A/C *

BATTERY *

BODY, Front trunk *

BODY, Parts *

BODY, Paint cleaner *

BODY, Paint Stripping *

BODY, Removal *

BODY, Sill installation *

BODY, Sill paint *

BODY, Windows *

BRAKES, Fluid *

BRAKES, Inboard rear *

BRAKES, Master cylinder *

BRAKES, Tubing *

BRAKES, Tubing flare *

CARBERATERS, Rebuilding *

CARBERATORS, Stromberg *

CARBERATERS, Webers *

CARBERATERS, Temperature compensators *

CHASSIS, Closing plate *

CHASSIS, Identification *

COOLING SYSTEM, Cassette pump *

COOLING SYSTEM, Coolant *

COOLING SYSTEM, Water pump *

DASH, Structural support *

ELECTRICAL, Regulator *

ENGINE, Timing *

ENGINE, Tuning *

ENGINE, Turning *

ENGINE, Valves *

ENGINE, Valve shims *

EXHAUST, Muffler *

HELICOIL, Removal *

IGNITION, Electronic *

INTRUMENTS, Speedometer *

INSTRUMENTS, Tachometer *

INTERIOR, Dashboard glue *

LIST, Subscribing *

NUTS & BOLTS, Grade specification *

OIL *

OIL, Change & additives *

STEERING, Tie rod ends *

SUSPENSION, Hubs *

SUSPENSION, Loctite *

SUSPENSION, Lower links *

SUSPENSION, Pin removal *

SUSPENSION, Rear ‘clunk’ *

SUSPENSION, Rear hubs *

SUSPENSION, Roll center *

SUSPENSION, Shock absorbers *

SUSPENSION, Shock adjustment *

SUSPENSION, Spring compression *

SUSPENSION, Spring shortening *

SUSPENSION, Sway bar *

SUSPENSION, Sway bar bushings *

SUSPENSION, Twin Cam - Special differences *

TRANSAXLE, Spirol pin *

TRANSMISSION, Drain plug *

TRANSMISSION, Gear change *

TRANSMISSION, Freeing clutch *

TRANSMISSION, Linkage *

TRANSMISSION, Removal *

WHEELS, Hubcentric *

WHEELS, Well trim *

WINDSHIELD, Washer *

bdboyle@fpe.erenj.com (Boyle, Bryan D.) Subject: AC in a 'Ropa Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:11:01 -0500
Aaron spake thus: >"squirrel cage" blower that feeds air to the air box in front. My Europa (Special) doesn't have this, if I remember correctly. It had something in the same place that I didn't recognize, with a mini radiator inside the air box (for heat?).

From: ClassMaker@AOL.com hillmotorsports@sympatico.ca writes: I seem to recall seeing a picture on a website (somewhere) showing an evaporator installation in the front boot/heater plenum.

Cool Aire -- once had a kit for the TC. I've seen one with my own eyes. Yes, in the front boot. Very tidy. On a yellow (L07) TC in Biloxi, Mississippi, 1973. Could go on the S2 as well... if you can find one!!! Inquire at Banks Europa (UK) and see what they know. There's someone in the Ohio area with one in their car, and a brand new spare kit on the shelf, as I heard it. Also, someone on these lists took one off their car, IIRC. There was some discussion a few months back. Search the archives at our site on www.onelist.com.

Tim Engel" <tengel@isd.net> Coolaire did an A/C system for the Europa TC... but that was a quarter of a century ago. At the time it was $235 complete with Sankyo compressor and 5.25" clutch. Such a deal. The contact info back then was:

rgvivace@aol.com You want to go to the Banks/Europa Engineering site, which has details of their system based on a custom plenum, including some nice pictures on the "47 Replica photos" page.

"jeff hovis" <jhovis@mindspring.com> I received this via e-mail this morning from one of my Atlanta SCCA colleagues. It's an article from Grass Roots Motorsports and is about building a Europa Twink for autox.

Date: Sunday, February 27, 2000 11:55 AM Subject: recommended online article on engine rebuilds >This article happens to be about a rebuild to a Lotus Europa but it is so well done including pictures that I would recommend it to other folks. It happens to be for a A/Street Prepared autocross car.
>http://www.lotuselan.net/print/magazines/grassroots_motorsports/90_5.html

Jay Mitchell <jemitchell@compuserve.com> I read the article, and it's generally OK. However, the authors did some "creative" rules interpretation. An engine built using the procedures they describe isn't quite a legal ASP engine. Caveat Emptor.

Jay Mitchell <jemitchell@compuserve.com> Friday night I finished reassembly of the car's suspension, removed the wheels/tires from their winter storage containers (garbage bags), installed them, and put the car back down on the floor. During the off season, I had done the following:

