Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: 4129R on Saturday,February 11, 2017, 01:07:48 AM
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At long last, the bare bodyshell of 4688R is nearly ready for collection. The ex Lotus bodyshop people in Attleborough (about 10 miles south west of Hethel) tell me to collect the car on 18th, when I will give them 3089R to start work on.
It seems 4688R had been sitting in a Lotus dealers garage for about 35 years near Chicago. It had a bad front right and rear right accident which damaged the floor at the front and rear also, and the right door and left front wheel arch. The chassis was too badly bent on the main front section, so a new chassis was needed. It only had 15,000 miles showing on the speedo, so it was probably crashed in 1976/7.
When the Chicago Lotus dealer sadly died, the car and a heap of other stuff including 4483R, were sold to a chap in Houston. It seems he made a start on building up the new chassis, and then he too sadly died. Maybe 4688R is jinxed.
The whole lot was then sold to another chap in Louisiana, who gave up on the projects and sold the whole lot to me.
When the 40ft container arrived, the contents looked very second hand, but the potential for 2 late TCS was there.
I can only see 1 TCS later than 4688R, (being 4696R which is supposed to be in Austria) on the TCS Registry, and the man at Lotus records told me the last 10 went to Japan. So as the last Federal car made was 4710R, presumably 4700R is the last that went to the USA. So 4688R has the potential to be one of the latest Federal cars left running.
Well, the bodyshop spent 220 hours mending and painting the shell back in its original Lagoon Blue. I have told them not to put the pin stripes on, as I am not sure whether it looks better with gold, silver or no pin stripes. The Lagoon Blue is a very rich colour which I think looks excellent on the small car. When 3089R comes back changed from Tawny Brown to Lagoon Blue, with gold pin stripes, I will see which I prefer, with or without.
If her indoors gets to find out how much that lot cost, I will be in big bother, but once you have started on a crashed basket case project, albeit with huge potential, you have to do it completely right, or not at all. A crappy paint job or a botched fibreglass repair would ruin a really good car.
Meanwhile the alli metal fabricator in Loughborough says he will get on to making the two seat shells in alli soon. The two that were in 3089R we submerged for years, and the bottoms had rusted away, so the new alli seats will go into 4688R and 4688R's steel seats will go back into 3089R.
I will post photos as the car takes shape. Today it is 1'C (34'F) so outside working on cars is not an enticing idea. It snowed a little last night in Norfolk. As all the 7 cars are outside, progress during cold months is non-existent.
Alex in Norfolk.
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Alex,
Good on you for going to such extremes on your 'many' restores! It sounds like 4688R will be as "factory new" as possible. Looking forward to photos.
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Alex, I am humbled by your commitment to restore these cars to be back on the road. My complements to your vision, dedication and a little bit of insanity to make it all happen.
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I agree with Andy and Certified. I applaud your dedication. One has to worry that you may have gone around the bend, but I think we understand your obsession. Hopefully the weather will cooperate soon so you can get back to restoring your cars to their former glory.
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What is slowing things down, apart from the weather, is the time it takes to get the interior trims totally remade to better than new standard by someone who still does special work for Lotus, and also getting the cars resprayed.
So far, of the 7 cars, 2 have been resprayed properly, one black 3755R, and now 4688R blue, and the coach trimmer is currently on set #4 of the interior trims.
6 engines are rebuilt, most of the other parts are sitting waiting, but the production line speed is determined by others.
As the paint and trim must be 100%, I have to wait patiently, as both are very busy as they are known to be very good, hence the queue.
Alex in Norfolk
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There was a guy over here who wrote a Europa technical column in the Lotus Ltd. newsletter. He called his column, "Semi Colin." About a year ago, he finally decided he was too old to drive his Europa (he was in his 80's) so he sold it. Having "retired" from active Lotusing, I don't think he'd mind if you became the new Semi Colin.
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Great work but it needs more pictures!
I salute your (re) production line Alex!
Francis.
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http://www.niceay.co.uk/gallery?lightbox=dataItem-iy2wqycc2
The Europa bodyshell being repaired is 4688R. It is a bare shell on a wooden pallet on a 4 wheel trolley.
The black Europa with the gold wheels is 3089R.
4688R arrives back at my barn for a nut and bolt build up to a high spec keeper.
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http://www.niceay.co.uk/single-post/2017/01/18/Lotus-XXC
The body shop posted some photos on the blog section yesterday. They are quite rightly proud of their work.
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Beautiful! I love the color!
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Wow! Now I understand 200 hours. Very impressive work. The paint looks flawless. You will have one beautiful car!!
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For the first time in 40+ years, 4688R turns a wheel, albeit by pushing, but she is now rolling.
About 10,000 miles on the clock for an April '74 car. It must have been around 1977/8 when it has its chassis bending crash.
Alex in Norfolk
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Congratulations, Alex! :beerchug:
She (and your beautiful assistant) is a beauty! Being so close to finishing is really exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing the final result!
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I gave her indoors, who must be obeyed, the opportunity to be first person to sit in the car.
