WTB: Searching Europa parts...

[fulmine]

I'm searching for original steering wheel, jacking kit and tool kit. Thanks

[3929R]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-LOTUS-ELAN-SERIES-4-14-COLIN-CHAPMAN-SIGNATURE-STEERING-WHEEL-HUB-/221863717932?hash=item33a81bac2c&vxp=mtr
Not mine. No affiliation. Seems expensive, but I have no idea what it should cost.

For reference, here is a picture of my stock steering wheel.

[BDA]

That is expensive, but it's the kind of thing that if somebody wants it bad enough, he has no choice. They don't come up for sale that often.

[EuropaTC]

It's that small "Colin Chapman" signature stamp that makes all the difference. On UK Ebay they go for incredible money, £500 wouldn't surprise me these days, so $399 would probably sound like a bargain !

As a slight consolation, I don't think the signature wheels were ever fitted to the Europas, just the Elan and Elan +2.   The trouble is that the wheel like 3929R has shown is equally hard to find. Well, not so much the actual wheel, but the front plastic boss and horn push assembly. The rear plastic shroud is the same as fitted to a few cars of the period and they're on Ebay UK regularly, but the front horn push pattern seems to have been unique to Lotus. Ford (escort ?) had a part which looks similar at first glance but it won't be good enough for someone wanting originality.

Brian

[3929R]

Yes, though the "horn push assembly" in the center of the steering wheel does not sound the horn. To honk the horn one must push the turn signal lever towards the steering column. Regardless, maybe it's best to just wait for the whole thing together, wheel with center cap.

[EuropaTC]

Yes, though the "horn push assembly" in the center of the steering wheel does not sound the horn. To honk the horn one must push the turn signal lever towards the steering column.

Well, it's true what they say, "every day is a school day" 

You know Mark, I've never had a car with that type of boss and so I'd always assumed that there was some fancy mechanism with springs behind it to sound the horn. 

My car came with a period Astrali and the seller gave me the OEM plastic trimmed wheel but without the centre boss, just the backing plastic shroud. And of course the plastic on the wheel had split so I hung it on the garage wall instead.    Earlier this year I tried re-trimming in leather following the results shown on the forum and ever since I've had a low-priority search just to complete the wheel.  (which I'll then hang on the "Den" wall rather than the garage).  If it doesn't sound the horn, then maybe a Ford Escort repro item with a suitable Lotus badge will do just as well !

Brian

[fulmine]

Thanks but i think is too much, but i know is hard to find

[jbcollier]

Not the right steering wheel AFAIK

[Soulsaver]

Yes, though the "horn push assembly" in the center of the steering wheel does not sound the horn. To honk the horn one must push the turn signal lever towards the steering column. Regardless, maybe it's best to just wait for the whole thing together, wheel with center cap.

It does sound the horn on some model years, early TCs and JPS.

[3929R]

Thanks for the clarification. Interesting that the JPS is different than my '73 TCS. I wonder when the switch ( ) was made?

[Soulsaver]

I see how you read that, but I meant on early TCs including early JPS. I don't think they ran models along side each other with different stalks for long... I suspect it was along with mods for federal compliance and/or when Triumph got rolled up in the British Leyland Group and they rationalised on the later style across lots of models & marques and thus stopped fitting the earlier stalk (non horn).. circa 1971/2.

[3929R]

I see how you read that, but I meant on early TCs including early JPS.

Yes I thought the JPSs were produced earlier than my late '73.

It took getting used to but now I prefer the horn on the turn signal lever. I can drive with both hands on the wheel and one finger on the horn.

[buzzer]

might also be a different across the pond as a lot of the instrument lights and switches are different.

[460384]

Mark,  My 72 TC has horn button in the middle of the steering wheel and 77 Esprit S1 has the same set up as yours. 

[fulmine]

Steering wheel found!