From: Jay Mitchell <jemitchell@compuserve.com> On Friday, March 24, I took the Europa to an Evolution Performance Driving School at Mineral Wells. For those of you who aren't familiar with autox, the school (originally called McKamey School) is specifically targeted at improving performance in the autocross
environment. In this regard, it's far more valuable than any racetrack-based school, as certain skills that are necessary for autox aren't taught in the on-track type of school. As I'm mainly interested in updating the list on the car's performance, I'll summarize the driver side by saying that, yes, the school is well worth the price of admission, even for an experienced autocrosser. More on all that in another post. The car: it's now evident from 20 school runs broken out into four groups that the car is ever so slightly loose on cold tires, and that the condition fixes itself entirely within half a run or so. This is nothing new, but it's worth knowing about. Otherwise, you're tempted to adjust your driving and/or the car after the first run, when what you really need to do is continue exactly as before and wait for the car's behavior to stabilize. This is the price of having such a light car. The rear tires build a bit more heat - typically they've been 10-15 degrees F hotter than the fronts when I've measured - so their grip improves more over cold. That also means they'll go off sooner if you heat them over the top, so the car will be loose either on cold or overheated tires. Overheating is unlikely, but it might happen in the 110+ heat we encounter in late July through August. If that's the case, I'll run road race compound tires during that part of the season. It's now apparent that the car can now be driven much more assertively than before through any type of course feature, particularly slaloms and offsets. Transient response is razor-sharp, thanks to the damping increase over my previous setup. Not that it was ever slow. It's also possible that the articulating swaybar end links have helped here. As there is now no bending of the bar, the front suspension is more supple around the static position, in spite of stiffer damping. Reducing the ride height below the car's already-low setting yielded another increment of improvement. As I noted before, the front wheels acquired more negative camber from the lowering - about 2.1 degrees - which I allowed to remain there, as the Hoosier radials are alleged to need this much. The rear wheels are set at about 1.6 degrees negative, which I can easily increase if necessary. So far, camber appears to be about right. I'm now using a bit more of the edges of the tires, although there is still relatively unmolested rubber at the very outside of the tread on the front tires. Overall assessment: the car's chassis development work is nearing completion. Further improvements will be increasingly subtle, and reducing my autox times by significant amounts will, in the future, have to come from engine and driver development. Compared to the previous iteration in its development, I'd say that the car is more than a second quicker on the McKamey course, which I was consistently doing in 34.0xx last Friday. The Hoosier autocross radials now have 31 runs on them, and you can still see the "holographic" portion of the tread, which is less than 1/32" deep on new tires. Looks like I'll be needing some more Formula V, or else I'll run out of stick long before I've used up the rubber. I've got photos of the car developed, and I'll scan them and upload them to my website tomorrow a.m. As soon as they're up, I'll post a URL. I'll say more about the driver part of the equation in a later post.

From: "Phil Ethier" <pethier@isd.net> This is in Texas, I believe. Concrete? I was just thinking that overheating tires on my car in autocross was just about impossible. We only have one concrete site here (2 events a year) and I don't think it is likely to be 110 degrees F air temp here in Minnesota any time soon. It is apparent that you are not getting the most out of your front tires. This also appears to be irrelevant. Since the car is always either loose or neutral, improvements to the rear stick would be required before worrying about the front stick. More engine than driver unless you come up against lame-brain courses. If the Real Roger Johnson is designing the courses down there in Texas, or the other designers are paying attention to him, that won't be a problem. This makes me feel better about myself. I got down to 34.136 on the standard McKamey course on the asphalt at Canterbury Park. Neither Jean Kinser or Brian Priebe were driving my car faster than I. I'm not kidding myself that I have anywhere near their talent for several reasons: I know my car better. They are not there to embarrass the student, but to teach. They had been trained by Jim McKamey to be kind to the customers' cars, particularly in shifting (and new school owner Jean Kinser is continuing that rule). I agree with Jay that this school is 100% worth the substantial entry fee.

From: Jay Mitchell <jemitchell@compuserve.com> If the forces generated were the only factor, concrete would always heat tires more. It's the color. On a hot day - even a moderate 95 or so - pavement temperatures on asphalt can easily get to 120+. Under these conditions, autocross compound tires have been heated close to their
optimum temperature before a runs begins. With concrete, the amount of heat is more a function of the length and intensity of the course. Concrete probably does heat tires more than asphalt under cool conditions, but that's not applicable here in Texas. Another factor is the pavement surface itself. Concrete doesn't change that much when it's heated by the sun. Asphalt oozes oil and gets really greasy. So, even if your tires don't go off when it gets hot, the pavement will. As an example, my car's attitude around the apex cone between segments 2 and 3 is neutral if you do it right, (mild) understeer if you're not patient. That's the targeted behavior. If a car oversteers in a maneuver like that, you won't be able to keep up with it when you encounter two of them in quick succession. kWeber 32/36 DGV on the stock intake manifold. 26mm primary, 27mm secondary. Same carb that's used on Formula Fords. Maximum power with this carb isn't any different than stock. The only engine upgrades I have done so far are a header and the Tilton flywheel. Engine is definitely a factor in Street Prepared. Ask anyone who does well in SP if they could turn similar times with a stock engine. That might be the case for high-torque cars that are traction-limited most of the time. It's definitely not the case in ASP, CSP, DSP, or (now FSP). All those guys are working hard to extract all the engine performance they can. So am I, once I get my income taxes paid for '99. :<( Do a compression check. If you've got the correct pistons, you'll get readings over 200 psi if the engine's in even mediocre condition. Flat top pistons will give readings around 160 psi. I got my best times solo, in the afternoon, in the first three segments. Segment 2 and three best times occurred in the same run. My best segment 4 time was the fifth morning run, with Larry Fine in the passenger seat. My best segment 5 time was on my third "baseline run" in the morning. I was within a few hundredths of my best segment times at various points
throughout the day. Likewise my best run times. I turned a 34.024 in the morning with Larry on board, a 34.098 in the afternoon with Ron Bauer along, and a 34.020 and a 34.042 during my last three runs with no passenger. If I could have put all my best segment times together - which isn't really feasible, as there are some cases where a quick time in one segment will hurt your time in the next one - I could have turned a 33.295. We can all dream, can't we? My best segment 3 and 4 times occurred in the same run, with Ron riding, in the afternoon. Well, you WERE paying attention on the first day (before you were a student), weren't you? ;<) My best segment 5 was pre-instruction - I really didn't need much help going around in a circle - but my best segment 2 was in the afternoon with Ron Bauer aboard. That makes perfect sense - passenger weight helps in a right-hand circle. They were telling us this sort of thing during our last three runs. I think that must be part of the standard instructional procedure. The "slalom," in my Europa, is completely flat out all the way until you have to brake for the first circle. A requisite for the best possible time in that segment would be a Pro Solo-style (dragstrip) launch. Since there was nothing at stake here, I refrained from doing that. My new U-joints are grateful, I'm sure. ;<)

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: Europa Battery Question Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 07:29:39 -0800
Jerry Geil wrote: What is a good battery for a Lotus Europa Twin Cam? The previous owner of my car had a battery that was too large for the hold down system. I want to replace it so the battery can be solidly restrained. The workshop manual calls for an "Exide 6VTA 29L" 12-volt battery rated at 39 amp hours. None of the auto parts stores can figure out that rating. Batteries now are all rated in "cold cranking amps". What kind of cold cranking amps do I need for my Twin Cam?

