On a dark and rainy night in late February 2002. . . This is how the project started. My new (to me) Europa was delivered in the rain. And this a car destined to never see rain or snow for the rest of its' life.

We rolled it off the trailer and into my garage where it sat dripping forlornly as it awaited a new and better day.

The following day, dry and warm, it (I) sat crying for a drive around the block. I could not resist the temptation to give it one last drive before the disassembly began. Engine start was quick (just rebuilt) and with a throaty roar I quickly (sort of) found reverse gear and backed the beast into the street. Neighbors watched with quickening interest as I searched for a forward gear, alas, none was to be found. However, not to be bested by a 29 year old Lotus, forward was eventually found and off with a mighty roar. We traveled three blocks before a (later to be found) kink in the gas line slowed us to an embarrassing crawl back into my garage.

Enough of that unreliable Lotus stuff! Restoration here we come.

After months of mental debate about what would make the "best" project car, and flying to distant locales to inspect potential candidates, I settled on the Lotus Europa. Having owned a '73 TCS daily driver (in '73), until it was stolen during a trip to Boston in '81 (another story for another time) I thought I knew what I was up against. The Europa met many criteria for the project:

1. Fiberglass wins over metal every time.

2. Small enough to be stored and restored in a one car garage. LOL

3. No longer in production.

4. Great performance on or off the track.

5. A head turner even while sitting quietly at rest.

6. I liked it!

This restoration project had several objectives:

1. Keep me off the streets and out of bars. (failed on the bars test)

2. Occupy my mine and body during semi-retirement after years in the high tech type A business world.

3. Produce a "pride of ownership" show car that would claim the eyeballs and some "best of show" trophies for a few years.

4. Sell it and start over with the next project.

After examining several Europas I selected the '73 TCS Special found at Wire Wheels Classic cars in Vero Beach Florida. They had two '73s, one completely disassembled and a fully (almost) assembled one. I selected the fully ??? assembled one since I would then know where every thing went back (praying tis true) when reassembling.

Even though I gave this car a good inspection, there were "Easter eggs" to be found after I got it home and began the disassemble process. The reported actual mileage became doubtful when I drove the newly delivered "road ready" Europa around the block and found the speedometer remained at zero and the odometer stubbornly refused to move.

The interior seemed in great shape, either well maintained or well cleaned up. Seat runners were rusted in place and became my first sub-project. I obviously had much longer legs than the PO! The shifter (rube goldburg design that it is) could find reverse, and after some experimenting an unknown forward gear. Later found a roll pin missing and the usual wear in all moving shifter parts.

The paint looked awful, with some amateur sanding/stripping of the ugly brown/bronze color paint that looked as if it had been applied by brush or roller. This was of no consequence since I intended to media blast the entire body and repair the stress cracks and gel coat. Afterwards new carpets and a professionally applied show quality finish in a more agreeable color.

After the body removal I found some rear frame damage repair from a "visually obvious" prior accident which the PO forgot to mention. The damage, while minor, will be corrected if necessary on the frame machine and verified during a four-wheel alignment process. Another bit of damage evidence is the welding along the top of the flange of the bell housing. At least the numbers still match!

Damage, both found and reported by PO, includes missing (later found bent) sway bar and lower A arm. Reportedly ran over a stone or parking stop. Unreported by PO was "visually obvious" rear frame damage that had been well repaired but left some cosmetic evidence. Have not yet found evidence of body damage and repair that should have accompanied the frame damage. Maybe a new body section? Right side "lower strut" also slightly bent. The wheel alignment on this car must be a mess!

The Twin Cam engine was reportedly rebuilt with a Paeco stage two Weber head, twin Weber DCOE40/151 carbs, and custom headers. Not sure about the lower end rework or pistons yet. (Need to verify details with Wire Wheels Classic cars)

The ownership history is a bit murky. Wire Wheel Classic reported that the PO claimed there was one owner (PPO) for a few months/years followed by the PO since 1973. The title history shows a current 1981 title with a previous 1975 title. Not sure where the car was from the 6/73 mfg date until 1975. I have e-mailed Lotus in UK. Lotus responded. Great service! Email response follows:

Dear Mr. Sir / Madam,

Thank you very much for your enquiry regarding your vehicle.

Information available from our archives is as follows: -

Chassis number / Unit number / V.I.N.: 3667R (Federal)

Engine number: 30219

Sold / Left factory: 21 / 6 / 73

Gearbox type: 5 Speed (365)

Colour: Tawny

Dealer: Lotus East

I do hope this information is of interest to you.

Sincerely yours,

Stuart Brett Technical Service / Archivist

The term "visually obvious" is a Lotus euphemism for "we did not tell you or show you because we know where it is". Nothing is difficult for those who already know - AKA trained Lotus mechanic. The rest of us newbies are relegated to the idiot home.

Wiring attachments to the various lights, horns, and fans will need some degree of attention. Another "visually obvious" area. Surprisingly, the nuts and bolts used to attach the lighting brightwork were reasonable clean and unrusted. Not the case however with the bumpers. Three nuts were removable with WD-40 and elbow grease from the rear bumper. The fourth one and all from the front bumper had to be drilled out.

File the bolt head flat and drill a small pilot hole to the proper depth followed by a larger diameter drill through the bolt head. Any attempt to remove these rounded bolt heads with vice grips, or mole grips to you Brits, will result in deeply scratching the pretty chrome bumper. Just say no to tools and drill away! I recommend stainless steel for replacement bolts, nuts, and washers. Why screw up the next owner's mind?

The bumpers thankfully only have four bolts and nuts each. Thoroughly rusted together, just file the bolt heads flat, drill them out and buy new bolts and nuts for reassemble. The lighting fixtures, front, rear, and side were an easy off - "visually obvious" of course. The front grill (very rusty) was held on by a few rusty screws and spring clips. Also an easy off. Removing the grill will make it much easier to reach several other connections that have an inside and under the body component. One arm under the body and one through the grill opening.

Have not touched any of the glass yet. This may be a pro area. Cheaper to pay the experienced labor than to buy new glass. I did however dismantle the innards of the driver's side door including the window motor and door latch. Will tackle the hinges after I decide which type of new ones to buy.

The workshop manual (don't start this project without one) shows twelve (12) body attachment bolt locations. The two in front above the upper A arms and the two in back near the frame cross brace are visible and easy to find. The two in the rear are "visually obvious" (more on that phrase later). The front two can be found by removing small rubber plugs on each side of the air plenum. Using a long socket wrench from the top and a boxed end wrench from under the fender well these two are a one-person job.

Two sockets or boxed end wrenches will make short work of the rear (most) bolts. I didn't say there were two bolts at the rear - that was the workshop manual information. Two other body/frame bolts in the engine compartment connect angle braces that run from the upper outboard ends of the tubular brace running across the top of the firewall just under the front of the engine compartment lid downward to the frame in front of the engine.

Removing these bolts and nuts was my first experience with the diabolical minds of Chapman and crew. Yes one person can remove the bolts if cursing and drinking are permitted. A helper will allow you to focus your frustration on someone closer at hand. Avoid the wife for this job - you will need her again later. One would think that welding the nuts to the underside of the frame would provide only one moving part and therefore, one hand, and one wrench working from the top. Bad thought since you would than need to pull the engine or find a three-foot long socket extension with a universal joint to follow the angle and tight quarters between the engine and the firewall.

