Lots of pics added....Advice on 74 Europa project purchase

[69merc]

Hi, new member here.  I'm looking for tips on what to look for when I go look at my coworkers 74 5 spd Europa.  He is the original owner.  It was last driven around 1980.  Typical story.....pulled engine to rebuild and never finished.  It has always been stored indoors.  It has 40k miles.  It is yellow.  It has a fiberglass repair to the drivers rear quarter (accident)  from its driving days.  Owner states it was cosmetic.  It does have a crack in the windshield.  I've done some research on the Europa and know to look at the frame for rot (st louis car).  He's looking to get 4K.  I'm a car nut.  I've restored Ford products (mustang, cougar, ranchero) and have skills and tools.  Never have worked on a European exotic.  I like the looks of the Europa and the lotus concept.  Is this worth going to look at and get back on the road?
Thanks for your time,
Jim
St. Louis

[BDA]

   Jim!


Without seeing at least a picture, it's hard to say if $4K is a good price. It sounds good...


If that accident was the only one he's been in, you should be able to eyeball it for straightness and rust. The frame is going to be the thing that could cause the biggest headache. Check the front suspension pieces for damage. They are designed to be sacrificial to protect the frame in the event of a minor accident. Take a good look at the gas tanks. They are made of steel and their design encourages water to collect on the top causing rust. Make sure the car no longer has the plastic 'T' between the carbs. You'l likely have to rebuild all the hydraulics. Check the rest of the fiberglass for stress and spider cracks. I'm sure others will have ideas for things to look at.


If it looks reasonably clean, $4K sounds pretty good. There are replacement parts for almost everything - though they are not necessarily OEM. There's a list of useful websites here: http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1389.0


Maybe it's because I'm too close to them and because they are so old, but I don't think of it as an exotic. That may be unfair because there are few cars that are similar and they draw a lot of attention. Almost every time I park somewhere, there is somebody who asks me about it or wants to know what it is or just wants to drool. As for driving it, there aren't a lot of affordable cars that can match it. Compared to modern cars, there are a lot of rough edges, but nothing gives you the intimate feel you get with a Europa (well, maybe another old Lotus does). You'll find that it is a pretty simple car and for the most part pretty easy to work on.


Let us know what happens and post pictures! Don't be shy about asking questions either!


Good luck!

[4129R]

The value depends on what is missing, as well as the state of the interior upholstery, and the paintwork on the fibreglass.

I am restoring 7 x TCS, and the main cost is the paint, then the upholstery.

A chassis I changed had bad rust down the rear legs either side of the engine, parallel to the rear trailing arms.

Gearboxes are like rocking horse sh*t.

Engines are easy but can be expensive.

Most other bits you can get or make, or repair.

Alex in Norfolk UK, the home of Lotus.

[Certified Lotus]

Adding to the above comments, the windshield is bonded to the fiberglass with an adhesive sealant and the OEM trim around the windshield is no longer available in same dimension. Not a simple project. Engine rebuilds are expensive. As mentioned, re painting the car is the most expensive part of the project.

But if your like me and always wanted a Europa and have the time and tools to rebuild, go for it!

[4129R]

Three windscreens have fallen out of  3089R, 3755R and 4688R without any major dramas.

I rebuild the engines myself after local professional machining (boring and grinding).

Look also for holes in the top of the petrol tanks both sides of the engine bay.

Check whether the seats slide in the runners. If they are rusty (leaking windscreens cause the floors to fill up and rust the steel seat frames and the runners. Seats are also like RHS. I am picking up 2 I had made in alli on Friday. I will post photos of the old steel seats from 3089R and the new ones soon. 

[4129R]

Expect to have to replace everything rubber. The hardest things to get to are the hoses from the central tunnel to the heater. If you need to replace them use longer hoses and cross them over to avoid sharp bends (Banks trick).

