new member

[rascott]

i found a '69 europa that seems to have most of the big bits.
looking forward to makin' her driveable, but expect some months before that will happen.
me: i'm an old guy that has hobbied autos for 50years. my "shop" is my driveway, 'cause my garage is full of stuff.
i live in central california(aptos) on the monterey bay.

got her a week ago, and am just starting to figure out what i have.........
the clutch/brake assembly is a solid rusty thing. except for what has dissolved in flake.
the windshield is not seated anymore(perhaps some sort of sag in the body?) and mostly popped out on top.
i haven't figured how to get the drain plug out of the gas tank- the stuff in there isn't gas anymore....

i'll post some pics.
richard 

[BDA]

 
I'm looking forward to your pictures!

In case you're looking for good parts suppliers, Dave Bean (http://www.davebean.com/) is near you. r. d. enterprises is very good also (http://www.rdent.com/). Sports Car World (http://www.sportscarworld-lotus.com/) will sometimes have very hard to find parts. I've heard good things about JAE (http://www.jaeparts.com/). For things that can't be found anywhere else of if you want to upgrade your ride with stuff like rear discs, twin link rear suspension, etc, Richard at Banks in England is probably the most knowledgeable person on Europas anywhere (http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/index.php).

I've had a good experience with White Post Restorations (http://whitepost.com/) for restoring a master cylinder and brake calipers.

As for the windshield, I'm not sure what's happening but it actually provides some stiffness to the top of the car. When I had mine installed, the guy propped up the roof so the windshield would seat properly, so it SOUNDS like the roof might be sagging a bit. If so, it's noting to be concerned about.

Without knowing the state of your gas tank, I can only say that you may have two options - a new tank (aluminum ones are available) or just open it any way you can and weld a new drain in it.

Finally, another good source of information besides this forum is the lotuseuropa yahoo group. There is an online knowledgebase that is linked on the main page of this site (Europa Knowledge Base) that is a way to search the posts on that group.

Good luck, post pictures of your progress and let us know if you have any questions!

 

[3929R]

 

[Grumblebuns]

I'm sure there are a lot of old guys on this forum so you're in good standing. Dropping the gas tank is a pain in the ass but may be the best way to determine it's condition. See if a local radiator shop can boil it out for you and remove the drain plug. Also check the fuel sending unit to make sure that it works before re-installing the tank. Before trying to turn the motor by hand read the manual. There is a caution against using the cam pulley bolt.

RD Enterprises has brake/clutch pedal assemblies. I ordered mine from them.

In regards to the windshield not being seated, I'm wondering if the previous owner used the roof the S2 as a storage rack causing the roof to sag and the windshield to pop out.   

[blasterdad]

 

From one of the "old" guys. 

[rascott]

thanks for the welcome. and the info/tips.
i will try the pics.....

does the dash add support to the bottom of the windshield frame?

none of this moves.

it is a bit difficult working inside. been finding some of the largest black widows i've seen in a long time.
makes me jumpy.

thanks for the links.

[EuropaTC]

Hi, and    from another of the old guys.   But remember - growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional...   

The dash probably adds a bit of stiffness across the bodywork, but it's located well forward of the windscreen.  There were (are ?) some windscreens going around that don't fit properly so if it's relatively new it might be one of those problems. There were also two styles of seating - a plain rubber and a chromed plastic which looks slightly different so that may be another reason if the rubber has perished ?

Brian

[jbcollier]

The dash gives support to the dash top but not really to the base of the windshield.

New pedal assemblies are available from Banks, RD and others.  It's also not that hard to make your own if you have access to a MIG or TIG.

Black widows !  I would recommend fumigation.

[BDA]

There are a lot of different ways people do dashes - some choosing alternate materials and configurations. If you want to keep the wood, there are several places that can help you out with reproductions. I recommend Prestige Autowood (http://www.prestigeautowood.com/). He has a wide choice of veneers and the dash includes the lettering. He does custom requests - in my case, I had him put a door on the glove box and a hole for an extra gauge. He also finishes both sides to keep it nice.