The one-person solution is to fit a wrench over the bolt head on top and wedge it against something hoping it will not fall off as you turn the nut from underneath. Of course it will but that is only a small part of the punishment we Europanuts suffer for our privilege of ownership. O yes, you must jack up the side of the car some to allow your arm and part of your body to reach under the frame and find the nut.

While you are in the engine compartment there are several additional unmentioned body/frame connections that will require attention. On each side of the engine compartment there is a body stiffener brace (3/8th inch rod) running from the upper seatbelt attachment point on the firewall to the upper rear shock attachment point. Halfway along this route however Lotus engineering decided to pass it through the body for added stiffness in the fender well. They did this by welding a four-inch square sheet metal plate, with a stud at each corner, to the rod and pass the studs through the body to the underside of the fender well. A matching square plate on the other side accepts the studs for bolt down. And as before a 3/8th inch rod continues back to the upper shock attachment point. This is Lotus engineering at its best. Upper seat belt attachment carries all the way to the rear of the car and stiffens the flimsy fender well along the way!

A little more difficult to find are the two shown in the center tunnel forward of the shifter. Assuming that you have removed the armrest, the choke and heater cable bracket (the cables themselves will also have to be disconnected) next remove the center console cover. This comes off easy but be careful not to break the "ears" off the front of it as you pull it off. Various wiring connections (those that have not already fallen loose) need to be removed to free the console cover.

You will see two nuts connected to small metal angle brackets at the bottom of the dash extension. Ignore these for now and reach behind them with a wrench to remove the bolts holding down the other side of the angle brackets. Reaching these bolts may require pushing and tugging at various wiring components. Just remember where they go for reinstallation! While you are under the dash area you may as well remove the heater hoses from the metal tubing running out of the center tunnel. Two of these are forward of the two bolts you just removed. Floor full of antifreeze if you forgot to drain the coolant, cupful if you forgot to pull the heater cable fully out before you drained the coolant. I didn't say this journal would be perfect, just better than the workshop manual.

Totally hidden, and not to be found, as and where pictured in the workshop manual, are the additional six attachment bolts. (Three on either side of the center tunnel behind the seats) I removed the seats and carpeting and have yet to find any sign of these additional attachment points. On a '73 Twin Cam Special Federal version they do not exist! If you think they may be on your car I suggest you place the car on a lift and search from underneath. This could save you many hours tearing out seats and carpet looking for them.

While on the subject of seats just a reminder that they do not have to be removed to remove the body but will give you more room to work inside. The PO owned the car since '81 so the drivers seat was frozen in place. A bit of WD40 daily for a week finally loosened it enough for removal and cleanup on the wire wheel of my bench grinder. The seat belt hold down bolt along the center tunnel is also an unmentioned body/frame connection. Much easier to remove if the seats are out. "Visually obvious" of course.

The foot pedals are also part of the body/frame connection. The '73 TCS Special Federal version has four nuts on the inside holding down the foot pedal bracket. Some versions have fewer but all must be removed since bolts pass through the floorboard to a metal plate welded to the front cross member. Disconnecting the foot pedal cables is "visually obvious".

The steering shaft and emergency brake linkages are additional interesting points that must be disconnected. The steering shaft removal instructions in the workshop manual are to be avoided at all cost! Unless you plan to remove the fascia (dash to us US owners) there is no need to remove the outer steering shell with all its' wiring mess. For the inside part of the steering shaft just loosen the two bolts on the bracket holding the two-part shaft together. This is a slip joint to allow collapse of the shaft in case of front-end collision and is an easy disconnect. (The other end of this shaft passing through the front frame cross member is another story for another day)

Underneath the front of the car there is a 24" by 24" (approximately) metal plate referred to in the manual as the "closing plate". This is a thin plate of metal that connects the front frame cross member to the fiberglass body underside. Seems to be acting as a stiffener and additional hold down for the front part of the body that is forward of the "main" front body/frame connection. Also could be for additional protection of the brake master cylinder and steering parts? There were five rusted bolts holding it on.

The bolts and nuts attaching it to the body are easy for one person to remove if you first remove the grill. Otherwise a helper, or arms five feet long, will be needed. Some came loose easy after some WD-40 and the usual waiting period. Others were drilled out to speed up the process. If you find excessive rust on this part there is a set of measured drawings for creating a replacement somewhere in the files area of the list.

The fuel tanks can remain in place when removing the body if desired. The fuel lines will have to be disconnected and plugged to avoid spillage or entry of unwanted stuff. If you must, or wish, to remove the fuel tanks there are four bolts holding each one to the side of the engine compartment. These can be reached by drilling out the pop rivets holding the "fender guards" in place.

These "fender guards" (must be a better name) semi block road junk from entering the wasted space between the outer body panel and the inner wall of the engine compartment. I call this area wasted space since it only provides access to the door latch nuts and the fuel tank mounting bolts. There must have been a better way but Chapman and crew used their diabolical minds to create this teaser. The fuel sending unit was in the left hand tank (LHD) and wiring removal is "visually obvious".

In addition to most exterior nuts and bolts, the "closing plate" plus the foot pedal assembly were badly rusted but salvageable. First attempt was the wire wheel on my bench grinder. The reachable areas cleaned up pretty well but much was not reachable with a 6" wire wheel.

The next step was a liberal dose of naval jelly and wire brush. Worked slow but steady. Believe everything you hear about the corrosive action of this stuff. A few drops went unnoticed and ate a 1/4" hole in the concrete driveway within an hour! Heavy rinsing with the hose seemed to neutralize it and stop the damage.

At $6.50 US for a quart if navel jelly there are less expensive ways to restore some items. With a few tools and a small sheet of metal the closing plate can be duplicated. There is a set of measured drawings in the files section provided by a member (find out who and acknowledge) of this list. With additional metal working tools and skills (cutting, welding) the foot pedal assembly could be duplicated at low cost.

The naval jelly instructions say to paint within 24 hours after cleaning. Heavy rust can not be completely removed in 24 hours so take your time and use one last coat for a final cleaning before painting. I used a flat black rustoleum (sp) spray to protect the metal pending final paint choice.

After spending most of the day using navel jelly and a wire wheel brush in my drill with some success, I moved on to the brake master cylinder removal. Yes this is another "visually obvious" connection of the body to frame. The workshop manuals do not mention the need for removal of the brake master cylinder as a condition of removing the body, but yes, it is necessary. Also the workshop manual does not contain an image or drawing of the dual brake master cylinder which is standard on the Federal models. ("R" Vin suffix)

The removal instructions are essentially identical with the exception there is insufficient space between the chassis and the body to remove the master cylinder unless you remove the studs versus the nuts. Use eye protection while working with the master cylinder! The top stud/nut can be removed using an open-end 1/2" wrench. In my case, the top stud loosened (unbridled joy) and the bottom nut loosened. (bad news)

Many alternatives were examined 1) remove the reservoir (not), 2) loosen the rack and pinion hold-downs (don't - but later I did), 3) remove the bottom stud. (yes). After several attempts my vice grip clone was able to grip the stud enough to loosen and remove it. Ruined the threads of course but that is a reassemble issue for another day!

