Hello from longtime BMW guy, Europa noob

[thehackmechanic]

Hi guys. I'm Rob Siegel. I've written the column "The Hack Mechanic" for BMW CCA Roundel magazine for 27 years, and have a new book out, "Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic" by Bentley Publishers. In the book, I mention always lusting after a Europa. Well, on Saturday morning I scratched a lifelong itch and pulled the trigger on my first Europa. It's a '74 TCS, 20k miles, has been in indoor storage since '79, so obviously it needs everything. A good friend who has an Elan did the purchase for me (the car is in Chicago; I'm in Boston). I'll have it trucked out my way sometime this month.

My friend who checked out the car looked in the cylinders with a boroscope and says it looks like piston #1 is seized.

I'm neither a purist nor someone who is looking to turn the car into a rocket. I'm just a practical guy who doesn't want to turn a $6k purchase into a $20k purchase (yeah well like that isn't going to happen anyway but you know what I mean). I'm aware of the Zetec conversion, and am delighted by how cheap the engines seem to be, but it seems like you pay for it in all the required adaptation.

I've rebuilt BMW 2002 and air-cooled VW engines. Is a reasonable approach to pull out the engine, tear it down, and if I can get the seized piston out of the block, then rebuild it, but if I can't, then maybe look at the Zetec route?

Thank.

--Rob Siegel

[LotusJoe]

Hi Rob,
  You could try a simple trick; and that is pour some Coca Cola in the cylinders and see if the engine frees up and then diagnose the condition of the engine. You never know you might get lucky. With regards to a rebuild, the engine is straight forward and any good engine shop should be able to do the work. It's just a matter of money. In my case the TC engine was in need of a rebuild. At the time the cost was about $4,000.00. That is when I started exploring the Zetec option. The second generation Zetec was my choice because it required the least amount of modifications. It is a direct bolt up the the existing transaxle. So for about two thirds the cost of a rebuild I got a new engine and a new transaxle. I have a set of jigs for making motor mounts for that generation engine if you decide to go that route. Obviously the parts for the Zetec are considerably cheaper as Ford made many millions of the engine.



On another note, my first car was a '63 Rambler Classic 660. A lot of good memories at the drive-in in the '70 with that car. If I had the opportunity to get another, I would do it.

And the BMW deuce is, in my opinion is one of the best race cars ever. My beast will be at Button Willow on the 21st for yet another weekend of racing.

[cal44]

Rob..........welcome.  Without question, Lotus is a learning experience.  Sometimes I scratch my head thinking......what were they thinking?  It's like you need to get into the mind of these guys that designed and built the car.

Wait until you do the front springs as an example. 

As for the engine.....that is a good question.  Per Joe's pictures you can see what can be done.

Ford makes new Lotus blocks so that isn't a problem if you stay close to stock.  New heads are made as well in the U.K.

These guys are hot on Europa's and have some nice stuff to spend your money on.  http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/index.ph

Out,
mike

[Bainford]

  Prior to reading this post, I welcomed you at your previous post, where I also encouraged you to get a Europa. Well, now I see that you have done exactly that. Welcome to the club, Rob. Your Europa looks very much like mine. And so the journey begins...
Cheers

[thehackmechanic]

Yes, thanks, I actually noticed that from your pic while looking through messages. Of course, yours runs!

I had a 911SC that was brown ("Rosewood"). It was a love-it-or-hate-it color. I loved it. I saw the photos of this Europa, saw that the color was similar, saw the sat-inside mileage, and those things, combined with the informal PPI from my friend who owns an Elan, made me think "you're either going to buy this one, or you're going to shut the f**k up about how you always wanted a Europa."

Just pulled the trigger on shipping. Intercitylines, a family-owned business who moves Jay Leno's cars, gave me a $1200 covered door-to-door quote from Chicago to Boston. No brokers, no unknown drivers, no unloading and loading at shipping ports. Done.

A friend asked me what I'm going to do first when it arrives. I said "open a beer, sit in the garage, and look at it for 90 minutes, and think 'this is so cool.' " If you don't do that, you've bought the wrong car.

--Rob

[Chuck Nukem]

^That is the absolute truth. The next 90 minutes is spent sitting inside making race car noises...at least that's what I did.

[Bainford]

^That is the absolute truth. The next 90 minutes is spent sitting inside making race car noises...at least that's what I did.

True that, but be careful of those race car noises... the windscreen is very close to your face and race car noises tend to mess it up 

[cal44]

Good move Rob on Intercity.  I've used them on the last seven cars..........top notch customer service.
Race car noises...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0djd5iGjDC0

[thehackmechanic]

Funny, I didn't know anything about Intercitylines. Found 'em with a google search along with many other companies I asked for quotes. Didn't particularly care that they hauled Leno's cars or not. But it was cool that they were local to Massachusetts, and they gave me an excellent quote ($1195, door to door, Chicago to Boston). Then I searched for them on BMW sites. Found a few hits, all positive. But then I checked on Pelican, and MANY Porsche guys use them and love them. Then I watched the video on their web site that Leno narrates, talking about the air ride in their trucks. I sometimes drive a pickup towing a 32' trailer for work, and I know that stuff inside gets beat to crap from the pounding. I thought... 40 year old car... fiberglass body... hasn't been on the road since '79.... yeah this is totally the right thing to do.

[Chuck Nukem]

^That is the absolute truth. The next 90 minutes is spent sitting inside making race car noises...at least that's what I did.

True that, but be careful of those race car noises... the windscreen is very close to your face and race car noises tend to mess it up 

Still looking for my windscreen...

[LotusJoe]

Rob, I see on that "other forum" that your car was delivered. 
Post some pictures, lets see what she looks like.

[thehackmechanic]

As a noob, I'm not sure what the etiquette of cross-posting every post is. I'm actually in the garage right now, disconnecting the engine to prepare to pull it, and dealing with those f@$king 13mm exhaust nuts, two of which you can't get a straight shot at.

[LotusJoe]

I'm not sure if there is a proper etiquette for cross posting on forums  . I post on both quite often. The reality is the Yahoo group is much larger and there is a lot more chatter over there. This forum is was a year old in June, so we are still trying to get the word out there. I've been a member on the Yahoo group since 1999.

Pictures of the tear down would be great.

[thehackmechanic]

As I'd said, I bought the car sight-unseen. A friend who has an Elan looked at it for me in Chicago. When it arrived, I was a bit disappointed, as the "patina" on the paint is much more extensive than I'd thought, and the engine cover is cracked. But I'm warming to the car. The interior is excellent. Yes, it does have the crossover tubes on the engine, but I pulled them to look at the valve train, which to my delight looks clean and shiny. In the last pic you'll see the red puddle that formed under the car once I'd dropped the exhaust. I thought "what the hell... is it transaxle fluid? Did I break something?" Then I realized it's the Marvel Mystery Oil some PO had poured into #1 to try to free it up.

 As you can see from the shot of the crystallized antifreeze in the thermostat hose, even the seized engine notwithstanding, it' going to need a good basic going through to coax it from its 34 year slumber.

I should get the engine out today, then I'll pull the head and the pan and see what's what in terms of seizure.

[EuropaTC]

I think I'd be quite happy with that car Rob (assuming I hadn't paid concurs  prices for it ).  It looks an honest car in the sense that it's not been messed about with. Ok, it's rough in places but I'd be extremely surprised to find a 1970s Lotus in it's original paint that wouldn't benefit from a respray for example. I know they exist, but you guys have some decent sunshine over there and it takes it's toll on English paint.

I'll look forward to the renovation stages as you discover more about it.....

Brian