If she knew how much those seats cost to make up the new shells in ally and to trim, she might have been less enthusiastic.
Luckily she matches the interior trim.
Everyone who has seen the car loves the colour. Lagoon blue is really classy, it suits the car well, and is unusual without being controversial, and it is the original colour.
4688R was only followed up to 4700R in exports to the States, with 4701-4710 apparently going to Japan before production of exports ceased.
I challenge anyone to find photos of 4689R-4710R.
Next filling and bleeding every brake pipe (all new copper) fitting the chrome strips, the side skirts, and testing all the wiring, before adding more liquids for self propulsion.
The screen goes in after all the electrics are working as the full Lotus position is easier without the screen in.
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Looks lovely and another thumbs up for the colour. notice you have twin webber fitted, did you change the head? also narrow pancake filters so short trumpets on the carbs.
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Looks great Alex! My wife's only concern about my Lotus obsession is that it doesn't interfere with her house decorating habit ^-^.
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Looks lovely and another thumbs up for the colour. Notice you have twin Weber fitted, did you change the head? Also narrow pancake filters so short trumpets on the carbs.
New head from QED. Not cheap. 145bhp cams, gas flow, and new 40DCOEs. I don't want more than 145 in case I start breaking gearboxes as I understand replacement parts come from Unobtainium which is 1 parsec and 72 light years away.
I took the long trumpets off completely as I had visions of a stone being kicked up by the rear wheels and being sucked into the engine. Bang.
One thing that is puzzling me is I have far too much negative camber on the left rear. I will start measuring the bottom arms etc next weekend. Luckily 3089R is 6 feet away and fully assembled, so I can compare to see what is wrong.
Alex in Norfolk.
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I use these K&N filters (https://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?prod=56-1350). They allow me to use the normal Weber air horns.
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On the the inlet trumpets, I would look into thicker filters as BDA suggests. If you have fitted short trumpets you may get away with it, it will change the power characteristics tho. In my experience running with no trumpets upsets the high end performance (dependents on overall induction pipe length). I ran a tuned crossflow for a while with pancake filters and no trumpets and it wouldn't run cleanly over 6,000. Put 2" trumpets and set of K&N filters on and the car was transformed.
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I took the 2" trumpets off. Maybe I will re-fit them with gauze filters to stop lumps getting sucked in.
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I think I'd look at options to reinstate them Alex. There's a thread on lotuselan.net commenting on the OEM Lotus airbox and how close it is to #4 trumpet, but no-one has suggested running without and like Dave has posted, I thought they were important for the carb function although even on the proper Lotus set-up it doesn't conform to what's written in most books (about 1" clearance ?)
I'd also be wary of running without or with just stone guards. When I first bought my elan it had no air box cover or filter, just the backplate with the trumpets sticking out. (it was trendy 70s y'know, made the car faster) Anyway the first time the carbs spit back and I saw fumes rising was enough suggestion for me to go out and fit the proper air box & remote filter. I've always been the nervous type where petrol and sparks are concerned :)
Brian
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Before I got the timing right with a strobe, flames regularly came out of the carbs !
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Lean mixture can also cause spitting.
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One thing that is puzzling me is I have far too much negative camber on the left rear. I will start measuring the bottom arms etc next weekend. Luckily 3089R is 6 feet away and fully assembled, so I can compare to see what is wrong.
Alex in Norfolk.
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One arm was 7mm too long and the other 18mm too long. I measured others and the length centre bolt to centre bolt is 467mm.
Getting the 1/2" bolts back out is a challenge.
Luckily I had a pair of adjustable rose jointed bottom arms so slight adjustment to get them both 467mm, and put the arms on.
As the rosejoints are much thinner than the bushes, I have had to make spacers to get the arms in the right place on the gearbox, so I have drilled the threads out of 1/2" nuts, and ground them down to get the right thickness. They look right, and do the job perfectly.
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I have just spent the last 3 weekends sorting out all the wiring problems.
Even with a brand new Banks loom, still absolutely nothing worked when I connected up the brand new battery, using a 30 amp fused feed, just in case.
I have traced every circuit, every fuse, and one by one I have found a whole variety of faults. Earths not working, in line bullet connectors not working, forgetting to put the bulbs in the number plate lights, window switches not working, the brushes on the window motors and the commutator needing cleaning, and I have now got everything working except the indicators, and the started solenoid. That will have to wait until I return from a holiday in Borneo travelling via MH???, presumably on a 777, from Heathrow to KL.
You have to be in the right mood when tracing the wires, especially when adopting the full Lotus position in the footwell under the dash, tracing the back of the dash connections.
Then I have to find out why the gearchange seems to have lost reverse and 5th. I think it has something to do with that mysterious ballbearing right at the back.
Alex in Norfolk.
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I don't envy your wiring problems. Getting in the Lotus Position is one of the worst part about working on these cars and sometimes can't be avoided. I'm glad you appear to be nearing the end of your wiring woes and that you may have a handle on the shifting problem.
Good luck! Have a great vaction in Borneo!