Richard.Longo@usa.xerox.com writes: > Also the battery cable to the starter should be in top shape. And the ground braid from motor back to chassis, as Mark MarKell has reminded me to pay attention to round trip current path from battery through starter. PS: I fussed around with my Europa's starter before LOG-18, thinking the solenoid contacts were marginal. Mark put a meter on the battery and watched it drop to about 2 volts. Bingo! We replaced that guaranteed "Firebrick" battery with el cheapo discount store battery from my 72 Dodge Dart. Cranked like crazy.

rod farnsworth <farnsworthr@nucleus.com> From: "jeff hovis" <jhovis@mindspring.com> Has anyone successfully mounted a battery in the front of a Europa? I heard from someone a while back theirs was actually breaking through the fiberglass.

Karl-Franz Marquez <karlfranz@bol.net> Subject: Re: Jump Start Question (E) Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 13:34:11 –0400 The donor car gets positive terminal to positive cable and negative terminal to negative cable. It is the car disabled car that has the negative cable connected to the block or some other suitable unpainted metal surface away from the battery. Here's all the steps: In cold weather, a good quality booster cable with four to six gauge wire is necessary to provide enough current to the disabled car to start the engine. (The smaller the wire gauge number, i.e., the larger the wire diameter, the better.) Please check the owner's manual for BOTH vehicles BEFORE attempting to jump start and follow the manufacturer's procedure because some cars should not be running during a jump start. However, starting the disabled car with the good car running can prevent having two disabled. DO NOT allow the booster cable clamps touch each other or the POSITIVE clamp to touch the frame or engine block.

"Tim Engel" <tengel@isd.net> Subject: Re: Wheel bearings & Ujs Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 23:01:32 –0600 09 Nov 99, Aaron Hines <whs018@conrad.appstate.edu> wrote: 1) The cross reference was published in 6/78.
> Are the part numbers still valid?

Yes. The size and configuration are industry standard. The exact part numbers vary with from one manufacturer to the next.

>2) The reccommended bearings for the rear are A)Fafnir 206PP for rear outer, B)MRC 206-SZZ for Special inner. Are these correct? Are there newer and better alternatives?

The TC Special uses the same bearing for inner and outer. Yes the bearing numbers you listed are correct. There may be more brands to choose from, but the bearing configuration is an industry standard. The Fafnir 206PP and MRC 206-SZZ are basically interchangeable counterparts. Here are some more.

SJMARCY@aol.com I came across an easy way to get super strong, precise between-the-sealed-bearing spacers. Drill jig bushings. For $ 3.66 each I obtained a few 1 3/16 ID straight simple bushes made of hard, high grade, well finished, shiny steel. They are a hair too long though and will need a quick lathe job to get them down to the 2 inch stock Special length. Earlier cars use 2 1/8 length spacers with the small inner bearings. The stock 30 mm stub axle diameter is quite a bit smaller than the stock tube-spacers. A loose fit is prone to problems since the spacer won't self center itself. A bad combo given known compressive yield issues. So at one section only about half of the stock tube more or less touches the bearing rings due to the loose fit.. Again, not so hot! By using a 1 3/16 drill jig bush with a precise, accurate ID we wind up about 0.006 inches larger than the stub axle OD. It pilots on the 30 mm portions of the stub axle at either end so it is very stable. The lathe work to cut the length down from 2 1/2 to 2 inches might take me about 15 minutes or so on my small lathe. Shorter lengths might be available - my supplier was out of stock. The Europas with the 31 mm ID inner bearings can't use that size. But it's a good idea to machine such a stub axle down to 30 mm OD anyway so that cheaper, readily available bearings can be used.. If you have it all apart, of course. Else use a larger ID drill jig bush.

From: Michael Johannes Ditz <mditz@bndlg.de> From: <phil72@snet.net> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2000 3:14 PM > Has anyone on the list seen , or have any experience with the door hinges that Banks sells ? I have been trying to align my doors to get ready for paint ,but when I tighten the assemblies in place the rod is impossible to remove. It seems the bobbins that are in the doors are nowhere near parallel to one another. I need to be able to remove the doors without loosening the hinges to paint the jambs.

magriese@us.ibm.com Subject: Fasteners Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 07:25:46 –0500 If you're looking to replace those rusty old fasteners in your car with nice clean stainless steel, a company called McMaster-Carr is worth a look. You can order single quantity bolts from their website http://www.mcmaster.com at their box rate. So, if you want 5 M8x45 bolts and the box price is $29.00 per 100, you pay 5x29/100 = $1.45. Don't work for them, don't own any part of them, but I did place an order for most of the external bolts, washers and nuts for my engine - total was around $120 including shipping.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: How many holes (U) Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 13:30:12 –0700
David B Anderson wrote: How many holes are there in the front luggage area (boot, trunk) of a 1972 Europa Twin Cam? (not the spare wheel/tire area, the luggage area). I believe the emergency brake bolts up there, two holes. The emergency brake pivot has, I think, four holes of a small diameter on the floor, spanning the centerline. The windshield wiper motor, one or two more holes on the passenger side, rear bulkhead. Two holes, about 1 inch diameter on either side with small rubber grommets that plug them, they lead into the pass and driver compartments, and are on the floor, forward (for what purpose, I don't know). Two holes, 1/4 inch, below fan hole for fan bracket.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> I too have to add the gas struts. The 74 models had the struts stock. Ken Landaiche has a drawing showing the lower supports needed to install the struts, the upper support, however, hasn't been drawn yet. The normal Lotus suppliers still stock the struts (same as on an Eclat/Elite front strut). I haven't calculated the strut size yet, but plan to do so in the near future, just to save a few $$. Once two struts are on the hood/bonnett, no extra stiffing should be required as it will be evenly supported.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Mine had the single prop in the rear, front too. It had lost the grommet on the lower pivot, and had ripped down the fiberglass about 2 inches. After repairing that mess, and looking at the situation of working on the engine with the tray out, I decided to go with the struts. The later 74s had struts, so I'm not really getting too away from stock, except that the lower attachment points are in a different location than original. I wanted to do something that 1) didn't require I reinstall the brace across the firewall, 2) would minimize any stresses on the hood, and 3) would be universal for all Europas, if possible. I think I've achieved all what I set out to do, the struts have 26lb force each, the lower points bolt to the fenderwells where the 4 bolt flanges do for the seat belt tension bars did (will work if you have them also), the upper and lower points align horizontally when the hood is shut, so no vertical stress on the hood when it is closed. The only modification to the car to install them is 4 rivet holes on each side of the hood, on the vertical edges. The hood opens pretty wide, about as far as when I was using the lotus #1 tool (6 foot wood dowel), not so far as to look unseemly, but enough to have full access. I hope to publish a little article soon. From a practical point, its soooo much better. When closing, light pressure is required so minimal stress on the glass during transition. Cost was about $75 or so.

