Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

Unrestored Lotus Europa Tcs, 5 Speed, Jps Colors. They Are Original Only Once. on 2040-cars

Year:1974 Mileage:26000
Location:

Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States

Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States

I am relisting this car. A local buyer failed to sell his car in the agreed time window so she is up for grabs again. Thank you.

This unrestored 5 speed is a rare find. To find any 40 year old car (let alone a Lotus) in this condition is a rare thing. People think it was restored. This amazingly well preserved example has had 3 previous owners. I bought it last year, having wanted one since I was a teenager. It sat in a garage for 20 years, but was started every now and then. It has great oil pressure and drives beautifully. Here is a list of what I did to it. I'm probably forgetting some things. I have most of the parts I removed and can give them to the new owner. This car would be a contender in any preservation class car show.

I replaced the brake master cylinder, rear slave cylinders, front calipers and flex hoses. I removed the boosters (they had corroded inside), flushed and bled the system. I fitted new Greenstuff front brake pads. It has good pedal feel and you can lock the front wheels with moderate foot pressure.
I flushed the fuel system and replaced the rubber fuel line in the engine bay, fitted a new fuel filter and cleaned and rebuilt the Strombergs with new gaskets.
I replaced the spark plugs, wires, cap & rotor and fitted a Petronix electronic ignition module and coil.
I went through the shifter linkage and replaced worn or dubious looking parts. I polished and rebushed the bottom of the gearlever and cleaned and adjusted the detent at the rear of the gearbox. Gears are easy to find, no accidental reverse or 5th gear shifts. 
New battery and alternator belt. 
I replaced the old fan motor with a modern unit. 
I replaced the old heater valve with a new one, the original leaked once I opened it.
I gave it a tune up.

A few relevant observations:

The water hoses look to be in great condition, I think they were replaced by a previous owner. 
The front floor mats were replaced with Coco mats by a previous owner.
The body is in great shape but not as nice as restored cars I have seen, I believe they came from the factory with paint jobs that would not pass muster today. It has a few scrapes at the rear wheel arch, some crazing in the hood and rear fender and a blemish on the front fender. I tried to photograph them.
There is a small crack in the laquer on the dashboard as can be seen in the photo.
There is a fogging in the upper left part part of the windscreen (delamination??) as in the photos.
The rev counter does not work. I believe it has to do with the electronic ignition, but I do not know enough about these cars to confirm or deny this. 
I have the wheel caps, drivers handbook and service manuals.
The tires are old and if I was keeping the car I would replace them with modern rubber but they are "period correct" as best I know so I kept them. Modern new tires will improve the cornering. 

I am selling it for the following reasons: 

I am 6'3" with size 13 shoes and while I fit in the car I have to drive it barefoot. I have got plantar fascitis and that makes it difficult. The passenger seat does not suit my wife. If I were to keep it I would have to modify the car and it is too nice a vehicle to mess with. I have no problem modifying an old car but I am not that big a heathen. I am not rich enough or young enough to own all the cars on my "bucket list" and a Jaguar MKII is the next one I want (unless another shiney bauble crosses my path). I think my days of miniscule sports cars are behind me. Whether one buys my car or not if you like true pure sports cars you owe it yourself to have a Europa. They are all they are reputed to be on a twisty road. They must have been a revelation 40 years ago and we will never see their like in a new car showroom again. This car has never let me down or failed to start. There are better restored cars out there (the blue one currently advertised looks very nice) but I think you would be hard pressed to find a nicer original Europa. 

I am not a professional mechanic and I would urge the new owner to get it checked out by a qualified technician to ensure its safety and reliability. The car is for sale locally and may not be available by the time this auction ends. I will do what I can to help with shipping (at new owners expense) and require a $2,000.00 deposit at the end of the auction.

Auto Services in Maryland

Will`s Road Service & 24-HR Towing Incorporated ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Towing, Shipping Services
Address: 1650 Barclay Rd, Massey
Phone: (866) 595-6470

Warner Auto Body Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 4703 Harford Rd, Perry-Hall
Phone: (410) 254-8594

Virginia Tire & Auto ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Used Car Dealers, Automobile Parts & Supplies
Address: 13909 Metrotech Dr, North-Potomac
Phone: (703) 263-2222

Russel Collision and Toyota Service Center ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 1501 S Caton Ave, Fort-Howard
Phone: (410) 525-1000

Rockville Auto Body Inc ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 650 Lofstrand Lane #D, N-Potomac
Phone: (301) 762-4446

Regal Motors Inc ★★★★★

Used Car Dealers
Address: 3906 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Ironsides
Phone: (540) 318-8695

Auto blog

Lotus slated to stop selling Evora in US

Mon, 22 Sep 2014

It's been three years now since Lotus stopped selling the Elise and Exige in North America, leaving the Evora as its only model available Stateside. But according to the latest from Car and Driver, even that model is on its way out.
The problem reportedly comes down to air bags. Lotus was granted a temporary exemption from fitting the latest-generation smart airbags to the Evora, but that exemption is set to expire at the end of the year. And once it does, Lotus apparently has no intention of developing and fitting the proper equipment to allow it to continue selling the Evora in the United States.
Once the Evora is gone from our market, Lotus will be reduced to selling only track-bound versions of the Elise and Exige in the US, so the prospect of actually buying a new Lotus and driving off the dealer lot will vanish into thin air.

Lotus opens the 2013 Formula One season with the launch of the E21 [w/video]

Wed, 30 Jan 2013

Lotus has broken the seal on the 2013 Formula One season, launching the E21 car at its factory in Enstone. With the regulations this year quite similar to those of last year, there are no dramatic changes in form compared to the E20. After some teams lobbied to be able to cover the stepped nose with a "vanity panel," Lotus retained the configuration, the team's technical director saying that the panel would add more weight and didn't make sense to put on the car unless it also added performance.
Beyond that, the E21 is said to be an comprehensive advance in its details - the suspension gets a new layout, the Coanda exhaust and the passive double DRS system are evolutions from last year, the front wing is "a continuation of concepts" from 2009.
After securing fourth in the Constructor's Championship last year, this is the chassis that drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean will use to try and move the team up a place, which would mean beating one of the big three teams over the course of the season. The quietly and impressively consistent Räikkönen managed third in the Driver's Championship, and we're sure he wouldn't mind a move up in the standings, either.

Lotus recalling certain 2011 Evora S models for possible oil leak, fire

Mon, 29 Jul 2013

Last year about 80 examples of the 2011 Lotus Evora S were recalled over an issue with the oil feed pipe. The same number of 2011 Evora S', but with different manufacture dates, are back in the recall box again for a very similar issue; this time it's the engine oil cooler hose that could rupture and spray oil either onto the rear wheels or a hot engine part. Neither of those cases is good, and the latter could potentially lead to a fire.
Lotus is working on a solution, so a recall date hasn't been announced. The bulletin below from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more information.