Sports Car Market Europa Article

[surfguitar58]

This just came out in the latest (September) issue of Keith Martin's Sports Car Market magazine. The saying "damned by faint praise" comes to mind, but the author sorta gets it. Is that our own RoddyMack's 47ish beauty in the photos? Kind of misleading to the uninformed reader if it is. A stock Europa would have been a better example.
Tom

[BDA]

I didn't think the article was that bad. The author might be accused of accentuating the bad points but it was a short article and anything bad he said would seem accentuated. I think it was honest. You either love the body style or you don't and there are some who love the S1/S2 body but hate the TC and vice versa. You can't please everyone but I think there are very few cars that will attract as much attention in a parking lot.

I looked back at Roddy's thread on building his car and that's not his in the picture. Jerry Boone is quoted and he is a member of this forum as well as the groups.io group.

[jbcollier]

Stamped steel chassis?

Highly modified car for the pictures?

Otherwise the article seems fine

[4129R]

So bad electrics, door hinges, and rusting chassis are the faults.

I cannot disagree.

All easily solvable quite cheaply during a restoration.

[SwiftDB4]

That's my Europa in the photo. ABFM Portland maybe 2017? Didn't know it was in this article.
Dave Miller

[TurboFource]

"Heavy doors" ....

[BDA]

She looks beautiful, Swift! Congratulations on your car getting into print!

[4129R]

"Heavy doors" ....

Chunky would not be amused.

Manual window winders and plexis-glass/perspex for a "lighter-weight" solution.

[dakazman]

   I enjoyed the article and will add it to my collection of opinion pieces. He got a he driving experience down pat and his easily obtainable specs but heavy doors 
  Beautiful car there Swift.
Dakazman

[surfguitar58]

 
  Beautiful car there Swift.

  What he said!
t

[SwiftDB4]

 
  Beautiful car there Swift.

  What he said!
t

Thanks. I've owned my S1 since 1974. Since it already had the flares and a Gordini engine I didn't care about originality. Added S2 doors, 4 wheel 4 pot disc brakes, a Zetec engine, and a Spyder frame. Purists might think that sacrilege, but each to their own.

[jbcollier]

How did you shoe horn a Spyder frame into an S1?

[SwiftDB4]

40 years ago I removed the original frame by cutting the fiberglass under the T and the belly pan at the rear. At that time I repaired the frame by welding and fiberglassed a 'saddle' over the T effectively making an S2 body arrangement. I left the frame under the T open with no fiberglass. 30 years ago I removed the body again and replaced the frame with a Spyder one. 15 years ago I removed the body again to do the Zetec conversion. Each time I did have to cut the rear belly pan off and reglass it on body installation.