farberjf@us.ibm.com I brushed regular resin on ...... carefully. It did just what I wanted which was seal the surface and eliminate future problems........ It hardened and I sanded lightly to flatten. I primered and painted as usual.

Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> > I’m finding a lot of small hairline cracks or starbursts.. any easy way to seal them?

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Don't go thru the primer, stop there. The starbursts/cracking is called "stress cracks" and is due the brittleness of the gel coat on the fiberglass. R&D enterprises sells what is called "tissue" which
is very thin fiberglass mat. You sand down thru the gel coat and then use this with resin to bring the surface back up. Works great, but is tedious, and the only way to prevent recurrence of the cracking. Don't try just filling and sealing, doesn't work.

From: "Jay Mitchell" <jemitchell@compuserve.com> Given that you contemplate suspending a substantial weight
overhead, you need to be VERY careful in how you lift and secure your car's body.

From: Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> Here's what I did: Use a cherry picker (under $200) and climbing rope. Suspend the body front and rear and pick the whole works off. I did it by myself - and reinstalled it by myself also. The cherry picker is great for doing engines/trans too, since you can move things around. I even use it for loading heavy stuff into a truck. I can't remember how much I paid for mine, but I'm sure it was well under $200, and worth every cent. Now they have fold up ones for about the same price, so they don't take up so much room when not in use.

From: "Briggs Pletcher" <Briggs1@ix.netcom.com> Lifting the body is probably best done with 4 guys (people),
certainly not a requirement but a nice insurance policy. The weight isn't that great but you could be in for some disconcerting cracking noises if you try to lift the body off without keeping it level. Having extra hands also allows for someone to run around to find out why it's not coming off as easily as you thought it would. The "body shell" itself is really light, one person could move it around if it weren't so awkward. My neighbor and I danced around my garage, driveway and yard over the years with the body before if finally went back on to the frame. What is different about your car however is that I believe you still have the windshield, windows and doors attached to the shell. These items (glass and motors) along with all of the other interior pieces, gas tanks and radiator add a substantial weight to the overall body. You may want to consider taking the doors off to lighten the load. It's not much but it does lighten the load and you can get better access to grabbing the side sills when you can lean into the body a little bit. As for the hanging thought. Not bad, it would probably work but you may find it to be a nuisance every time you want to work on the body that you have to take it up and down. An alternate offering, one that worked well for me, is to build a rolling dolly that you set the body on. I supported only the floor pan and let the ends hang off of the dolly. If you make it tall enough to clear the tires on the frame you can store the body and frame side by side and only increase the overall width by on half of the frame. Depending how far in you put the wheels on the dolly you may even be able to do better than that. The other nice part about doing this is that the body is always within reach and is held secure while you do all of the little things that you will end up doing to the interior or the body itself. The other benefit is that it was CHEAP, a factor that seems of value to you. I actually used scrap lumber and bought pivoting wheels for about $50.

From: Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> New Europa boot lock sets are still available. The usual Vendors (Tingle, Bean, RD, JAE)

>From: dsrgr@aol.com I managed to lose the key to my trunk lock and had another one made after taking the hinge pins out to get it open. I've now discovered that the threads for the bolt that holds the securing clip on are stripped. Anyone know what type of vehicle the lock came from and if they might still be available?

Benjamin Levy (hedge spice) <seven@apocalypse.org> Subject: Engine-less Europa for sale in MA. Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 14:17:02 –0400 I heard (second hand) that Rob Quindezi (sp?) has engine-less Europa for sale. That car was used for racing, so it has various modifications. It has Hewland transaxle, flared fenders and an easy-off body. You can reach Rob at Shine Racing Service (SRS) at 508 660-7974. 508 is on the South Shore of Massachusetts, near Boston.

"Peter M. Blackford" <pmbsab@naples.infi.net Subject: "clay" paint cleaner? Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 21:22:22 –0400 I don't know if anyone here is familiar with this product, but it's been getting some good press... this is just one of several notes: Just thought I would mention the use of this clay and my results. I only had the time to do the hood and roof today, but the results are GREAT! Before you could run your hand over the surface after just washing the car. You could feel all the "crap" that had planted itself on the paint. After using the Clay Magic on the surface, it was unbelievable how smooth it became. You could see in the clay all the crap it picked up. I then waxed the surface with carnuba and WOW! What a great shine. Hopefully I'll have the time to finish the rest of the car next weekend. I recommend this highly. My car is a 93 and has never had anything but wax performed on the paint. This is now a must do. It is quite easy to do. It might add an extra 45min to 1 hr, but your car will love you for it. You can get this stuff from Don Mallinson. Check out his web site http://www.dccarcare.com. It is a small investment to help your paint. (probably available elsewhere, as well... not a commercial message).

