Drove a friends car today . Europa very nice front end floated a bit . Motor and tranny was tight . higher rpm s where the ticket for smooth shifting . Windows weird , seating getting in tight . View was obscure . I loved it ! 
Wow, that looks really nice. I sure hope to have mine in one (mostly) assembled and (mostly) function piece someday. Thanks for the motivation!
When you say the front end "floated", was that like bump-steer or tramlining, or more of an aerodynamic issue?
I only got 4 miles so .............. On just the straight it felt weird but maybe because I am used to a boat anckor in front .......... but I loved every mile .
Karl La Follette wrote: I only got 4 miles so .............. On just the straight it felt weird but maybe because I am used to a boat anckor in front .......... but I loved every mile .
I think most people who drive a Europe only get about 4 miles, so don't feel bad.
So you lived to tell the tale? I hear that it's a big deal to get back out of a Lotus and not be on fire.
I have a feeling that by the time I actually buy a Europa, I won't be able to climb in and out anymore.
That looks like a nice one, though. What year is it?
That's a 73 or 74 (they were the same) TC or TCS (4 or 5 speed).
The front end shouldn't feel "floaty" but it is twitchy. You have to hold your hands rock solid to go in a straight line. That's just how they drive.
One of my high school teachers bought one in 1973. In rural Minnesota at that time, he may as well have been driving around in a space ship. 
I always thought it was a cool car.
Drove a tcs a couple times. Loved it, I'll own one some day.
grafmiata wrote:Karl La Follette wrote: I only got 4 miles so .............. On just the straight it felt weird but maybe because I am used to a boat anckor in front .......... but I loved every mile .I think most people who drive a Europe only get about 4 miles, so don't feel bad.
QFT
I test-drove an S2 with the desperate hope I would be so overwhelmed that I had to buy it. I was perfectly happy that it was a little hard to get into, that the backbone chassis meant for a really tall console and awkward shifting, that the windshield glass had some distortion and that the PO had grafted some weird scoops into the buttresses behind the doors.
It was awesome right up until the fuel pump failed - in traffic, in Atlanta, at the corner of 10th and Piedmont, less than five miles from where we started.
And see, these kinds of stories are why I decided a Zetec swap will be the way to go - even if the swap costs as much as rebuilding the Twin Cam(it won't), I'm bound to save money long-term on towing bills.
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