My Lotus build

[Mike S.]

I decided to start a new thread after I inadvertantly re-named my photo album. Which eliminated the pix I'd posted (the admin. can delete my other thread if they wish).

So I had this 71 Lotus Europa I had decided to modify siting in my back yard. I'd had a 69 when I was in college in the early 70s. I dreamed of what I'd do to one if I ever got another. I thought I'd make the rear tilt for easier access to the engine. The other issue is the rearwards vissability to the sides in particular when backing out of parking places. The rear susp. was another area of concern. The axels act more as a swing axle than I'd like. So they will now be fully independant susp. With lower reverse "A" arm, top link & trailing arms. The disc brakes will be inboard at the trans. I've elliminated one set of "U" joints at the inboard end & replaced them with CV joints.

The Lola T-70 & Chevron B-16 have always been two of my favorite racing cars. So the rear will look rather like a T-70 & have side scoops like the B-16 (my son says they look like F-18 fighter intakes LOL. He should know as he was a mechanic on them in the Navy)

Other pix here:Lotus build pictures by skystone3 - Photobucket

Mike S

 

[Jackal]

Nice project, I see you are using a filler on the side rear. What are you usings a filler? Im using resin and micro balloons. I find it a cheap and easy to sand filler.

Regards
Jackal

 

[Mike S.]

Hi Jackal
Just good old Bondo. The micro blloon might be another thing I may look into. I can get it at my glass supplier. Or I may look into the drywall patch material. I'll be making a mold for the rear & nose after I get the mods done. I want a nice clean piece for them.
Mike S

 

[Jackal]

Hi Jackal
Just good old Bondo. The micro blloon might be another thing I may look into. I can get it at my glass supplier. Or I may look into the drywall patch material. I'll be making a mold for the rear & nose after I get the mods done. I want a nice clean piece for them.
Mike S

hi Mike,

On your pics bondo looks very similar to micro balloons and resin. I get a nice finish with it. Cost wise it is pretty cheap. I buy the 20 kg bags and 25 l drums resin. Have to use a mixer in a drill to mix it properly.

Cheers
Jackal

 

[Mike S.]

Mostly the bondo I'm using is a skim coat to even out the fiberglass. I'm not using it to sculpt the contours like you are on your project. Like the top of the fenders are done out of 1/8" plywood & glassed over. Most of the rest is either slightly changing the contours or sculpting in foam sheet. Then glassing over. Some pieces like the side scoops that I haven't posted pix yet. Are done over foam & vynal & glassed. Then the foam form is removed for a one-off piece. I try to make the piece as smooth as possable & thick enough that I can sand down the glass smooth. With little or no filler needed.
Mike S

 

[Mike S.]

Hi all!
I've been making progress lately on the frame & susp. But after getting something done. I seem to decide on doing it a different way. Or that it doesn't look quite "right". So I cut it back out & start over LOL One consolation is my welding is getting better with practice LOL I have to torch weld. I'm not allowed to arc anymore because of an implanted heart defibrolator. I'll try & take some pix. to post.
Mike S.

 

[Mike S.]

Got some pix taken of the new rear susp. on my Lotus. It's all just tacked together so far. So I can make any adjustments needed without having to start over or do a lot of cutting. Seems to be working out pretty well so far. The front brace/bulkhead. Will be bolted to the frame for ease of puting on & taking off the body. It will be the base that the roll bar will be attached to. Heim/rose ends at the susp & bushings at the inside/chassis end. For vibration dampening. The axles won't have the swing changes that the stock had. Will be coilover shocks where the wooden piece is LOL
Well what do you think? Comments (be kind please LOL) are welcome.
Mike S

other pix ath
ttp://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/Lotus%20build/

 

[Mike S.]

Just uploaded some pix of the inboard brakes for my Lotus. I tried some Fiat X-19 brake calipers but didn't like how close they were to the fram at the parking brake end. I digg out a pair of Triumphs I had. I think I'll go with them though they don't have parking/emergency brakes. I'll get a pair of snowmobile calipers to go below these to work as parking brakes. I wanted to go with a hydrolic system for the p- brake anyway. You can see the CV joint & axle stub. It's just put inside the stock axle. There's a pic of the turned adapter I haven't cut the axle to length yet. It will weld to the stock & stub axle. End up looking a lot like a McLaren axle. I took the block & other trans over to my machinist today to make the engine adapter. Takes a 24lb piece of 1" thick alum. to do it. Then some more body FG work late this afternoon. Work, work, work LOL
Mike S.

Other pix here
Pictures by skystone3 - Photobucket

 

[Mike S.]

Been a pretty good last couple of days. I got the engine/trans adapter back from my machinist (still need to trim the outside of it on the band saw). Got them located in the chassis so I can fab the engine mounts. Finished the welding on the chassis & susp. parts. Hung the whole thing back together & it's finally seting on it's own wheels. Well sort of LOL It's still on jack stands so I can do the engine mounts & the shock upper mounts are still just clamped on. Will post some new pix soon. But beginning to think no one is taking any note of my build or gives a bent push rod. It is a GT 40 site I know. But doesn't any one have a comment, observation, advise etc? Was it something I said? I do take showers & brush my teeth! Some of you other builders?
Mike S.