The emergency brake handle is bolted under the dash in one easy to reach (joke) location and one under the bonnet (see how quickly I pick up the lingo.). You will have to guess which of several bolts under the bonnet goes to the emergency brake since it is "visually obvious" and therefore unnoted in the workshop manual. The under the bonnet bolt had a small rusted head that could not be turned with any known tool. Drill the head off and move the issue to reassemble time!

A foot long lever, with an off center bolt/pivot point connects the interior emergence brake handle to the cable that runs through the chassis center tunnel t the rear brake drums. The bolt that act as a pivot is easy (really) to remove but don't do it yet! This is a Chapman and crew trick to make the emergence brake schematic (let me know if you find one) look like an engineering marvel. This diabolical device (emergence brake) has a strong spring on the passenger side end cleverly hidden in a body cavity where no human hand has ever gone. Also, in a similarly well hidden location, inside the chassis tunnel, is another (weak) spring attached to the cable and to the rear of the chassis tunnel.

Access to the chassis tunnel is through the small oval opening under the center armrest. (which you of course have already removed per no known instructions in the manual). This is where you need the help of the wife or small child since no male hand and arm can fit into the small oval opening!

Not having either available this day, I resorted to a trick of my own. Since I could not reach the rear (weak) spring to remove it and release the tension on the front (strong) spring, I tied a nylon string as far back on the cable as I could reach and stretched the spring by tying the other end to the shifter. This clever (pat me on the back) solution allowed the tension on the front (strong) spring to lessen so I could remove the pivot bolt. Otherwise, the pivot lever may have ricocheted about the cabin like an unguided missile.

Success was found by realizing that only one of the springs must be removed to release the important front (strong) spring from the pivot lever... The pivot lever can now be twisted (many cuss words) far enough to release it from the brake cable connecting through the frame tunnel. (Maybe draw a picture??) Untie the string from the shifter and release the tension on the rear spring but don't let the string fall into the oval black hole, you will need it again for reassemble.

I call it a system because you will not believe the diabolical scheme Chapman and crew dreamed up to drive mechanics and us amateur restorers mad. The workshop manual is correct in identifying the nuts and bolts necessary to be loosened or removed to disconnect the steering. What they fail to mention is the hidden location (inside the boxed front crossmember) completely unreachable with any known tool.

The manual reads "One bolt holding a pinch fitting is all that is necessary to be loosened to allow the steering shaft to be removed from the body and chassis." To get that blasted bolt out of the boxed crossmember so that it can be reached with tools requires that the rack and pinion be disconnected from the frame. Remember I said earlier not to disconnect the rack and pinion, well I was wrong, it has to come loose. This will allow you to pull the steering shaft "pinch fitting" out of the boxed frame section and loosen the blasted bolt.

Loosen two bolts on each side and off with the rack and pinion. Sorry but you knew it was not going to be that easy. Chapman and crew, or possible a PO, decided that these "bolts" should have a nut on each end. One in plain sight and reach ( a Chapman oversight) and the other inside the boxed frame unreachable by humanly known tools until the body is removed. That, of course, we can not do until the "bolts" are removed, which we can not do until the body is removed. Catch 22.

Ingenious solution! The drill again. Drill the outside nuts from each side, bust them off the "bolts" and slip the outer hold down brackets off the rack and pinion. Ruined the "bolts of course but that's just more reassemble issues for another day. Go back now and read the workshop manual about loosening the one "pinch fitting". Simple huh?

Still looking for more body/frame connection points. Found two more today. Heater hose connections under the dash protruding from the center tunnel among the wiring and other obstructions. See page three for information on removal. After you get the heater hoses disconnected look further forward along the center chassis for a hold down strap between the chassis and body. An additional mystery bolt under the bonnet connects the body to a thin strap running to the chassis under the heater core. Success at last! The body is almost loose.

Jacked the body up about three inches in the front and blocked it up. Seems to be loose. What do I do now?

Removed the radiator and fan. Radiator needs rodding out to remove crusted up tubes. The stone screen in front of the radiator is badly rusted (no surprise) and needs to be replaced.

Ordered air filters and owners manual from Dave Bean. Manual overpriced but necessary for the show judges. Derusted and primed the fan shroud. Time for a rest.

Back at it again. Time for this body to swing free. But where do I put it in this one car garage while the frame is prepped. Time for another rest.

I have a one-car garage so storing the body while working on the frame was a problem. My solution was to double deck the garage by designing a lift that would hold the body in the air while the frame was rolled out from under into the driveway. At the end of the day, or any sign of rain, I just roll it back inside under the body. A bit crowded but workable.

The lift was made using 2x4s, eyebolts, 3/16th steel cable and two come-a-longs. The 2x4s sticks past the body about five inches with an eyebolt through each end of it and a large washer on the under sides. The garage ceiling is strong enough to support the weight of the body. Be sure of this before you try it.

I jacked the body up about three inches and placed one 2x4 under the front wheel well where the body sits on the crossmember and another under the rear wheel well as far back as possible without putting any load on the outside wheel arch. The inner wheel well glass is a bit thin to support the body. By placing a 1x4 lengthwise along the inner wheel well it bridged the gap and spreads the weight better.

Firmly secure the cable to the eyebolt on one side of the body both front and rear. Loop it through two eyebolts in the ceiling, (one above each end of each 2x4) and make a secure loop in the free end of the cable about a foot or two below the ceiling. The distance of this loop from the ceiling is important. You must lift the body at least 24" above the frame for the engine to clear as it rolls out from under the body.

You should now have 2x4s, with an eyebolt near each end, under the front and under the rear area of the body. Also, cables running from the eyebolt of each 2x4 up through one eyebolt, across the ceiling and over the body through the second eyebolt and down about a foot or two with a firm loop in the ends. The remaining gap between these loops and the eyebolts below is filled with a come-a-long.

Get the come-a-long and the eyebolts at the same time so you are sure the eye is large enough for the hook on the come-a-long. Home Depot exchanged the wrong ones for me no questions. Now with both cables and come-a-longs in place just wind 'er up slowly taking turns front and rear to keep it reasonably level. Sometimes the cables do not slide through the eyebolts smoothly and the body will lift higher on one side than the other. Just go to the other side and give it a gentle lift to level it. You may have to do this every few inches. Viola , double deck garage!

Since you are lifting the body at least 24" you must be able to take up 48" of slack in the come-a-long cable.

Began sand blasting the frame in preparation for painting it with POR-15. Very little rust on the car. Some light rust on top of the front crossmember and more along the bottom edge that came off easily. Covered up everything with a tarp that was not being sand blasted. Seems to be working well.

Did this in three sets due to the heat here in Florida. Facemask fogs up every few minutes and have to stop while it dries out and I have a cool refreshment. Sand is now only all over the driveway and the shrubs. Looks like a snowstorm hit this place.

Ordered POR-15, Metal Ready, and Marine clean from RestoMotive labs in New Jersey. Follow the directions closely and avoid stupid mistakes. One drop of sweat in the POR-15 can and it is trash! Let any of it dry on you and it will be with you for days. I applied the POR-15 with a small brush. The first brush had plastic/nylon bristles that melted after a short time. El Cheapo natural fiber brush worked much better. Keep a few around and pitch each one after use since they are not worth cleaning.

