New Guy From Maryland with Pictures and Questions

[ivygreen]

Hi guys.  My name is Chris and I'm a life-long car freak.  I mess primarily with Fords and Porsches, but I've loved the Europa since I first saw one in 1970.  I've been contemplating buying one for years, but my wife HATES them.  In fairness, you either get them...or you don't.  I've finally decided to start looking for a good project.  I definitely want a project, not a finished car.  I like to take things apart and see what makes them tick and I tend like the earliest iteration of cars, even if that means accepting warts that are later changed or improved upon.  I like spartan sportscars. I also like complete originality, which leads me to my question(s).  Are there resources to determine the correct finishes of components/nuts/bolts/etc so I can get the details exactly right?  When doing a Mustang or Porsche, that information is readily available.  How about for the Europa?

I guess that's plenty long of an introduction.  Here are some of my past/current projects.  I still own these except for the Mach 1 and the Midget...

[LotusJoe]

 
Since your a Ford guy I would recommend the later models, twin cam  or twin cam special. Both use the Lotus twin cam engine. Or you could always replace the engine with the Ford Zetec engine. That's what I did, replaced the Lotus twin cam with the Ford twin cam at a fraction of the cost for the engine. More horse power, less leaks. There is a lot of information on the cars.




Or the Cosworth works nicely as well

[BDA]

 

Joe thinks like I do, but it sounds like you'd prefer an S1 or S2. S1s are rare and because the frame was glassed into the body, they have to be cut out to repair or replace. I know S2 replacement frames are available but I'm not sure if that can be said for the S1 (they may even be the interchangeable). As you might expect, the S1 is the more spartan of the two. This includes windows that pop out rather than actually open.

I think most of the parts are available or can be restored. The paint codes are known and I believe they can be reproduced. There is nothing special about the nuts and bolts (other than the nuts are full height nyloc were possible. I believe most of the bolts were SAE grade nothing though there may have been some grade 5 - it's been a LONG time since I used the Lotus bolts. There are several parts that are shared with other British cars such as lamps, bumpers, door handles, etc. The engines and transaxles are from Renault. People usually seem to be able to get them but I think some of the later transaxles were only produced for a couple of years so parts are very rare. The gauges are Smiths so if you have the original gauges, they can be restored. If you don't, they can be silkscreened to match the original.

There are likely some parts that you will just have to accept a substitute and because there weren't that many Europas made, there may not be a source for a genuine replacement. I'm thinking this might be the case for some of the interior parts like switches, cables (with the proper knobs) or possibly radiator and/or fan motors.

Another thing you'll find is that the factory didn't always keep the detailed information you have probably come to enjoy from Ford and Porsche. I think you'll also find that many owners view their cars somewhat as a blank canvas to make the car the way they feel it should or could be made. There are probably more who appreciate strict authenticity than I would guess but I still think they are less common than the modifiers. At the annual meets (LOGs - LOG35 will be in Colorado Springs next year) they will have a concours where originality counts so there are a significant number of them and they are appreciated.

Besides this forum, you should join the Lotus Ltd. and the lotuseuropa yahoo group as there are a knowledgeable people there, too. Some websites you might find interesting:

Parts suppliers
---------------
http://www.rdent.com/
http://www.davebean.com/
http://www.jaeparts.com/
http://www.sportscarworld-lotus.com/

Information
------------
http://lotus-europa.com/
http://lotus-europa2.com/ekb.html
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/

Lotus Ltd.
-----------
http://lotuscarclub.org/

Good luck and if you find a project, you better post some pictures of what you're doing!! 

[ivygreen]

Thanks so much for the responses so far. Please, keep them coming.  Couple more questions - I'm sort of leaning toward the S2.  I actually like the bread van look of the original body and the ability to simply unbolt the body from the frame. Of course, that would preclude me from using a twin cam and still be "correct."  Since I'm allergic to Renault and the idea of the added horsepower does appeal to me - 1) Would the addition of the twin cam motor enhance or detract from the car's value? 2) Is there a decent source for Ztecs or are they difficult to hunt down?  and 3) Once located, are they a bolt in deal or is fabrication required? 

I currently have a line on an S2 with a non-running Renault and a 4-speed. 

[BDA]

If you go down the twin cam or Ztec route, you'll obviously not be original and modifications will be required.

John can tell you more about the Ztec, but from my standpoint, it is a nice alternative. You can get a Ztec crate motor and their not that expensive. It will require changes to the frame and the way it mounts, the mount to the bell housing, as well as grafting in the modern electronics into the original wiring loom unless you make a new wiring harness. You can get away from a lot of the electrical work if you use carbs like Webers, but that is another complication.There are several people like John who have done it and can help you with it.

The twin cam would probably be easier since you don't have the electrical changes but there will likely be some changes to mount the engine to the frame. I don't think the bell housing would be an issue, but I'm not positive. I don't think the twin cam conversion in an S2 is very common. In fact I haven't heard of one.

As for the value, it would be hard to tell. If you're closer to stock, you can make some comparisons but if you do engine swaps, the buyer has to on board with that. The Ztec may be good there too since it's a modern engine and if you need engine parts, they are available at your Ford dealer. The twin cam motor might be more expensive unless you can find a good used one. Even then, I don't know the market for good used twin cams.

The transaxles are pretty durable and usually, these cars have low miles anyway so it's likely in decent shape.

Swapping engines gives you the opportunity to get very creative. You might like that!

[EuropaTC]

Hi Chris and 

First thing - love the Porsche, even the photo is in the "right" setting. I've never even sat in one of those but they look so right for their period.

Ok, another 2 cent's worth on your last question "would an engine swap add or detract from the car ?".  Personal views here, but if I were looking for another car I would look very, very hard at any drivetrain modifications.  Don't kid yourself, any move away from standard is going to need significant engineering skills and I'm not talking about just welding up brackets or making sure it's all in a straight line.  Weight distribution ? suspension rates ? brakes ? Lotus cars are all about bendy roads and you don't want to spoil that aspect.

Mods like Joe and a few others are doing are reasonably well documented (on the Yahoo groups for example) and there are others using Vauxhall & Toyota so you're not trail blazing on your own to sort out issues.  In the UK there's Banks Engineering who have produced some stunning cars with modern drivetrains, but the force behind that company is a lifelong enthusiast with a sound engineering background. Have a browse around his website http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/welcome.htm and you'll even find one using a Brabus engine from a Smart car.

My personal view is that if the project car is a shell, then it's open field and you do whatever you want to; getting a car on the road that brings you pleasure even it it has the "wrong" drivetrain is better than a car that's crushed & lost forever.   

But be aware it's more than likely you will never sell it on and cover your costs unless you do everything from scratch and don't count your labor.  Even then I would think it's a close call.  To me that's no problem as I never try to "justify" or run a financial ruler over such things because my toys are exempt from all common sense,  but if you have a significant other who thinks otherwise.......

If your project car is mostly complete then I'd restore what's there, even the Renault engine. It will be the quickest way to a roadworthy car and after you've driven it as originally designed then is the time to decide what needs changing to suit your driving style or modern conditions.  You'll appreciate the modifications and have a long term hobby making the changes. 

But looking at your original post -  "what about nuts & bolts, detailed specifications, originality" then I think you have your answer....  you need an S1 or more likely an S2 project to restore as original and leave the "wow, that pulls well" for the US side of your garage.....   

Brian