 

[Jack]

Mike, I'll respond to your last post.

Fantastic job! Taking on a project like yours if always greatly fulfilling. You have done a remarkable job so far, even considering the gas welding.

 

[Mike S.]

Thanks Molleur
It's been a long time in the making (in my mind anyway). I'd had a 69 when I was in college in the early 70s. I'd thought of all the changes I'd make if I ever got another one. Mostly to the body at that point. Then when I got this one about 10-12 years ago. I'd been exposed to much more road racing & the cars. I started thinking of mechanical changes. It's been just seting in my back yard untouched for years. I decided to "go for it" a couple of months ago. After selling off a couple of my cars (I'm down to 8 now LOL). But my friend who is doing all my machine work & I became friends several years ago. I helped him quite a bit with his Devon project. With a lot of fiberglass work (my real forte more than the mechanical). So he owed me sime in exchange. I wouldn't be able to afford to do it if I had to pay a machinist to do the work. The gas welding can be a real pain if there's a breeze blowing (which there nearly always is here). You can see I'm working in the open, in the driveway. The blowing of the flame & temp change can be challenging. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do if you want to do a project like this.
Mike S.

 

[Jack]

The Devin was always an awsome car. I have been following your build with interest because I, too, do a lot of work in my driveway for lack of space. Funny how things manage to get done despite wind and weather, etc. Keep at it.

 

[Trevor]

Always had a soft spot for the old Europa; bought a secondhand S2 in 1975 in JPS gold and black colour scheme. Spent a lot of time and effort rebuilding the Renault engine, rear suspension, clutch cable, door motors, etc, etc. Sad when I sold the car a few years later.

Couple of observations; have you measured the rear toe angles as the suspension moves up and down? The front of the radius arms look almost parallel to the sides of the car; normally the front pickup points are more in-board than the rear points to reduce toe changes with suspension travel. Also will you be triangulating the front pick-up points on the chassis? At the moment they are a cantilevered arm that will load the point where they connect with the chassis rail. Hope you don't mind my sticking my nose in but would hate you to have problems after all the work you're putting into the rebuild.

Best Regards,
Trevor

 

[Mike S.]

Hi Trevor
Thanks for the observations. Yes perhaps you missed the 1" square brace between the trailing arms & the frame. That will transfer the loads back to the frame near the upper link connection. Forming a triangle with the frame & the bulkhead. The drag links do have a few degrees of angle in towards the frame. I've checked both caster change & tow & there is almost no change. The friend that is doing my machine work. Has also been my advisor on this build. He's been building, racing & maintaining road race cars for well over 40 years. So this is not a "seat of my pants" project LOL. I appreciate your concern. Photos from diferent angels can sometimes be deceiving.
Mike S.

 

[Mike S.]

Progress is being made
Here's a couple I just took of the chassis. now have the engine & trans. mated (adapter sitll needs trimming). I took a couple from an upstairs window to get a better over all look. Really happy with the way it's comming along. Need to get some 3/16" flat steel to fab the engine mounts yet.
Over head shot:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050001.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050002.jpg
from the front:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050004.jpg
From the back:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050005.jpg
Wheels I'm using. Caroll Shelby Spec. from an MGB GT (given to me
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050009.jpg

Mike S.

 

[Mike S.]

Here's a few of the body as it's comming along too. I go back & forth working on the chassis/susp. & body. In the rear shot you can see the differences between the stock (right) & modified left side. It'll end up as kind of a hybred of T-70 & B-16 ellements. I'm planning a Black & Gold color scheme for it. Kind of a John Players Spec. look.
Mike S.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050003.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050006.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050007.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x470/skystone3/P6050008.jpg

 

[Jack]

Good show Mike!
That B-16 looking tail is really neat. Me likes...
The JPS livery will only compliment the shape too.

 

[Mike S.]

Good show Mike!
That B-16 looking tail is really neat. Me likes...
The JPS livery will only compliment the shape too.

The tail itself with the spoiler is more T-70 but the side scoop is directly inspired by the B-16. My middle son says it reminds him of an F-18 intake LOL> I guess he should know. He was an F-18 mech. in the Navy LOL I haven't started on the raised "frame" arround the flat tail panel yet. I'll probably do that out of 1" foam. The tail lights will be framed then. I'm not sure whether I'll use sep. red & amber small round ones. Or an all in one larger round (like a Fiat 850 coupe or GT-40) or something else might catch my eye before then .
Mike S.
PS: I forgot to mention. After I get all the contoures right. The rear will be cut off & a mold made. That way it will look good inside & out. Rather than being all cut up & cobbled together looking inside. Besides a mold might be a good thing to have "Just in case?". The tail section will tilt & easilly removed. I'd already done that before I started this incarnation like this:

 

[Jack]

Side scoops and the tail spoilers look great. I'd go for the Fiat 850 coupe tail lights.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Hey, just discovered this thread.
You are doing a great job there, nothing straightforward by the look of it, so that makes it easy....not !
I'd be interested to know why you went with the rear inboard discs?
I assume you will be completely replacing the original wiring loom ?
That was always a major source of headaches on this car, due to how it was concealed when built.
Keep those photos coming, especially as the body mods take shape.
As on now, it looks like its getting a testosterone injection.