"70 Lotus Europa w/rotary
 

I thought if I started this thread, it might help me move my project along. My Europa has 35,xxx miles on it, but you can't tell by looking. It was in an accident 25 odd years ago and sat unprotected for the majority of that time. SO the car I have started with is probably in as bad of shape as is possible. Basically just a shell because the frame ROTTED OFF in the front. (And you guys think japanese cars rust out!!)
I did get a motor (12a, allegedly "street ported") and an Audi Turbo coupe transaxle to get things going. (Europa's are mid engine). I will need to build a tube frame with cage, race car style. If anybody wants to add their two cents on what suspension parts to use, I'm open to suggestions (or donations). The car came with Triumph Spitfire hubs originally, but I don"t want to use that puny stuff.
OK thats enough lead in for now; time to get started. Check out the pics.

Rexrecycle:dunno:

Nice, good luck to you on your build!

This will be a fun car to drive when finished!

hmm,, while you have out the tub of bog,, maybe this might give you some idea's

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/5...onceptlead.jpg
rx500 , design concept 40 years new

were you at in ohio

I'm in akron but I drive to booklyn/cleveland at least once a week

I'm in akron but I drive to booklyn/cleveland at least once a week

Nice project.keep us updated.

We had one in the shop in the late 70's. Light blue Europa with a 12A.

Good luck on your project. And yes it looks like a project.

Subscribing.

Update ; project Eoropa
 

I just sold off all the spare Lotus parts last week, so now I have a little room to work in the garage. Parts went to California and Columbus,Oh. Still looking for input as far as rear hubs, been thinking that Nissan 350Z hubs with home made A-arms might be a good combo. I thought about Corvette parts but I think they would be overkill on such a light car. My goal is to stay under 1500 pounds.

Rex

:dragster: zoom zoom

gonna be tough to give you ideas, you're pretty well on your own when looking at the frame that the car uses.

lotus
 

Theads like this are the reason i come to this forum,good luck ,stick with it !

I was asking about the rear hubs because there is no frame to start with. This entire chassis will be built from scratch. I just thought I might get some input from anyone that has played with other brands. I looked at using the rx7 rear hubs, but the mounting and geometry aren't really what I'm looking for. I'm prob. going to use ford hubs in the front (and hence Ford bolt pattern; 5x4 1/2) so Nissan or Mazda hubs make sense for the rear.

Rex

What was that comment about an English car? Hell, it's a step up from my FIAT race car isn't it? (the Italians PERFECTED rust, even if they didn't invent it).

The Bugeye ended up in my care after I was half done restoring it for an old business partner. Bought it off the wife after she ended up with it when he bailed and left the country.

Back to your Lotus, that wasn't Dave Dean's car was it? I remember him getting one and never seeing it on the road.

Why not just use the Audi/VW stuff for hubs? That would keep the axle fabrication easy. You could do something similar to how your GT3 car was with the modified front struts. Just figure out how to attach a ball joint to the top of the cut down strut or spindle. And you'll get good brakes in the deal.

Funny thing about the British cars, they congregate somehow. Right now my shop is fouled by the Bugeye AND a friend's 1965 Turner MkIV

I thought about the audi hubs but I was looking at using AFCO front hubs (roundy-round type)
with a ford pattern and I don't want to change the bolt pattern. I have a source with a 944 rear set-up ( and transaxle) which I think is very similar to my Audi trans. I could also take the front suspension from the same 944. Those brakes would probably be plenty big enough. Just thinkin'


I haven't talked to Susko in a long time, but I need to design a chassis before I can hang a suspension. Might have to give Jim a call.


Rex

:dragster: zoom zoom

This is most certainly an interesting thread. Definitely a really unique car to do a rotary swap with. That Renault I4...

NO real update
 

Haven't had much time to work on the car, still acquiring parts and such. Kinda early to think about bodywork, but I would like to make some parts from carbon fiber (just because I never have before!). I plan on reconfiguring the entire rear half of the car to look better (different). Never have liked that breadvan look! As always, post comments or criticisms, I like to see what others think about this project.

Rex

:dragster: ZOOM ZOOM

Still not sure if what you have can still be considered a 'car'. lol Well at least not yet anyway... Have a friend down here that the same deal with a '28 Rolls Royce Ghost, as he was unloading all the boxes of parts and frame rails, his mom asked him if he was sure it's a car?

Anything will look better than the back half of the car as it was sold. I always thought the designers took the afternoon off and had a few pints, then came back at about 10 till 5 and just drew some lines to get the design to Colin in time for the week end.

For anybody following this thread, rexrecycle (Rex) is one of the guys I blame for leading me to these damn rotary powered cars when he was running a GT3 RX3 back in the late 80's/early 90's. So, yes Rex, it IS all your fault(and Kevin too I suppose...)

Holy crap I'm glad I'm not you right now. However, IF you muster up the balls to actually get somewhere with this, it will be "thuper thweet!"

Seriously, I love old lotuses (should that be Loti?) and hope you kick some ass. You certainly aren't taking the easy road.

all your europa needs
 

Damn you you stole my dream project! when you get to the point that you need trim pieces check out: http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/index.php they make pretty much everything reproduction, you can even buy the whole car new. and they could probably give you some feedback as to which hubs will fit the audi half shafts and what not. also they have built a sweet full tube frame which it sounds like you are wanting to do http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/galler...ry10/gtr_6.jpg
http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/galler...10/gtr_12..jpg
http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/galler...ry10/gtr_9.jpg
http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/galler...y10/gtr_15.jpg

guess I will have to dream about building a rotary Stratos Replica now lol.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3eJX25_oSG...tratosside.jpg

It Has been awhile but I have done a little work on the Europa. I have a basic design for the chassis and have started cutting and welding tubing. The chassis will look a little like the Banks unit, but left hand drive. The motor I have is a "J" port that was supposed to have been rebuilt a couple years ago. I think I will try to get it running and check for leaks and such. Compression feels good. Have a turbo starter coming to fit the TII bell housing I will use on the Audi trans. I am trying to get some Audi spindles and A arms. Some bad things that have happened in the last year: I sold the intake and exhaust from the engine and so now I got to get something to make it run. I have sold off almost all the Mazda stuff I had laying around, much to my chagrin. I "gave away" my trusty, old 48 IDA and intake off of my GT-3 car for $100 three years ago. I scrapped my old header. I thought I was going another direction for a while but have come back to the "old reliable" Mazda 12a. I will probably end up with a turbo 13b in the end, but that is a ways off. I need to get some pics of where things are at on this project. To be continued...


Rex