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Lotua Europa 5 Speed Twin Cam on 2040-cars

US $23,500.00
Year:1972 Mileage:47100
Location:

Frederick, Maryland, United States

Frederick, Maryland, United States

1972 Lotus Europa Twin Cam 5 speed.  This Europa has undergone a VERY comprehensive 3 year rebuild to its original specification. The only real change to the car has been the addition of a 5 speed gearbox from a later Europa Special.  Prior to my ownership, the Twin Cam motor was completely rebuilt. I doubt that it has more  than a couple thousand mile on it. I have owned/rebuilt/lost a fortune on many Lotus car in the past and at have rebuilt/restored at least 4 Europas. I learned a lot and have used everything I learned on this car. It is outstanding. The only reason for sale is another Lotus has followed me home and will require all I own to put it back together. I am serious about selling, so please feel free to make me an offer.  

2416R has approximately 47K miles. I have no reason to doubt this is correct. The motor was rebuilt approximately 3K miles ago. When used regularly, it will start right up without the choke and idle smoothly. I have resealed/re-gasketed the engine so no oil leaks, oil burning or blow by on start up. It is tight. The oil stays clean and consumption is negligible. Both carbs have been rebuilt and are now semi-adjustable--for Strombergs--and work great. the carbs are currently running a Pipercross filter, but I've got the original air filter and box. Starter is new, alternator rebuilt. Petronix ingnition

Brakes are excellent. Both boosters were removed prior to my ownership. I have either removed or bypassed them on previous cars just so there would be two less things to go south. I do have them and they go with the car.

 The body &  chassis unit are straight as can be with 0 signs of any previous crash or rust damage.  Completely stripping the car to bare glass revealed a straight damage free upper body as well. It was incredibly poorly painted, but the crack repair work underneath was of very good quality. We fixed-correctly-any damage or cracks we could find and repainted the whole car-windows and trim all pulled-to the correct shade of its original Lotus Lagoon Blue. The paint code is L14 and is etched onto the VIN tag in the trunk. All seals, gaskets and trim emblems were replaced with new. Headlights are Lucas Tri Bar. All bumpers,  door handles and chrome are excellent.  Windshield trim is adhesive chrome trim and is in in great shape. All corner brackets are present. Glass is original and good. Rear window seal and stretcher are new. Doors open and close perfectly. NO DROOP.

The chassis is excellent. Rust free and straight. Never out, never damaged. All bushings, joints, tie rod ends are new. Shocks are all fully adjustable from Banks Service in the UK. Rear output shafts are all newly sealed. All wheels were stripped and painted with correct gunmetal inserts. Lotus badges are new. Tires are correct, 175/185 front and rear sizes per factory spec. The car was corner/weight balanced. It handles like nothing you've ever driven. I have a 7 and an Elan. No contest, this will run and hide from either. And pretty much anything else.

The gearbox is a 5 speed out of a Special. It has been rebuilt and resealed. New clutch, T/O and Pressure plate. The incredibly ridiculous shift linkage was removed and rebuilt with all new Lotus parts and with hand made brass bushings. If you know Europas, you know the shifter is their weak link. It can make an otherwise lovely Europa a huge chunk of awful. This is the best I've ever driven. Still a bit to get used to; you will be hard pressed to find another Europa that shifts this smoothly.

The cooling system performs excellently. The original radiator was removed, tested, cleaned, repaired as needed and replaced. A new cooling fan, pusher style, was installed utilizing a manual switch. The car does not overheat. Period.

The interior is the the original beige color. All carpeting is new. Headliner custom made using correct material from Banks. Banks console has been padded and covered. Door panels are matching. Dash top is fiberglass core, from Banks, padded and covered with French stitching on the leading edge. New shift boot. New window switches. Dash is from Maderia Concepts.  The "Lotus" on the radio plate will come off.  It is the original dash re-veneered. Stunning. Original steering wheel was re covered. All new rockers.  They all work. Gauges all rebuilt. All work and light up, too. The interior door light works. WOO HOO. New instrument bezel. Seats are original and re-padded.  Window motors rebuilt. windows go up and down relatively quickly in their new felt runners.

Where I to keep the car, my future "To Do" list is actually pretty short. I would go for stainless steel gas tanks and a cassette water pump. Neither of these areas have shown any indication of failure. I just find these mods to be good insurance for longevity. I would also rebuild and replace the brake boosters. I'd add hood struts. Since the easiest way to do these tasks would be to pull the motor, I decided to wait until it was urgent, or wintertime. I'd give the motor compartment a good detailing at the same time. I have the original spare, tools, workshop manual and some parts. Not much, but some.

This is not your average Europa. I, and many others, busted our collective asses on 2416R and it shows. I know this thing inside and out. I wanted to get as close to a brand new Europa as I could. I used almost 30 years of Lotus experience to do it. Not just as new, it has some real neat upgrades for performance and reliability. Yes RELIABILITY. I would attempt to drive this anywhere. I've had it on a few long trips without incident. I have pics of the work and pretty much all of the receipts. There are no excuses or disappointments here. This is a spectacular Europa. I've sold a lot of Lotus stuff on ebay, made a few good pals doing it. I do not want to jeopardize any of that by selling poo. If you want the car, give me a call. If you don't, or just want to break my balls, please leave me alone. This is serious auction for serious bidders that want a quality automobile. $1000 at auctions close. Car goes nowhere til funds clear. I'll do all I can to make this the best deal you've ever made on ebay and help as best I can co-ordinating shippers etc., but all post sale arrangement are up to the buyer. 

