Hello! 47 bodied project.

[EuropaTC]

The Europa hubs are the same as the 2 seat Elan front hubs with bolt on wheels, all Herald/early Spitfire. The knock on hubs are larger bearings & stub axle, same as the +2 Elan and GT6. I'm not sure how that'll help you though, I suspect what you have will either be custom or Ford stuff.

I would assume from the comments on the Spyder page that the upper and lower ball joints will be the same as the Europa top joints, usual Triumph Herald,etc.

Looking back through the thread, it now strikes me that the guy has bought a Spyder chassis and started to buy their running gear before losing interest or too much cash, and given up. I'd agree that basic engineering stuff (bearings, TRE, etc) will be cheaper elsewhere, but the easiest way of getting it mobile will be to talk with Spyder and pay up with a smile for their bespoke parts.

Brian

ps  Incidentally I have Spyder front wishbones & bottom links on my car, they've been there for years and even now still look very solid.

[StrawberryCheesecake]

Bearings should be fairly easy once you have the outer dimensions from the hub upright, and the inner from the stub axles / drive flanges - just a case of measuring carefully. I've used simplybearings.co.uk in the past for bearings and seals on VWs that were 'no longer available' from the usual sources. Cheap, quick delivery and good quality brand bearings available. I have a mate who has Heralds, a Vitesse and GT6, so I'll see if he's got any spares kicking around that I can measure up.

[StrawberryCheesecake]

I received an unexpected present from the tax-man this weekend - in the form of a rebate cheque -so I'm going to start buying the parts I need to get the Europa chassis rolling.

The list looks something like

Dampers and springs x 4
Stub axles, drive flanges and bearings (to fit the Spyder uprights)
Ball joints
Set of ford wheels and tyres to get it rolling (I'm going to go for the Ford PCD option.
I'll probably find some other bushes and bits I'm missing

I have a couple of questions.

What are people's experiences of dealing with Spyder and Banks? I hear lots of good feedback about Richard at Banks, but very little about Spyder. Any pros and cons?

Has anyone got a pile of bits in their garage from a stalled project maybe, or kept as spares, that they want to to part with? I'm UK based, so UK / EU based would be best, to avoid import duty and long shipping times

[EuropaTC]

Richard is a great guy to deal with but you really need to call him rather than email to discuss any options you're thinking about.

Spyder I don't know about. In the period when I bought my bits from them they were excellent and AFAIK it is the same people there, but I've no recent experience of dealing with them. I've also bought parts in the last year or so from SJS and Kelvedon (Elan), both of whom gave me great service.  My dampers and springs were from SJS, if you call them they'll get any rating & free length you want to suit the ride/wheel frequency you're aiming for.

Brian

[StrawberryCheesecake]

Hi Brian

Thanks - I might drop into Southport on my way back from Scotland at the end of the month. I was looking at the AVO suspension kit that Banks sell. Seems like a reasonable place to start when I need the whole lot.

Can anyone comment on the quality and suitability of the AVO kit for road and occasional track use?

[4129R]

If you drop in at Banks, tell him what bits you want long before you go, as sometimes he has to make them, or order them in. His stock on the premises is limited to normal things.

[BDA]

Can anyone comment on the quality and suitability of the AVO kit for road and occasional track use?

I've bought a fair amount from Richard and I can say that everything he makes is of excellent quality. If he has or makes what you want, quality is your last worry. I didn't get the AVO kit you mentioned so I can't comment on what it might or might not be suitable for. As Brian says, you have to either call him or visit him - he doesn't do email at all. He can answer any question you have, believe me. I don't think anybody anywhere knows more about Europas and what you can do with them then Richard!

[StrawberryCheesecake]

Thanks for the tips. Has anyone bought anything other than a chassis from Spyder?

[StrawberryCheesecake]

Spoke to Richard at Banks today. I think I'll be doing a lot of business with him in the future!

No mention of retirement, btw

[BDA]

Glad to hear he's not talking about retiring and I'm sure you'll be glad to be doing business with him.