I’m over in Seattle with work at the moment. I took the opportunity to go and have a good look at the car. Here are some observations.
1. The paint seems to be a pearlescent white. Hence why it shows up slightly yellow in the low sunlight. The usual star cracks in places but generally the bodywork is sound. A 2” crack in the top of the drivers front wheel arch at the top. The doors don’t drop or make a graunching sound when you open them. The front boot is clean. Seems to have a little bit of a bodge (metal plates)where the handbrake attaches to. The bumpers are in great condition.
2. Obviously non-standard wheels. Wider tires at the front than at the rear. All in good condition.
3. Most of the electrics work. The reverse light isn’t wired up to the switch. All the other lights work correctly. Both fans work as do the windows.
4. The interior is superb. The dash is immaculate. All the carpets are very clean and hardly worn. The seats look decent. I lifted the bottom cushion out of the passenger seat. Usual surface corrosion but no holes as in mine!
5. The windscreen is milky in places but the chrome trim is perfect.
6. The transmission and engine are very clean. Once the experienced mechanic turned up and used the choke the engine fired up cleanly and evenly. Good oil pressure too. No real corrosion on the gear linkage. The driveshafts are clean and the ujs look almost new. A quick look under the car revealed that the sump, though very clean, did have a dent in it.
7. The front suspension had very little surface corrosion. The steering bellows had no cracks in them. Couldn’t see any surface corrosion on the chassis. Even on the top of the front T was clean. This car really must have spent most of its time in a heated dry garage. The chassis was distorted and cracked by the Front of the engine by the brake union/switch. Looks like the whole top is cracked to the outer edge. Easily repaired no doubt, once the body is off!
If you don’t mind the paintwork and the milky windscreen then I think it would be a great car to enjoy straight away. The interior is in a time warp condition. It even has an ashtray. I’m sorely tempted.
Now beside it in the yard was another Europa. Not from the same source. An extensively modified body. Targa (yes) top but without the top. Difficult to get the age. It did have the earlier windscreen rubber. But the body plate had 65/xxxx. Obviously a new plate. The project was abandoned by the previous owner.
I think that’s about it. I have no connection with the vendor by the way.