Thanks. Jim 240-626-9032 in Maryland.

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Auto blog

Lotus and Proton might be sold to Peugeot-Citroen after Geely bails

Wed, Mar 22 2017

Despite some strong initial interest, Chinese automaker Geely changed its mind about purchasing a controlling stake in Proton, parent company of Lotus Cars. This leaves Groupe PSA, owner of Peugeot, Citroen, and now Opel, as the sole remaining interested party. This is mixed news for Proton, as Geely's hands-off, cash-flush approach may have helped Lotus. On the other hand, it isn't like Groupe PSA is bordering on bankruptcy. According to Malaysian automotive news site Paultan.org, the reasons behind Geely's change of heart are unclear. In fact, it may seem that the indecision about the deal may have been coming more from Proton, not Geely. Reports say that Proton's parent company, Malaysian manufacturer DRB-Hicom, was uneasy about the potential partnership. DRB-Hicom assembles cars for a number of automakers, including Honda, Isuzu, and Suzuki. A deal with Groupe PSA would give the French automaker access to both DRB-Hicom's facilities and an expanded foothold in Southeast Asia. As only one contender remains, look for news of the deal going one way or another in the next few months. Related Video: News Source: Paultan Lotus Citroen Peugeot Geely groupe psa

Lotus F1 team $186 million in debt

Fri, 17 Jan 2014

The Lotus F1 team has fallen on some hard times. Majority-owned by investment firm Genii Capital and having little to do with the British automaker with which it shares its name, the Enstone-based outfit has been widely reported to be in serious financial trouble. The extent of those difficulties were until now unknown, but a new report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reveals that the team is in the red to the tune of £114 million - equivalent to $186 million at today's conversion rates.
The lack in cashflow is widely believed to have been the impetus for Kimi Raikkonen's departure from the team in order to return to cash-rich Ferrari, and was one of the major factors in selecting Pastor Maldonado to replace him instead of a more proven and accomplished driver of Raikkonen's caliber. Maldonado brings with him major sponsorship funds from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. In speaking with the German publication, however, Lotus F1 chairman (and Genii co-founder) Gerald Lopez revealed that the lion's share of the team's debt - £80 million or $130 million - is with Genii Capital itself, a negative balance that isn't likely to affect the team's day to day. That leaves about $56 million which the team owes to outside parties, including Raikkonen, who has yet to receive the full pay he was contracted for.
The team has opted to sit out the first test session of the Formula One season at Jerez. Its 2014 chassis isn't ready and, given the relatively cold temperatures at this point in the year, the team wouldn't expect to learn much about tire performance and degradation. As far as the new engine goes, Lopez says that any knowledge gleaned by Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Caterham at the test session will ultimately be shared with Renault and through it back to Lotus as well. Lotus engineers helped develop the new KERS system with Renault regardless, so the team already has the energy-recovery data it needs. The team will instead prepare for the second test session in Bahrain, by which point it aims to have its new car ready to kick off the season. Lopez says that it has secured the funding to offset its costs for the season ahead, and that it is working to pay down its debt.

Lotus Motorcycles C-01 now 'ready for the road'

Thu, 20 Feb 2014

When we first laid eyes on leaked images of the Lotus Motorcycles C-01, we wondered if its laid-back, sport cruiser shape was really appropriate for a motorcycle bearing any connection with Colin Chapman and the company's famous "add lightness" mantra. We've now seen official pictures of the bike in multiple color schemes, including classic black and gold, British racing green and even a variant that resembles Martini livery, and while we think it looks pretty cool, our opinion hasn't really changed.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the C-01 isn't an embodiment of the Lotus ethos, as the company that intends to build it isn't really Lotus at all, its builders - German racing firm Kodewa and tuner Holzer Group - merely having licensed the name of the British sportscar maker. It was designed by Daniel Simon, who once worked for Volkswagen and consulted for Bugatti and is the man credited with creating the reborn Tron Light Cycles. Still, looking past its questionable heritage, the C-01 looks pretty darn awesome, and there are some interesting bits that have us looking forward to the production version that's reportedly due within the next two months.
As expected, power comes in at 200 horsepower, courtesy of a modified version of KTM's 1,195-cc V-twin engine. The chassis is made up of steel, titanium and carbon fiber, with a seat height of about 28 inches. Its wheelbase, at about 65 inches, is a full 10 inches longer than a real street-legal superbike, and its front end is raked way out in front with a 19-inch wheel. Those dimensions mean we shouldn't expect much racetrack prowess, unless its rider is only planning on going in a straight line. Indeed, with a claimed dry weight of under 400 pounds, the Lotus Motorcycles C-01 ought to be mighty quick down the quarter mile.