Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Classifieds Forums => eBay - Craigslist Ads - Other Listings => Topic started by: FourLoti on Wednesday,December 13, 2023, 10:07:07 AM
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I wasn't sure if this is legit since it showed up here on an Ohio CL, but Googling the seller's phone number points to a real person who was in a British Car Club roster. Wrong wheels and I don't know about the dash board, but the price does not seem outrageous to me. But I'm not an S1 expert.
https://charlottesville.craigslist.org/cto/d/staunton-lotus-europa/7695911749.html
Ron
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Ironically, a buddy of mine was looking at that car too. It would be nice to know that it ran and shifted.
My advice to my buddy was not to get mixed up in an S1 unless you wanted an S1. I feel that the bonded frame issue make it a special case. If you want a Europa, then I would look at S2s, TCs and TCSs. Maybe that's just me!
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I can't but agree with Dr BDA. An S1 can be an order of magnitude more work than a S2?TC/TCS. This one has already had unspecified "frame repairs" and they were done in situ. Alarm bells are ringing.
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Question. S1's and I think S2's both have a large rectangular openings in the engine compartment at the rear shock/spring area. This is not the case on the later models. Any reason why, just curious.
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Air circulation in a mid-engined car is a serious issue. They probably put in the opening thinking it would help. Unfortunately, it doesn't. It actually allows warm engine compartment air that has left by the vents in the cover to flow back and recirculate back in. Mid-engined cars gradually developed massive, positive-flow, vents and scoops with the addition of fans at low speeds.
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Notice S2 doors. Not necessarily bad, but takes off some originality.
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As mentioned previously, the chassis has had repairs in the past, so it's due removal to repair/replace.
(and the doors need to be replaced)
It would make for a good project but there would need to be a lot of movement on the price.
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First post in the forum and figured this was an appropriate place to start. I picked up this car a couple months ago. Frame has some repairs but the seller was very honest about it. It isn't in bad shape and was boxed in a couple places. The car came with original steel wheels, original motor (S2 motor in the bay), spare transaxle, original spare carb, workshop manual and a few other things. The doors are the sore point for me at the moment and I'm still scoring the web for correct S1A doors. We'll see what happens! Very pleased with the car and what I was able to get it for (there was room in the asking) and it does run, drive and stop. No sloppiness in shifting either.
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:Welcome: allaboutthez!!
Good luck finding your doors!
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Your best bet may be Banks 47/S1 doors. Not cheap and without hardware, but finding used S1 doors is pretty remote.
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If it runs, drives and stops, drive it and figure out what you want you want to do with it first. S1s are not everyone's cup of tea. There are much, much noisier and raw than the later Europas.
Love to hear/see details on the chassis repairs. My PO chassis repairs were, umm, interesting to say the least:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-7BZVhsH/0/CbvSTtDN62LHnMCqbVV4dFMSvcFFg2L8wxRrHmrcz/X5/IMG_0502-X5.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-Fht6qsp/1/DPRHq4mQgNDhS6tfXvkPmw5hCxFCJL8Pvb2HJwVPP/X5/IMG_0497-X5.jpg)
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:Welcome:
ALLABOUTTHEZ
Absolutely drive it if you can, not just around the block. make a list and post some pics here . I did not see any of the listings pics.
Welcome
Dakazman
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[...] My PO chassis repairs were, umm, interesting to say the least:
Yes, interesting that the welds and the brazed repairs seem to have actually held up OK.
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Oh, I binned that chassis and modified an early S2 chassis to suit.
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Surprisingly enough it ran and shifted (even without a shift knob) very very well. I put it through its paces on some back roads before purchasing it. Will be replacing the output shaft seals over the summer months and have already purchased the tool for it. I'll have to upload some pictures.
:Welcome:
ALLABOUTTHEZ
Absolutely drive it if you can, not just around the block. make a list and post some pics here . I did not see any of the listings pics.
Welcome
Dakazman
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Please be VERY careful when you change the transaxle output seals. Lots and lots of people, even experienced mechanics, screw this job up. The best way is to remove the transaxle and bell housing as the seal nuts set diff bearing pre-load and ring and pinion backlash.
If you insist on doing it in situ, then do one side at a time and make sure the seal nut goes back to EXACTLY the same position. If your diff is whining afterwards, you screwed up.