Hi there,
Ok, this job can either be very simple or, more likely, take up plenty of time. Firstly, if you haven't already got the workshop manual I'd suggest you download or buy a proper one because there's quite a bit of info in the "Body" section about setting up Europa door hinges. And typical of Lotus, they just ain't like anyone else's door hinges
This place will get you started
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/index.htmThe image I've uploaded shows the door hinge assembly. With any luck all that will have happened is that the two large nuts which locate the central hinge pin on the door have moved, and the fix will simply be to loosen them off and re-adjust. Warning - this sounds very simple but like all things there are hidden snags.
Firstly, the nuts are mild steel and often rust badly. I suggest taking off the door trim and then soaking the upper & lower assembly in WD40, Plusgas or whatever easing fluids you guys have over there for at least 24hrs before you make a start.
Secondly, the access is limited and most folks end up buying a cheap spanner and then hacking it around to remove metal from the sides & length so you can get it in place & turn it. If you can get a ring spanner & cut out a small gap so it can go over the central pin, that's my best option. I'd also find a bit of old carpet to put inside the door skin just in case you slip and hit the door. It will reduce the damage on your knuckles and also help prevent star cracking on the door if you're having to pull hard on the spanners & they slip.
Once you've got it free, it's not so bad. Things to watch out for are chipping the door or sill if you're doing the job solo because unlike a conventional car door hinge, this moves in 3 dimensions. Great for alignment once you appreciate how it works, not so great the first time around.
The door pin is normally mild steel and located at either end in the bodyshell using small aluminium (?) bobbins which are fibreglassed in the shell at manufacture. A worse case is that the top or bottom nuts have seized on the central pin and every time you open the door the whole pin rotates in the body, wearing these bobbins into an elliptical hole. That also gives the appearance of the door being loose and dropping, but this scenario is bad news.
Not serious, "Can't be fixed" bad news, but it does mean a longer job. Basically you need to remove the central pin and take the door off completely to get access to these bobbins. This means raising the car as the pin comes out through that little hole in the sill (this is a Lotus...) and then replacing the bobbins in the bodyshell. You can get repair kits, and at the same time replace the pin with a stainless steel one so the problem goes away, but even so it's not a fun job.
Brian
