I forgot to tell all you guys about something that happened at Christmas time. Do you remember how I spent a lot of time at my sister's home in Moreno Valley in 105 degree heat dealing with my Europa, and finally trailered it home...
Well, those of you who know the area know that there are lots of loose donkeys wandering around. I told my sister's family that if they ever wiped their Ford Focus out colliding with one of them that I wanted the engine!!!
They traded the Focus for a Flex. The Zetec is out of my hands!!!
I see that there is someone about 50 miles south from here who is trying to sell a Zetec with all of the peripherals for $950, down from $1050 a month ago. That seems high from what I've heard a donor can be had for. Remember, too, that the 3 Europa guys I visited a few months ago, had a couple of Zetec projects going. One had removed the ECU, sensors and injection stuff, and replaced it with a manifold and carburetors. Has anyone here done that? I would feel that if the modern stuff functions, that it would be better to keep all of it intact and functioning. I understand that it is integral to cleaner running, less emissions, etc. But I remember that one of them had a cam cover custom made in Europe -- I think Germany, that had "Lotus" embossed on it to the point that once installed, and with the carburetion, could fool someone into thinking that it's stock. I don't remember the "plumbing" for the alternator and other accesories, but I do remember doing a double take at that engine with those cam covers! Is this engine, although much larger in capacity, lighter that a "Twink" or is there a breakdown somewhere that includes this info? I see that the oil pans as equipped apparently don't work. What other problems do these conversions bring? Dan R
