New to the Europa Family

[Rosco5000]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am a new owner of a 1969 S2 Europa. The car has been sitting for a few years and is in need of some serious TLC. I just about bought a Europa about 10 years ago but I really needed a commuter car and the sensible me kicked in. Probably a mistake in the long run. But hey here I am 10 years later and I finally have one to call my own.

I have grown up around Lotus cars. My dad was a Lotus dealer and service center for Lotus through the 70s and 80s so I am drawing on his experiences. The shop raced an original Elite back in the day and 2 26Rs and even a type 47. So his experience is quite broad. It is just trying to get him to remember it all. He has his own Elan +2 project on the go so hopefully I get him to help me along the way as well.

Anyways enough about me. I hope to hear from the group. Here are some pictures.

[LotusJoe]

  Sorry for the delay in getting your membership activated. Glad you found the forum.

[BDA]

 
It looks like you'll have lots of fun restoring those cars! There are a lot of people here as well as the lotuseuropa yahoo group who can help you with your questions.

Good luck! Let us know if you have any questions and update your progress when you can!

[blasterdad]

 
Another S2 in the group, awesome! Quite a few have popped up lately, looks like it's in pretty good shape. 

[EuropaTC]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.

Another S2 and hey, that looks like one of "ours" with the single central wiper - shouldn't all your cars have two wipers ? 

I can't get over how many S1 & S2 cars there are kicking around the world, either running or being restored. In the UK we have a website which shows how many are registered or "SORNed" (which means there but off the road) and that comes out at around 30-ish S2's in the UK.  I bet there's more than that on this forum !

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=lotus+europa

Anyway, back to the thread. I like that car, it has that "patina" and looks like a timewarp car that's just emerged from a barn.  It will make a great project.  As for the +2, now that's what I call a PROJECT ! 

Brian (UK)

[Rosco5000]

Sorry for the delay in getting your membership activated. Glad you found the forum.

Hey Joe no worries on the delay. I am just glad to be part of the group. Cheers

[Rosco5000]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.

Another S2 and hey, that looks like one of "ours" with the single central wiper - shouldn't all your cars have two wipers ? 

I can't get over how many S1 & S2 cars there are kicking around the world, either running or being restored. In the UK we have a website which shows how many are registered or "SORNed" (which means there but off the road) and that comes out at around 30-ish S2's in the UK.  I bet there's more than that on this forum !

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=lotus+europa

Anyway, back to the thread. I like that car, it has that "patina" and looks like a timewarp car that's just emerged from a barn.  It will make a great project.  As for the +2, now that's what I call a PROJECT ! 

Brian (UK)

Hey Brian,  I was wondering about the wiper. The thing my dad was saying was that Canada often got a mix of cars. The cars they were shipped weren't Federal cars.  His +2 has some of those strange things with it.  It has a 130/5 dash and gauge layout but he has known the car since he sold it new and the owners didn't do any odd modifications.

He said sometimes it felt like Canada got shipped the odds and sods of left overs. 
Rosco

[Rosco5000]

Another S2 in the group, awesome! Quite a few have popped up lately, looks like it's in pretty good shape. 

The body is in great shape, I can't say the same for the interior unfortunately. The car was owned for the last 20 years by a real enthusiast but it seems that he may have fallen on hard times and just didn't have the drive to get it going again. The car came with a lot spares. 2 extra blocks, 2 extra transmissions, an extra head, 2 or 3 carbs, and a ton of random stuff. 

[RoddyMac]

Rosco,
What shop did your dad work at?  You say you're on the wet coast, was it Chequered Flag?  And 

Rod

[Bainford]

  Welcome to the forum, Rosco. Glad to have you aboard. Cheers.

[4129R]

He said sometimes it felt like Canada got shipped the odds and sods of left overs. 
Rosco

When I had my 1st Europa TCS way back in 1978, it was the 5th or 6th last one ever made. It had a US Federal Sped bodyshell, but everything else was UK spec.

They were just getting rid of what they had left, while gearing up to produce the Esprit.

[BDA]

That's the old Lotus production for you!
 

[Rosco5000]

Rosco,
What shop did your dad work at?  You say you're on the wet coast, was it Chequered Flag?  And 

Rod

Hey Rod,
Yup my dad Rinze was partners with Mike at Chequered Flag, and later they merged with MCL.  He has been out of the dealer scene since 1989.  He stayed active working in a machine shop/mechanical restoration shop, but now he keeps busy with his own projects and maybe some of mine .

[RoddyMac]

Very cool, my dad bought an Elan Sprint from there back in the early 70's and a friend of mine helped with a restoration (though the car went to Oregon part way through) on the Cortina that Mike raced.   Rinze was recommended by many to be "the guy" to rebuild Twin Cams.

Cheers,
Rod

[Rosco5000]

Very cool, my dad bought an Elan Sprint from there back in the early 70's and a friend of mine helped with a restoration (though the car went to Oregon part way through) on the Cortina that Mike raced.   Rinze was recommended by many to be "the guy" to rebuild Twin Cams.

Cheers,
Rod

Hey that is very cool Rod.  I can't wait for my dad to finish his +2, he has worked some over the years but I was very young when he sold his last running Lotus back in 85 or so and the +2 has been a slow project ever since then.
R