Lotus Europa 1966-1975 & tuning & conversions etc
Discussion
its nice to see what is possible and or what others do.
when they designed the car they did it with was possible those days, nowadays you can make things better and I don't mean put a bigger engine in it.
Those days they also were bounded by money and what they could get, for example the gearbox/diff stuff etc, those days it was a bit harder to get some or the best parts or to keep the car for a reasonable price.
I believe they also were in the race for the car that later became the GT40
so maybe they also had a bigger engine in mind if they would get it?
it all depends what you would like to do with the car and or for what purposes, that team also made some V8 race cars I believe? also very light stuff.
personally I like as new originals and I'm also a fan of conversions or other big upgrades so that the car feels also good/great in modern times, but keep the classic looks as much as possible.
when they designed the car they did it with was possible those days, nowadays you can make things better and I don't mean put a bigger engine in it.
Those days they also were bounded by money and what they could get, for example the gearbox/diff stuff etc, those days it was a bit harder to get some or the best parts or to keep the car for a reasonable price.
I believe they also were in the race for the car that later became the GT40
so maybe they also had a bigger engine in mind if they would get it?
it all depends what you would like to do with the car and or for what purposes, that team also made some V8 race cars I believe? also very light stuff.
personally I like as new originals and I'm also a fan of conversions or other big upgrades so that the car feels also good/great in modern times, but keep the classic looks as much as possible.
Money was and is always an issue in the design and engineering of cars, but even for someone as proverbially careful with money as Colin Chapman was, money was not the sole issue.
"Colin Chapman, Inside the Innovator" by Karl Lundvigsen, and "Colin Chapman, Lotus Engineering" by Hugh Haskell are well worth a look if you haven't read them, although of course much of the focus there is on the racing cars.
"Colin Chapman, Inside the Innovator" by Karl Lundvigsen, and "Colin Chapman, Lotus Engineering" by Hugh Haskell are well worth a look if you haven't read them, although of course much of the focus there is on the racing cars.
BV, I'd agree with you on the power / weight thing being the essence of a Lotus, but I have to say I've always loved the looks of GKN 47D, there's something about this particular car which is even more '60s than standard Europas to my (biased!) mince pies... the fabulous colour, the way it sits on the ground, those mad bloddy spinners on the deep dish wheels...
Me want...
Me want...
Breadvan72 said:
The GKN car is cool, however. Very Gerry Anderson.
Those last three words sum up why I like certain cars of the period so much, they look almost toylike in a way and are usually a little bit 'far out'... the rear end view of the Europa in particular has this in spades, even more so when it's a Series 1 or 2 that's been lowered...I'd best stop right there before I end up in a heap on the floor...
EDIT! oops, the lime green beast isn't an S1 or S2 is it!
Edited by P5Nij on Friday 28th February 12:53
I almost bought a lime Twin Cam that was very like the one pictured, if not that actual car, but in the event I didn't. Annoyingly, I got out of Europa World just as the prices started to go loony, so getting back into Europa World will cost me a bit, but I hope I will do it one day.
the sort like the lime green with the fins 'off' are called Type 74 I believe I call most of those without those 'fins' or S3
S1 is the one with fins like the first series, the S2 can be found in both types, or at least they name them that way, so I call the later types S3 or type 74
here also some info>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Europa
S1 is the one with fins like the first series, the S2 can be found in both types, or at least they name them that way, so I call the later types S3 or type 74
here also some info>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Europa
There was also the GS Europa - lot of chat & pics here: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f120/lotus-europa-...
indeed, I also noticed that, I also think al lot are 'undervalued' for now, I guess they could be worth more in the future.
They have a fantastic name/brand and lightweight, good roadholding and some race past I believe.
but they seem not to be that high noticed some way...I do not really understand why not, they have all/most to be/become great classic sport cars.
Like this car, was for sale end 2013 I believe, it was the ex car from a old formula 1 driver >
Joe Gartner ehemaliger Formel1 Fahrer, they were asking 19.000,-euro which I thought was not much for this
original car with that history.
They have a fantastic name/brand and lightweight, good roadholding and some race past I believe.
but they seem not to be that high noticed some way...I do not really understand why not, they have all/most to be/become great classic sport cars.
Like this car, was for sale end 2013 I believe, it was the ex car from a old formula 1 driver >
Joe Gartner ehemaliger Formel1 Fahrer, they were asking 19.000,-euro which I thought was not much for this
original car with that history.
indeed, or better to say, I've read about that in the books,they could not give those TC the power of the Lotus Elan TC because of the gearbox...it could not handle that...and that only 20hp or so more
those days it was hard to get good mid engine gearboxes, no Internet etc
nowadays you could shop a lot more for that, also engine wise, have a lot pictures on my PC with Zetec conversions, forgot what gearboxes they use though...but some with 200 or 240hp I guess its not those old gearboxes
those days it was hard to get good mid engine gearboxes, no Internet etc
nowadays you could shop a lot more for that, also engine wise, have a lot pictures on my PC with Zetec conversions, forgot what gearboxes they use though...but some with 200 or 240hp I guess its not those old gearboxes
like say this one, great example and nice headers>
http://bringatrailer.com/2011/09/02/zetec-swapped-...
nice exhaust pipes and tires too
http://bringatrailer.com/2011/09/02/zetec-swapped-...
nice exhaust pipes and tires too
Lovely stuff.... should my numbers ever come up big time I'd be straight off to Paul Matty by the M42 or Mr.Banks' gaff oop the North to have a nice little chat about building my perfect Europa (the journey itself would naturally be done in the fabbo Interceptor I'd have bought beforehand). The little chat would consist of me thrusting a photo of the GKN car into said guru's sticky mitts and saying ''here you squire, can you build me one that looks like this please chief?''.
Nursie nursie where are you....?
Nursie nursie where are you....?
Think that you'll find quite a few bods are going for the Renault Fuego (NG3) gearbox. I believe that it will take a little more bhp.
I had Spyder modify their tubular spaceframe chassis way back in 1985/6 when I built my Europa. I was told by Spyder that it was the first.
By the bye, my car was road tested by Sports Car Monthly and they said this about the chassis and gearchange "A live but light steering, with feel and precision the like of which hasn't been seen outside of a pukka racing chassis gives the Lotus-Ferrari brilliant handling..." "The Fuego change is much better than the Europa's and only the slots just millimetres apart for the five-plus-reverse ratios caused the odd wrong selection; the change itself was crisp and second only to the MR2's in the mid-engined precision stakes." (I never have had a wrong selection but then I am used to the car :-))
So you CAN get the Europa change to be much better than standard!
I had Spyder modify their tubular spaceframe chassis way back in 1985/6 when I built my Europa. I was told by Spyder that it was the first.
By the bye, my car was road tested by Sports Car Monthly and they said this about the chassis and gearchange "A live but light steering, with feel and precision the like of which hasn't been seen outside of a pukka racing chassis gives the Lotus-Ferrari brilliant handling..." "The Fuego change is much better than the Europa's and only the slots just millimetres apart for the five-plus-reverse ratios caused the odd wrong selection; the change itself was crisp and second only to the MR2's in the mid-engined precision stakes." (I never have had a wrong selection but then I am used to the car :-))
So you CAN get the Europa change to be much better than standard!
would love a banks europa
any idea how many have been built? why do they favour the vauxhall engine?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hK8Wl99Rk4
any idea how many have been built? why do they favour the vauxhall engine?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hK8Wl99Rk4
Edited by olia on Wednesday 12th March 10:50
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