"Tim Engel" <tengel@isd.net> Subject: Stripping FRP (was Re: Comments?) Using a chemical stripper to take paint off a fiberglass part can be risky. I've gotten away with it, but I've only tried it on small parts I wouldn't cry over if things went south. I wouldn't want to risk it on a car body. If the stripper gets to the glass fiber, it will wick into the matte or weave. Once in there, it's difficult or impossible to get out. Depending upon the type of chemistry, it may actually attack the FRP, or it may just make painting problematic. A "little" pocket of stripper in the fibers will attack any paint that is applied over it and cause it to lift or blister. Some strippers are stronger that others. The strongest ones will actually attack the resin in a FRP part. I used a water based chemical stripper to take some paint off a fiberglass laminated wood structure (fuselage of an RC sailplane), and ended up taking all the glass off with the first application. Milder strippers may not attack the resin and the gelcoat may protect the fiber matte/ cloth from the nastier effects. May. If the gelcoat is intact and crack free. But any chip that exposes the matte, any stress crack that allows the gel to wick into the fiber, any stress crack repair in progress that exposes fibers... is potentially a problem. The gentleman who purchased my late '71 Europa S2 decided it need to be stripped and resprayed (and it did). He took it to a specialty body shop known for the beautiful work they did on Porsches, BMW's and Mercedes... but no fiberglass cars. They chemically stripped it. There was a small starburst stress crack in the center of the roof. After stripping the car, they repaired the starburst and repainted the car. About a month later the paint blistered where the star had been. They sanded it down and repainted. It blistered. Sanded and painted. It blistered. I saw the car periodically for several years afterwards and it always had the blister. The roof was repainted several times and the blister always returned. I don't know what stripper they used... sorry. But I know I won't use a chemical stripper on a fiberglass car. Sand it or take it in to be media blasted. If you blast it, be aware that blasting has a whole can of worms all it's own. Aggressive, hard media or high pressure can do severe damage to a fiberglass body... lightweight Lotus bodies in particular. Go to someone experienced in blast-stripping fiberglass, have a serious heart-to-heart about the delicate nature of Lotus bodywork, use only "soft" media like plastic, ground walnut shells or soda and keep the pressure low. Go slow. Strip the gray primer and sand from there.

21 Mar 99, Mark MarKell <Type46@micro-engineering.com> wrote: I seem to remember a note from someone about strippers used on glass being not a good idea. Is that so? Something > about absorption or damage at the gel-coat level?

Do not use paint strippers. It will be absorbed into the 'glass, and later it will bleed out and ruin the paint job. The only good way is to sand it down. Good 'ol manual labor... If you are interested in a *good* body shop that specializes in Lotus, Evans Leinbach in Salisbury North Carolina, does *excellent* work. He did my car, and several other have seen it, and taken their car to him also. For what it's worth, my Elan won Best of Show at the LOG 18, mostly due to Evan's paint job (and body work). Several others at the LOG also decided to take their car to him after seeing mine... The pictures aren't very high resolution, but check out my web site <http://www.erols.com/elans4/> Tim Mullen, Chantilly, VA 72 Elan Sprint

Stripping -- how to have more fun. By Joel Farber

I found that I had to push quite vigorously on the tools to get the paint off, and was surprised that the amount of force used didn't hurt the glass at all. The stripper didn't harm metal or ordinary glass, but be careful near rubber or synthetics. Again, PROTECT YOUR EYES.

JerTigger@aol.com Subject: Fwd: Stripping Paint - Europa Special Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 17:58:24 EST
I am currently removing all the paint from my 72 Europa TC. The best product I could find for the price is BIX all finish paint remover. It costs about $10 per gallon at Home Depot. I slop it on thick, reapply several times to keep it wet over the course of 1 1/2 hours then use a plastic putty knife and it comes off like a gob of slime. This car has been repainted twice, very thick coats and most areas I get it down to the first coat of primer if not to the gel coat.

I have read the GGLC article and do not entirely agree with it. I don't understand "sanding leads to waves - unavoidably", unless it is understood that sanding off all the primers (block sanded at the factory) and fillers (applied and sanded in repairs later) reveal all the imperfections in the moulding. Some of these flaws were there from manufacture, some appear over time with aging and expansion/contraction of the resin in the structure. Others from damage. What I'm getting at is that 80% of a repair/repaint is sanding fillers and primers to a perfect, flaw-free shape. And for that to remain fairly stable over the years, you should remove all the old layers of paint, primer etc. Some say to leave at least the factory primer under the original color to save some of this effort, but I have not often found this to be practical. The very best info on stripping, repairing and painting Lotus bodies is Miles Wilkins' two books in the Osprey Restoration series - out of print. Apparently they are still available from www.Lotus-Books.com in Germany. I highly recommend you study these. –Randall

Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> Subject: Re: Fwd: Stripping Paint - Europa Special Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 08:59:33 –0800 I personally wouldn't use any paint stripper. I know people that have, but there is too good of a chance of getting it into the gel coat. Even if it doesn't damage it, there is a good posibility of later problems with paint contamination. Sanding. I hate to say it, but thats really the best way. Try not to go through the original primer (if it is still there). If the paint it original, I'd sand with 180grit, nothing heavier. That can take a long time, but you have solves the problem of sand scratches showing through the final paint. Sanding it wet will make the paper work much better and last longer.

farberjf@us.ibm.com I didnt have any residual solvent problems at all. But after stripping I had many different surfaces (repairs / different types of glass.....). I painted on the thinnest possible coat of glass epoxy resin ---then sanded. It gave me one uniform surface to prime. Might have been overkill but I got good results. Keep in mind that Miles Wilkens --- THE Lotus factory reccomended restoration guy strips..... If you look down a bit in the www.gglotus.org site in the forsale Section I have a picture of my +2 painted.

