Lotus Europa Race Car Collection

[Serge]

I have a load of text documents where I store every interesting thing I find in the knowledgebase about springs, engine, gearbox etc.

The GGLC has done similar things and you can find a bit of info on spring rates, with excellent explanation by Jay, right here:

http://gglotus.org/ggtech/europa-techinfo/lotuscht.htm#_Toc462883582


Kind regards,

Serge
http://sleurs-motorsport.com/

[StephenH]

Good idea Serge, next time I'm in Belgium I'll have to come and visit you, we have an office in Waterloo and I am over a few times per year.

Much of my car is still a voyage of discovery, so I will have to edit this as I work it out
1969 Lotus Europa S2 Type 54, road registered and competition use limited to short course hillclimbs and spints.
Being kept to a specification that is 'period' but not strictly conforming to the local Group S (Production Sports) category which means running with more highly modified or modern vehicles generally.

Displacement: 1596cc
Power: TBC built towards 160hp Gordini spec.
Torque: TBC
Weight: Not yet weighed, but is carrying full road equipment so probably heavy.
Height: approximately 8.5cm clearance
Tank Capacity: 27 litres
0 - 100 km/h / 0 - 62 mp/h: 6.62seconds (on previous engine)
Standing ¼ mile: 14.67seconds @ 150kph (on previous engine)
Max. Speed: North of 200kph
Rims: Minilite, front: 5.5x13", rear: 5.5x13"
Tyres: front: 185/60/13, rear: 185/60/13; Toyo Proxes R888
Brakes: front: disc, rear: disc

Modifications:
- aluminium radiator (competition spec)
- aluminium air ducting to the radiator
- rear disc conversion (Europa Engineering) with functional parking brake
- dual master cylinder brake system and dash adjustable brake balance
- master cylinders size: front: TBC, rear: TBC
- heater works.... probably too well, this is Australia, shut-off valve in engine bay
- interior trimmed in leather including dashboard
- OMP steering wheel
- drivers seat lowered and fixed in position
- 6 point harness
- roll over bar
- fire extinguisher
- battery isolator
- lightweight battery
- two 45 Weber DCOE twin-carburetors
- Europa Engineering exhaust headers, stainless steel muffler
- Renault 807 engine with crossflow-head
- Mecapart forged H beam type rods.
- Mecapart forged pistons (77.8mm).
- 43mm inlet valves
- 37mm exhaust valves
- 324deg camshaft
- oil catch-tank
- 5 speed gearbox (NG3) with LSD
- spare wheel carried in engine bay (rear boot removed)
- AVO adjustable dampers front and rear
- adjustable spring heights
- rose-jointed suspension
- braced suspension arms
- front stub axles upgraded to larger GT6 version

[Mecky]

Hi Stephen,

your displacement should be exactly 1589,105 cc () with your bore and the standard stroke. I'm looking forward to hearing about the effect of your front axle GT6 upgrade.

Best regards

Stefan

[andyl999]

[/img] Hi guys, here's my 72 TC prepared for racing in the HSCC 70's Roadsports here in the UK. So I don't know if I am welcome in a Renault engine forum?

[Grumblebuns]

 

I don't think we've fragmented ourselves between the S2s and the twinks yet. This is a forum for all Europas. More pictures and details on the race car please.

[andyl999]

Ok, please remember that this is an HSCC production racer and there is a strict limit to modifications, the work was all done by Dan Eagling at Lifetime Racing here in the UK.

The car has had a complete nut and bolt rebuild, the gearbox was 4 speed has now been replaced by a 5 speed NG3 unit (which sounds great until you see the ratios) the engine has been prepared with torque in mind and produces 155 bhp with the regulation 33mm chokes.  We are allowed to go up to 5 1/2J wide wheels. Although we did not try to save weight it has come out underweight (for my championship) at 667 Kgs (1470 ibs) so we have to carry ballast.

So here is the chassis which is a standard Lotus chassis, the galvanisation has been blasted off and it was powder coated:-



The body was cleaned up and surprisingly polished up well, so well we decided to leave it in it's original state, OK there are a few cracks and chips but scrubbed up well considering it has been in my garden under a tarpaulin for a few years, incidentally during the process of putting it on a trailer a Dorset mouse ran out, there were three nests discovered during the rebuild:-



More pictures to come later......................

[EuropaTC]

Hi Andy, 

All I can say is that if that's the original paintwork then it's amazing, I'd assumed it was a fresh respray going on the first shot you posted. I'm purely a road-going, non-racing owner but I'm always interested to find out what sort of improvements you guys do to improve the cars, so you've got a ready-made audience for whatever you can post up.

Brian

Edit to add:  I've just looked up the HSCC website over here and boy, have I been missing out....    for any other fan of 60s & 70s sports cars in the UK who has also let this pass them by, then go check out the series website.  Here's a starter....

http://www.hscc.org.uk/images/70sNewsletter_October_14.pdf

(page 6 has an interesting picture...   well done Andy)

[andyl999]

Thank you Brian, I had not seen that Newletter! There is also the 1st race I did at Brands Indy in Sept taken from a fellow competitors car, you may notice the fluffed gear-change at the start from 2nd to 3rd (give me a gear any bloody gear will do!), then my overtake at Paddock the next lap followed by an underpant-changing moment :0)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay43N9M9tHc

[andyl999]

OK the paintwork is good but not immaculate, it was good enough for a race car however.

Here is the new alloy rad:-



This was the new peddle box:-



Please note this is all taken at Lifetimes Racing workshop, I just provided the money :0)

Ongoing work on the dash:-



Please note all this work was done at Lifetime Racing's workshop, I just provided the money :0)

[BDA]

Great video, Andy!! I think you were doing pretty well to keep that Ferrari in sight for as long as you did. What was that red light on the left of your dash for?

Your car looks like it's going to be very nice. The pedals are interesting. Usually I see them mounted on top of the cross and in the front trunk.

I'd love to see more pictures as work progresses!

[andyl999]

BDA, sorry the video was from another competitor behind me, if you look at the start I was the white car further ahead on the RHS. The one with a gearbox full of neutrals at the start!

This was later in the race, you can see the car is actually finished and I am drip feeding the pictures:-



Regards Andy

PS the Ferrari was toast (for me) I was surprised how fast the Europa was in a straight line, I finally retook the Porsche 911 before the end and in a straight line out of clearways it could outdrag the Porsche down the pit straight

[BDA]

Geesh! I need to learn to read. You said that! Sorry.    Passing a 911 on the straight says a lot for your car!.

[andyl999]

BDA, the secret is in the weight (or power to weight along with a little aero help)?

[4129R]

Blimey, you were lucky to get away with that moment at Paddock Hill bend at the start of lap 2.

As you say, she is quick down the Brabham start finish straight.

The 308 takes a lousy racing line into Druids leaving the door wide open.

Please stick a Go Pro in yours so we can see you playing.

[BDA]

Certainly the weight helps. I think larger engines generally end up being faster. I've never raced or auto crossed my car but I would expect the Europa's biggest advantage would be in the corners and shorter braking distances. As I say, it seems like yours is pretty strong.