<VV> off topic: moving towards the dark side---> Ford

[Bill Elliott]

Very, very cool!!! Like Stingers ad Shelbys, there are more "apparent" JPS's around today than were ever made, but it appears that you have the real 
thing... which, as you've found, is _exceedingly_ rare (though like you I didn't think they were quite as rare as you've been told).  

My S2 (Renault-powered)  Europa was a blast to drive, but rear vision was extremely limited and the cockpit was very, very cramped... two issues 
significantly improved in your car.  The twin cam Europa carries a bit more weight and is not quite as "chuckable" as the S2 but the big power increase 
(and the glorious noise is makes) more than makes up for the difference..several times over.

Good luck...and if I can be of any help (even though I owned one and have worked on others my experience with these cars is somewhat limited), please 
let me know. Another VV poster, Alan Wesson in the UK, has a Lotus 7 business and might be a good source of info as well (as I think some of his cars 
share this engine).

Bill Elliott

>In a fit of temporary insanity, I have committed heresy and bought a Ford, but at least it's a derivative Ford and not a Ford Ford.  It's a 1974 Lotus Europa 
John Player Special, #168 out of 200 made.  I found it on "that on-line auction site" but it turned out to be located less than 5 miles from my house.  I'm 
having a hard time believing this, but the Lotus groups are telling me that there are only 6 of these cars accounted for in the world, which makes it slightly 
rare...I would have guessed 20 - 40.  I'm sure that there are more around; just that they are put away and no one is saying where.  Acutally, I'll be storing 
mine at an undisclosed location as well.  This is a project car (like I needed another one of those) so don't be too appalled at the seller's pictures located at:

>http://blog.mark.noakes.com/blog/Photos/Vehicles/1974LotusEuropaJPS

>I'll get some pictures of my own posted ASAPractical once I start tearing into it and documenting what is there.

>The JPS cars were all black with gold pin stripes like the winning Formula 1 cars they commemorate.  The configuration is a mid-engine 2 seat sports car.  
Older Europas had a Renault engine but the JPS cars and other Europa Specials used a 1.6 liter big valve double overhead cam Ford Cosworth engine 
hooked up to a 5 speed transaxle.  Because they only weigh about 1600 lbs, they are pretty fast despite the small engine.

>My intentions are to clean it up, get it in storage, and get it documented as to what is what and where until I can get it in my restoration queue...there are 
several vehicles ahead of it at the moment.  I tend to prefer to modify my vehicles but I'm afraid that this one should be done straight stock.  Maybe some 
day, Jay Leno will want to buy it.