Author Topic: ...#0544R...  (Read 1976 times)

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Offline coldwarvet

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...#0544R...
« on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 01:22:56 PM »
...yet another.............S2...
...trash to treasure....but still...a work in progress...
...didn't realize at the time, this would turn out to be more of a resurrection than a restoration...and I just wanted a little run around car...
...this is my third...bought my first one in '70, second, a TC, in '71...purchased this about a year ago...they are a little harder to get in and out of than I remember...
« Last Edit: Wednesday,May 23, 2018, 11:22:39 AM by coldwarvet »

Offline BDA

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #1 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 04:13:56 PM »
 :Welcome: coldwarvet!!

You really have the bug! Keep us informed about the resurrection! We love pictures!  :)

Offline coldwarvet

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #2 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 05:14:16 PM »
...thanks...
...the first europa's i had were new and nearly new, and were my daily drivers during a time when i was constantly criss crossing the U.S. in the military...this one however, was so far gone that I have had to learn far more about them than I really wanted to...the result was, short of spending my life savings, doing kind of a tasteful light resto to provide a decent driver that still follows the basic idea Chapman had to begin with...I'll post some more pic's when it quits snowing...lol...

Offline dakazman

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #3 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 05:16:50 PM »
 :Welcome:

coldwarvet,

     Third one a charm they say... congrats.  Dont be a stranger , we love rebuildsand lots of pictures. 

Dakazman

Offline BDA

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #4 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 05:37:43 PM »
Dakazman is right.there are about a dozen body off buils going on on this forum! Somebody here should be able to answer any questions you're likely to have and even most of the ones you aren't likely to have!

Offline coldwarvet

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #5 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 06:06:20 PM »
...this is what I started with...and about 5 big boxes of parts, most of which were no good...

Offline BDA

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #6 on: Saturday,February 24, 2018, 07:04:18 PM »
The body looks pretty good!

I guess that means you'll end up with a really new car when you're done!

Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #7 on: Sunday,February 25, 2018, 04:03:49 AM »
 :Welcome:

Nice project! If your like me you will learn a lot about the car putting it back together. There is a forum member in Europe (Serge) who has made great videos on rebuilding a Europa with limited tools and budget. He is a real inspiration.

Great group of guys here. They are well informed with sage advice.

Offline SwiftDB4

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #8 on: Sunday,February 25, 2018, 08:28:17 AM »
Coldwarvet- great job on the restoration! The local Lotus club (Club Lotus Northwest) would love to see it. Please call me at 360-604-4310 or visit clnw.org for details on our club.
Dave Miller

Offline coldwarvet

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #9 on: Sunday,February 25, 2018, 10:36:29 AM »
...gee guys...thanks so much for the input...I have seen Serge's stuff on you tube...too bad I didn't see it sooner...he has some nice idea's on how to deal with the undealable...i.e....NLA stuff!...I have found over my many years of doing this kind of thing, that you can do almost ANYTHING if you have enough time and money to throw at it...I wouldn't go so far as to say the car is new, but everything on it has been rebuilt except the engine trans (not original engine), but I figured straight across pressures on all cylinders was a good thing...good oil pressure, etc. so, new head gasket & inspect the bores....whole suspension was rebuilt to include spindles...new tires...I did add a different exhaust to replace the hideous original, but it is a well made cast unit (twin outlet header style w/ heat shield!) and an intake that appears for a much newer year model...they work great...added a weber 36DCD7 and just now getting that dialed in...twin tanks that got the POR15 treatment that really went well, and two new electric fuel pumps one for each tank...the metal trim wasn't very nice so it is all powder-coated to include the window framing...Fidanza fly wheel to save some more hp's should just about do it for now I think...oh, total brake system also gone through with the Cardone conversion...the worst part about this is, like so many out there, the PO was better at taking things apart, to include the doors (ugh!) also had to re build the hinges...(another ugh!)...lol...I am now one of the most patient restorers around as I have no anger left to give!...forgot to add also the larger -than-stock aluminum radiator and modern fan (which was also toast), new window lifts, repairing and re-keying  ALL the locks, and repair the wiring (some of which was melted) ...I'm sure there is more but it eventually becomes just a fog...I think it  was a bloody miracle, and very fortunate, that the car finally gave out before the engine did...
 
« Last Edit: Monday,February 26, 2018, 09:51:26 AM by coldwarvet »

Offline lotusfanatic

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #10 on: Sunday,February 25, 2018, 11:21:34 PM »
 :Welcome:

superb!
I love the colour too!

Mark

Offline coldwarvet

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #11 on: Monday,February 26, 2018, 09:00:21 AM »
...not an original lotus color...original was red...my first one was red, but it seems to me that every other one was red...or yellow...this is a Chrysler color...very vivid, the photos do not do it justice...

Offline Lotus7

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #12 on: Sunday,March 18, 2018, 04:42:10 PM »
I really like that lime green yellow look! Nice work!

Offline Bainford

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Re: ...#0544R...
« Reply #13 on: Monday,March 19, 2018, 08:17:59 AM »
Welcome to the forum. Your Europa is gorgeous. I would say that your hard work and aggravation have paid off. Cheers  :beerchug:
The Twin Cam plays the symphony whilst my right foot conducts the orchestra. At 3800 rpm the Mad Pipe Organ joins in.

Trevor