Now that the frame is painted it is time to sandblast all the bits and pieces. Taking the weekend off to visit friends in Ft. Myers. Will need at least one day to clean all the grease and paint from my body to be presentable.

Back to the journal again. Sand blasting of frame and suspension and painting with POR-15 now done! Most of the bits and pieces cleaned and painted also.

Developed a neat degreaser for small bolts, nuts and other small parts. Used a plastic fruit juice jug with a large opening. Put a couple of inches of Marine Clean with water, added the lid and shook several times over the period of an hour. Rinsed, cloth dried and placed in wife's' toaster for a few minutes to final dry. No more greasy hands when looking through the assorted bits for something.

Reinstalled the shifting linkage. The small nylon bushs were gone so stainless steel washers at 15 cents each from the local hardware store did the job and saved me weeks waiting for delivery of $3.50 nylon ones. No more wiggle in the shifter. Both of the roll pins at the universal joint were missing from the linkage preventing access to 2nd & 4th gears. Bought two new ones at the local NAPA store and installed one. The other was too large for the present hole so will have to drill to fit.

Making a list, and checking it twice, of all the parts and services needed to complete the frame restoration. I think there should be a cover plate on the lower front of the bell housing and a "bracket" on the inside lower links attachment point (both missing). The vacuum advance connecting hose for the distributor is connected to nothing. Not sure if it is needed for proper engine operation but needs to go somewhere for the show judges.

Plumbing was modified to accommodate the air conditioner (now removed). It's either remove the engine to install an original or have custom pieces made. Right now I'm voting for custom. Radiator needs rodding out and cleaning plus a new stone guard to replace the rusted original.

Checked the brake master cylinder and found black gunk in the reservoir. This is bad news! Added to my list a complete brake systems flush, refill, and bleed. Have decided not to reinstall the brake booster units as they take up much room in engine compartment, are notoriously unreliable when rebuilt, and are not needed for limited street driving. May lose some points at the shows but so be it!

Straitened the bent sway bar and need lower bushs and bushs for the shocks attachment point. Will do that when the front Konis are installed. Need two grease fittings for the left side drive shaft u-joints. Also, the parking brakes were not hooked up at the hub levers. Must have been oversight since the pins and cotter keys were still in one side but not connected.

Ordered the front suspension bushs, Steering swivel (trunnion?) kit, and Master cylinder rebuild kit today from Dave Bean. Bean did not have the sway bar bushs so ordered them from sports car world. All promised by may 10!

Completed the disassembly of the front suspension today. Dirty job but parts are clean now awaiting reassemble. Will do final clean and repaint with POR-15 when reassemble completed.

Started disassembly and clean up of rotors and calipers. Had rotors turned at Midas, $10 bucks each. There was a good bit of pitting from rust where the pads rested on the rotors. They were able to remove all pitted areas without going below the minimum thickness.

The following day I took the springs/shocks to see if they could/would compress them and replace the broken shocks with a pair of Koni's I had. Bad attitude by manager. Wanted to sell me new shocks. Said that the lotus shock/spring was sold as a unit and could not be disassembled. I just walked out without further comment and not even mentioning the brake work I had intended to have them do. That turd wouldn't know a customer if he tripped over one!

Put the spring issue on back burner and began to address the front brakes. The pistons were stuck in the calipers and looked as if that had been the case for awhile. One side brake pad was worn much more than the other. After questions to the europa mail list I tried air pressure and was able to loosen one piston in each caliper. The continuing attempts to loosen the other side were a trial by stupidity but finally succeeded.

Copy of my post after succeeding finally.

"Thanks to all that offered advice on freeing stuck caliper cylinders. As usual a little bit of each method finally moved the last one.

For the record:

Air pressure alone got two. One on each caliper. Soaking for two days in WD-40 and tapping alternate sides with a screwdriver while carefully using air pressure got the third.

The last one came loose tonight after reconnecting the master cylinder to the frame, reattaching the pedal assemble, plugging one side of the dual MC and connecting the other side to the caliper.

Several pumps on the pedal - leaks and brake fluid everywhere - fix the leaks - pump again - lo and behold the D*** thing moved most of the way out. Thought I would avoid more brake fluid everywhere so disconnected the setup and tried to twist the cylinder rest of the way using hose clamp advice, to no avail! 125psi air - POP - break fluid everywhere but finally out.

And there was a set of used but working TR Spitfire calipers on ebay for $25. Sometimes trying to salvage what you have is really dumb!!!"

Parts arrived from Dave bean. New bushs for front suspension, steering link rebuild kit, and master cylinder rebuild kit. Bean only sent bushs for one side! Had to reorder the other set.

Bushs for the sway bar to shock connection arrived from Sports Car World. (expensive little bas****s) Also, brake pads arrived from ebay seller. Remco D103M metal masters and brand new for $9.95 - What a deal.

All the needed parts are on hand but reassemble of the front suspension will await a solution to the shock/spring issue.

Got an email from the PO today listing much of the history of 3667R He had owned it since it was six months old and done considerable rework on the engine.

The PO email follows:

"Clark, When I purchased the Lotus in 1973 it was six months old. I purchased it from a person in Tampa Fl. who was six feet tall and who soon found out that he was not a good match physically for the Europa.

Approximately five years ago I had the engine totally rebuilt by a foreign repair shop in Miami. I chose these people because at the time they maintained a Lotus Elite, racing in Historic races.

The engine was totally stripped down, All parts needed were purchased from Dave Bean in California, All main, rod and jackstaff bearings were replace as well as a new jack shaft installed. Crank thrust washers were also replaced. The oil pump is a high output unit from Dave Bean. The pistons are oversize, 85 mm from Dave Bean, I'm not sure of the compression. Rings were replaced. The engine was balanced, The clutch was replaced but the flywheel is stock. Timing chain was replaced and new timing chain tensioner installed. The headers are made by Claudius, located in the San Francisco area. The entire exhaust system is a Claudius system designed and tuned for maximum scavenging. The muffler is a free flow type, no baffles for noise reduction.

The head came from a 1967 Lotus Elan. I had all the water and oil openings

on the head re-welded and the head resurfaced. All valves are from the original big valve stromberg head. The head was sent to Paeco for rebuilding. Cam bearings were replaced and line bored. The cams are also from the original stromberg head necessary to drive the alternator from the rear of the cam. Paeco reground the cams to their LO-7000 specs 2600-7000 rpm, duration 288, lift .360" The head was polished and ported to match 40dcoe webers. The starter was purchased at RD enterprises. There is not one hour of time on the engine.

When I sold the car to Hayes the front sway bar was missing due to a slight collision with a parking lot marker. I am not aware of any further damage under the front of the car.

If you are truly going for an original car Please offer to sell me the Weber head which is not original. But I must say the car was a real dog at 118 HP with the stromberg head. You probably have 165-175 HP there with that head and the 40 DCOE's. If you ever decide to try a larger Weber like the 45 dcoe I can tell you, the car will lose most of its aggressive low end torque but will supply more horsepower at the top end. But the engine will have to turn 6500-8000 to see the added HP. The 31800 mileage you see on the odometer is correct. The 5 spd tranny has never been touched due to the low mileage."

