Cheap 1973 Lotus Europa John Player Special!

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If an iconic British brand and notable model, specifically a 1973 Lotus Europa John Player Special, is cool to you, then how about owning number 32 of potentially 200 or so ever built? With 62,796 miles registered on the odometer, a VIN is listed, and the title is claimed to be clear this Lotus could be one amazing find. The car has a buy-it-now price of $8,500 which seems quite reasonable and it is located in Santa Ana, California. You can find it here on eBay.

1973 Lotus Europa John Player Special

A four-cylinder inline engine with twin cams powers this Europa. That is connected to a four-speed manual transmission. The listing claims that the car seems to be numbers matching. Currently, the engine is out and in pieces awaiting a rebuild. Other notes from the listing are that the frame is said to be in good condition and that the suspension is excellent. The listing says the car is complete.

1973 Lotus Europa John Player Special

The windshield has been replaced, although the listing claims that all the glass is original. On the inside of that glass is a weathered interior. Quite a number of things are ripped or torn, and some things appear to be missing. It has the original gauges and shift knob. They note that the steering wheel is not original. The wooden dash is incredibly warped.

1973 Lotus Europa John Player Special

Adding to that, the engine is not currently with the car. It is at the shop of the builder who is putting it back together. There are no photos of the engine, but there are photos of the transmission. Considering this is really just a shell of a car, you might want to make sure that all components are present when you buy it. The price does make it seem tempting, but the condition is going to require considerable work to get it on the road.

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Comments

  1. Solosolo UK ken tillyMember

    No such thing as a @Cheap@ Lotus unfortunately.

    Like 8
  2. CJinSD

    Anyone ever notice how much less valuable Lotuses are than Ford econoboxes with Lotus engines? One might almost expect non-Lotus Cortinas to be more valuable still.

    Like 2
  3. John

    Someone who has a lot of time and energy could turn this into a really pleasant little daily driver. You will never get rich from restoring it, but you will have a lot of fun driving it. The engine is simple, the only strange part to set up is the braking system (if the original twin vacuum boosters are gone — most are). The interior is dead simple the suspension is the same. If the backbone frame is still intact, there’s not much left to worry about. Putting it all back together is a good educational experience which will serve well as you drive it. They do seem to require a lot of maintenance. But its all owner/DIY stuff if you don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty. And, except for the radio, there is not one single piece of electronic wizardry to worry about.

    Like 3
  4. bobhess bobhessMember

    Am I the only one who sees the relationship between the rear wheels and the wheel opening isn’t right? Looks like the fenders have been moved out a bit and whoever did it did a good job on it. They needed more room back there from day one.The trans out may contribute to the look but I don’t remember that look on the two that we owned. Looks like a good one either way.

    Like 1
  5. karl

    Such a beautiful car from the front , but from the rear it looks like a pop up camper….

    Like 0

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