Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: yelloeuropa on Friday,October 25, 2013, 11:30:11 AM
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:newhere: Well I tho't I had posted a hello but it must have gone astray. I'm Rick from SC. Will get my Europa this weekend.
Have old pics but gotta learn how to post. Solid car, complete. Motor won't turn over, the clutch is blown up. Took off oil pan, looks clean. T/A turns in all 5 gears. No major damage. has been stored for 20+ yrs. in a shed filled w/ many rats nests. All
glass is there as are the 5 wheels. Under the spray bomb can yellow is green, hoping the original. Thanks for this forum. Rick
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:Welcome:
We look forward to seeing some pictures :beerchug:
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Welcome Rick.
Where in the heck are these guys finding all these Europa's? In garages?............
I'm waiting for a LoCort or an S1 Elan........in a garage.
mike
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Thanks Gents; I've had my Europa @ my shop earlier this summer for an eval. The p/o offered it to me then but I declined. As it turns out, my friend had cancer & pasted this last Tuesday. I had called to see how he was, not knowing he was bad sick, nor expecting he had just past. So anyways, his estate manager called back & asked if I'd like the car?? So his car will have a new home. Always wanted a Lotus yrs. ago just never got around to finding one. To be sure, it is a unique vehicle. Since this
car is so complete, I really need to restore it & not mess w/any changes/swaps! I'll do all that with my Cimbria SS. My financial
manager/wife is not too thrilled w/Lotus's or any more projects. But I couldn't just let this classic get away. Maybe I'll try an
attachment/pic. Hope I don't lose this post. It seems my pics r too large, how do I resize? Thanks, Rick
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Pictures to big? If you have "Paint" which if your on a Windows computer should be there as part of your operating system. Open the picture up in Paint and click on "resize" put in say 50 and hit "OK". If it is still to big repeat the process. The save the file. It should then upload without an issue.
Hope this helps.
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lets see if ,this worked.
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wow!~?! Hey Man; I think I've got some shrunk, but can't get them to attach to a new post. Help!
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Hi Rick, and :Welcome:
Hey, another car with Cosmic alloy wheels. Mine came with them as well, a very popular fitting over this side of the pond at the time. How about starting a restoration thread and let's all know how you're getting on with it ?
Brian
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Well Sir; I just got the car home today. A build thread--'um OK. Now I ain't being a S/A$$ here, but I know very little about these cars, SOOOO, I must read many tech posts & find an overhaul manual-read some more, etc. True, I've always admired them, just never jumped on one. I'll start on getting a title tomorrow. I sorta can't jump on this right away. theres two fieros,
a trike, a brat truck, a cimbrai ss, a carport roof, a new metal roof on the house-bla-bla-bla... might not need to preach to the crowd. My wife actually likes the little car for what it is & for what it could be. I'll see how things progress. I really do need to check out stuff on this forum before I start asking to many dumb ??? I'll get more pics posted shortly. Rick
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You have one of these?
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-otgdhRsgOe8/UR-KdFvIY4I/AAAAAAABJdw/O2zisYrNonY/s1600/0-RadarNorthropGrumman_SISDANColombia.jpg)
That's a pretty cool car! :beerchug:
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Welcome to the forum, Rick. It's good to have you aboard. Sorry to hear about your friend. That looks like a fine project you have there. The car seems mostly complete which is a fine start.
Yup, we all understand the other obligations life throws at us, and how these can get in the way of a project. As for the tech stuff, one thing you have going in this project is that there is no simpler car to rebuild. These things certainly do have their idosynchrasies, though, but everyone here is more than willing to provide advice where we can. Parts availability is generally pretty good, both new and used. Give that frame a very thorough inspection, as well as the rear suspension trailing arms. This stuff is only 16ga sheet metal and doesn't tolerate much rust. Keep an eye out for cracks at the stressed points at the forward end ('T' section) of the frame, too. It's a good place to start. Damage can be repaired by a diligent welder, or new replacements are readily available. Good luck, and keep us posted.
