By POPULAR demand

[ron parola]

Due to an OVERWHELMING demand, well somebody asked for some pix, as promised photos as of Saturday, since then doors cut off, interior out, wheelboxes and spritzers out and even less red paint. As I'm OLD and enfeebled I didn't get the doors stripped nor the door jambs stripped. Cutting the hinge pins worked out easier than I had feared; I drilled through the pins via the speaker hole to separate top from bottom to see which end was seized ( both bottoms) cut the pins via hack saw blade then drilled through the pin farther up to be able to pull it down and out of the top bush. Only took about 1/2 hour for left side and around 45 min for right; arm tired and am right handed, not as good an angle. And you can see, the crazing in the gell coat and glass particularly around and in the left headlamp, TS area, rats.   While pulling doors off I noticed the rivets along the base of the rocker panel where it attaches to the floor pan are mostly loose, but the screw are still tight; does anybody have any theory why (1) they are riveted and screwed, not just all rivets and (2) any reason not to glue and rerivet panel? Also I don't know IF I've caused another problem but soaking hinge now has oil bleeding through panels, how to dry THAT out.  AND food for thought; I've always HATED the relay box for the turn signals, my 56 TF had one, has anyone made or even thought of making a solid state one?  Well can't use THOSE pix ALL too big I'll try again with my camera, her is TOO complicated!!! rp

[BDA]

Congratulations on getting your hinge pins out so easily! The really don't look so bad (from your picture on your other post) now that they're out but they are something you should replace.

I don't see any reason not to glue and re-rivet that strip under the doors. I've never heard of anyone splitting that! I have no idea why screws were used. I honestly didn't look at mine that closely.

Oil is bleeding through the fiberglass! Yikes! You could try cleaning it up with Acetone. Other than that, you stumped me.

It would not surprise me that someone created a solid state replacement for that relay box (it does a lot more than turn signals). Somebody here might have some ideas (I have no confidence in my ability to work with anything with a wire connected to it). You might also check with the lotuseuropa yahoo group. You should be a member of that if you own a Europa.

[RoddyMac]

If the relay box is the same as your old TF, there is a write up online that uses two Double Pole Double Throw relays that when wired correctly will work the same as the relax box.  Its not a solid state set up, but it does use more modern off the shelf components. 

[jbcollier]

... or switch to euro tail lights.

[EuropaTC]

Well done with the doors, I'm sure it took me longer than that. Now they're off they will be easier to work on whilst you're deciding what sort of hinge pins to use as replacements.

The riveted sills/floorpan is something I've been doing myself this week. I found on mine that they were mostly aluminium rivets except for where the seat belt mounting plates were fitted (other forum thread) and they had 2 small bolts in. That makes sense because the mounting plates are held against the inner fibreglass and extend down to that riveted panel as well. I'm going to replace mine, plus any dodgy rivets that I find, with small allen key domed stainless bolts. If it looks ok and I can get access easily to both sides then I'll go along the whole line with them, the other rivets are looking crusty.

Brian