Author Topic: Newbie  (Read 3405 times)

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Offline BDA

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday,September 11, 2019, 02:24:51 PM »
I suspect you'll end up being a very competent owner! Having welding and machining skills are very handy!

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #16 on: Wednesday,September 11, 2019, 05:52:27 PM »
What is a reasonable price to expect to pay for a solid drivable car that needs some work? Patina is ok ;)
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline gideon

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #17 on: Wednesday,September 11, 2019, 07:25:45 PM »
There are so many variables to pricing that you really have to study the market to get a good idea.  For the US market, bringatrailer.com is a good place to start.  Their Lotus Europa summary graph shows that the majority of cars that sold via BAT in the last couple of years were in the 10-20K range, with outliers at 3K at the low end and 36K at the very high end.

Offline literarymadness

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #18 on: Wednesday,September 11, 2019, 10:29:16 PM »
An S2 will be less than a Twin Cam and a Twin Cam will be Less that a Twin Cam Special.  And I wouldn't recommend an S1 as your first Europa.  Don't be swayed by low milage.  Most Europas sat for years due to the unavailability of parts (in the pre-internet days) or lack of knowledge to repair even a small problem.  None of that is a problem today. Support and first hand knowledge is amazing and only a post away.  This site especially!!  Nearly all parts are sourceable domestically. Finding cars that have been well-sorted out will save you a lot of money in the long run.  Very often a well sorted Europa is not that more than one that needs a lot of TLC.  There are some amazing deals that come up.  If you are looking for a car that is less than perfect cosmetically but runs fairly decent, then I would say $10-14,000 for a nice S2, $12-17,000 for a decent Twin Cam, and $14-20,000 for a  well sorted Special.  Add 20-30% if the car is exceptional.  Desirable colors can add to the price such as a Black JPS Twin Cam Special.  And while Europas look great in any color, a yellow will be be worth more than a brown.  Originality matters to a certain extent but it is not necessarily that reflective in pricing.  And If you want hotter cams, better shocks and suspension, and headers, for many those are a plus.  Most owners bought them to drive and that is what matters the most.

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #19 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 05:07:43 AM »
Good to hear that parts are available. I do quite a bit of driving for work and want a car I can drive on every nice day. I have other cars to drive on bad weather days.

My name on here, TurboFource, is because I have had  one  four cylinder Turbocharged Ford or another since 1988....Will a Renault engine handle a modest amount of boost if build for it? I know the Renault 5 turbos were quite the car!'
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline dakazman

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #20 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 06:17:26 AM »
 :Welcome:

  Kraig, aka  turbo !
 Whichever model you choose that first sight thought will put a smile on your face.
 
 Probably better to find a driver and have the thrill of driving. I part of most conversations I cannot participate in . Thoughts like do I need this or that ... air conditioning or turbo with nitrous, lol .
These mods sometimes delay a finished package. Just my 2 cents worth.
Dakazman

Offline BDA

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #21 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 06:53:03 AM »
Good to hear that parts are available. I do quite a bit of driving for work and want a car I can drive on every nice day. I have other cars to drive on bad weather days.

My name on here, TurboFource, is because I have had  one  four cylinder Turbocharged Ford or another since 1988....Will a Renault engine handle a modest amount of boost if build for it? I know the Renault 5 turbos were quite the car!'

Since you seem to be so enamored with turbos, I thought I'd mention that when the TCs were still being made or shortly after, someone produced a turbo kit for TCs. I don't remember if I actually saw one or if I only read about it. Dan Gurney had a chain of car shops called "Dan Gurney's Checkpoint USA" IIRC and I have an even vaguer memory that they were the ones who produced the kit. Whoever produced it, you might be able to find some information on it and it could be a starting point for turboing a TC if you get one.

Offline literarymadness

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #22 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 11:02:39 AM »
Here is an S2 that someone turbocharged and chopped off the roof to turn their Europa into a speedster. They used a Rajay turbo used on light aircraft.

https://revivaler.com/lotus-europa-s2-turbocharged-roadster-speedster/

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #23 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 12:45:51 PM »
I saw that one but there aren't any details...such a project would be down the road after getting an Europa and probably a spare motor to build up...
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline 4173R

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #24 on: Thursday,September 12, 2019, 05:42:51 PM »

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #25 on: Friday,September 13, 2019, 04:54:35 AM »
Since on planning to drive it on a regular basis, what kind of mpg can I expect? I would imagine with the excellent coefficient of drag and small displacement, a Europa does fairly well with mpg!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline surfguitar58

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #26 on: Friday,September 13, 2019, 05:10:04 AM »

Take a look at this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Lotus-Europa/372766268254?hash=item56ca99db5e:g:T68AAOSwVxNdeCCy

That's a nice one. Once again, as with most cars in this group and those I've seen for sale, it is missing from the registry. (http://lotus-europa.com/regspcl.html ) Would love to see this registry become active again.

Tom
"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Offline BDA

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #27 on: Friday,September 13, 2019, 05:11:11 AM »
When mine was stock and "new", it would get 30 mpg on the highway no matter how fast I went (quite often 90 mph). I don't remember calculating city mileage.

Offline brucelotus26r

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #28 on: Monday,September 16, 2019, 04:53:52 AM »
I may have mine at Don Butler Garage Tour on 10/5/19.
Heather Rd  Port Deposit,  MD

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #29 on: Monday,September 16, 2019, 09:14:13 AM »
My daughter is having a house warming party that day. I will keep on the look out for an opportunity to check one out!


The more I do the more I find I need to do....