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Dang, had a post all done, was adding a pic, lost it all. let me try a pic again, will post again later. Rick
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Dang, had a post all done, was adding a pic, lost it all. let me try a pic again, will post again later. Rick
I found your car in the Registry at Lotus-Europa.com. But it's listed as an unregistered car. It was originally Cirrus White (L04) :confused:
here is the link http://www.lotus-europa.com/registry.asp
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Thank you Sir. Well, as it turns out, the car had been stored for 32 yrs. It had been registered here in S.C. @ some time, hence the sticker for 1980-1981, 10Th month. No matter. I'll confess there is white paint many places on the car. I'm inclined to go w/metallic forest green, w/white racing stripe, tan interior. I've been told the motor is a Renault? The cam is on the pass. side turned by a belt/pulley. I agree, the car seems very simple/straight forward to rebuild. I was very fortunate to have been a professional welder for 45 yrs., 22 in the USAF. Thanks for the kind words "&" advice.
LotusJoe, yep got a Cimbria SS, I'll post a pic as long as it doesn't P/O the forum gods. The one pictured is a beautiful machine! Yours? My handle on the Sterling forum is; 1/3RDOFF.
I'll try pics on another post. Plan to haul my Lotus to the local, weekly cruise-in this Saturday, maybe someone will offer $$$$.
I can do the car, just so many projects going. Well-shucks, would anyone here want the car?? Rick
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pics, I hope.
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You have a big task in front of you. But it looks like it is all there. Now you need to start a build thread.
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Well Sir; I can't exactly see where the build thread section/page is. Your help/advice is most welcome. THANKS. Rick
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Right here in the Garage
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O.K. Would it not be possible to use this thread? as my starting point since I have most of the basic info posted? If there is a requirement for a build thread to be a mechanical remake, or that thread is in a different area,I'll start over.
A pic of my Cimbria SS, as long as the forum gods don't get me banned.
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I had to do some googling to learn me about the Cimbria. An interesting kit car and quite stylish. I like its lines and it looks to be much more refined than other kits of the era. Very interesting.
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Trevor; thanks for the Cimbria likes. I'm afraid it may take president over the lotus in the line up of projects. Not that either one is a more involved task, just I want to do the Cimbria first. In fact, the lotus is an easier rebuild as far as the mechanical parts involved, The cimbria will need a complete tube frame surround to include a fiero space frame chopped up, fittinjg a 4.9 caddy, etc. since the lotus was dry stored for 32 yrs., it is in need of a frame off redo, fix any bad spots, welding & etc. &
rebuild/replace the components where needed. I've very recently tho't of a fiero 2.8 V-6, 5 spd, fiero front end, etc. Might
have to frame out the backbone frame,w/firewall & cowl stiffener. But what a sleeper it would be. I've already done the measurements--fitment is close(enough)! Rattled on too much. How's your project coming along? Rick
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Are you saying Fiero 2.8 for the Europa? Very interesting swap. I've not heard of that one before, but once I think about it, I wonder why. Fiero bits should be plentiful and cheap. Very interesting indeed.
My Europa is on the road, but with the weather getting colder I'll be putting her to bed for the winter soon. I usually keep driving until early December when salt first shows up on the road, but driving into work this morning I think I saw a bit of salt sprinkled on a particularly steep hill. My Lotus driving may end early this year :-\
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For sure, I'd put my toys up also to keep that salt off them. The fiero swap is just a chance, I got the tranny into neutral finally so I could tow it to the yard for now & I got the starter to kick it over--once. SOOOO, it may not be froze up after all. And in that case it will be best to keep it bone stock. As it turns out, this car has never been registered in the States. It seems like a G.I. may have shipped it here as they were re-assigned back stateside, the S.C. inspection was done in 80-81 with an overseas tag number which I will keep on the car. Kind of unique circumstances . Also, there is a medallion on the drivers side rear quarter panel that has it as being best engineered?? thru 1973?? Not sure if this should be there since it is a 1970 model.
I have a couple fieros for spares, so a swap could be cheap right now. Rick