to those windows quite a bit! 

[jbcollier]

S1 doors are very rare.  It is very easy to glass in the slot so I suspect that is what happened.

I cannot overstate the utter uselessness of the pop out windows.  If you are doing a 100 pt restoration, ok, I get it.  Otherwise either leave them glued in, or go for rear opening, 47-style windows.

[DreamsOfA47]

S1 doors are very rare.  It is very easy to glass in the slot so I suspect that is what happened.

I cannot overstate the utter uselessness of the pop out windows.  If you are doing a 100 pt restoration, ok, I get it.  Otherwise either leave them glued in, or go for rear opening, 47-style windows.

It appears that you're correct in that someone glassed over the slot to make them appear like S1 doors. I went and checked cuz I could! I'm definitely not doing a concourse restoration so I'll install the Type 47 style as I initially planned. Now I'll just need to source pics of early S1s and Type 47s to see how the hinges are set-up

[bjthomp]

Just in case folks haven't had their fill of removable window photos, I just uploaded some to the Europa Group site. Any attempt to restore a car's completely missing removable window set-up would be a major undertaking. The parts required (see Section B.15 in the Workshop Manual for details) are NLA and I don't even want to think about what fabrication costs would be. While I'm on the subject, I have a few complete sets of Plexiglass windows that I made about 20 years ago using plaster of Paris molds, felt, and my girlfriend's new gas stove/oven. That did not go over too well, but the windows did. So, if anybody's interested in a set, I'm here. 

[jbcollier]

Is she still around.

Here’s a link to the photos kindly posted:

https://groups.io/g/LotusEuropa/album?id=279243

[DreamsOfA47]

I'm definitely going to have to apply for membership to that group as well! I'm not allowed to see the photos without it, sadly. Thanks so much for the link!!

[lotusfanatic]

Unfortunately I have no access either 

[bjthomp]

No, the girlfriend is no longer around. But that's OK.

[Kendo]

A lot of us are on both sites. Go ahead and sign up.