Europa S2 project

[Jas]

I guess that it is time for me to share with you what a friend and I have just picked up from England.

This is a S2 first registered May 1970. It has been SORN since 1989 and has apparently spent the biggest part of the last 23 years in somebodies back yard.
The chassis looks pretty rotten and the rear suspension is partly broken or missing.
The body has some accident damage with a poor attempt to repair in the front, and most of the paint is of.

We do not plan to get the car back to original specification, instead our plan/dream is to turn it into a Modsport racer or Special Saloon Car as it is called here. So basically we intend to use the body with some modifications and then make or source the rest.  Let's see how it goes, at least it will keep us busy for a long while

In the meantime the neighbor's kids seem to enjoy it.
The Europa will be sharing the garage with my Elan, so it will have some company during the long winter months.

Pictures:
1) The lucky owners, I'm the short one.
2) On the way home with the Euro Tunnel.
3) The neighbor's came by to help kick the tires.
4) He likes it, it's better than his dad's 911
5) The dream
 

[EuropaTC]

Hi there,

Well, that'll keep you busy this weekend !  There's certainly a lot of work to do, and as you say returning it to a standard car with so many parts missing would take a very long time. Far better to create something that looks like a Europa but without following the original spec to the letter.

Don't forget to keep us posted on progress, restoration threads are always interesting regardless of whether you plan on doing one or not.

Brian

[cal44]

Jannik,

The upside to having a big neighbor is when you need to lift the entire car...................

Brian is spot on.........keep us in the loop.  It looks like a fun project.  I'm sure your wallet is going to get a workout.

Mike

[Jas]

Year we know that it is quite a mouth full, but at least it will keep us off the streets

I have had good use of the strong neighbor before when the Elan almost went into the pit in the garage

I will keep you posted, but it will take some time before an update, I have promised the lowing Wife to work a bit on the house first... we will see

Went to Swedish Sportscar Meet last weekend, they have some pretty cool Europa Modsport cars there. They will be difficult to beat.
I'm thinking of a 2.3 liter Duratec engine mated to a Hewland transaxle, so if anybody has a Hewland box laying around please let me know

[cal44]

Jannik,

thanks for the pictures.  Those are some mean looking Europa's. 

[EuropaTC]

all I can say is "WOW". 

For some reason I really like the engineering that goes into racing cars, even though I shall never own one and it's often totally impractical for road use, but when you see something neatly welded, rose jointed and "engineered" together, well it just looks good to me and makes me smile.

The suspension on the middle photo is, to me at least, quite a novelty. I can see how the basics work but I'm puzzled with the rose jointed arrangement directly above the battery. For the life of me I can't work out what that's supposed to do, but I did say I'm not a racer.

If you build something like that, well, good on you. No doubt some will say it's no longer a Europa, and I suppose that's quite true but if it keeps the Europa shape on the tracks and in public view then that's all to the good.

Brian

[Jas]

Yep they are quite something to live up to.

The arrangement above the battery in the middle photo is an adjustable roll bar (sway bar).
You turn the "blades" which makes them stiffer or softer.

The rear suspension and 2.0 WAG engine looks pretty purposeful also.

[LotusJoe]

Very cool car!!

 

[EuropaTC]

Hi Jas,

Thanks for the explanation, I could see it was something to do with the front suspension but I wouldn't have figured it out on my own. So now I know what an adjustable roll bar looks like, and now you've explained it I can appreciate how it might work as well. I've got to give credit to folks who build things like that, just looking around the car there are so many "home built" sections that you just know the builders are true engineers.
The rear suspension looks similar to something I've seen before although not on a Europa, but at the moment I can't think where. (it's age y'know, it'll come back at some point !)

Brian

[Mecky]

Hi Jas,

this is a great aim! When you finished this car, you will have a great time 

But I would be frightened for that reason: It seems that you don't even need an Europa as base for your race car, because nothing on the car can be kept and used on it. The suspensions, the brakes, the interior, the whole front boot, the frame and even the body are useless for this kind of racing, aren't they? I think it will be a completely new and modern constructed car.

Can you at least use the the body and prepare it? Or will you use a new Carbon-Body?

How much time do you plan for this project?

Stefan

[Jas]

Hi Stefan/all

Yes you are right, we won't be using very much of the original car.
That is why we went for the cheapest basket case that we could find.
That way I don't feel so guilty in not putting it back on the road either, as that would never have been falsifiable with this car.

We plan on using the body with some modifications, we would like to have flip front and rear section.
The chassis can be used for measurements and layout of welding fixture.

We thought of just baying a body from Banks, but it would be twice as expensive, and we would still have to modify it.
Besides it is also fun to have the original win plate in the car and to know that it was once a road car, although not a very big part of it

I think that it could be built in two years, if we used all our spare time to do it.
But realistically we hope to be able to do it in four years.

So watch this space, but not too often

/Jannik

[Bainford]

Looking forward to watching this project come together. Good luck

[cal44]

Jas,

start taking pictures I'm bored..........I'm bored. 

Mike

[Jas]

Hey hey ... I told you to be patient 

Here are a few pictures from the garage.
Work hasn't started yet, but as they say, a good plan is half the work ...

Jannik

[Mecky]

Hi Jas,

did you already know about that car: http://www.rx8forum.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=6245

Is it similar to the modification, which you have in mind for your car?