JerTigger@aol.com My Europa had three finish coats plus several coats of primer in between, had alligator cracks,etc. all the way down. I heard many horror stories about paint strippers after I started. Used BIX stripper from Home Depot let it stay on for about 1 1/2 hours with rewetting in between. I did not have any problems with softening the fiberglass, except I left the small cup I used to hold the remover on the car upside down over night, softened the gelcoat and fiber glass base, no problem only one more patch out of many. It has been about three months since I did that so the chemical should be gassed out by now plus much wet sanding. I had many other things to do on the car and sit will be about another month before it sees primer.

"Warren Hartenstine" <whartenstine@earthlink.net> I stripped, using NAPA 6802, a water-soluble, lower strength stripper. When I applied a sufficient amount, the color coat blistered within 10 minutes and the primer stayed in tact. I washed the car twice after each day's work - about two days.

"Phil Ethier" <pethier@isd.net> I am continuing with my rough removal of paint with the knotted wire wheel. I have been slow to answer requests for a description of this tool, so here we go: The center of the thing is a metal disk about 3 inches in diameter with an integral mandrel threaded to fit an angle grinder. Radiating from the periphery of this disk are maybe a dozen twisted-wire bundles, each of which resembles a section of stout steel cable. The material is twisted in a direction so that as the disc spins, the wire at the contact point with the work is trying to "unwrap". Each wire point in turn imparts quite an impact to the edge of a layer of paint, chipping it off. This is especially effective with very hard paints (just the kind that ought not be on a Europa in the first place, but anyone dumb enough to paint a Europa black when he lives in Hawaii can't be expected to figure that out) which are difficult to sand off. It is true that one can take one layer of paint at a time if sufficient care is used. In one area of the left front fender, I found that the archeological layers consisted of

"Briggs Pletcher" <Briggs1@ix.netcom.com> I believe the gasket on the rear deck lid does not actually act as a seal but rather more of an aesthetic cover for the rough edge of the body behind the window. My S2 had just a "U" channel flexible trim slipped over the edge where the body was trimmed after molding. As for the gap to leave : I just went through he same exercise with my S2. What I found was that there is enough play in the deck holes and in the holes that go through the body behind the window to allow you to align for perfect fit. My biggest concern with hole placement was that the lid did not rub on the sides and that at the back where it "flips" up (the 1970's wing) that it matched up with the peaks in the body. Again the hole size that was originally in the body, maybe 3/8" left enough play around studs to adjust to taste.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> On my special, there was a seal, like a door seal, which slips over the body lip to seal the front of the hood. I haven't found a replacement yet (haven't been looking very hard though). To fit the lid, I would put it in place, and find where it looks best and mark the hinge location, then drill from that. Also, note that the factory had extra large holes to allow adjustment during assembly, but be careful as too wide will negate all you've accomplished so far (as if you didn't already know...). Make sure you use large fender washers underneath, and the hinges had a gasket between them and the body/hood. It took me awhile to get mine adjusted, and I too had to glass over the stress cracks in that area, though the holes were still visible underneath.

Scott Mitchell <scott@fortner.com> I'd like to pass this one along. I got this from Mark Michalski (who I don't think is on list) at LOG. Mark had drilled a hole in the drain trough for the rear trunk. Then a grommet was installed and this hole was used for the rear trunk prop rod when the trunk basket wasn't in the car. I haven't had to take the trunk off the car since I made this mod. I've found it immensely useful.

"Phil Ethier" <pethier@isd.net> (by way of Phil Ethier <phil.ethier@ci.stpaul.mn.us>) Subject: Europa Body Removal Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:27:50 –0800 From: VACUUMTUBE@aol.com <VACUUMTUBE@aol.com> >Does anyone happen to have a list of steps to follow to remove said body from a 74 TC Special? That is, what must first be released before removing the body. This is from an exchange with Cory Carpenter, in which I told him about my 1970 Europa S2 chassis' out-of-body experience

\\\\\\\\body removal

(When I put the body back on, I replaced all the water-trapping felt with closed-cell foam.) pethier@isd.net

"Ed & Ruth Young" <lotusracer@home.com> Subject: Europa body removal Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:29:04 –0600 Many years ago, I removed the body from my Twin Cam Europa. Some helpful tips follow. Of course, you will want to remove all attaching bolts, gearshift knob, the seats(to lighten the body even more) and the oil pressure line(that's the one I almost forgot). I then started by jacking the body slowly off the frame, a little here, a little there to make sure that I indeed had undone all the important things. After raising it quite a bit, I took some long 4X4's and slid them through the wheel arch openings, one at the front 'T' section and one at the rear. They were long enough for my helpers to grab onto and to lift the body with. No wheel arch grabbing please! We lifted it up, clearing the shifter and walked it out of the garage. Later, we carried it back in, and set it down on the other half of the garage. When I put the body back on, I did it all by myself. I took 2 'come alongs', attaching one to the center of the 4X4 in the rear, which I had bolted to the body to prevent slipping, and the other one I attached to 2 eyebolts that I had attached to the 4X4 in the front through the shock bolt access holes. Winched the body up, rolled the chassis back under it, and slowly lowered it back on. A couple of clicks in front, a couple of clicks in the rear, watching and adjusting position of the chassis as I went. Once the body was resting on the 4X4's that were resting on the chassis, I took the jacks and raised the body back up enough to unbolt the 4X4's and slide them out. Then, all I needed to do was to lower it back off of the jacks. As light as the Europa body is, this was extremely easy on the back.

From: Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net>

12 mounting bolts (I think I counted them all)
2 seat belt bolts
Brake rod
Pedals
front body closing plate
steering column pulled back
fusebox
heater hoses (inside car)
shifter inside car
parking brake cable
master cylinder

Those are the things I can think of off the top of my head. Most of the stuff you have already removed doesn't need to be taken off to remove the body.

