I whittled my collection of firearms during 2020, and that left me with a tidy sum.
I turned cash into Lotus Europa S2's.
I already owned an Eclat, it was stolen, surprisingly was recovered, and while stolen, I decided: I have wanted a Europa all my life. What the hell. You only live once as the youngins say. So I did the "groovy" thing and I turned some of M1 Garand and BM-59 Collection into Cash and then turned cash into a Lotus Europa horde.
I found the Europa horde initially in Framingham MA. My best friend was 35 years older than me and we shared a passion for Harley Davidson's. He was from Framingham and when he passed very suddenly in 2020- I decided to try to find out more about his early years- I learned what I could, some parts of the motorcycle enthusiast community are a practically "hermetic" brotherhood. In Framingham, I saw a white Europa. I stopped, found a fellow from OH owned it. Turned out fellow from OH had three- strewn out. I visited all three. I then transmuited cash to Lotus. First of three is here. Framingham next, then the FL parts collection that was once another Europa.
I know that like the Eclat, they are an acquired taste and not everyone loves them.
I have loved the Europa since I was a kid. My dad had ordered a Datsun 240Z, got a 260Z 2+2 instead(that's all they had). The 260Z was the beginning of the end for the Z's. I still have his 260Z though. During one of his many efforts to fix the vapor lock and fuel boiling, he had it at a British car mechanic who was an alcoholic in recovery. The recovery unfortunately didn't stick. When all of the people who had cars at the place came to get them, there was a 914 Porsche and a Lotus Europa that was a genuine TC, but had been repainted to JPS Livery.
When I was in my 20's I bought a non-running Esprit from an airline mechanic. I got it running(thank you oh gods of the DHLA). I decided to go to grad school, and I sold the Esprit. In hindsight grad school was a scam- I have since reconciled all education is a scam having been in the Ivory tower down to the public school system.
I'd rather have the Esprit back than the PhD I'll doggone well tell you that.
Some things have stuck. Back during the late 90's I could not afford a "desirable" Dodge Charger(68-70) so I found a 1972 model and I had $5500 of $6000. My dad fronted me $500 and I got it running and restored it. My dad was very proud of that. A 70 Challenger, a 70 Superbee, and a 1972 'Cuda followed. Dad gave me his 1970 Charger he had bought during that time.
I acquired a Jensen Interceptor III, it had been owned by an actor who brought it from California to Georgia when Pinewood-Sony Georgia Studios was opened. Pinewood is now Disney property. The guy I bought the Interceptor III from was on a long running TV show produced in Georgia. He was eliminated from the cast during the early years, and he sold the Interceptor III(I got one set of taillights with it, if you are an Interceptor fan, you'll get "the funny") when he left Georgia. I have ordered some leather and I will be doing the seats. I have a 440 I built during 2020 that I will put the J-I dress up parts on and swap in.
During that year I also went so stupid, I fully arrived at "plaid speed" stupid. I had a perfectly fine running Range Rover I (feels weird to call them classics). I put in an RM380 during 2020 when there was the "lockdown" or "shelter in place".
I've had a hell of life, I realize I am lucky to be alive and that thing about "may you live in interesting times"- supposedly that is an ancient Chinese curse. Either I was cursed with that or else I am a scientific experiment to see if a human being can be a sh#t magnet- because I have been in deep sh#t so many times in my life one of the two theories must indeed be true.
Howdy y'all. While the mods were enjoying their bottle of Red Whisky, I the Dire Wolf, 600lbs of sin, heard "C'mon on in." I am a nice dire wolf, despite being 290lb of sin. Thank's for the "C'mon in !"...
I am a car addict, my higher power is unburnt hydrocarbons. I speaky Mopar, I speaky Land Rover, I speaky Lotus. Yes, I do exist.
