Some Assy Required: 1967 Lotus Europa
I can’t tell you how much time and money it would take to restore this next Europa, but I can tell you that I know someone who did a frame-off resto on a Europa a few years ago. He said it took a considerable amount of time and effort, but most of the parts were light enough to handle by hand, so you don’t need an overhead gantry crane like you are restoring a Cadillac hearse (I also know someone who did that in a shared co-op garage with a few likeminded fellows…he didn’t make many friends when that thing took up half the shop for 18 months). Anyway, the hardest part with the Europa is deciding when you’ve reached the core of your restoration, because it uses a fiberglass molded body that is “fully bonded” to a boxed steel backbone chassis…and it is complicated. Watch some of this guy’s youtube videos. Find this 1967 Lotus Europa with Toyota power bidding for $2000 in Chester, VT via ebay with 5 days to go.
From the seller:
Vehicle Details
Lotus .Early Europa type 46, early ser. 1A. Toyota 3TC engine set up for twin webers (no carbs). mated to Porsche 5 speed transaxle, custom clutch/pressure plate and adapter plate, engine mounts, additional crossmember, custom sliding half shafts. Fully adjustable control arms with heim joints. cable shifter installed. Light body damage under tail lights and cracked windshield. Lotus 47 flared wheel wells. Needs completion. Sold with bill of sale.
See a better way to start a headache? tips@dailyturismo.com
Why? For lot of time and money you get an non air-conditioned go cart that is a mediocre drive at best. Go buy a used Miata/MR2/Porsche Boxster to zip around in, at least you get AC and Air Bags for the same amount of money.
That boxster transmission is worth the bidding price.
This is a weird pile of parts. I wonder what it’s history is.
There is a surprising amount of commonality between the longitudinal front-engine front-drive transmissions used in the Audi A4/VW Passat and the mid-engine longitudinal rear-drive Boxster/Cayman — in fact, they used the exact same 5-speed auto transmission (ZF 5HPFL) and the 5-speed manual is bolt-in-out compatible, but with different 2nd and 3rd gear ratios.
Wow. Someone combined all the downsides of a kit car and a production Lotus, all into one.
It’s the stuff nightmares are made of.
-Stan (…who prefers comedies and action adventures to tragedies)