Really maddening parts mistake by Dave Bean. Had the new suspension bushings pressed in at a local shop (after days of looking for one that could handle the job!) for $24 the set.

Got them back and tried to reassemble the front end before vacation time. Wrong inside diameter! Called DB to advise. They said they would check the remaining inventory and lo and behold – all were wrong size.

DB offered to drill a new set to correct ID. Decided not to accept since they might be weakened by the thinner wall thickness. Asked for a new, correct size set and credit for the cost of installing the wrong size ones. DB agreed. This is being written on August 2^nd 2002 and still awaiting the new bushings! Damn good thing I’m still on vacation and not able to work on the car.

Got the wheels back from media blasting. The look great but will not try to polish since the matte casting will take too much work to shine. One wheel has a four inch long crack along the length of the rim! Must have been damaged when the PO hit a parking lot marker. Will engrave it with the dremel as damaged and use it for the spare.

Visited Don Tingles shop in Tweksbury. Ma. today to review his inventory scope and level. Looking for a replacement supplier for D. Bean. Has a reasonable inventory but is not adding anything. Plans to sell out stock "at retail" and fill orders by obtaining parts from others. This will increase delivery lead-time and eventually lose him many customers. One more supplier bites the dust!

Bought tie rod ends, ball joints, used thermostat housing, and a used coolant pipe (the crooked one). High priced but will make it up by avoiding shipping charges.

Dave Bean advised that new (and correct) front suspension bushs were in stock! Told Garry to ship for next week delivery. Finally!

Vacation over so back to the project.

The "new" set of front bushs was also the wrong inside diameter! Dave Bean asked me to mike the bushs and bolt. Bolt is .500", first set of bushs are .488" second set are .496". With this information (??) DB promised a third set that would be checked for correct size before shipment.

Third set arrived on October 4th and are finally the correct fits. Took them with A arms to garage to be pressed into place. Let's see now........May to October to get a functional part.......is this going to be the story of my project?

Found a garage that could extract 30 year old Armstrong front shocks from the coilover springs. This has been a long search as local auto garages only have tools for the much larger auto springs. The solution - local Harley motorcycle shop! Ten minutes and ten dollars to remove the old Armstrongs and install the Konis!

Tried many solutions to renewing the lotus rims. Powder coating ($50 - $75 ea) shops declined due to "out gassing" from cast aluminum rims. They all said that the result would look like they had thrown sand on wet paint. Even I could do better than that with a spray can from the hardware store.

No electroplating shops within 100 miles so gave up the chrome-plating option. I may have to just wet paint them back to the original color. What a waste of time and money so far!

Found out that I had bought a Baby-Bear torque wrench that might tighten my shoelaces. I now know the difference between "inch-pounds" and "foot-pounds". Its back to the tool store for an upgrade so I can put the hubs and suspension back together.

Got the Husky Mama-Bear torque wrench today (10 - 150 Ft/Lbs). Disassembled the right side hub and re-torqued each of the bolts to workshop manual spec's on re-assembly. Removed Ball-joint and Tie-rod end and installed new ones from Tingles. Will do the left side tomorrow before football time.

Installed the right side hub and suspension components. Strained back as I got up from sitting on garage floor installing parts! Damn that hurts! This will slow me down a bit I guess. Installed the left side anyway just to spite the locust jinx. Went looking for nyloc nuts and after driving all over town found that I had left billfold at home. Damn locust got me again!

Found out that the Koni shock attachment nuts for the roll bar are 10mm metric 24 thread with either 1.0 or 1.25 "angle", what ever that is! Bought both types and can't say which ones fit but one of them did.

Got one side of the roll bar connected. Will have to wait till back is better to squeeze the other end into position. It is about three inches too wide to easily fit over shock bolt. Can probably use jack or come-a-long to bring it into position.

Took the wheels and tires to be remounted. Will worry about painting later. Just want to get this thing rolling so I can get it outside and prepare the frame for remounting the body.

Found out why the speedo was not working when I first drove the car back in Feb. Pulled the speedo cable from the transaxle and no cable inside! DPO strikes again! Think the odometer could be a "little" off. Will see if there is part of cable inside and remove it if possible. If not, I will have to replace the whole thing.

New speedo cable, coolant pipe grommets, Thermostat, heater control valve, upper coolant hose, front wheel bearings and cups arrived today. Will start installation tomorrow.

Speedo cable was easy since I had tied a length of string to one end upon removal of the body. Found a proper size hold in bolt at NAPA for the tranny connection. Doesn't look exactly "original" but will do for now.

Installing coolant pipe grommets without pulling them is a real pain. After removing all the water and heater hoses at the engine end, I was able to stretch a grommet over the pipe and heater nipples. That however, was the easy part. Even with the body off fitting a new grommet with the pipe in place is no easy task. Finally gave up on the rear one and will seek some other way to prevent rubbing/rattling. The front grommets were difficult but finally got them in place.

Correct thermostat housing and thermostat installed without issues. All new hoses now in engine compartment. New wheel bearings and cups installed. Tried to get away with only bearings but the cups had too much wear to allow proper runout adjustment.

The engine area, frame, suspension, and steering functions are now almost complete. Still need improved fuel lines, maybe pump, and at least one of the tanks has a small leak. Just enough of a leak to fumigate the garage but not enough to find the damn leak! Will remove both and have them checked. (somewhere). Need two more zerks for u-joints, hook up the emergency brake cables to the rear wheels and remove rear hubs to check the drums and shoes. H. Harris said they had rebuilt the rear wheel cylinders but I forgot to ask about the condition of the shoes and drums. One of the many questions I forgot to ask!

Finally got the brake drums off! One big pain in the ass. They were rusted and painted and well, the usual crap that gums up things on a lotus. The drums were in need of turning due to rust but did not have much wear. Ten bucks apiece at Midas Muffler and new again. Ordered new brake shoes from Dbean ($28.63 the set) and lower link bushs from Tingles. Dbean and Tingles were same price ($12.55) but DB did not have in stock. JDE wanted $29.00 each! Parts should be here by Nov 8. This will finish the front and rear suspension and brakes at last. Getting time to start on the body.

Completed the design for the lotus brand wheels badges and found a machine shop that can make the molds. The mold will cost about $75 bucks but will be able to reuse it forever. Also, received a set of five green and yellow decals from JDE. Too expensive but will be my test run for my set. These badges should be awesome and much lower cost than the usual suspects are charging. That is after I amortize the cost of startup. So far there have been about ten list members asking for more info on the badges. If I can find twenty buyers then the price can be about 50 - 60 for a set versus around 200 elsewhere.

Completely screwed up the first casting but now have three good ones. The fourth will be ready by end of week and I can start offering sets to the list members at a much more reasonable price then from the usual suspects.

Have four good wheel badges now. The outside (visible) surface has an "orange peel" finish that I will polish to give them a shinier surface appearance.

Have started making a latex copy of the mold in case I destroy the aluminum one made by the machine shop. Mistakenly tried to make it with one thick layer and will have to wait a long time for it to dry or scrap it and start over.

