Hello....and Introduction?

[Bryan Boyle]

Hi...Bryan here.  Do I REALLY need to introduce myself?  LOL.  Thanks for activating my account, Joe.

Anyway, moderate the Fakebook Lotus Europa group, was part of the team that digitized all the manuals in '07 that were originally kept on Jerry Johnson's site (and echoed on mine and copied and sold by unscrupulous EBayers for tens of dollars...not realizing there are Easter Eggs in there..), and have been a Europa guy since I saw my first one in my buddy's dad's garage (a blue 74 tcs!) in 1975. 

Anyway, along the way...have owned 444R (you always remember your first...IIRC, Peter Blackford has her, I think still on the road), 0004R (broken up for parts), 65/2163 (sold so could buy a Jaaaag XJ8), 65/2678 (broken up for parts), 693R, which is the subject of a painfully long restoration journal on my website and was sold in 2019 so I could (stupidly) buy a restored MGB (POJunk). 

Got rid of the B.  Don't see the fascination, other than you can get most parts readily...but compared to the Lotus (any of them)?  Nah.

So...have adopted a 74 TCS, 3291R, ostensibly with JPS #142 badge on the dash, a cert from Andy Graham testifying to same, the original Lotus East documents, and a thick binder of service orders stretching back to the first 500 mile service detailing a car that was, sometimes, ridden hard and put away wet, and others was a garage queen.  Not an uncommon story, right?

There should be a 12-step program for Lotus ownership.  Hi, my name is Bryan, and I'm a Lotus nut. 

Supposed to be delivered this afternoon.  Want to publicly thank the previous caretaker...who put a whole 21 miles on the car since he bought it in '19.  Needs a bit of fettling...brakes are wonky...that complex TCS boosted system will be simplified back to the S2 formula...carbs are sadly unresponsive...can get it to idle, but step on the accelerator and it just bogs down, perhaps update the distributor and coil to a pertronix rig, and then worry about the interior.  That should keep me busy for a while.  Been a while since I got my fingernails grimy.

[Kendo]

Welcome back, BD Boyle! I remember you from several Lotus lists. Good luck with your new obsession.

[Tom999w]

I've never owned an MGB but I will say that the 1979 MG Midget was the most fun car I've ever had. That car also got more admirers than any of my snob cars too (Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, etc.)...

[BDA]

  Bryan Boyle!! It’s great to have another certified nut!  And thank you for your previous service!

Your baby looks great and I’m sure we’d all like to see more pictures of her and your progress!

[Bryan Boyle]

Just a taste...here's my previous that I let go of (sadly).  1971 S2.  693R.

[dakazman]

        Bryan,

   I remember you from the Yahoo group and read many of your threads, so I guess am a bit of a fan.

      " Hi, my name is Bryan, and I'm a Lotus nut."   I'm Dave and also a Lotus nut. It definitely is an addicting car.

  Dakazman  (Sometimes Christine)
     

[Bryan Boyle]

Well...here she comes, in the traditional Lotus Position.

Pretty sure it will turn heads as it winds its way through Boston on the journey to Fall River.

[Lou Drozdowski]

Bryan...I was wondering when you would show up. Knew deep down that another Europa was in the cards for you. Glad also it's a TCS so we can compare notes.

Welcome to the community index, another seasoned veteran here will always add to the value of this site. Keep us posted on the progress to your JPS. ld

ps... remember chatting window fitment at Kyle's barn.

[Bryan Boyle]

Bryan...I was wondering when you would show up. Knew deep down that another Europa was in the cards for you. Glad also it's a TCS so we can compare notes.

Welcome to the community index, another seasoned veteran here will always add to the value of this site. Keep us posted on the progress to your JPS. ld

ps... remember chatting window fitment at Kyle's barn.

Wow...that goes back a few years! 

first few insights:
1. Car starts, runs badly.  Fluffing, spitting, minor backfiring.  Seems real rich.  No acceleration when you step on loud pedal. Have rebuild kits, will pick up some plugs and time her.  Dizzy had retard capsule removed in the 70s, may pull it out and make sure the advance is working and do the wires, cap, and rotor while I'm at it.  Start from known good bits rather than try and make do with what's been in there since who knows when.
2. Brakes.  What a complex, too-many-unions, system.  Pedal soft, PDWV lit, servos disconnected, but still connected inline.  Thinking stripping it all out, smaller bore master cylinder (Triumph Spitfire?) and return it to the S2 configuration which is simpler and less bits to cause issues.
3. Shift lever bushings.  The lever rotates a bit.   Have Steve's bronze replacements.  Fast, simple fix for that (after polishing the tang at the end to reduce friction a bit more...).  Bearing on the frame seems ok.  Can always get one from Ray, but again, it seems ok.

PO claimed that head gasket was bad, which was why he convinced himself to sell it.  Will do a leak down and compression check. Worst is that I have to pull the head, clean it up, and re-gasket properly.

So...not ready for the road, but that's not the point, right?  LOL.  Too bad Dave has retired...paint is tired.  But it adds to the patina.  Chrome bumpers polished right up, though.  No major pitting or discoloration.  So, there is that...

[cazman]

Byran,

I am new to the site and Europas. I also joined your FB Group. Glad to find much work around the web that you and others have made available. Since you mentioned the manuals, what is the best way to get one? I have a '73 TCS

[BDA]

If I could chime in, I would offer the manuals at lotus-europa-central (http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/ - Bryan, are those the manuals you digitized back in '07?). They are searchable which is nice. That page has a huge wealth of information there which would be useful to any Europa owner.

[Bryan Boyle]

Byran,

I am new to the site and Europas. I also joined your FB Group. Glad to find much work around the web that you and others have made available. Since you mentioned the manuals, what is the best way to get one? I have a '73 TCS

http://www.lotuseuropa.us/lotus-europa.com/manuals or
http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals

[Bryan Boyle]

If I could chime in, I would offer the manuals at lotus-europa-central (http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/ - Bryan, are those the manuals you digitized back in '07?). They are searchable which is nice. That page has a huge wealth of information there which would be useful to any Europa owner.

Same ones.  They're mirrored on my site from lotus-europa.com (which was Jerry Johnson's doing until Dan Morrison took it over...)

[cazman]

Thanks.

That 1st one - the .us did not work for me, but the second did.

[Kendo]

Bryan, in case you haven't run across them, the Yahoo group moved over to Groups.IO, https://groups.io/g/LotusEuropa