Steve Shipley <shiples@home.com> Subject: Re: Rubber treatment Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 18:06:37 -0700
I use Meguiar's #40 for appearance. With 1 year's experience I can't vouch for the long term performance claims.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Warren Hartenstine wrote: It appears to me from the manual and from my memory of removing them that you would install the chrome strip and clips, and put the two sided tape on the car. It appears to me from the manual and from my memory of removing them that you would install the chrome strip and clips, and put the two sided tape on the car just below the chrome clips. Then push the sill straight up, nesting the lead edge under the chrome strip, against the two sided tape, and into the bottom clip at the same time. I do know that my sills were pretty tightly nested up under that chrome strip. Manual says, "To remove the trim sills, drill out pop rivet at both front and rear top edges, ease sills away from body at their upper edges, and remove by pushing down away from the clip. Replace by reversing these instructions."

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Landaiche Ken (Nokia/PL) wrote: I don't. But I do have one that was painted with some gawdoffal gold metal flake paint. It doesn't match the one on the other side of the car. Does anyone know what the official paint is for that sill? And while we're at it, does anyone know what double sided tape to use for installing it?

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Landaiche Ken (Nokia/PL) wrote: This is getting interesting. What gun are you using for the paint work? And do you have a booth set up, or renting space as needed? And what do you mean about tiger stripes? As I recall, the sparkly paint is gold, right? I find it hard to believe that all Europa Special color scemes would use the same sill color, except that it would be cheaper :)

"Brian Martley" <Brian.Martley@tesco.net> When the first TC was launched in the UK, Lotus quoted some figures for drag at 100mph for the new body shape/spoiler - saying the spoiler was to reduce the effects of removing the rear fins on straight line stability. Quoted reduced lift from 66lb to 34lb with a drag coeff of 0.35. Also quoted lower roll centres at 3.25" and spring rates of 68/76 in half-laden state. I assume the "before" figure was for UK spec, the R&T test quotes 95lbs lift for the US S2.

JERTIGGER2@cs.com It looks like if the front is lowered the spoiler may be removed without any effect on the car. I have already installed short springs with adjustable perches at the lowest setting. One less part to prep, prime, sand and put back on.

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Subject: E(U)ropa Update - Brake saga continues Sat, 20 Mar 1999 21:14:04 –0800 Just an update as things progress. The glass guy came to the house again, third time! The front winshield was installed on the second trip, glued in with urethane instead of the old butyl type mastic. He says its the new legal glue and 9 times stronger than the butyl. The chrome plastic trim was really a mess, he stuck it on the window after warming it and brought the window up "encapsulated", but it was still wavey and malformed. He cleaned the grove in the car, put a foam "dam" in (a 1/4 inch square foam strip which keeps the glue from oozing all over), and put a black primer in and then put a 1/4 x 3/4 inch bead of glue in the groove. Then he put the windshield with trim attached in his truck and turned up the heater. It sure was warm when he removed it and the trim really became pliable. We then just stuck in on. It looks pretty good now - not perfect but presentable. The rear window was a different matter though, on the first trip he made a pattern, on the second trip we tried to install it, but he cut it too small. So today he returned with a new window and worked from 9:30 AM straight to 3
PM putting that thing in. Finally, he got the whole thing in, even with all the right tools, that window is a bear!! So I'm $250 poorer but much happier .:-)

"Al Hostettler" <honor@erinet.com> Subject: Europa rear window Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 20:23:59 –0500 I feel as if great progress was made tonight. I started at 6:05 pm to install my rear window. At 7:27 pm I was cleaning things up. While it is not the easiest job and some help would probably be helpful, I did it myself and really did not think it was that bad. I was really afraid this would be a major job, so I had reserved this Saturday to do this. Now what will I do with Saturday? I have to admit it is not a perfect job. Even though I was stretching the molding it came up about 1/8 inch short. Well after looking at it a bit I decided it was OK. Then I installed the plastic retaining trim. I stretched this too but came up about 1/2 inch short. Well this will just have to do, besides maybe that is how it was originally. I have some black silicone that will seal it up water tight and it will be fine. Now if only the heater core is as easy.

thomas.b.smith1@jsc.nasa.gov writes: > What is the earlier windshield surround? Black rubber channel, narrow silver plastic locking strip. If the strip ages, you just paint it black for a nice look. Or, you black it out from day one to keep it simple. The visual effect of the silver strip in the black rubber is similar to that of any 1991-1998 Lincoln Town Car, around all side windows and rear screen. Since you are in Texas, there should be plenty of those Lincolns around -- nice "land yacht" or "prarie schooner" huh? Mine was my "beltway battlecruiser" in the D.C. area! ken ritchie atlanta

Jay Mitchell <jemitchell@compuserve.com> Jason Rowan wrote: <snip> Basically, after a short drive the brakes won't release all the way, the brake lights stay on, and all the brakes get nice and hot.

Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> It sounds to me as if you have a bad flex brake hose. I've had those act like one way valves before, they pump up, but will not release. Replace your hoses- probably due anyway.

"Mark MarKell" <Type46@micro-engineering.com> It sounds like the MC/pedal is not retracting all the way or is not adjusted to come all the way back when released. You said you replaced the MC and the adjustment would be suspect. Check and adjust the pedal free play at the MC.

"SMITH, THOMAS B. (JSC-DX)" <thomas.b.smith1@jsc.nasa.gov> Since all four brakes are binding and the brake light stays on, I would suspect the master cylinder, or the transfer mechanism on the front frame. Also, the pedal itself could be binding. Does the pedal return completely? Try pulling up on it and have someone see if the lights go out. Try to operate the pedal by hand to check for binding, free return etc. Also check the booster, if equipped. I've had one go bad on my Seven which caused the exact same thing.

"Ed & Ruth Young" <lotusracer@home.com> Subject: (U)Europa booster/brake question Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 14:15:51 –0600 I am forwarding this question for a friend who is the original owner of a 1974 Europa Twin Cam. His only e-mail is through work, and he is unable to subscribe to the list there. So, therefore I am posting this question for him :

>Also, one extra favor....I would appreciate if someone could tell me what the "theory of operation" is for these boosters, which are the Girling Powerstop Mk2B remote servos. If nothing else, I could try to figure out the problem if only I knew how the crazy things worked! My e-mail address is sarro_carl@videojet.com, phone number at work is (630)860-7394 x1853, or (847)464-5213 at home.

