65/0038R Restoration process

[JasonH]

Hello all.  I am finally getting to putting a record of what I am doing to 0038R. Last year I was feeling the need for a driving and running car so I took a look at the Bring a Trailer website and found a resto-modded type 65 that had some really cool photos to get me all stoked up.  So the bidding started.  As the days went by I was becoming more and more enamored with "my" new car.  Well not yet.  This thing had the Toyota 4ag motor swap, and was going to be awesome.  Well the final day of the auction was upon me and as usual in the last few minutes of the auction there was just me and one other bidder.  I had a number in my head where I was going to stop bidding.  I went about $1000 over my mark.  However, the other guy's mark must have been higher (or he just wanted to win the "competition").  With auctions my logic overrides my passion When my limit gets surpassed the pressure builds with each bid, and finally I quit.  This was one of these cases so I passed and let him "win".  After the frenzy I returned to my senses and remembered... There will always be another one.  Feeling a bit dejected since now I won't be spending the rest of my summer cruising the mountain roads of Colorado in my really cool Europa.  I told the story like I did above to a co-worker, and he said he had never heard of a Lotus Europa.  "Who makes them" was his next question.  I proceeded to explain...  I then show him the shots of the cool Europa that I missed out on, and he replies: "Oh!  I know that car.  My mom has one in her garage.  Her roommate parked it there years ago, and she wants it outta there"  My response was:  Lotus... Europa...  Like this (pointing to the sleek nose and the blocky butt).  He replied yes.  I then say " ask your mom's roommate how much he wants for it"  The rest is history.
The car was owned by a gentleman by the name of John D Bauer but I didn't buy it from him.  The fellow I bought it from bought it from John, and he told me that John didn't drive it much because the wheel bearing kept going bad. I also heard that John had several Europas so I can imagine if one didn't work he would just drive the one that worked!

Here is the data from the Registry:
As invoiced:
Vin Number: 65/0038R
Date Built: 2/4/1970
Date Invoiced: 3/19/1970
Engine #: 821-30/0819
Transmission #: 336-56/? 4 Speed
Original color: L09 - Royal Blue
Condition:
Current color: Black
Stored since 1990
Very Rough
Bought on eBay 2/05

Link:   http://lotus-europa.com/regs2.html#7002040048R

[BDA]

I don't like auctions because if I win, I know I was willing to pay more than anybody else!

Congratulations on your score! Serendipity is sweet! Are you planning a resto-mod or a restoration?

[JasonH]

I wish I had the shot of the car in the garage.  There was junk stacked 5 feet high on top of it and all around.  It took 3 hours just to excavate it from the garage.  What got me stoked up was that it sported some period Italian aftermarket wheels.  At first I thought Campagnolos?   Nope.  Cromodoras.  Shod with some seriously wide 215/50's  Ok... I'll take em!  My first look in the window was a dried out but not destroyed interior.  The seats... In perfect condition!  Yeah!  Overall the body was in great shape.  There were no signs of damage repair, and the chassis was solid with no rust.

BDA  Since this car is in such original shape I will be going the restoration route with some tweaks (that can be reversed)

The body still has the sealing tape that sealed the chassis on the underside (however it is not completely intact)  I had never seen that.

[BDA]

Nice wheels! I assume the 215s are on the rear. What size fronts does she have?

[JasonH]

BDA  There was no stagger... 215 up front and rear.  I have since changed out the rubber.  With rubber that doesn't rub!

I am still trying to get used to uploading images.  I seem to need to resize everything and I am not sure how to post multiple images.

[JasonH]

Vitour tyres from E-bay  195/55-13  Not very "round" but they work.  They came wrapped up really nice though.

[jbcollier]

Looking forward to more photos!

"Not-very-round" is going to be a problem.  Europas are very sensitive to out of round tires.

[JasonH]

Yes. Indeed!

  I did get them to balance.  I only bought two at first to test clearance.  I say not very round because one of the tires didn't need much weight to get in balance.  However, the second need considerable weight to bring in balance.  Also when spinning on the balancer both appear to have what looked like a "hop", and Yes.  I was concerned.   I carried on however, and bolted them on to the front to see if they would rub, and now how they would perform.  Much to my surprise and relief they functioned fine (fibrationally speaking), and they didn't rub under braking. The problem that was exacerbated when I brought the ride height down to euro specs.   So when they passed this test  I bought a second pair.  Of which they did the same.  One balanced with minimal weight and the other with considerable weight.  Going to put the "good" ones up front.  I haven't driven with all 4 installed.  I will have to wait till I get the car put back together, and the snow melts to do a final test.  I will report my findings come spring time.

Random photos attached as practice.  At this point.

[Bainford]

Congrats on your Europa purchase. A very lucky find. I'm really digging those wheels. Cheers 

[JR73]

What a great bit of luck! - Look forwards to seeing more pics...
There is a 'how to' on uploading pics, I find the easiest way is to e-mail myself the pics I want to upload, you can select the size before you send them. When you attach an image to your post there is a + under the link to your first image so you can add more....

[surfguitar58]

Sounds like a great project Jason, congrats! The registry at lotus-europa.com lists 0038R as belonging to John D. Bauer of Boulder CO. Pretty astronomical odds that your co-workers-Mom's-room mate would have a spare Europa lying around. You must have excellent Lotus Karma! 
Tom

[andy harwood]

Congratulations! Sounds like you really lucked up on a nice example!! My TCS still had the frame/body sealing tape, well, maybe 80% remaining.

[JasonH]

Andy/Tom  Thanks for the positive vibes.  It has been challenging and fun. 

Today I worked on two areas:
  1) Repairing the passenger side firewall. 
Seems that water was allowed to collect in the void underneath where a second fuel tank would go, and worked it's way up into the beaver board (at yellow arrow) through two holes at the lower corners of the wall (At orange arrows).  When I first poked around behind the passenger seat I thought the entire wall was compromised.  However, this was not the case and the damage was localized.  What looked like a month of work now seems to be a week.   
   2) Creating replacements for the worn/warped sill blocking cardboards.
Over the years I have always looked at these crappy looking things and thought it would be cool to recreate them with carbon Kevlar.  Yesterday I cut the pattern and then transferred it to my CK.  I put a stiffener in the center, trimmed to fit, and it seemed to work out well.  The layup (I think) will be stiff enough to keep in place and is flexible enough to conform to the upper part of the wheel well.

[andy harwood]

Very nice work, and Carbon Kevlar! A dab of RTV works wonders for securing things, and is easy to remove. I embarked on a love affair with Buell motorcycles over my like of the 1999 X1 Carbon Kevlar edition, had to have it. Owned #144 of 250 for 15 years. Ended up owning 6 different models. Great Bikes. The Carbon Kevlar X1 was the last to go, last Dec.

[BDA]

The first picture shows the normal wear and tear of the compressed stuff in the interior of the "firewall". Some people have replaced it marine plywood. I wimped out and only glassed fiberglass cloth on the engine side, attached some mylar covered foam heat and sound insulation to it, but did very little on the interior side other than installing new carpeting and a door to access the water pump and timing belt.

I like your "sill blocking covers". Too bad most people will never see them.