# Lotus Europa Special



## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

When I was a kid growing up, one of our neighbors had a Lotus Europa and I thought that was about the coolest car on the block. Naturally, I had to build one at some point and I have now started. I got the Tamiya Europa model. Here's the kit:










I don't remember very much about my old neighbor's car, but it was black with gold pinstripes and a light brown interior, so that is how this one will be built. Body has been sanded and primered at this point. The engine is starting to come together now. Still have some work to do on it, but you get the basic idea.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

You know Scott THATS REAR KIT YOU HAVE THERE, DID YOU KNOW THAT, where did you find it at,..Great build For sure as well, NOT THERE FASTED of best looking car for Lotus for the real one, But they made so many deferent cars, But it would be a nice one to have for real anyway, I WOULD SELL MINE if I had one,...lol...Buy something that wouldn't fall apart,................ Tee, Hee, Hee,

Ian


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Well, Ian, my wife bought me this kit on eBay a while back. She knew that I had an affinity for the Lotus cars and she hadn't seen this one before, so she picked it up. I couldn't tell you how much it was or anything - she just did it on a whim. 

Well, I've been working on the chassis and I now have the engine set into the chassis. I think I may do something with those wheels - I like chrome but these seem a touch bland - they need some color. I just have to figure out what to do about it. Anyway, here's the progress so far...


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

Check that rail out on that build man, HOW CLOSE IT THAT TO THE REAL FRAME I WONDER SCOTT, if it is for real in even a small way, It would be a Very steered ride for sure, ..
.....And let me just tell you and your MODEL BUILDING FAMILY SOMETHING HERE SCOTT,...YOU GUYS ARE GREAT do you know how much effort you are saving all of us beat up old builders out her From having to build so much now, from all these builds you and your family are doing as of late out here, TONS OF WORK I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU GUYS ARE SAVING US HERE, I was really having to build a lot there for a while, to just to keep this place going as well as guys like Pete and Many others out here where having to do to stay a float, But Now that you guys are taking up all the slack with these GREAT FAMILY builds, guys like Me and kit and Pete and EVERYONE ELSE OUT HERE, are being left 
in the DUST I CAN TELL YOU,...lol....I better Get my rear end in gear and do some more work my self here soon to save face as well, You guys are making us look bad here, BUT THATS GREAT, thinks for all you and your family's 
HARD WORK AS WELL GUYS, this has ben very enjoyable on my end watching all this work. and It is CARING THIS SITE RIGHT NOW AS WELL I CAN TELL YOU, if it wasn't for you and you son and daughters, We would have nothing to watch out here right now really, I LOVE IT MAN.....lol....Keep 'em Coming as well, I'm sure I am peeking for a lot of us out here right now buy saying that as well, We are right behind you as well with all the support you might need because of the effort you guys are making as well....


Ian


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## Modlerbob (Feb 10, 2011)

Good job so far. Being from Tamiya it should be a breeze.


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Well, this has become a nightmare of a kit. When I first started, the windshield cracked on the passenger window. I ended up up using a knife to cut off the passenger side windows and luckily the windshield itself was okay. The body was all painted and ready to go when my son went to get the Castrol Super Clean to use on his drain. Well, when he put it back, it did not have the lid on and it splashed onto the body, so it was back to the beginning. When my son was helping me, a pair of pliers dropped and broke the window frame in the front, so we needed to fix this. Finally started putting on some more primer again and I noticed that (apparently) I did not wash all the Super Clean off and it started bubbling up again. So more preparing and I got to prime it a third time. Primer looked good, so laid down the paint. Body looked really nice, but I had it at the head of my work table getting a nice hard dry on the paint. Well, a bottle of lacquer spilled and guess what? Yep! It splashed right on the body again!!! Unfortunately, it meant that the body has to go back to square one again! Yep - you've got it for the fourth time!! I think it's time to take a break from this kit for a few and come back to it later - I'm starting to think that God is trying to tell me something.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

lol,, OMG, Kids are like GREMLINS SOMETHING SCOTT,..., I have had trouble before BUT NEVER THAT BAD, you take the cake on that one my friend, Think about it this way, When she does Finlay come together, You will have accomplished something big.....GOOD LUCK.

Ian


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

ha ha - thanks, Ian. Appreciate the encouraging words.


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

This might give you some inspiration... (no it's not my chassis or kid, here's the link to his site).


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Well, thanks for the inspiration. The body and I are still fighting it out, but I did get some work done on the rest of the chassis and the interior. Here's where we're at now....


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Previously, I had mentioned that my son broke one of the frames for the wing windows. That got fixed no problem. However, when he was helping me again, the wing window frame broke all the way off. No problem, I figured - I'll just glue it back on. Well, the tweezers slipped, the part went flying, and I never could find it. So.... time to improvise. I took my trusty razor and cut off the other one so the two sides would match. 

Only problem with this is that now the windows had an indent where this piece was supposed to go on each side and there was no piece to be there. I broke out the razor again and cut down the windshield to just the windshield without the wing windows or the side windows. I figure that most people aren't familiar enough with the Lotus Europa to even know a difference. 

Well, this caused a problem with the fit of the interior as there was space molded in for the window to fit - specifically, a wider area at the front for the wing windows. So, we used some sheet styrene and putty to fill that area in. Okay - now we're making progress. 

Finally got the body painted and ready to go. Somehow some of the dog's hair ended up in the paint even though the spray painting is done in a room the dogs are never in. At this point, I figured "heck, I'll live with it" - I did a light sanding to get the hair out and then re-sprayed - no taking the paint off this time (I was getting tired of this car at this point). 

As we're putting on the metal transfers, I dropped one (can't blame that on the kids) and lost the metal transfer that goes behind the right side door. I decided to just live with it and finish up. So, here's the pics of the completed car. All I can say is "WHEW!!!"


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

.lol.. You know Scott, I'm pretty sure they had this many troubles with they where maing and running THE REAL CAR AS WELL, and lost, Not only the hole car many times over but THE HOLE DARN FATORY INTHE END,...lol...so you did good man, THE DOG HEAR seems to show up when You lest expect it, doesn't it.....lol..I'm going to have to right a short story of the Trials and tribulations of the frustrated model car builder and your story will have A HOLE CHAPTER on this one........DUDE, YOU MADE IT, it looks great man, all that trouble was worth the effort....



Ian


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