As usual I decided to check beyond the scope of my effort and looked at the lower link bushs. Right lower link slightly bent and all bushs need renewing. Quick work by Tingles and four new bushs arrived in two days.

Installed the new brake shoes and adjusted them as best I could in static state. Reattached the emergency brake at the drums. They had not been connected when I received the car from Wirewheels Classic. More reasons to check everything when you buy an old lotus.

The lower links were easy to remove but a bear to reinstall without a helper. Also installed the lower link attachment "bracket" to the tranny. This bracket was missing when delivered. The bracket takes a great deal of the stress off the tranny and bellhousing by connecting the two lower links to each other instead of just the bellhousing bolt. One bolt was even slightly bent as evidence of the importance of this bracket.

The right side outside bush had to be soaked in WD-40 and finally heated to remove it from the attachment bolt. Rust and other gunk had gotten inside the bush.

After the difficulties of installing the new bushs in the left side I put the others in the freezer overnight and had a much easier time pressing them in using a small vice. 3667R back on all four wheels and getting ready for body work. Hurray! I think.

I am removing the paint and primer down to the bare glass to find and fix all the problems, just one time I hope. Using a good electric sander and a paste paint remover especially made for fiberglass. The brand name is KLEANSTRIP product number GAF354 Made by WM BARR & Co. Memphis, TN 38101-1879. There is only the original paint and a few re-spray areas so not too many coats to remove. The paint remover took the color coat off much faster than sanding. Spread it on an area about 2' x2", waited five minutes and scraped it off with a plastic bondo applicator. Most of the color coat came off with one application. A few areas needed a second shot. The remover is neutralized with water so after each area was done I scrubbed it with a plastic sponge and water. This stops the action so no damage is done to the glass by leaving it on too long.

The sander removed the hard gray primer stuff starting with 100 grit and ending with 220 as I neared the glass surface. Many areas that are difficult for the sander were finished using stripper only. ('sept that ole elbow grease)

This is a long, and boring, task if you are a bit lazy as I am. Got most of the paint off by mid January 2003. (Remember the lazy part)

Uncovered several places that need glass repair. A long crack on the top of each front fender, bondo filed holes where mirrors had been previously, a fair sized crack from a "gentle" nudge in the rear, and several star shaped stress cracks. Glasswork will also be needed to rebuild the battery hold down area that the PO cut out to install an A/C compressor.

A few "Easter eggs" showed up when the paint was removed. Someone on the factory staff painted his/her name (TERRY) on the body where the rear license plate goes. Ten inch high letters all across the back! Also, inside the right door shell, someone glassed in a foot high swastika. It shows through the glass from the outside. Musta been a slow day at the factory.

The fascia needs refinishing and the crash pad is all dried and cracked so removing the windshield makes removal and painting easier. Removing the windshield from a TC is totally different than an S2. The TC windshield is just glued in with sticky black stickum. After finding that the workshop manual was totally useless for this effort I learned how by just doing it. Using a sharp drywall knife I cut the plastic "chrome" trim from the windshield. Pull the inside edge (next to the glass) back with your fingers and slid the blade along the plastic against the glass. This removes the enough that you can now slide the blade between the edge of the glass and the plastic part that goes around the glass leaving only the part under the glass that will come out with the windshield.

A long-winded way to say just cut the blooming stuff off. Now using a piano wire, or strong nylon string, slide it under the glass from the inside and use it as a saw by pulling it back and forth along the glass to cut through the stickum. The stickum is so sticky that it will re-glue itself to the glass so you may have to go around the glass more than once. Do this carefully and the glass comes out in one piece! Do it without gloves and the black stickum will be with you for a while.

With the windshield out the next part is much easier. Removing the steering wheel and outer shaft only requires removing two nuts. However, they are well hidden and difficult to reach. Nothing new in that as we all know automotive engineers delight in this game of hide and seek. The bolts are much longer than necessary and ending against the underside of the crash pad. This means, of course, that a ratchet or boxed end wrench can not be fitted so an open ended one must be used initially. You know the drill, fit turn flip over - fit turn flip over, resulting in loosening in very small increments each.

After a bit the bolts will slip downward far enough to fit a boxed end wrench and the flipping is over but the short turns are still an aggravation. Fascia is in fairly good shape, compared to others I've seen. Plan to sand the outside layer of finish off or try to remove the first layer of veneer. If the veneer comes off ok, then I will look for a straight grained mahogany veneer as a replacement. Luck was with me this time and found a local source of mahogany veneers. Great looking grain and only $8 bucks for enough to do the dash. Must not be from LotusLand. The final result looks fair and will use it till I get the nerve to spend for a new one. May try the burl walnut next time.

Looked for a local source to recover the crash pad with vinyl. Best price was $180 - $200 bucks and no guarantee that it would last. I can get a new one from Banks for $150 bucks plus shipping. O by the way shipping was $150 bucks also. Richard suggested that if I was in no hurry that I order from his US distributor, GT Classics. Price would be higher but shipping would be much lower. Haven't checked with GT Classics yet but will order before I leave for the summer for a November deliver.

The fiberglass area under the battery had been cut away by the PO to make room for an aftermarket air conditioner compressor. Got some photos of this area from list members showing the size and shape of the missing glass. Was able to make a metal mold/frame to screw to the old glass replicating the appropriate shape. Covered the metal first with plastic wrap to avoid new glass sticking to the metal mold. And then with brown wrapping paper to absorb some glass to keep the new stuff from slipping around as I laid it up. Two layers of glass cloth laid up one at a time worked well and with sufficient strength to hold the battery in place. It looks very "original"! After a little matching black paint no one will ever know. The so-called "J" bolts that hold the battery down can be fabricated easily.

Tried a refit today to see if the new battery area glass was going to be a problem around the brake lines. Actually it was just an excuse to see it looking like a car again after a year of separation. We Europanuts need that fix occasionally! All the paint is now gone. Well except for the area around the door hinges. Will tackle door removal after a couple of drinks! Don't relish that task.

Only two 8mm nuts holding the heater box to the body. The box is a bit rusted along the bottom but otherwise in good condition. Eight small screws hold the box together. Removed these (had to dremel cut a slot in one screw head to fit a screwdriver) and the box just fell apart. Insulation around the core that directs the air was totally rotted. Just fell into dust as I touched it. Oh well, another issue for re-installation.

The hoses had obviously been leaking for some time. Green stuff on the core fins below the hose connections. These hoses seem to be custom shaped and not likely to be found in local shops. Mo money!

Checked on prices for a new radiator from Banks and local re-coring. Local won by a landslide when shipping was included. Manufacture a new six-layer core, re-braze the baffle, and paint for $280. A bargain at half the price! The old core was not leaking but many veins were stopped up and it was just old! Now looking for a stone guard made of stainless steel. Wish me luck.

Doors were sagging and closing badly so I bravely tackled the rusted hinge pins. After hearing others tales of woe I decided to grab the sawzal and with a new 9 inch blade made short work of the beasts. Cutting through the washers and pin top and bottom quickly put the doors on the floor. However, there is much left to do before the pins are out of the doors. Lucky me, I have a Dremel tool. Using an 1 1/4 inch cutoff tool I had them nuts cut off the adjusting threads in short order. Well about an hour. Those adjusting washers were a rusty mess. Mo money!

