1973 TCS on BaT

[Dreamer]

Another never driver. Own a car for 22 years and drive it an average of 90 miles per year. The list of repairs wouldn’t be so long because many of the problems are due to it just sitting. As in other ads images do not show brake boosters. However, BaT says “Power-Assisted Front Disc Brakes.” BaT seems to just reuse old ad material without knowing the difference. Also, this car is missing the closing plate?

[BDA]

I don't know what it is about closing plates that people don't use them! They're there for at least a couple of reasons.

Besides the mystery of the brake boosters, I'm curious about the silver knob next to the headlight switch.

It looks like a pretty nice car. Assuming there is no funny business (i.e. deleting the boosters - did the master cylinder get replaced with a proper sized one? or are the boosters hidden?), I think it's one of the better Europas that's been offered on BaT.

[Dreamer]

Bought out of a barn in 2002, restored in stages over 11 years, missing info, photos and parts all are red flags to me.
Re commissioning a car (several times) so you can drive it is not the same as restoring and maintaining it. The body and chassis have not been apart. Some might think that's a good thing given the mileage, if it is accurate. However, even in the Deep South, rust never sleeps. So how is the front “T” section of the chassis? I bet it still has the original stub axles and bearings. You want to drive this car at 70-80 MPH or do the Dragon in anger as is?
Where is the I.D. plate that should be in the front boot? Why did one side marker rubber seal get painted white? And yes! Why do people not replace the closing plate?
Don’t get me wrong, this car has some redeeming qualities and we would be very much interested if the price is right. However, I think more people will see this as a hop in and go car and will over bid not realizing what they are in for. Also, the seller will likely have a higher than expected reserve.
I may not like how he went about it but I applaud his cage to protect the shifter. The catch boxes under the rear deck vents are not required and I dislike that he drilled holes for the screws to mount them.

[BDA]

Well, you bring up some good points. If I were in the market, I would look over the description and pictures more carefully. Your post encouraged me to take a deeper look (though still not as deeply were I in the market). Without going through every point you raised or the ones I noticed in my closer look, I agree there are some things that a prospective owner should consider in his bid and some that a new owner should take care off soon. So a bit of its luster is gone for me but a whole lot.

Speaking mentioning the poor description and I got caught with it when I posted that it didn't have the Cosmic wheels it said it had but reading closer, I saw that it also said it had Brand Lotus wheels! For that and other reasons, the description definitely needs work! More and better pictures would help a lot too!

[Vegantune]

99% chance the silver knob next to the headlight switch is a cigarette lighter. A bit ironic since there is no ashtray....

[s2europa]

In addition to the already mentioned items...

Not sure I like the screws holding the rear deck screens on. I realize the screens can fall down, but they could be fastened without drilling hoes in the rear lid.

There is also something off about the stance of the car. Too high in the front and maybe in the rear, makes it look like it ready for off-roading.

We'll see how the general public votes with their $.

[BDA]

It's worse than that. I think those screws are to hold those boxes that are under the grilles in the engine cover. I have no idea what they are there for...

[BDA]

99% chance the silver knob next to the headlight switch is a cigarette lighter. A bit ironic since there is no ashtray....

I just saw that the seller posted that it is indeed a cigarette lighter. I find that really disappointing. I don't smoke but even if I did, I don't think it would be time to smoke a cigarette while you drive a sports car and even more than that, as you say, it doesn't have an ashtray!!!!

[TurboFource]

It could be used as a power source for GPS, phone charger etc

[BDA]

Good point.

[Dreamer]

As I suspected those catch boxes are for rain water. (Probably angled with an opening at one end.) I too think the screws are to hold them in place. As I stated before, those boxes are not needed. In fact they may cause more problems by blocking too much air flow.
Back in the day some people smoked everywhere. So the lighter may have been period addition. Or, may have be done later to accommodate a GPS. However, I agree that it’s a shame it’s there. I have a pair of ‘90’s vintage plugs that will take those old lighter connectors tucked up under the dash on the passenger side of my Caterham. Out of sight but easy to get to. I have two USB adaptors that fit those.
Yes, the whole car is sitting too high.
I must sound terrible pointing out every little fault and I will apologize if it’s a bit much. I try to be less objectionable when I post in the auction comments. But for f*#@s sake why do people not do a little research before they put an ad together? See what other, successful sellers have done. At the very least, proof read the BaT copy before it goes live.
And what’s with these one bid wonders? Do they get points for bidding on the most auctions? Does BaT give ‘em a kick back? Even those who bid multiple times but never go over ¼ of the vehicles value. I just don’t get it…

[Sparkrite]

I doesn't seem too high in the front to me as the sill is nicely horizontal, maybe too high overall but I've no idea about that.

[BDA]

I'm a bit embarrassed that I didn't figure out the cigarette lighter since I have one! Actually I have a two lighter socket plastic unit that I think I bought on fleabay. I used badge tape to tape it to the bottom of the heater on the passenger side. One lighter socket is used for to USB outlets that come out at the console cover and the other lighter socket is intended for a possible power source like a tire inflator (the second part of my "spare tire"). I guess what threw me is that he drilled a hole in his dash for it so you better like it because you're pretty much stuck with it.

The "rain traps" as the seller calls them are not only not needed but you're left with those ugly screw heads showing. There is a lot of air that would normally flow up and out of those grilles. I don't know if there is any danger from them being covered up. Taking them out would be easy but then you have to fill the holes. A real PIA.

[Bainford]

I have a cigar lighter power-port in my Europa as well. Mine is down inside the frame, accessed through the hole under the armrest. I borrowed a GPS for my LOG 33 road trip and needed a port to power it, but haven't used it since.

As for the rain-catch boxes, this is definitely a bit of short-sightedness. Those vents in the engine cover are a carefully tuned aerodynamic feature. They are sufficiently effective that when the sail panels of the S2 were cut down to create the Twin Cam body work, the shape and location of the vents was also altered to work with the dynamics of the revised bodywork. If they mean enough for Lotus to go to the trouble to tune them, then adding the boxes must do the car a dis-service.

The shift linkage protection at the back of the car is probably a great idea, though the execution is rather ugly and poorly fabricated. Since seeing this auction, I have given some thought on how I would build a better looking solution, though anything I came up with was still rather ugly

[GavinT]

As I suspected those catch boxes are for rain water. (Probably angled with an opening at one end.) I too think the screws are to hold them in place. As I stated before, those boxes are not needed. In fact they may cause more problems by blocking too much air flow.

When my S2 was on the road, rain entered through the vents and ruined the paper air filters on the DCOE's.
I later built an air box but rain still fell on the mild steel (painted) exhaust on the other side.
A lot of people don't take their car out in the rain, so perhaps it doesn't matter to them.

As far as I can see, there isn't all that much air flow out of those vents. My data point for this is that a leaf sitting on a vent won't blow off until you get to about 30MPH or something like that.

That said, the BaT ones look to be made of steel with perhaps an opening at the front. I personally wouldn't be drilling holes in the deck to mount them but an S2 already has screws to mount the vent screens, so that'd be the obvious choice.

So, I reckon some lighter and more attractive rain deflectors could do the job adequately. They could be left open on all sides with a small lip to guide the rain water. After all, we're not looking to control Niagara falls.

I must sound terrible pointing out every little fault and I will apologize if it’s a bit much.

All good with me.