Lotus Europa Community

I recently acquired a 1972 Europa with a Twin Cam big valve transplant motor, with 4-speed transmission. The car has same family ownership records dating back to 1976. 21,000 miles on the car, 30 miles on the fresh engine rebuild. It's been sitting 30-years, but this thing is a clean and easy project. I've had to come to the realization that I'm just too big for this car, so I'm not going to pursue a restoration.

I'll be cleaning the car up and getting the engine running this week and will post more pictures. Located in Cleveland, Ohio.

It's available, let me know if interested. Clean title in my name. $16,500 obo

New member- I recently acquired a 1972 Europa with a Twin Cam big valve transplant motor, with 4-speed transmission. The car has same family ownership records dating back to 1976. 21,000 miles on the car, 30 miles on the fresh engine rebuild. It's been sitting 30-years, but this thing is an easy project. I've had to come to the realization that I'm just too big for this car, so I'm not going to pursue a restoration.

It's available, let me know if interested.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Further digging suggests that the petrol locks might be similar to those used in the 1960s/70s for digger ignition keys and also their diesel tanks. Found one for sale for a couple of quid so will have a try with that when it arrives. For the door keys, and maybe the ignition, looks like there is a UK firm that cuts them to the number, although I need to find out the key brand and type as well as number.
https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=6023.msg65168#msg65168

So that was two steps hopefully in a forward direction. However, the post about Federal tail lights made me realise that my UK car has Federal light clusters  so one step back.

Off for a few days at the end of the week, and will pick up again with the car on my return.

I checked with the parts manual and a chin spoiler is not listed (unless I missed it!) but I know mine came with one. I'm pretty sure all the TCSs had them and I strongly suspect that all the TCs did as well.

All the ones I've seen from the factory were matte or satin black. I have seen where people painted them their body color. I guess some prefer that but I'm not a fan. If you're going for originality, matte or satin black would be correct but I doubt you'd loose many points painting it body color and if you sell it and the new buyer wants even more originality, they are easy to take off and paint.

I'm for your being happy having it the way you want! It is your car, after all!

Bryan, how much did you have to strip down the bases for the re-chromer? It looks like the wires are out in your picture. could they mask the rest? I'm sure each shop has its own requirements, but I thought I'd see what your experience was.

Bryan, how much did you have to strip down the bases for the re-chromer? It looks like the wires are out in your picture. could they mask the rest? I'm sure each shop has its own requirements, but I thought I'd see what your experience was.

What you see in the first photo is how I got them back.  Pretty much "just the metal base".

I stripped the bases down to bare metal.  Including taking the reverse light bits off (the bakelite insulator was cracked anyway, so remade it from a piece of scrap ABS that I had left over from when I used the sheet to repop the wheel arch close bits).  Had to drill out the rivet holding the bits together...and reassembled it using #4 stainless screws and nuts.  I left the bulb bases in (but removed the wire(s) attached to the base connections. Figured it wouldn't hurt to also expose them to the chroming process; practice bore out that it came back ok.

I did have to retap the mounting fittings on the back, since the threads were chromed too...IIRC, I brought them out to 10-32 and used stainless screws to mount back in the body, as well as retap the lens mount holes (6-32 with, again, stainless screws to hold the lens on with new gaskets and rubber bases.

HTH