1974 Lotus Europa T/C Special (SOLD)
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An unusally clean, original example....26,000 original miles, very good original paint (brown) and interior (beige), excellent wood dash, ALWAYS garaged (last owner told us the car had not been in the rain ever, or, at least as long as he owned the car....he bought it from the original owner at 12,000 miles). Excellent chassis, excellent drive train (40-45 psi oil pressure, no smoke, 155-160 psi compression in every cylinder, quiet valves, nio oil leaks), detailed original wheels, a very nice example of this most desirable five speed Special.
AN ENORMOUS amount of prep work has been done on this car recently: brake system completely rebuilt (new servos, master cylinder, rear wheel cylinders, new shoes and pads, new brake lines), all suspension rebuilt (bushings, ball joints, Spax adjustable shocks, front and rear hub carriers rebuilt with new bearings, all pieces sandblasted and enameled), new clutch and lightweight aluminim flywheel, transaxle stripped and checked, all new seals), new hoses, shift linkage rebuil. Fuel tanks flushed, new fuel lines and seals, new drain plugs.
Carbs disassembled and rebuilt, new stainless steel exhaust, steering rack checked and lubricated, new Bridgestone RE92 tires, the list continues.....VERY extensive level of preparation. Went through the last owner's invoices (and all work was done by a well respected local shop, the owner of which I have known for thirty years...ever since he purchased a Lotus Super 7 from us!) and stopped adding as I passed $16,000.
A neat, fun car that is exciting to drive at reasonable speeds. Unlike the current selecttion of super fast exotics that have performance that is unusable on ANY road. I mean, geez, yesterday I saw a happless fella in a Nissan Z car stopped by a State tropper in an UNMARKED SUV. Hence the safe and legal fun of driving an older exotic car such as the Lotus that gives ample pleasure at far more reasonable speeds.
AND if you want to see a well driven Europa in action, check out the 1970s movie '11 Harrow House' starring Charles Grodin (who also wrote the adaptation), Candace Bergen, and James Mason. Breathaking.
AND writing this blub as I returned from a fast drive in the car, really steers and handles like nothing else. Imagine a 1600 pound car with not much weight on the front...steering and handling are almost mystical in nature. Precise, light, goes where you point it. EXACTLY where you point it. Shift linkage works well (by far the best Europa shift linkage I have ever used), excellent throttle response, sure braking, and incredibly soft ride. There really isn't anything like this car.
