Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Classifieds Forums => eBay - Craigslist Ads - Other Listings => Topic started by: LotusJoe on Tuesday,January 09, 2018, 04:19:13 PM
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Lotus-Europa-Special/222788502060?hash=item33df3ac22c:g:SpgAAOSwjIVaU8m8&vxp=mtr
Looks like a nice Zetec conversion.
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That's a very nice car!
I'm not a fan of the dual exhaust but I suspect that makes it much quieter than my car. It looks like it has Koni replacement shocks (the front shocks seem to have the larger diameter stock springs and they are that distinctive orange color. Also, the spring perches do not appear to be adjustable.). This is not necessarily a bad thing but I prefer the more modern shocks that are available now. I realize I'm picking nits a bit so I won't mention other enhancements I think would be "expected" but it looks like there is no access to the timing belt. If that's true, that would have to be rectified.
I think the Zetec engine swap is maybe the best choice. There are a lot of great things about this car. I hope the seller gets a very good price. It appears to be worth it!
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Looks to be JPS #190.
Shame its originality has been spoiled.
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True all the above comments.
Sent seller a question about original engine and mileage, answer following.
"Don’t have original engine. A few thousand miles on new engine. Have invoice from 2007 88000 Miles $12000 worth of work."
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Looking at it again, I noticed the lower links are bent presumably to get the correct rear camber. That implies to me that there was some modifications but he appears to have otherwise retained the stock rear suspension. I'm not sure why it would need more positive camber and if it did why he didn't make or buy adjustable lower links...
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Looking at it again, I noticed the lower links are bent presumably to get the correct rear camber.
Or jacking the car in the wrong place.
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I hadn't thought of that because I can't imagine anybody would be so stupid (but three are all kinds of people!). Also, because they seem similarly bent. At least I hope that's not what happened! I thought I had actually seen someone selling bent lower links but I can't remember where I saw them... Maybe they were part of a strange dream!
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There is a nice symmetry to the lower links, if it is a mistake.
Also, appears to have a bump guard on the rear hoop? The diagonal braces are custom also.
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Strange to see a snow plough fitted for a car in California.
I could understand it in the Chicago/Seattle areas.
I wonder if cars exported to Australia have "Roo Bars" fitted.
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It sold today. The final price was $16,800.
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Looks like the deal fell thru, it's back on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Lotus-Europa-Special/222802001687?hash=item33e008bf17:g:SpgAAOSwjIVaU8m8&vxp=mtr (https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Lotus-Europa-Special/222802001687?hash=item33e008bf17:g:SpgAAOSwjIVaU8m8&vxp=mtr)
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lots of bids, from lots of different bidders.
They could not all have been his friends could they?
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Looks like it's now sold on a BIN for $15,500.
So either the original $16,800 bidder (with zero feedback ?) got cold feet and decided it was too expensive despite bidding 3 times on the day before closure or perhaps there was only one or two genuine bidders and they stopped at around $15,000.
After Alex posted I took a look at the original bidding history and must say it's surprising just how many different people are interested in Europas.... ;)
Brian
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That's a pretty disappointing price in my view. While every aspect of the car is not beyond criticism, if it runs as well as it looks, I would have thought it it would fetch much more.
It maybe that the market values originality much more than I do and part of that maybe concerns about the build quality of the modifications needed to convert to the Zetec but (again, I am making assumptions about that and the drivability), this car should be as much fun to drive and easier to maintain.
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January is not a good time to sell classic British sports cars.
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I'm not disputing you, but I might think that in San Diego, California, January is pretty much like most other times of the year.
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Limiting the market to the warmer States, limits the price.
It seems a lot of Europas come from around the Chicago area.
I wonder how many of the 50 States had a temperature of above 60'F today.
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Good points.
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That's a pretty disappointing price in my view. While every aspect of the car is not beyond criticism, if it runs as well as it looks, I would have thought it it would fetch much more.
I'll bet the 90,000 miles scared some people away. They have no idea a 10,000 mile car can be a rust stain on the barn floor and 200,000 miles can be good as new (because it was rebuild 3 or 4 times).
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That's a pretty disappointing price in my view. While every aspect of the car is not beyond criticism, if it runs as well as it looks, I would have thought it it would fetch much more.
It maybe that the market values originality much more than I do and part of that maybe concerns about the build quality of the modifications needed to convert to the Zetec but (again, I am making assumptions about that and the drivability), this car should be as much fun to drive and easier to maintain.
I'd agree it's on the low side and going on things like paintwork and how clean the car is, it should have probably fetched more.
But..... the forum members we have here aren't typical of your average British Lotus owner and I suspect it's the same over there. In the UK originality is everything, you want to see what some people pay for complete wrecks just because they are covered with an inch barn dust but are all original.
IMO the problem for that car is the mods; the most stand out for me is the front spoiler/air dam that looks wrong and the bent lower rear links, no doubt fabricated like that but I can't see why or what benefit they bring. That's two observations that would make me question just how well engineered the rest of the obvious mods are - the engine transplant, the suspension looks to be lowered and there's what looks like overspray on the steering bellows, damage to the lower wishbone & front closing plate from the roll bar - simple repairs that haven't been addressed.
Add in it's a probably a genuine JPS car but doesn't come with the TC engine (even if it was in bits) and it's enough to put off a lot of UK enthusiasts which might be the same over your side of the pond. It's a shame because the body looks well cared for and I've always liked the black JPS cars.
Brian
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IMHO, if it had a good original 1558 engine in it, and no snow plough on the front, it should have fetched around $30,000.
But he wanted to sell the car in a hurry.
To find an engine and get it fitted properly would have cost around $7,000.
The snow plough change to original is only around $200, so it should still be worth north of $20,000.