Ripped all the carpeting materials out and will replace with original style black. (after painting) Removed the "horsehair" firewall material from the engine compartment and replaced with Dynamat. Very neat and shiny looking. This should help keep the engine compartment much cleaner.

While I was removing the carpeting I noticed the very rusty outer clutch cable sleeve and the frayed inner cable. Got a new one from Sports Car World and installed easily.

Doc said my heart needed re-plumbing so told him to go ahead. Four of those little stopped up buggers, and I even furnished the parts! And you thought a Lotus was expensive! Thank God for insurance.

Checked on the Concours rules and learned that safety upgrades were permitted. Had the fuel tanks cleaned and sealed for $80 bucks each. Much cheaper than new aluminum ones at $300 each. Replaced the mechanical fuel pump with a Fawcet electric pump and pressure regulator. Also installed an emergency cut off using an oil pressure switch. Wired one side to the ignition and the other side to the pump and starter relay. This way I have fuel while cranking and the ignition side cuts in at 2.5 lbs oil pressure.

Reset the body on the frame and it fits! Really looks like a motorboat with a fat guy in the back. Five and one half inches wheel clearance in front and two and one half in the rear. This is without any glass, seats, upholstery, spare, radiator, or paint. Nine-inch clearance at the front cross member. Bottom of the headlights exactly 24 inches above the ground. Not as pretty as a racer but meets the specs!

Plan to get 3667R ready to run but not drive by mid May. Will take her to an experienced Lotus garage in Sarasota when I return from vacation in November. She needs the new suspension torqued to specs, wheel alignment, distributor curve set properly, the Webers adjusted for this engine, and a dyno test to see what she's made of. I will post the resulting HP so all questions about this engine set-up can be answered.

When I wrote, "fit" I was a "tiny" bit off. Had to move the body back about 1/8 inch for the body bolts to line up enough to fit in the boltholes. The braces in the rear that run from the shock upper attachment bolt through the fender glass and to the seatbelt attachment bolt on the firewall were a bitch to line up where they pass through the fenders. Had to jack up the rear and remove the shock upper attachment bolts while mating the two sections. Afterwards, realigning the shock upper attachment bolts was another bitch but a lesser one.

Remembering where all the wires in the engine compartment connect is an on-going issue. Still don't know which wires connect to where on the starter relay. Can't wait till I get to re-connecting all those wires for the reconditioned dash. I did clean all the connectors with fine sandpaper to remove grease and paint. Hopefully, this will help avoid later electrical problems.

Ordered and received a set of stainless steel door hinges from Norm Vandal P.O. Box 67, 1 Old Warren Mt Rd., Roxbury, VT 05669. They look great but I will not be installing them till fall after vacation. Don't want to depart for vacation all tensed up!

Am taking the wheels with me to have them powder coated at ED Valpeys in Gilford NH. Also taking the sun visors and glove box to restore in my "spare" time. Must have some of the Europa around me at all times!

Well I'm back in Florida for the winter and starting to work on 3667R again. Took the wheels and tires to a local shop for mounting and balancing. Those black chrome wheels sure look better than the crummy peeling original paint.

Plan to install the refinished dash next so I can fire up the engine. Need to hear that sound occasionally, it's been almost two years! But first things first. Football tomorrow then start on the Europa.

Began to unravel the snakes' nest of wiring and gauges in prep to reinstall the refinished dash. Traced and recorded every wire color-code based on attached gauge and/or lack of any attachment. Then checked the wiring diagram from the file section to determine just how bad the situation is.

Most wires were correctly attached or nearby. The seat belt warning circuit is a real mess with many missing parts and wires to nowhere. New (DPO) installed brake fail warning wire was connected to the fuel sender in engine compartment and to nothing behind dash!! Fuel gauge was hooked up to brake warning circuit!! Easy fix for fuel gauge but brake warning light still needs investigation and fix.

The so called "logic unit" that controls the seat belt signals is not to be found anywhere! May just skip this for now and return to it later. Tomorrow the refinished dash begins installation. Pray for me!!!

Finally tracked down all the wiring issues. Most wires are connected to correct gauges and switches, or ready for connection as the dash is reinstalled. However, as Europa luck would have it, other issues arose that must be taken care of before the dash can return to its' rightful home.

Being in Florida the heater was never much of a useful feature so the (D) PO left it in an unused and dysfunctional condition. Installed all new heater hoses. Even found some NAPA hoses that could be cut to length and contained correctly formed angles. Plan to install them tomorrow.

The heater case was another situation. There is a four inch round opening in the passenger compartment side of the case which would let all the air pass without going through the heater core. Learned from list members that this was where "other" cars had a blower motor installed and should have a plate over it for the Europa. Fat chance of finding an original so made one out of aluminum, smeared it with gasket maker and screwed it in place. A little matching paint and looks factory made!

Many list members suggested adding fuses or relays in the window motor circuits. The easiest solution for me was to add an in-line 20-amp blade type fuse between the old fuse box and the first window switch. Since the second switch is daisy chained off the first one this fuse will cover both windows and provide some protection in case of a stuck switch or motor. I left a long length of wire for the fuse coiled under the dash for easy access if I ever need to change a fuse.

Tomorrow the steering wheel, heater hose connection to the frame tubes, dash, and all the gauges get a trial run.

Finally got all the dash wiring and gauges sorted out and properly connected. Time to start the engine! Well was a good thought anyway! Hooked up power to the new electric fuel pump and immediately saw gas pouring out of the back Weber. Damn!

It took a few days and several tries at resetting the float levels, removing every jet and cleaning out the gummy fuel left over from two years of sitting without being drained and cleaned properly. Draining the fuel out of these Webers does not empty them completely and leaves a drop or two in each jet. Duh!

Each time I cleaned them and thought I had a complete job - more to do! Finally replaced the plugs with NGKs, set the static timing correctly, got the last jet fully cleaned, and Vrooom Vrooom! Still doesn't idle slowly enough to fine tune the Webers but that can be for another day. Adjusted the new clutch cable and can now find all the gears. Drove it to the end of the driveway and back twice! Damn that felt nice.

I found a stash of used Lucas 25D distributors and bought two of the best ones for experimentation. These are from '69 and '70 MGBs (41288) and have a vacuum advance rather than the Europa vacuum retard. I took the stock Europa distributor (41225) and one of the MGs (41228) to a local racing shop to document the advance curves before I start futzing around and screw up my only known "good" Europa distributor.

After I know for sure how to get back to stock specifications I plan to play with advance springs, advance cams, electronic ignition, and static timing to determine what is best for my modified Twin Cam engine. At least I may have found a plentiful supply of distributors to replace the short supply 41225. Results will be posted later.

The distributor experiments finally went quite well, so far. I was able to obtain a proper lotus drive gear from a club member to replace the drive dog on one of the MG distributors. The MG unit was completely dissembled, cleaned, and reassembled with new points, condenser, and rotor.

Modifications include replacing the MG drive dog with a lotus drive gear, a bit of emery cloth work on the lower brass washer to provide proper gear/base clearance, and drilling a oil passage through the lower base to provide better oiling of the shaft. Lucas 41225 (lotus) already had this oil passage, 41288 (MG) did not. The advance curve on the 41288 is very different from the 41225. This will be re-calibrated as needed with different advance springs on the chassis dyno later.