I spent about 1 day last weekend cleaning two sets of 4 + 2 gauges. The rubber O rings around the glass was liquid on some, and rock hard and in lumps on others.

The fillers for the 2 tanks are 2" diameter rubber. 2 front radiator hoses, 2 rear engine hoses, rear heater hoses, engine mountings (the metal becomes detached), the window runners, the door surrounds, should all be checked and are easily available.

Expect the silencer (muffler) to be pure rust. The front brake discs are probably beyond cleaning up, but are cheap as chips (French fries).

[Certified Lotus]

4129R, I would agree that removing the windshield and trim is easy......the removal of all the adhesive/sealant down to the fiberglass took an entire day 

[4129R]

4129R, I would agree that removing the windshield and trim is easy......the removal of all the adhesive/sealant down to the fiberglass took an entire day 

Sounds just like a speedo I cleaned. I took the chrome bezel and glass out, and the rubber between the glass and bezel was black sticky liquid. Stuck to everything, even the washing up brush. Her indoors was not impressed.

Rubber does strange things as it ages. Black mastic can be the same. The mastic around the alli door window frames can be difficult to remove too. 

[Mike Surber]

As for value of such a car. The twin cam engine alone is worth the 4k. rebuilt closer to 10K just look on ebay & see what they go for. The rest is mainly A: how badly do you want it? B: How much time & money are you willing to put into it? The resale value like most cars you'll probably never get out of it what you'll put in. C: How long are you willing to wait to be able to drive it? If it's like most between time & money (which are really the only 2 ingredients in the equation. When you have one you don't have the other). It can take a very long time. You'll just have to go & look at it & asses it for your self as to work needed & how far as a restoration you want/are willing to go.

[jbcollier]

4K assumes the engine is rebuildable: block thrust surfaces OK, bores good/boreable,and, most importantly, the head is rebuildable.  Some blocks are toast and, now-a-days, many heads are as well.

10K assumes it is built to a reasonably high standard with components that are good, not just useable, and parts that are match balanced and the engine blueprinted.  You can spend more with steel cranks, etc.

[69merc]

Thank you for all the info on the Europa and what to look for when I go look at the car.  I will post my thoughts and some pics after seeing it.  Now I need to set up a time to go check it out.  Currently it's in a storage unit, so I need to make sure I can see all of it (and under it) well.
Jim

[Bainford]

Welcome to the forum.

The frames were not protested from rust when new so that can be a problem. The frame and rear suspension trailing arms are only 16 ga. sheet metal, so anything beyond minor surface rust will need attention. Cracking around the stress points of the 'T' section at the front of the frame can also be an issue.

It sounds like you may not be able to get under the car to check this stuff out, though. If you are handy with a welder then minor repairs can be made. If the frame is shot, there are several choices on the market for replacements, so not necessarily a show stopper.

As mentioned, these cars are quite simple and for the most part quite easy to work on. Parts availability is great and the cost is not ridiculous in most cases. A lot of Triumph, MG, Mini, etc parts make up the period Lotus. The parts cast from unobtainium are the gear box and the rear suspension uprights/bearing housings. Non OEM solutions exist for the gearbox, though. There are some parts that are difficult but not impossible to find (mostly trim items, etc), and the vast majority of consumables are as close as your nearest classic British parts supplier. If you think a Lotus should be in your future, it is quite doable.

Looking forward to seeing some photos and hearing more about the car. Good luck.

[EuropatcSPECIAL]

Welcome Jim, good luck with the Europa   

[Fourporche]

 
Hello!!
Good luck with the yellow car
Offer him 3k take it for 3500k
Have a look on bankseuropa
And see what parts cost
Think what a Honda Civic costs
23ktoday
Less than 25percent
In 70s money it's like 400 dollars
Get it!
Denny

[StrawberryCheesecake]

With one owner, low mileage, dry storage and presumably lots of history, I'd be surprised if it's not worth 4k, but every one is different. It's probably worth double that in the UK market.