Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Classifieds Forums => FS/WTB: Europa Parts and Stuff => Topic started by: Certified Lotus on Thursday,December 08, 2016, 05:38:29 AM
-
My car came without an ashtray. Anyone have one for sale?
-
Good luck. They are very hard to come by.
-
Vito 84 had one for sale in the classifieds, someone said they wanted it but no further posts since... :confused:
http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1690.0
-
Hi:
Sorry, I'm the guy and I purchased it.
Regards,
Sherman
-
Hi:
Sorry, I'm the guy and I purchased it.
Regards,
Sherman
Good grab!
Found this...
http://www.kelsport.net/parts/product_details.asp?PartID=4882&categoryID=25&PartsectionID=62
Looks a little different though, maybe worth calling them for the price!?
-
Thanks but that is for an Elan (I have a couple of those).
-
Found this...http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ac-minds-aj/acaj-rarepart-46.html
About $385.00, ouch! :o
-
Boy Blaster! Who knew you could convert 41,040円 to dollars! Does that account for exchange rate fluctuations?!
Before Don Tingle retired (for those who haven't been around that long, he was one of the "usual suspects" who sold Lotus parts), I asked him how much an ashtray was worth and he quoted me a price similar to that. He could justify it because of its rarity, etc. but he allowed that if he had one for sale, he would probably sell it for a lot less and basically it was worth the intersection of what somebody would give you for it and what you could sleep at night after selling it.
Recently, I sold mine to a buddy for $50. I wonder if he knows how good a friend I am! :D
-
At those prices I should make a mold and start producing them! BDA, you have the right spirit! I have done the same many times with my stock of extra parts for early Elan's.
Still looking for an ash tray (at a reasonable price).
-
At those prices I should make a mold and start producing them! BDA, you have the right spirit! I have done the same many times with my stock of extra parts for early Elan's.
Still looking for an ash tray (at a reasonable price).
The fact that these cars seem to show up with no ashtrays leads me to believe there is skullduggery afoot.
Mine was a victim of the ashtray fairy as well, & in a stroke of luck I still don't believe, I ended up with one for $25.00.
(Found a guy close to me with new seat rails I needed, when I went to pick them up he asked me if I was looking for anything else, I replied "ashtray"... about hit the floor when he returned about a minute later with one!)
How bout this, I will start a LotusEuropaCommunity community ashtray.
It will work like this... If you still haven't found one by the time you go to show your car, let me know beforehand & I will mail you mine, go to car show, bring home trophy, return ashtray for next community member.
All members with ashtrays would be welcome to join the "Doner" list... :trophy:
& Yes BDA, that did include the exchange rate fluctuation. ;)
-
Great idea Blaster! That's sort of like the valve shims exchange (for TC motors) that Lotus Ltd. provides (or used to).
This may be a good application for a 3-D printer! Someone on this forum has one, I think.
-
Blasterdad, you are very kind to offer yours as a loaner, but I'm not going to show my car. I'm rebuilding it for personal use. Just like them complete.
Can anyone take good quality photos of all the sides and provide dimensions ?
-
What other cars used this model of ashtray? Lotus made very few things bespoke. I imagine the ash tray was from some other manufacturer?
-
I thought exactly the same as you.
I have done many Google image searches for all his usual sources, Ford, Austin, Morris, Triumph, etc. but found nothing yet.
IMHO it is highly unlikely he made one specifically for the Europa.
The search continues...............
-
Ok, I reached out to Andy Graham at Lotus and he didn't have any insights on who actually made the ash trays. Then I asked another renown Lotus expert and he said that it might be possible the ash trays were made for them as smoking was a big part of the culture back in those days. But......maybe try Hillman's as the early Europa stub axles came from the Minx. Hint hint........
-
Dim memory here but I thought it came from the rear seat area of a Ford Zephyr.
-
I had the same dim memory.
Perhaps our memories are not so dim. Message #124403 in the KnowledgeBase:
From: Steve Jarvis <mailto:Steve.jarvis%40blueyonder.co.uk>
To: mailto:lotuseuropa%40yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 23 July 2013, 10:40
Subject: [lotuseuropa] Re: ashtray??/or not???
John, After peering into the rear windows of many cars at various car shows (and
getting some strange looks), I can confirm the ashtray is from the back of the
front bench seat on some fifties Fords. I am pretty certain that it’s the Mk1
Zephyr Zodiac. I’m at another show this weekend with my Morris Cowley, so will
be in the midst of the fifties saloons and will continue the research....
possibly with photographic proof! Steve 232PR Else.
-
I did an exhaustive internet search. I think it's a mirage......
Your welcome to prove me wrong ;-)
-
maybe try Hillman's as the early Europa stub axles came from the Minx. Hint hint........
Hillman Imp for the stub axles. Rear engine 875cc, obviously RWD, like a VW Beetle.
Hillman Imp rear engine cover hinges too.
-
if anyone has the metal bits, it would be pretty easy to 3D print the plastic. I would be happy to create a CAD model from my ashtray if someone needs it.
Paul
-
Is this the metal part of the ash try?
-
That looks like the bit which is fixed to the central console and which the plastic part clips on to. There's also a chromed metal lid for the top, that's probably the toughest part to replicate.
Brian
ps - I also have the Zephyr/Zodiac on my parts-bin list....
-
I did a little search on ebay UK and found a Ford Zephyr 6 Mk2. There is a picture of the back seat with the ashtray mounted on the back of the front seat. It looks like it might be the same ashtray. Unfortunately it looks like the Ford part is as scarce as the Lotus part.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Zephyr-6-MK2-36-000-genuine-miles-from-new-Superb/291949638480?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3D92bf51f162454971b09ea2d9fa1f8ca7%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D291949638480
Regards,
Sherman
-
I downloaded the photo and posted to my photo host:
https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-4Pj3CS5/A
-
Sherman, great research! At least we know it might be a Ford part. Now all we need is a Ford part number ;D
-
http://www.britbits.com/html/sales/1958Zephyr/1958Zephyr.html
It seems to pre-date the Europa by some time.
Some Fords had front bench seats rather than separate driver and passenger seats. The ash trays would only be fitted to those with bench seats where there is a middle to put it.
But not in these lovely 1962 Fords complete with their new prices.
http://www.classiccarcatalogue.com/FORD%20GB%201962.html
-
$4000 seems like a lot for the whole car. Maybe they would be willing to part out the car so Certified could get the ashtray.
-
Spent the morning searching the Internet for Zephyr clubs and part suppliers. Sent out a couple of emails looking for an ashtray in the U.K. And Australia. Already got responses. Nothing available.
-
I wish you luck but I can't say I'm surprised. Ashtrays have been rare for many years and I would have thought that more than one Europa owner has gone through the same process you've been going through. You may yet find one if you're lucky but finding the metal pieces and having the plastic part printed is probably your best bet and even that might be a long shot (if someone had a busted ashtray, he probably threw it away).
All I can say is Good Luck! I really hope you find one!
-
Thanks BDA. I have time and patience. Something will show up, sometime, somewhere ;-)
-
It's kind of funny that the rare Europa specific parts eventually get remanufactured and become relatively easy to source while the reverse occurs with the once easy to find parts from ridiculously common vehicles!
-
Ash Tray located, paid for and being shipped. It wasn't cheap.....but there is little bargaining room when items are unattainable !
I'll soon have a Europa ashtray for sale that comes with the entire car :FUNNY:
-
I'm impressed! That's probably the rarest part of the car (without a similar substitute)! You are a part scrounger of the first order! What are you going to do with the rest of the car?
-
I'm going to restore all the mechanical parts and then decide. Stay tuned......