Early Lotus Europa S1A
Discussion
Hey
I just got a question for you Lotus guys. Does any of you know wheter the body on a S1A Europa from 1968 is bolted or bonded onto the chassis. This is the early years of Europas and i know the first cars had bodies bonded on to the chassis. But 1968 was a transition year and i've heard that some of the early bodys with the low european spec nose without the frogeye blinkers came with a bolted on chassis?
I just got a question for you Lotus guys. Does any of you know wheter the body on a S1A Europa from 1968 is bolted or bonded onto the chassis. This is the early years of Europas and i know the first cars had bodies bonded on to the chassis. But 1968 was a transition year and i've heard that some of the early bodys with the low european spec nose without the frogeye blinkers came with a bolted on chassis?
Hi,
Without checking my references, I'm pretty sure the S1A was the S1 modified to have removable windows to get round the problem of the fixed items on the early S1s. The S1s all had their shells bonded to the chassis, in fact bonded round the chassis is probably a better description.
If you want a "low-nose" car with a removable chassis you need to look for a type 54 - these were the early S2s and will be from between 1968 when the first of the S2s appeared, to around 1970 or 1971 - but with all Lotus change over dates these can be variable!! Features tend to run-on after, and appear before, the official dates so the best advice is to get to know what the different features look like and pick your car accordingly.
I have seen S2s without the front indicator bullets but these came in pretty early in the S2 production run, so if you are definitely after one of these it will probably be a 1968 or 69 car. Before the bullets were fitted, the front indicators could be just a pair of the sidemarker indicator units either in their usual place on the sides, or below the front bumper, or small thimble units below the front bumper.
HTH,
Jeremy.
Without checking my references, I'm pretty sure the S1A was the S1 modified to have removable windows to get round the problem of the fixed items on the early S1s. The S1s all had their shells bonded to the chassis, in fact bonded round the chassis is probably a better description.
If you want a "low-nose" car with a removable chassis you need to look for a type 54 - these were the early S2s and will be from between 1968 when the first of the S2s appeared, to around 1970 or 1971 - but with all Lotus change over dates these can be variable!! Features tend to run-on after, and appear before, the official dates so the best advice is to get to know what the different features look like and pick your car accordingly.
I have seen S2s without the front indicator bullets but these came in pretty early in the S2 production run, so if you are definitely after one of these it will probably be a 1968 or 69 car. Before the bullets were fitted, the front indicators could be just a pair of the sidemarker indicator units either in their usual place on the sides, or below the front bumper, or small thimble units below the front bumper.
HTH,
Jeremy.
Edited by 16VJay on Wednesday 27th August 12:10
16VJay said:
Hi,
Without checking my references, I'm pretty sure the S1A was the S1 modified to have removable windows to get round the problem of the fixed items on the early S1s. The S1s all had their shells bonded to the chassis, in fact bonded round the chassis is probably a better description.
If you want a "low-nose" car with a removable chassis you need to look for a type 54 - these were the early S2s and will be from between 1968 when the first of the S2s appeared, to around 1970 or 1971 - but with all Lotus change over dates these can be variable!! Features tend to run-on after, and appear before, the official dates so the best advice is to get to know what the different features look like and pick your car accordingly.
I have seen S2s without the front indicator bullets but these came in pretty early in the S2 production run, so if you are definitely after one of these it will probably be a 1968 or 69 car. Before the bullets were fitted, the front indicators could be just a pair of the sidemarker indicator units either in their usual place on the sides, or below the front bumper, or small thimble units below the front bumper.
HTH,
Jeremy.
Hi JeremyWithout checking my references, I'm pretty sure the S1A was the S1 modified to have removable windows to get round the problem of the fixed items on the early S1s. The S1s all had their shells bonded to the chassis, in fact bonded round the chassis is probably a better description.
If you want a "low-nose" car with a removable chassis you need to look for a type 54 - these were the early S2s and will be from between 1968 when the first of the S2s appeared, to around 1970 or 1971 - but with all Lotus change over dates these can be variable!! Features tend to run-on after, and appear before, the official dates so the best advice is to get to know what the different features look like and pick your car accordingly.
I have seen S2s without the front indicator bullets but these came in pretty early in the S2 production run, so if you are definitely after one of these it will probably be a 1968 or 69 car. Before the bullets were fitted, the front indicators could be just a pair of the sidemarker indicator units either in their usual place on the sides, or below the front bumper, or small thimble units below the front bumper.
HTH,
Jeremy.
Edited by 16VJay on Wednesday 27th August 12:10
Thanks alot for your answer. I am also currently looking at a 1969 S2, but i am not sure wether it has the bullets. I guess i'll have to find out. Another thing iam after is the S1 dashboard. I've heard that the early transition years S2 had S1 dashboards. Which dashboard does your car have?
Sadly I'm without a Europa at the moment but my S2 was a 65-shell (raised headlamps) car from 1971 - with a wooden dash.
I've not seen an S2 built with an S1 dash but as I said about phased change-overs, I'd never say it was impossible, but if such a thing existed it would be an extremely early S2.
Off the top of my head the only S1 feature I've seen on S2s were the door locks, some early S2s definitely had the single push-button door lock with the notch in the bodywork behind the door for finger access.
Jeremy.
I've not seen an S2 built with an S1 dash but as I said about phased change-overs, I'd never say it was impossible, but if such a thing existed it would be an extremely early S2.
Off the top of my head the only S1 feature I've seen on S2s were the door locks, some early S2s definitely had the single push-button door lock with the notch in the bodywork behind the door for finger access.
Jeremy.
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