My fifth resin cast - Lotus Europa

[VTECFOUR]

Just got this cast and turned out to my best so far with few voids, bubbles and minimal flash.







That's enough casting. Time to build some cars.

Dan

[chappy]

Well done Dan, that looks a really good cast.
Bob

[waaytoomuchintothis]

You aren't kidding, John. I can honestly say that of all the cars I ever sat in, the Europa that belonged to a girlfriend's mother was the lowest, tiniest, most impossible feeling car. I actually thought it might be an elaborate Cotton Carnival joke, just to see the big guy in the soldier suit cram himself in there. I couldn't even heel and toe the pedals, because my feet were too long. Her mother, a few weeks later, came by us on a Memphis city street at what must have been close to 100mph. Her mother was a tiny redhead and the car looked like it had been tailored to fit her, also red. The father in the family was a judge!

Dan, are you going to need a chassis? Something that small, you might be able to use brackets screwed to the body for everything. The Lotus Europa very nearly had that kind of chassis, they called it The Frog Chassis. I have a Road & Track around here somewhere with an ad showing the unusual chassis design.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[dge467]

I was just thinking a while back that the Europa would be a cool slot car. Nice work!

[munter]

Another cracker, Dan.
Great subject that you have expertly executed.

I wish I could say, "enough, time to build some cars"

[dreinecke]

Great job Dan! You're really getting these out!

Ah...good to be smaller in stature. I've driven exactly one. Ok, for about 5 miles, but still...An Air Force Major near us at Ramstein AFB had one he'd picked up while at RAF Mildenhall. It was silver with a black interior. He had an odd collection of cars and I got to follow him to an exhaust repair place the town over to drop it off for some work to be done. The muffler had rusted off and it sounded like a full-tilt race car. I was 16 at the time, which as a US teen in Germany meant I only had a learner's permit. He needed the help, I babysat his kids and talked cars with him, so he just said "Don't tell your folks." Are you kidding me? Heck no! What a great little car!

[Audi1]

That Europa looks great, Dan1

That car brings back a memory from a long, long time ago. I was in my early 20's (early 1970's) and driving out of Boston late one night, after a good party. I was in a Triumph TR6 and was proceeding North on Rt. 1. All of a sudden a Europa pulled up along side me and hesitated just long enough to let me know that we were headed into a little road race. In a straight line, the two cars were pretty evenly matched; although I knew that I was staring down the exhaust pipes of a Colin Chapman designed car. But, once we hit the Saugus rotary (roundabout if you're ex-US), I never saw the Europa again; it was simply gone. Whereas I had braked and downshifted from 75-80 mph going into the rotary, the Lotus hadn't! And he was just a spec on the horizon when I emerged from the rotary. At that point, I started dreaming about a Europa of my own.................but then I realized..................I'm 6'4"............. :lol:

Allan

[ddyke]

One of the frames could be a Lotus 47 which was the racing version of the Europa, but had many differences as well.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

6'-4"!! You're even bigger than I am, contemplating that car. My uncle had a Lotus Cortina he brought back from European Deployment, and it was amazing. When my girlfriend told me her mother got this car, I couldn't wait to see it. I also loved the Super 7, until I saw one close up. I understand the Caterham version is more full-size driver friendly.

Dan, can you use a box motor to save space? The Tomy Tiger is good. I replaced the motors in my Ninco Go Karts with them and they are much better cars for it. I have a bagful of motors that are nearly the same, you could have one and see if the idea works.

[VTECFOUR]

Good reminiscing of the past and suggestions.

Waay: Thanks for the motor offer.

Beginning the build so I'll start a new thread.

Dan

[Audi1]