Also obtained an oil pump drive gear from WireWheels Classic cars that I was advised would fit the distributor. Well it did not! The inside diameter of the oil pump gear is larger than the outside diameter of the distributor shaft. I will either have to have a machine shop bush and re-bore the gear or find another correct lotus gear before the second MG distributor (41288) can join the experiment.

Current status of this effort is original distributor, with points/rotor, rebuilt and working correctly. Vacuum retard line disconnected and static timing set at 12 BTDC. 1st MG distributor, with points/rotor, rebuilt with lotus gear and working correctly. Vacuum advance line disconnected and static timing set at 8 BTDC. 2nd MG distributor, with points/rotor, rebuilt but awaiting correct lotus drive gear.

Each of the completed distributors is working well on the car with only minor changes to the static timing due to their individual advance curves. The MG distributor has weaker advance springs than does the original Lotus unit. This causes the MG unit to advance faster and at lower RPMs than the original unit; therefore it needs a reduced static advance setting to avoid pinging. The incomplete unit will get the first shot at replacement of the points/rotor with an electronic unit when it is otherwise completed. This should give me several variations to test when chassis dyno time is here.

Just when I thought things were under control - WHAM - bit in the a$$ by those touchy Webers. After several days of cleaning, fiddling, and re-cleaning the engine was still running strong on two cylinders and barely on the other two. Backfiring in the exhaust and the carbs!!!

List members were most helpful with their advice and solved some of the issues. Finally overcame my own stupidity and correctly balanced the carbs. I must have unknowingly maladjusted the balance while fiddling. Duh!! The carb setup has main linkage to one carb and a balance adjustment fixture between the two. Proper procedure is to set the idle speed adjustment of the carb attached to the main linkage and then use the adjustment fixture to set idle speed on the other. Never never use the idle speed adjustment screw on the other carb. It will cause you many days of grief!!

Now that the engine is running well again I can get back to thinking about paint. Started with Duratec 707-202 primer/surfacer. Fifty-five buck per gallon and one gallon should do the job. This stuff is a catalyzed product with about 18-minute pot time at 70 degrees. Easy to sand, dry or wet, and does not clog up the sandpaper. I sanded most of the first coat off using 220 grit dry and 320 wet paper. The 320 grit wet sandpaper left the remaining paint very smooth and with few scratch marks. Also, with very little surfacer left on the car. Hard to imagine just how bad an undamaged, original factory paint Europa body surface can be!! The waviness can almost make you seasick just looking at it.

Two more coats of surfacer with sanding in between using 400 grit began to look really good. That was until I sprayed a light black guide coat and began to block wet sand using 600 grit paper. Black spots everywhere! Well at least now I know where more surfacer is really needed. Hopefully only one more heavy coat of surfacer, and lots of 1500 grit wet sandpaper and elbow grease will be needed to get 3667R ready for primer. Should shine like a baby's butt.

Picked up a used (home built) auto carrier trailer on E-bay for $200 bucks. Kind of like a project Europa, just the start of spending! New wheel bearings and races - $120, one new tire and balanced both - $37, removed all old rusted bolts and replaced larger galvanized ones - $30, sand blasted and painted (spray cans) - $20, lights and wiring - $40, weighing (1180lbs) and plates - $37, welding on new fenders, cutting slots for tie-down hooks, and custom trailer hitch for truck - $145, (4) recessed D-rings for tie-down points (E-bay) $29, (4) wheel-over tie-down straps and ratchets (E-bay) - $109.

Total so far - $769 not counting my labor! Europa related experience - Priceless! Could have bought a near new, ready to go car dolly on E-bay for that money!

Loaded 3667R on her new ride and went for a test drive. Turned a lot of heads and rode like she belonged there.

While preparing 3667R for her trip to New Hampshire I plan to reattach as many large parts as possible to avoid crating/packing. The windshield must stay removed till painting is finished so built a crate for it. The bumpers looked like good candidates but I had cut the rusted bolts off during disassembly and new chrome ones were unavailable.

A quick trip to the local hardware store produced equivalent sized stainless steel carriage bolts/nuts/washers for $1.44 each. One problem was the heads were not even close to shiny, and another was the square section was just a hair too large to fit in the bumper slots.

I placed each one in a vice and filed a small bit off each corner of the square section. Took only a minute for each bolt. To polish the heads I chucked them in my drill and first smoothed the edges and top with 150 grit sandpaper followed by 400 and finally 600 grit wet/dry paper. Shines like a baby's butt. Can not tell them from chrome. If the shine ever fades I'll just have them chrome plated!

My selected painter has to move his shop so no paint job this year!! Will take this extra time to finish some areas better. Redid the top where I glassed over the stress cracks with vail and bondo. Using a much longer (9") sanding block I was able to even out some high/low spots that a smaller block just made shiny but not flat. Also found and fixed a low spot on the passenger door.

Removed all the carpeting that remained and used it for a pattern to cut new pieces. Not too difficult a job using a sharp drywall knife and cutting from the back side of the new stuff. However, and a big however, I didn't get enough carpeting to finish the job and the supplier is now out of stock!!!

Well it was cheap stuff anyway so I plan to buy enough of a better quality to do the job right. Stay tuned.

3667R is now safely put to bed for the winter and I am headed for Florida where it is much warmer.

3667R is in the paint shop for a pretty new gown. She will be wearing burgundy all over without the striping at first. Will decide on striping later but gold would look great with her new color.

Out of the paint shop and back in her resting spot. Now to put all the shiny stuff back on. Really easy to forget where all the stuff goes!

Headlights, taillights, side reflectors and front turn signals back on. One of the turn signals has a broken stud and must be fixed. Maybe weld a new one on or drill out the old and slip in a (DPO) replacement.

The chrome strip and TCS side panel were a snap. Just pop riveted the connectors back on and used double-sided tape along the top of the big shiny side panels.

Putting the doors back together kept me busy for a few days. I took them one at a time into the house to finish while staying warm. New Hampshire weather sure not like Florida! The toughest part was hooking up the lock and latch connections. Senior moments erased all memory of where things had been connected. Tip...do most of this part before installing window motors. (Ask me how I know!) At least one window motor bolt needs to be started before the inside latch part is tightened since it covers most of the bolt heads.

The window frames were a PITA but finally got all the pieces in place at the same time. Someone on the list (may have been Whit) earlier described making a useful (required) add-on for the pop rivet tool to work inside the window channels. I made a similar device by drilling a hole into the center of a scrap bolt of proper diameter to fit inside the channel. Then cut the bolt to proper length of about 5/16 inch. Needs to be long enough to protect the channel edges and still not cover too much of the pot rivet.

I fully installed the windows before using butyl rubber to fill the voids around the frames. Looks NOS for sure!

Waiting for a "warm" day to start the ole gal up and spray all the winterizing stuff about. Never, never forget to use fuel stabilizer so the carbs don't gum up if they should dry out during storage. Disassembled those webers three times for cleaning after forgetting this task once.

Fully winterized now and sleeping peacefully.

To be continued!