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My Europa (old)

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:57 pm
by sico24
Piccies of my S2 Europa (as requested by Sanjoy). Spyder chassis, R16TS engine (1565cc crossflow), bodywork OK (ish), Wolfrace alloys. Owned 7 years. Photos taken by my phone so not great!

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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:01 pm
by Scottd
Very nice, thx for posting :thumbsup

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:20 pm
by Rich H
Still like them, no I don't want one :wink:

What is it like to live with?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:51 pm
by Sanjøy
IIRCS Georgie Best had a Yellow one.

Liking the breadvan look.

Living with a Europa

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:22 pm
by sico24
Thanks for comments

It only gets out a few times a year. It's essentially a kit car so rattles a lot. Has a problem when it gets hot when trying to restart (I think the electric fan is somehow affecting the starter circuit) - this has caused embarrassment before when stalling. It also shorted the ammeter when I first got the car so smoke issued from the dash!

Handles quite nicely round corners, but I don't tend to drive above about 60-70mph (indicated about 90 on speedo!) due to age and noise. Long gear link to back end can be sticky with all the rose joints but mine seems to be adjusted OK now.

George Best did have a yellow one - I was a real fan of his when I was small and I think that (and the blue Matchbox one I had which my sister still remembers) got me 'hooked'. Would really like a good body job (preferably Gold Leaf colours), so anyone with fibreglass expertise who could teach me out there?

It's an interesting contrast with my 99 Elise to see how Lotus has moved on in 40 years!

Simon

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:26 pm
by Rich H
I love the top angle, looks sweet. Can see the influence on the Elise.

Would love such a classic but the g/f would kill me... Can still dream though...

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:29 pm
by Sanjøy
It was about '84 when I first got the sniff. Dads friend took me out in his spanking new white Espirit. Neighbours who would never normally leave their gardens (Bearsden) we flooding in to the driveway to pour over it.

The flat raked back windscreen and the speed blew me away.

20+ years later and with the family friend now much older and not in contact with the family since my Dad passed I think it is time I looked him up and repaid the favour.

SP

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:34 pm
by Rich H
Only cos you want a ride in his latest sportscar!

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:16 pm
by dezzy
I fell in love with Lotus when I was probably around 10. In the summer, there would sometime be a red Esprit parked round the corner from my house. I guess it was a visitor or perhaps the owner garaged it all winter. I knew nothing about cars, but fell in love with the looks. I couldn't get over the size of the tyres!

Then, when they brought the Elise out, I promised myself I'd own one before I hit the big 3-0. And I've recently just achieved that dream! :D :D :D

Lovely car mate! You can definitely see influences from that on the Elise.

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:34 pm
by Scottd
Aw I wanna reminisce too ....

It was the JPS cars inFormula 1 that did it for me mainly. Seemed to have that whole British fighting spirit. Oh and Bond of course (the proper Bond, not the Edinburgh milkman! :thumbsup - what Scottish person comes out of Eton sounding like that! :roll:). Millions of other Lotus memories too, a clear one was seeing a BRG Europa tho, an asking me Dad what kind of car it was... "a Lotus son" - Nuff said! :)
Sanjoy wrote:It was about '84 when I first got the sniff. Dads friend took me out in his spanking new white Espirit
Jammy CU NT! :D

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:11 am
by craigieb
Image

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:19 am
by Sanjøy
Image

George Best

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:42 pm
by sico24
On a documentary about George Best (that I've got on video somewhere, including some footage of him driving it), that's the car that Bobby Charlton described as 'he had this bloody silly little car - I couldn't even get into it!"

Says something about the style of the two players, eh?

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:32 am
by rossybee
Yummy :D

Image

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:03 am
by Rich H
:thumbsup
Perfect pic pity the roof is fixed....