Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: ivygreen on Sunday,May 04, 2025, 05:01:13 PM
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I wasn’t sure whether to continue my initial thread or start anew, so here we are…
Today, I finally had time to go pick up my Europa barn find in the driving rain. I tried like hell to talk myself out of it (especially when we arrived and I looked the car over again), but I’ve always been haunted by the thought of “If I don’t save it, who will?” Thus, my long history of financially suicidal east coast projects.
On the plus side, the car is very original and very complete. Its history is cloudy, but I believe it has had just two owners. It’s showing 24,000 miles, which I would guess is about right. It was last registered in Pennsylvania in 1983. Probably the brightest point - it is a real John Player Special. As I suspected, the badge was lying on the passenger side floor - Car #54. I’ll put a picture below. Also, the windshield is good. I’m told that’s important, so there’s that. The car has a set of minilites on it that I’ve never seen before. Two (or maybe three) of them are salvageable. The fourth one is toast. The original spare is in the luggage compartment and appears to have never been on the ground.
On the minus side, everyone associated with this car is dead. I bought it from (I hope I get this right) a nephew of the owner’s wife’s sister. He is liquidating a bunch of things, as his aunt preparing to move into an assisted living facility. The car has been sitting at her home for 40 years. Of course, the title is long gone. Pennsylvania is notoriously bad for trying to title a vehicle like this with no documentation. I think I can get it done, but it’ll be a process.
When the car was moved from the carport back to the garage, it was done improperly, by cavemen. The rear crossmember that holds the back of the gearbox is bent out of whack, and the front control arm on the driver’s side is pulled out of its mounting point (with most of the mounting point still attached). I’m not bothered by any of that because the car will need a chassis…badly. In fact, it will need just about everything. There are mice nests everywhere and the interior smells amazing. I’ll get to those next week. Today, I hit the exterior with the power washer and called it good.
For now, I think that’s it. I have to finish my current project before I can get into this one, so probably a year or so. In the meantime, if any of you would really like to own a full-on project John Player Special, I would probably be willing to sell it, be happy to have saved it from a tragic end, and continue to look for my dream S2. If nobody wants it, I’ll go ahead and build it myself.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading and enjoy the pics
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Congratulations on purchasing genuine JPS Europa!
It’s too bad that you’re swamped with another project. With a new frame you’ll have great project that will become a great car!
If you have to sell it, I hope and expect you’ll find a great new owner!
Please keep us up to date regardless!
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Did the JPS cars have a gold rocker? Looks good in gold.
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Would you post the vin#...I can do some detective work for you.
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Dakazman, did you catch that? Ivygreen is willing to sell it. This would be a perfect project for a fella with your sized cajones! If I had another ten years, and the garage space, I would jump on it.
Very anxious to follow your project ivygreen, and I do hope you stick with it.
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Did the JPS cars have a gold rocker? Looks good in gold.
Nope, the rocker panel on the Specials were always metal flake silver. Some do paint them gold.
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That's quite a project. Being complete and not disassembled, you are in better shape than many. Good luck with your project.
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Dakazman, did you catch that? Ivygreen is willing to sell it. This would be a perfect project for a fella with your sized cajones! If I had another ten years, and the garage space, I would jump on it.
Very anxious to follow your project ivygreen, and I do hope you stick with it.
Sure thing S1,
I’m having enough trouble finding a way to get a title for the S1 and still trying to pickup that original S2 laying in a shed. Not to mention this XKE project that seems almost stalled and my daughter’s engine rebuild. One good thing is that at least now I have a few days to get to work on my S2 .
With all that said, Maybe…😵💫. The granddaughter likes Europa’s.
lol
D’man
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Well, D’Man - let me know before I get too attached. In the interim, I’m going to see what I can do about the title situation. There are a couple of paths for me to explore. I ordered a good weatherproof cover for it (not that it will matter at this point), but other than that, it’s going to sit for a while until my other car is finished.
I would like to at least find some (very cheap) wheels with tires that hold air so I can roll it around a bit easier. If anyone in the eastern PA area has something, please let me know.
By the way… below is (was) my 21,000 original mile, unrestored S 1.5 E-type. Fantastic car, but someone wanted it more than I could refuse…
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That Jag is a beauty! It would take a lot for me to let that go!
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My first E Type 2+2 mysteriously caught fire.
I still kick myself every Sunday for letting my E Roadster go in an effort to begin a business.
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Good luck to you Ivygreen and thanks for the pictures and posts. Based on the looks of the Jag, when you’re done with the Europa Colin will be smiling with the rest of us. I’d love to do a JPS but my age tells me not to, o well.
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"Come on footer" says the crowd in wild applause.
I'm going on 70 in a few more months.
D'man
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I hear you guys. I’m somewhere between 60 and 70 myself. I had a hard career and I’m pretty busted up at this point. Plus, I’m not as aerodynamic as I once was. I’ll be lucky if I can even get into a Europa by the time this one will be complete.
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I’m not as aerodynamic as I once was. I’ll be lucky if I can even get into a Europa by the time this one will be complete.
That's just added motivation to get it on the road and to do your exercises!
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Good luck to you Ivygreen and thanks for the pictures and posts. Based on the looks of the Jag, when you’re done with the Europa Colin will be smiling with the rest of us. I’d love to do a JPS but my age tells me not to, o well.
Thanks Footer. I didn’t build the E-Type. That was an untouched original car. I did build these, though - and a whole lot of others over the years. I worked on the restoration of a friend’s mid-year Corvette, but I’ve never actually done any fiberglass work. A little apprehensive, but still looking forward to it. I figured for my first time working with glass, I should definitely do a black car. What could go wrong?
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Sorry. Forgot to resize those. Let me try again…
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Nice work, ivygreen! :beerchug:
Fiberglass is easy. The worst is the itching! But there’s also the old saying, “smell resin, buy new tools!” Anything that touches resin will need to be replaced in short order.
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Ivy, Love the Stang and the 356. THE REAR VISION IS ABOUT THE SAME AS A EUROPA. :FUNNY:
The mini is growing on me, but I am a fan. Yours is immaculate.
So, what is your current project?
D'man
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So, what is your current project?
D'man
‘65 Mustang. My first car. Dad bought it for me for $350 in 1978 when I was 14 years old.
I’m detailing the suspension, steering, and brakes now. It’ll soon be ready to come off the rotisserie. I plan to put the driveline back in it before I start the body and paint so I don’t tear the new paint up putting the engine in. Most of the sub-assemblies are ready to go.
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To provide a little context, I started here…
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Wow, now that’s a journey. Beautifully executed thus far.
Sentimental reasons are some of the best .
Dakazman
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Nice work, Ivy! :beerchug:
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Would you post the vin#...I can do some detective work for you.
Lou - I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, but here are the data plates. The car is #3226R.