Europa S2 540936 in Sweden

[lahi]

She’s surely going to be a beauty!

Manager for the engine development at Koenigsegg! Your Renault motor is certainly in another world from what you had been working with!

I really hope so It feels good to be on it again and getting some results.

It has happened quite a lot in engine development since the Renault engine was built  It's night and day comparing the Renault engine to the Gemera engine with Freevalve technology  But some times simple stuff is better. I still appreciate old school carburetted engine a lot. Not really a fan of new cars 

[BDA]

I was not aware of the weakness at the A pillar when I built my car so I have a small crack in the paint near where the pillar joins the roof above the door. You can easily strengthen that corner with some fiberglass cloth or glassing in a piece of aluminum or SS without it showing. If you want to be double dog sure, you could also strengthen the entire ‘Y’ shaped area.

[Nockenwelle]

Lovely work . I enjoy seeing an Europa being restored to original spec, this is pretty rare.
Can you please give the details of the Solex carburetor service kit? I might need one too.

[lahi]

Lovely work . I enjoy seeing an Europa being restored to original spec, this is pretty rare.
Can you please give the details of the Solex carburetor service kit? I might need one too.

Thanks  Most Europas I have seen has been more or less modified but this one will not. I will of course also use the steel wheels with chrome hub caps.


The carburetor repair kit was this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293384365894?epid=6012350802&hash=item444f122746:g:33YAAOSwQvhd-56M&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoMoDy%2BaElqFYzdul5WEGR9KKlRuT9Kg8efcAS2qW352d0V7xjn2GApmVpmfCVMc0LKDWf2oPrb2SO3EAWJEQVEKHT%2FacwWKo0NduKkcGgSu1Hz9BN%2Bbmv%2BysFYVddxp0pGmFzgjmr32HWfj0ZQCbBqqiUy85JJETjq8rirptIaySI%2BV8M4IzthjTMloXHjuj3AIGaI9q8%2BJKzVzHXTniZDE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7Dj_8PaYA

For old BMWs. Note that this kit is for the DIDTA and not DIDSA-2 but most parts seem to be the same. I even got the big diaphragm. Seems to be the correct size too but I have a vague memory that I need to rebuild it slightly somehow. Just can't remember now but I can have a look. Something about the fitting of the actuator rod. That diaphragm has been a pain to find... Seems like Opel also used the DIDTA carburetor for Manta, Rekord etc. and they also use the vacuum assisted actuator so finally parts has been a bit easier to find now that I know what so search for.

[lahi]

I was not aware of the weakness at the A pillar when I built my car so I have a small crack in the paint near where the pillar joins the roof above the door. You can easily strengthen that corner with some fiberglass cloth or glassing in a piece of aluminum or SS without it showing. If you want to be double dog sure, you could also strengthen the entire ‘Y’ shaped area.

Thanks! I had a look last evening and after peeling off some of the headliner I could see what you mean. Twisting the a-pillar resulted in a lot of movement in that joint. I will certainly fix that. Thanks for the tip!

[jbcollier]

If you are going with the stock steel wheels, don’t forget the trim rings.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-lotus-europa-13/

[lahi]

If you are going with the stock steel wheels, don’t forget the trim rings.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-lotus-europa-13/

I don't have them but perhaps I might find some  I'm a bit confused though. I have seen old pictures of Europas from when they were new. Some cars have the trim rings and some don't. Was that a factory option? Or did they just forget to put them on some cars? 

[jbcollier]

Hard to say.  The earliest photos (mostly prototypes) have steel wheels without hub caps.  Most shots of production cars show both hubcaps and trim rings.  My late S1 had both.

[Nockenwelle]

Hi Lahi,

thanks for the link to the Solex kit, I'll have a look at it.
Concerning the wheel trim it seems to be a kind of an option at the time. There are period photos showing new cars with and without that trim.
As a side note the metal clamps that are used to fix the trim inside the wheel tend to scratch the paint work.

Klaus

[lahi]

Thanks! Seems like the trim rings were optional but difficult to know for sure...
The pictures from the magazine below is from when a Swedish car magazine had a competition where you could win a Europa. The same car that's in the magazine and that magazine is from 1970.

The other picture seems to show an early S2 but that might be the prototype?

This is almost as difficult as finding out about the mirrors  Did they have mirrors on the doors, mirrors on the fenders, one mirror, two mirrors, any mirror at all 

[lahi]

Another question. What was the original insulation/sound deadener mounted on the firewall on the engine bay side? I have seen the aluminium covered insulation (and also had that on my car) but what did the S2 -68 have from factory?

[jbcollier]

What is an option and what is standard depends on where the car was sold.  Cars sold into North America came with trim rings for example.

Mirrors supplied were based on local regulations.  Promotional photos for the S1 and S2 often had no mirrors at all.







Here's a photo from a Car & Driver article on an early S1:



Here the US distributor has fitted a round Talbot type "racing mirror.

[jbcollier]

Stock firewall "insulation" was a glued-on, horse-hair mat.

[lahi]

What is an option and what is standard depends on where the car was sold.  Cars sold into North America came with trim rings for example.

Mirrors supplied were based on local regulations.  Promotional photos for the S1 and S2 often had no mirrors at all.


Here's a photo from a Car & Driver article on an early S1:

Here the US distributor has fitted a round Talbot type "racing mirror.

Thanks! Ok, so it's not a Yes and No question  Depending on market. I did email Andy Graham at Lotus Cars to see if he, or someone he knows, can tell me about the cars for the Swedish market where I am. About the mirrors and trim rings. If he answers I'll let you know.

[lahi]

Stock firewall "insulation" was a glued-on, horse-hair mat.

Do you know what color? I might have contacts when it comes to stuff like that.