Description:

This is perhaps the only works-supported Lotus Europa-Renault in North America, even more unusual as it was campaigned not by Lotus Racing but by Team Renault. It has a documented race history including running a 4th at the 1971 SCCA National at Watkins Glen. Read below to learn more about the fascinating history of this car. It is a complete project, taken off the road about ten years ago and accompanied by an absolute boatload of spares (detailed below) including 2 complete engines and one disassembled engine with piles of rebuild parts, two spare gearboxes, spare wheels, spares for virtually every part on the car, and even more incredibly, virtually all the parts required to return the car to stock street trim. The car is not heavily modified from stock, the SCCA's rules for production racers allowing far less modification in the early 70s. The car has with it a pretty comprehensive inventory of most of the period tuning parts availble including parts from Hermes and Else. It is also accompanied by a wealth of technical documentation from Lotus and Renault and extensive documentation of it's period appearence. Technical details of the car are discussed in the specifications below. Despite it's complete appearance, the car is a project. The engine has not been run in ten years and should be disassembled to record at least the special cam grind. There is some chassis damage in the right front passengers footwell, the result of racing stresses. The car has no accident damage. A chassis off restoration is in order, with some additional strengthening of the original chassis as recommended by the well-known English Europa tuners,

History

In about 1970 Renault had a solid sales footing in the US and was actively promoting an agressive performance image, primarily through rallying. The compeition director was Ocee Rich (a Seminole Indian) and he was interested in advancing Renault's performance image into road racing. He later was responsible for creating the SCCA Sports Renault (now Spec Racer) class. Walter Koopman, a well-known racer and collector of French road racing cars, approached Ocee about the possibilty of preparing one of the new Lotus Renault Europas for SCCA competition. Ocee readily agreed, a support agreement was reached, with special engines an gearboxes being supplied by Team Renault, and Walt set about locating a suitable car and preparing it. A yellow, low mileage used Lotus S1 Europa was purchased from a Lotus dealer in South New Jersey. Serial number 504, it is a late Federal series 1, sometimes called a series 1-1/2 or Series 1 Mk1, and although it has the wood dash panels of the federal cars, some of the cockpit placarding and guages still have the French writing of the early series 1 cars. The yellow paint still lies beneath the two different race liveries the car currently wears.

Competition History

auto-cross and road use up to about 1990
Performance Data

• 555 lbs
  

Engine

• Renault type 821-30
  
• 1565 cc.
  
• sidedraught Weber on Hermes intake manifold
  
• head shaved and ported, Else cast rocker cover
  
• bore and stroke 77 mm x 84 mm
  
• Lunati cam .400 lift intake and exhaust,290 % duration,int
  
• polished valves,
  
• balanced rockers, balanced pushrods and lifters
  
• oil pan tray
  

Fuel System

• Fuel Tank
  
• mechanical fuel pump
  

Oil/Water System

• water rad
  
• front
  
• plumbed for remote oil cooler
  

Electrical System

• complete stock road car loom in place
  

Transmission

• Renault type 336 gearbox
  
• linkage modified for more precise engagement with rod-ends
  

Rear End

• Renault in unit with gearbox
  
• believed to be standard open diff
  

Body

• original lightweight bodyshell
  
• period roof-mounted periscope
  

Chassis

• original sheel steel fabricated backbone
  
• some damage passengers footwell, should be repaired
  
• twin wishbone, coil over, stock
  
• trailing arm, lower link, driveshafts as top links, stock save for adjustable lower links
  
• Konis
  
• front disc, rear drum, largely stock
  
• stock Triumph rack and pinion
  
• aftermarket cast alloys
  

Interior

• original black gelcoat, wood dash
  
• original seat cushions,
  
• period competition harness
  
• original dash and guages
  
• aftermarket steering wheel
  
• largely original and showing wear, never gutted, accomodates 6'+ 200 lb driver
  

Spares

• The spares colection with this car is too large to list in it's entirety. View
  
• two spare assembled engines: 841-10 1647cc crossflow Gordini with hot street cam
  
• a second 697-04 in parts, bonnet
  
• extensive selection of engine parts
  
• three non-crossflow heads, set of 4 Astrali cast allow wheels
  
• two transmissions, original hubcaps and trim rings for steel wheels
  
• nearly a complete carset plus of suspension parts
  
• nearly a complete carset of brake parts, all original grilles and lighting