Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: katanaman on Monday,August 20, 2012, 03:45:10 PM
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Hi. I am now in Southern California with my Europa, trying to prepare it for the trip home. I was told in the listing that the car "runs and drives" but that was a lie. The engine probably would start with a little trouble, but that is not the worst of the problems. I have to reconnect all of the instruments and most of the controls before that. So... I have been encountering problems acquiring parts already. Seems that although the car will be getting, and needing, new tires (one is hugely weather checked on its sidewalls revealing deep fissures), I have found that the car is missing a couple of lug nuts. Can't find them in local parts stores. On my list also are the S-2 stalks that control the turn signals and the headlight "dip switches". Does anyone have any ideas where I can find them? I will be with family in Moreno Valley as I reassemble the instruments and will check this often for ideas. Thanks.
I have tried cross-referencing Triumph Spitfire as a source for the wheel lugs, and still get nothing. I hope I don't have too much trouble finding the Mazda RX-7 stuff I might be needing. Seems that cars this old will require extraordinary steps to support them. But lug nuts?
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I have a set of steel rims with tires mounted. I use them to roll my chassis around the shop. You are welcome to borrow them. Just would need to work out how to get them back at some point. I'm in Orange county.
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Dave Bean use to carry the stalk for the turn signals. :confused: Sports Car World will definitely have the part.
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I have a twink but I think the S2 lug nuts are 3/8"-24 with a beveled base. I believe such lug nuts are used on ATVs and UTVs. You might try an off-road motorcycle shop. Chaparral Motorsports is huge and not too far from you, though there is probably a smaller place closer. Good luck.
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Looks like these guys have them.
gorilla-auto.com/small-diameter-lug-nuts
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Out of curiosity, you plan on driving this Europa home? How far is home? From your description of the car, I'd be very apprehensive of driving it around the block much less across the country
To add to Joe's generous offer, I have four fairly new 185/50/13 tires you can have for free. Just come on down, have a tire shop unmount them from my rims and put them on yours. I also have some 3/8" lug nuts you can borrow to get you home. I'm located a couple of hours from Moreno Valley just south of Temecula.
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Thanks everybody for all of the offers. I have contacted Jeff at JAE and he gave me Moss cross-referenced numbers for the (Triumph Spitfire) lugs and the stalks I needed -- they're on the way! I now of course have new problems! The P.O. unhooked all of the instruments, switched spots for the speedo and tach for some reason, and now I see that the manual says to carefully note the 3 white wires (already thoughfully unhooked!) on disassembly!! I hope that there's good reason all 3 have different connectors, though there still is some chance I'll hook them up wrong... I am having trouble figuring out the inputs to the oil pressure gauge and the water temperature gauges as there is now that Mazda 12A there. I really get the impression that the car was never driven after this "professional installation". I have an extra, larger radiator installed in series with the original, so I will need to figure out the fan switch routings and there is also an oil cooler installed, along with a hydraulic clutch (probably due to the Mazda engine). Why am I telling you this? To explain that with all of this in the front bay, there is no longer room for a spare!! I will have a 1050 mile trip home. I am not being given any 165x13 options for tires, only 155x80R13 or 175x70R13. The wheels look fairly small, but aftermarket alloy - what sounds best?
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My car used to 175/70R13 tires. 185/60R13 are also common and readily available from tire suppliers. Or if you're ambitious, 205/60R13.
I think Banks Europa in England recommends 185/60R13.
But I'm sure others here with more experience can weigh in.
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The standard tyres were either 155/80x13 on 4.5" wide rims, or 175/70x13 front, 185/70x13 rear on the optional 5.5" alloy rims. When I bought my car it had 5x13 cosmic aftermarket alloys on with the 175/185 combination and that worked fine. (in fact until I changed the tyres I thought I had 5.5" rims because it looked "right" )
Brian