UCP gang,
I've found a 1971 Lotus Europa twin cam, big valve in a private collection in Little Rock, Arkansas. It's finished in black, 'Quail's favorite color (though it's not a John Player Special) and the only color, ITQHO, that a Europa looks right in.
Problem is, the owner is asking $17,000 for it.
It shows about 41,000 miles, has no evidence of collision and has an immaculate interior that looks original. The paintwork is a little tired. There are cracks and those groups of tiny blisters that all fiberglass-bodied cars seem to develop after a while.
If 'Quail pays $17 grand, I'm sure it'll be the highest price ever paid for a twin cam Europa, but a new clutch and lightweight flywheel come with the purchase, installed, which adds up to about $13,000 after the assumed worth of the car, as 'Quail figures it.
I'd pay $17,000 if he'd throw new paint into the bargain, which he might, as the shop his collection sits in has a paint booth and dedicated painter. At any rate it'd mean selling my 2004 Subaru WRX STi and buying the cheapest piece of shit I could find to serve as a daily driver (Isuzu P'up diesel, anyone?).
I adore my STi, as dedicated UCP readers know, but yearn for a more pure sportscar experience; and it doesn't get much more pure than a Europa.
Should 'Quail abandon a STi for a Europa? I've lusted after the Europa, which I think was one of Colin Chapman's roadgoing masterpieces, since I was 15, but the Lotus is also a deeply capable sportscar.
I know the decision is subjective, but I'm asking input from everyone, including the UCP world.
Advice?
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Originally Posted by henk4
