Just got my 3rd Lotus

[Matt-watts]

I've always wanted a Lotus Europa and when I was offered this 1972 twincam for £3K I had to have the car

Some pictures below

The car was owned by a lovely old chap who had made an excellent job of restoring it, the car was in mint condition ten years ago, then sadly he became very ill, the head gasket went so the car was stored under a polythene sheet for along time, hence the paint is covered in micro blisters.

Generously the car came with many spares including a good chassis, 5 speed gearbox, new stainless steel exhaust and lots other new spares.

More Pictures if your interested here http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn234/Mattwatts1/My%20Europa/

The Engine has only done 10k miles on it's full QED rebuild so I'm very pleased

I can't wait to get started on restoring the car

Matt

Edited January 8, 2010 by Matt-watts

[Advantage]

Nice. That's a pretty looking car. I think every Lotus family should be a 3 Lotus car family.

[Bibs]

Very nice Matt, that will be a beauty when you're done with it

[Jonathan]

Really nice, have a soft spot for the Europa (old and new) - nice collection you have there.

[lotus4s]

Nice find, looks pretty good except for the paint. Will look forward to seeing the progress.

[molemot]

I remember Denis Jenkinson's road test of the Europa in "Motor Sport"..including a hair raising description of encountering an oncoming truck on one of those "Italian Job" type roads..he really rated the car. I nearly bought one myself, years ago...but it was too much money for too much work! The interior of yours looks lovely, but the blisters and cracks will be a slog. The twincam has to be loads better than the original Renault engined ones... This is going to be a very nice car. Well bought!!

[wayneb911]

Good luck matt

If its going to at a standard of the other car then it will be great. Will it be staying original as well?

[Matt-watts]

I'm going to fit the good chassis it came with and the five speed gearbox, I was also going to bring the engine up the Big Valve spec and run it for a year, the insurance has only cost me

Edited January 8, 2010 by Matt-watts

[Jonathan]

Cough cough splutter, aheem, cough splutter honda K20 engine conversion splutter, cough

(has to be done !)

[MPx]

I'm going to fit the ............... the five speed gearbox....

Way outside my personal knowledge, but I've listened to many baby elan "experts" spout that the 5 speed box was much worse than the 4 speed in both that and the plus 2. Dont know if the same applies to the bread van or not.

A new 5-speed Europa Special JPS/Oatmeal moved in next door but one when I was a very impressionable teenager in 1972...and initiated my love affair with Lotus! I'm definitely feeling like a deprived child now that I'm down to just two Lotus.....!!

[andydclements]

It's obvious I love the Europa model, it was the first Lotus I purchased.

[Mark Blanchard]

Very nice indeed. I'm jealous.

[Petrol feet driven]

Very nice car bet your over the moon on getting her.

[esprit s2]

Lovely! Very jealous!

[rocket63]

Man o man, what a great buy. Licky man

[Loose Cannon]

Nice buy! How about a GKN replica;

or that V8 thing that looked like a GT40 had mated with a Lotus;

[rogerch]

I've just looked at the pics of your +2

Roger

[Iconic Ride]

You're a lucky man, Matt. I would like to have held onto mine, but needed to free up space for the Esprit. It appears that the Cosmic wheels have retained their center caps--always a good sign of a cared for Europa. They have a tendency to disappear over time, as the retaining "clips" (more like tabs) lose flexibility with age. Keep an eye on them. A drop of silicone glue on the back side circumference of each will keep them in place without harming the wheel finish. I found the 5 speed to be more than up to the task. And for a car so feather light (the front tyres call for 16 psi!), the ride was quite supple over road irregularities, yet it would corner as if on rails. Chapman's genius at work. Enjoy!

[USAndretti42]

Luverly. And what a bargain too. Well done, Matt.

Please don't modify it into something it was never meant to be. It's too nice for that. A big-valve engine and a 5-speed gearbox should do the job nicely.

I remember Setright testing one in the '70s. He claimed it cornered so hard that it would throw the analogue radio off tune!

When I was Jaguar a guy bought a second-hand one but sold it as it cornered so well and went back to his Sprites. Takes all sorts, I suppose.

Time for me to start looking on E-bay methinks. I haven't looked for a couple of days.

[silverfrost]

Matt,

Great looking car dont see many in racing green, looks great and what a bargain!

A very nice car to have in your collection,

Regards danny

[richardvg]

nice looking car - pardon me for saying this ,i have seen one with a toyota 2.0l motor ,throttle bodies and ecu etc.

runs like a beast on heat.

i can contact the guy for you -only if interested.

richard

[andydclements]

I think the Toyota engines are the "normal" upgrade from the Renault engine and the Ford based (which the old twin cam is) often go to the modern ford engines found in Focus etc, both great reliable, powerful engines.

Mine has had an upgrade performed to the engine, head gas flowed, high lift racing cams etc, and they estimate it could put out as much as ...... 145BHP. For a car designed in the 60s and built in the early 70s that was a fantastic amount of power, even the original ford based twin cams pushing out 120+ was a lot for the era, then consider it's approx the same weight as an Elise despite the chassis being stretched and used as the prototypes for the Esprit S1.

[mangel]

seen the V8 one above go, it is seriously quick!!

[GavinT]

Looks like a great car Matt. Look forward too seeing your photos of the refurbishment work.

On a side note...how do you square all this away with the misses? I want to know your secret so I can follow your example!.

Edited January 11, 2010 by GavinT

[PierreLP]

Good stuff...and even better being a twin cam. I had an S2...gulp.

I have a new Europa and an Elan+2 130/5 amongst my cars.

Edited January 15, 2010 by PierreLP