Hello....

[Robidy]

Just picked up the crusty and very rusty TCS from D.C. and realized that I might have bitten off more than I can chew. 

I am currently finishing the restoration of a 1973 Yamaha CT3 Enduro which included addressing every non-cosmetic problem that could exist in a motorcycle including but not limited to a rusty crankshaft and a brittle wiring harness that only allowed 50% of the 6 volts that the lighting system needed. 

I've worked on two miatas in the last four years doing simple things, rebuilding calipers, replacing wheel bearings, suspension bushes, radiators.

I owned a 2005 Elise for nine years until I had a minor mishap on track that damaged every part of the body, the front crash structure, the doors and of course the windshield.

I think I'm finally over the loss of the Elise now (10 years have passed), and the idea of a new-to-me Lotus doesn't cause me to wince, cringe and groan anymore.  So looking for a new project quickly led me to this Europa, a scant 20 miles away.   I took possession of it Saturday and found that the reason the front wheels rest at non-parallel obtuse angles is the front t-sections is now one large blister of rust.

The rust is so bad, I assume the rest of the chassis must be past saving, leading me to look for an aftermarket chassis.  I have searched for the past week and have come across Spyder and Banks as possible options.  Can someone tell me how roughly expensive shipping and import duties would be to the east coast of the u.s.? 

thanks for reading,
Rob

[Clifton]

I can't comment on shipping a chassis but if you want a factory frame, you may find one in the for sale or post a wanted add. If you order from the UK, try to get everything you think you'll need.

[Richard48Y]

At least you save a bundle on shipping on the East coast.
Some of the parts suppliers are near enough to to drive over and pick up parts, saving more shipping expense.
Some folk have actually just made their own chassis, there are several ways to do it.

[EuropaTC]

Hi Rob,

Firstly, congratulations on finding a car so close, usually folks are treking for miles to even view let alone buy one.

Don't get too down about it until you've had a good look underneath and at the back of the car from the engine bay, the central spine is usually the last to go. On my car I had serious rust (read "holes") in the rear Y legs on the vertical sections where the radius arms bolt on and also minor rusting at the end of the spine where water had sat. All fixable with sheet steel, it just took time.

If it's just the front crossmember then folks have replaced that section, there was a post on here about it recently.  Richard48y contacted Spyder about just supplying the front assembly, cheaper and less costly to ship than a complete chassis but you've still got to weld it in place yourself. Personally, if you're going to that amount of trouble I'd be tempted to make my own because the crossmember isn't that complex and it's welding it to the spine at the correct angle/strength that's the critical bit IMO. Cost/response from Spyder here....

https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=5708.msg62196#msg62196

Shipping costs for a complete chassis are likely to be crazy from the UK so if you (or a friend) are handy with a welder you might consider making your own. Roddymac on here has a long build thread about his car and he made a superb chassis from scratch, thread here;

https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=497.0

cheers
Brian

[berni29]

Hi

Personally I would hold out for a decent frame coming up for sale in the US. Shipping is a killer as acknowledged, although the Spyder frames are nice. I have a couple of plus 2 ones here in the UK.

Lets see some pictures of the car!

All the best

Berni

[TurboFource]

 

The bottom of my front “T” section was rotten from critters living in it and I fixed it.

More pics in my “Europa TCST” build thread….

I cut the big hole to get access to stuck bolts …..

[Robidy]

Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice. 

I spent all weekend installing refreshed control arms and new dampers in my miata so I only had time to remove the driver's seat which was a doddle because the runners had rusted away and the seat lifted right out.

Attached are some photos of the t-section of the chassis.

[Robidy]

Here are some of the seat.  It looks salvageable-ish.


What is behind the carpeting along the back of the seat.  I pushed on it gently and it gave way. I think I felt fiberglass after three inches beyond that.

[TurboFource]

Your “T” section is somewhat crustier than mine was!

The firewall/bulkhead behind the seat is like particle board ….I will be replacing mine with something better at some point!

[Robidy]

That is a huge relief. I was afraid I pushed a hole through the body.

[Robidy]

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

[TurboFource]

Where’s the big hammer

[Robidy]

Haven't seen a hammer.  Damn.

[dakazman]

Haven't seen a hammer.  Damn.

  I thought the Ford wrench was the hammer...LOL. 

  We have all the seat dimensions posted here along with rough fabric dimensions.
 Don't throw away that ash tray, you'll be shocked at how much it cost.

   Take your time,
Dakazman
 

[Bryan Boyle]

In my experience...contact the usual suspects (RD Enterprises, JAE, Dave Bean, etc) and see if they are putting in a big order from overseas; large shipments are charged at what's called "dimensional weight" (ie a standard weight for a box/crate measuring Length x Width x Height...the more you can cram into it (group buy, etc)  up to the 'standard', the cost is the same.)  Customs?  That's another story, but, I've gotten in on a parts buy and paid my proportion of the weight even though my bits were part of a larger shipment.  You can fit a LOT of juicy bits around a frame in a crate...

Probably for liability reasons that whomever is building replacements won't sell 'subassemblies'; but frames are out there, may need some repair, but, as others have said, the crossmember is usually the first to get hosed...the rears tend to be rustproofed by years of oil leaking, and the long box is the last to suffer. 

I took two frames (ok, they were S2s...) where one had a roached front, the other a roached rear, and brought to a well-known fabricator shop with the measurements and angles, and he spliced together a decent front cross member to a decent rear and came up with a frame that was within 1/16 of the blueprint figures.  But, he had a surface table to do it on. 

It's not impossible, but it does take time to search out what may be available.  Here and the Lotus Europa groups.io mailing list are good places to start your search if you go that route.