It was a lot of fun! Had to get used to the reversed shift pattern from the Porsche transaxle being turned around. Then first gear was a stump puller and really not needed except to get rolling.
The car was so low, (like most Europas)I had trouble with people seeing me in traffic. One time at a stop light, a dump truck pulled up behind me and stopped. Then, as it was a long light, he forgot I was there, and "pulled up to the light"(right on top of my rear bumper). I had only minor damage to the fiberglass above the bumper which his insurance company took care of. He was really embarrassed.
Handling was classic Europa. Acceleration was very quick once you got into 2nd. First was so steep you could over-rev it in the heat of the moment.
The 215 Buick/Rover V8 in aluminum was very light (some say a trade off for the old Renault engine), so the overall weight and balance of the car didn't change much if at all. With the torque available, you could get the rear end out in corners.
Missing the car. On the Yahoo forum for Europas we may have found a lead to the car. Lotus enthusiast there spoke to a friend whose Colorado cousin has a car that sounds like it might be my old Europa...stay tuned!