I am about to remove the last brake booster from my '74 Special and thought I might share what I have learned so far. According to DBE the TC MC is .875. When removing the boosters the logical replacement would be the MC from an S2 Europa, except it was discontinued by Girling years ago. DBE specs it as .700. What I intend to try is to have the current MC sleeved in brass to .700, then have the pistons turned to match and use an S2 rebuild kit. Jerry Rude has drawings with the S2 internal dimensions for getting the pistons setup. I plan on getting the piston work done first, and then sending the whole lot to Whitepost or Apple and having them do the complete rebuild. I'll keep the list updated as this project progresses. Tom Rollins 1974 Lotus Europa Special 4158R tom@ntcs-inc.com

Robert "Fast Bob" Scheib <Robert.Scheib@gte.net> Your attempts to bleed out your Europa's brake system sounds very familiar - my car had sat for about 9 years when I bought it, and the brakes weren't working "very well" when I drove it home!! Oh my, now thats a story!! After many attempts at flushing and bleeding - the flushed out fluid looked the same- nasty, and there just did'nt seem to be much pedal effort, although the m.cyl. held pressure when it's line fittings were plugged. I finally realized that the boosters were leaking internally, and were filling up with fluid! You may be experiencing the same thing. During my cars restoration process I've replumbed the brakes to be "non-boosted", installed a S2 mastercylinder and Aeroquip flex lines. I now have a very firm pedal with just the right effort and "feel". If you want to keep your boosters [a real undertaking to rebuild!!] and existing mastercylinder, I would recommend sending the m.cyl. to "Whitepost Restorations" to be rebored and brass sleeved - I've had super good results from this operation. A "hone" and new seals are a waste of time.

Ken Landaiche <ken.landaiche@dlcc.com> Subject: RE: Europa Pedal Drawing! Wed, 17 Mar 1999 09:41:27 –0800 From: whs018@conrad.appstate.edu [mailto:whs018@conrad.appstate.edu Am I asking for trouble using boosterless brakes on a Europa? Since the Europa uses a single cylinder setup, wouldn't it be too much trouble to convert the car to use double cylinders?

Jerry Rude gdrude@pacbell.net Subject: Re: (U)Europa booster/brake question Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:13:30 –0800 Join Lotus Ltd for $20 and get the Europa book for $15, it has an article on using the Europa without the brake boosters. It involves utilizing lower quality brake pads/shoes to achieve a high enough coefficient of friction. Or convert to a S2 master cylinder, or have yours sleeved down to the S2 size and have the pistons machined down to match. The S2 and the TC cylinders are the same design, only difference is the piston/bore diameters.

Now on the GGLC site - 3 new tech articles... An excellent one from Jerry Rude detailing the conversion of TC Europa brakes to non-boosted system using S2 dual master cylinder. http://www.gglotus.org

richard.clifton@bigfoot.com I have restored three Lotus cars and each time used a copper nickle alloy brake pipe called Kunifer 10 (I think it is spelt that way). It has been excellent in service and on the Elan I restored 16 years ago the pipes show no sign of deterioration in any way. I get all my brake parts supplied by Classicar Automotive in Cheshire (+44 (0) 625 860910) and have always had good service from them. However...After reading the previous posts I rang them to ask if they still supplied Kunifer 10 and they say they now only supply copper pipes! They say that in the restoration business copper is now used 100 times more frequently than the Kunifer. They admit it is softer (thereby easier to work with) and that it is a perfectly good material for the job. Maybe one shouldn't use it for out & out race cars but in general use it would seem OK. Richard A Clifton, Wakefield, 1967 Elan S3 S/E DHC 1967 +2 1973 Europa TC 1990 Elan SE (150,000 miles) 1988 Sealine 305 Statesman

Jerry Rude <gdrude@pacbell.net> Jason, sounds somewhat like the problems I was having on bleeding my brakes. I too was using the ezibleed system. I found that for some reason the ezibleed would not push the bubble past the 3 way junction where the brake light switch is, on top of the left side of the frame, just behind the frame "Y". What I did was remove the bolt securing the junction, and put a rag under it. Then using the ezibleed, crack one of the line fittings. Then return to the rear wheels and bleed both of them. That firmed my pedal up substantually.

The stock calipers are Spitfire and are still easy and cheap to obtain, so I don't worry much about them. Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA Lotus Europa, VW Quantum Syncro, Chev Suburban LOON, TCVWC, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.visi.com/mac/

Randall Fehr <rsfehr@seanet.com> Subject: RE: Euro-spec Europa (U) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 07:08:47 -0800
"Peter M. Blackford" <pmbsab@naples.infi.net> Anyone on the List know of any replacement calipers in aluminum or SS? At worst, yours may need to be resleeved (White Post Restorations has been hignly recommended by others...)

Mark Hollingsworth <markh@olympus.net> Aaron: > I'm considering converting my dual-line non-servo Europa to earlier single-line so that I can get a new MC with a smaller bore (0.62").

Like others probably will tell you, I recommend staying with a dual circuit system. It is worth having the safety of brakes if one part fail. I like SAABs system they have used since the 60's- diagonal circuits.

Keith Gustafson <gusmach@shore.net> Subject: Re headlights & brake fluid Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 13:43:19 –0400 This same conversation keeps coming up about silicone brake fluid. I have been running silicone in my +2 for 14 years, covering about 65k miles in that time, with NO problems. It bleeds fine, works fine etc. etc. I have no idea where this info comes from.

Robert Tufts <rbt@frontiernet.net> Subject: Re: Re headlights & brake fluid Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 16:18:59 –0400 You have to be very careful installing the stuff. Because of the viscosity it traps micro air bubbles. You wouldn't want to take a can that got shaken real good and try to bleed it and when overheated at the track all these micro air bubbles expand. It is also not compatable with all seals (check on indivual basis). also it's not recommended on some ABS systems because of different viscosity. On a