What do you mean you drive it in the rain...

[jbcollier]

In my last two trips I encountered quite a bit of rain and fog.  I have made two mods to make life in the rain easier.

First, though this may just be an S1 issue, I fit a water deflector in the front of the engine compartment.  It stops water on the cover flowing onto the engine when the cover is opened.  Otherwise the water flows onto the valve cover and into the front spark plug well on the crossflow.

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-vzdbvRJ/A

Second I twice found myself in very heavy fog and more than a bit nervous about being rear ended.  So I I fit a Lifeline rain light:

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-BZH6NbS/A

It has the option of either a regulator a irregular flash pattern.

[BDA]

Neat stuff, JB! My TC came with some rubber weather stripping where you have your deflector but I'm thinking your idea is nicer. I also like your rain light! It reminds me of the F1 tail lights which is a good thing!

[1970EuropaGuy]

I really like the rain light you added. I added a third brake light to my Europa for the same reason, better visibility. Out of interest and I know this would vary by province and state but is it legal in Alberta? Here in BC I do what I want whether it's legal or not and have never had a problem. I like being as safe as possible regardless of the bureaucracy!

[GavinT]

Your water deflector looks the goods, JB.
It would also apply to the S2.

I’ve often wondered why they didn’t continue the drain channel right around the engine cover at the forward end where your deflector is positioned.
That would require the channel to be a little wider at that point to allow the cover to be raised & lowered but it just seems the obvious way to do it. Then, include drain holes at either side.

Out of curiosity, what is the brass hex thingamabob where the stock fuel pump is usually fitted?

[jbcollier]

It's not illegal to add a third (or fourth or fifth) brake light.  Lights that are bright and not temporary (headlight, driving and front/rear fog lights) are more heavily regulated.  There are rules for height, number, symmetrical placement and when they are allowed (or must be) on.  All stock 46s and 54s with euro ride heights have the headlights too low for North America.  I'm even worse as I moved my hi/lo headlights to the behind the grill.  I now have HID rally lights in the headlight nacelles.  My rain/fog light would fall under the regs governing rear fog lights though not much that would apply to a 1968 vehicle.

Speaking of headlight height, not many people know that all the 46s and 54s in North America were recalled due to headlight height.  Believe it or not, this was the solution:

https://www.ebay.com/itm//143340242296

They were so hideous that most owners seem to have declined the "improvement".  Anyone have period photos of them installed?  I have only found one very blurry photo so far.

Gavin, it's just a plug for the fuel pump hole.  It's a threaded brass plug with a ball bearing driven into the centre.  It was meant to be temporary but became permanent as time went by and other priorities arose.

[dakazman]

I ran across that item and really didn’t understand what they were selling. Thanks for sharing. I am considering the third brake light installed by others. What I despise is people driving with there flashers on in a rainstorm, which is illegal here in Florida.
Dakazman

[SwiftDB4]

  Anyone have period photos of them installed? 
[/quote]

No photos, but remember seeing them on an S2 Federal Europa in the showroom of Lotus dealer Carrera Motors, Lombard, Illinois circa 1970.

[BDA]

The more I think about it, I think I saw an S2, but it might have been an S1, at LOG 18 in Atlanta coinciding with Lotus' 50th anniversary (1998). I took down my panoramic picture and found the car. The Europas were near the back of the picture so my picture of the picture isn't that great but if you look closely, comparing the orange Europa to the yellow one, you can see that the orange car has the raised headlights. The effect in real life was not nearly so subtle. It did look strange as I remember. I wouldn't be surprised if he mounted them just for the LOG.

[dakazman]

This it what my search found.

[Rosco5000]

I can't believe those pods are around.  My Dad's shop would see them come in with them to make them legal coming into Canada but because no one inspected at the time of sale they were all removed was my understanding.  I didn't think many were actually shipped to the end consumer with them. 
R 

[rjbaren]

What is the metalic looking fabric on your fire wall and fuel Tank?  It looks very nice.

[jbcollier]

It's a DEI product.  Pretty sure it was this stuff:

https://designengineering.com/floor-tunnel-shield-ii-extreme-heat-shield/

and edged with this tape:

https://designengineering.com/cool-tape-heat-reflective-tape/

[GavinT]

It's a DEI product.  Pretty sure it was this stuff:

https://designengineering.com/floor-tunnel-shield-ii-extreme-heat-shield/

That stuff looks pretty neat.
Am I right in thinking it’s substantial enough to take a screw to mount those light cable clips?
Or do the screws go into something solid underneath? 

[jbcollier]

No, it's more like cloth.

My firewall is five layers:

- the original fibreglass bulkhead (S1)

- stick on sound-proofing (foil-faced viscoelastic) on both sides
https://www.b-quiet.com/products/b-quiet-ultimate-12sqft

- sheet aluminium

- DEI floor/tunnel shield

Heat?  Not an issue.  Noise?  Can't see that it made much difference.  The S1 is a one piece chassis and body.  It's one heck of a good noise chamber.  Doesn't help that the chassis is shaped like a tuning fork either.

[GavinT]

Ahh, thanks.
I’d forgotten the S1 had a fibreglass bulkhead, so that makes sense.
With the S2 beaverboard bulkhead there’s no really decent way to screw anything to it without using some large diameter washers on both sides . . bah.

I recall the interior light on my S2 used very spindly (1/8”?) screws that were about 2” long. Those are the only attachment for the carpet covered masonite trim board on the inside of the bulkhead. Pretty hopeless, really.

Noise? I think I’ve commented elsewhere that the S2, at least, is much quieter than an Elise, though that’s not much comfort, I guess.

I’m no sound engineer but I don’t see any obvious way to tame the noise in an S2 either, and I suspect it’s not much different from an S1.
I’ve contemplated sound deadener like that “B-Quiet” under the forward section of the engine cover lid, but it also seems likely there’s just too many holes.