Here's a picture of my dash to give you an idea (unfortunately, it's not a very close shot):

[EuropaTC]

What a great idea, I wish I'd thought of having a glove box lid when I did mine. It seems so obvious when you say it, but it never even occurred to me at the time.  The lid really finishes off the dashboard and makes it look, well, almost like a proper car 

Brian

[BDA]

He is very amenable to custom touches. The glove box door is an option of his but he was trying to figure out how to do the instrument binnacle in wood but nothing made sense. I'm sure he would do an entirely custom dash if you wanted. He did ask if I wanted a radio blank and I wish I had gotten one because my radio is pretty much useless because with my engine and the windows open, you can't really hear anything very well.

The picture doesn't show it that well, but the grain is really pretty and it just about has a mirror finish. Way nicer than the original.

[Bainford]

  Welcome to the group, Richard. Sounds like another Europa is being saving from the clutches of time. Kudos to you, sir. Your support group is standing by. Cheers 

[rascott]

nice day w/no rain, weekend, so i have started shoveling out the interior.
also trying to figure the best way to get this little baby up in the air some so i can remove the gas tank.
i lifted the rear some, which may do for now, but i'll need to figure where to support the front.... and gain some height(?).
found the front tank fastener has been pulled thru the fiberglass(somehow), and mabe some other stress type cracking in the general area.
there is some sort of fiberboard bonded into the back bulkhead that has been water soaked. perhaps dry it out and encapsulate it?

i was pleased to find antifreeze in the cooling system, and did i mention the motor sounds good(just brief starts/idles w/ gas down carb.).
re: gas tank removal.... there is some riveted splash shield i think i need to remove to access more tank fasteners.
i've noticed rivits get used in a lot of places.
re: parts.... i've gotten blank stares at my local parts joints, you know the places w/the red shirts and computer screens.
i have begun reaching out to the mentioned suppliers.
considering getting this windshield out.. it's cracked and popped out, but it helps hold the tarp up......
just playing.

red doesn't seem to be the original color. there is yellow below it, and i find places where it has black under that....
is there a way to find what the original color was? unit no. 54/1846. nice to see the original motor in it(eng no. 0232).

[BDA]

Congratulations! It sounds like you're making some progress!

You can support the front at the cross piece between the wheels. In general I use two jack stands but you can use just about anything. The TC has two tanks that come out of the bottom of the car which means you have to raise it 2 1/2 - 3 feet off the ground. I'm not familiar with the fuel tank situation on the S2 but from earlier comments, it requires a similar dance. Good luck!

Most people who do something with the back bulkhead rebuild them with anything from marine plywood all the way up to carbon fiber and honeycomb (a guy on this forum is doing the later). Mine was not in such bad shape and I merely glassed a layer of fiberglass cloth on the engine side and attached mylar covered insulation to that. If it's in decent shape, you might want to cover it in fiberglass but I suggest covering both sides making sure you start with a flat and dry bulkhead.

If you are looking for Lotus parts, forget local parts counters. You've already found the result. If originality is not important, there are lots of things "regular" parts houses can help with - i.e. electric fuel pump, radiator fan, hoses, etc. but for a lot of what you'll need, you'll have to check with "the usual suspects".

It looks like this is your car: http://lotus-europa.com/regs2.html#541846 so it looks like it started life Lotus Yellow. I don't know about paint, but I gather that the information is available so a good paint shop (or paint supply) can get you the right color. I don't know what the black is. That's a strange color for primer... While you're looking at lotus-europa.com, you might want to update the registry.

Good luck and keep telling us about your progress!

[rascott]

bda- you were right about the lifting dance, and how far to lift to get an s2 fuel tank out.....

not sure about lifting much more than to change a tire from those body points. started worrying about dropping the chassis out.
and I need better support hardware.... you see my backyard methods....
got that tank out. I need to think about some different fasteners for reinstall- I had to grind the screw heads off. unacceptable.
i see major bulkhead repair would be best done if there were no motor. it's not that bad.
that registry is very interesting. this seems more complete than the description indicates. apparently a runner in 2003.
hmmm. yellow. i wasn't too sold on the red, but it was growing on me. it will be many colored for a while, i suspect.
i will update the registry(or try).

btw- this came w/what i believe to be a x-flow renault f/i engine. i don't see using it, and will be disposing of it.
if anybody could use it.........?

looking forward.