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If it is a statement, then I must be a moron. Why would you call a person a moron if they decide it is better to expend their energies off city streets and highways in a controlled safe manner?. Would you rather everyone hauls butt on every freeway onramp and parkway. I wouldn't. Autocrosses also help you understand what your car will do when put into certain situations....it is great at honing your skills in accident prevention.<p>Why post this if you think people that autox are morons? Just to start a flame?<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<br>(pro-Autocross events)<br>

Of the 120 participants at the autox event this last weekend....about 1/3 were female. You shoulda seen the driving skills of the owner of a race-prepared Lotus Europa. That car either had the low time of the day or was very close to it.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<br>

Steve, that car was the first car I ever fell in love with and even lost sleep for 5 years waiting to get one - and after only just a 10 minute ride in one years ago! That car has RACE ME all over it. The only problem is, Colin Chapman's theory was that a race car should be so purpose built, that it would physically come apart just as it crossed the finish line. After many years of F1 racing, his cars proved that. But unfortunately, this theory also seemed to trickle down into his street cars at the time too! Meaning that if I drove or raced my Europa over the weekend, I'd spend the rest of the week repairing it. But it WAS a LABOR of LOVE! Never had a street car felt so much like a F1 race car! <p>And my 1st one was bought from a guy that lived near me. I harrased him for those 5 years (above) to sell me his car, and finally he did. It was a Pumpkin Yellow color, but hey, I only saw the name badge :)<p>Turned our it was a 69 NON-Federal version brought in through Canada - meaning it was lower, headlights were lower and more forward, had plexiglass windows, and the smaller 1475cc engine than the Federal 1565cc, but had more powere and a dbble barrel downdraft Weber carb. It also just happened to be a Jimmy Clark Special too!<p>What I didn't notice, to my almost getting killed, was that it had almost 100K miles on it, and he drove it through Chicago winters - read that as ROAD SALT CORROSION! Well, I AutoX'd it for awhile on old shocks/springs, and skinny Uniroyal Rallye 180 tires - not a very hot setup. But on this car, almost ANYTHING worked to win! My FIRST AutoX with the car was at Utica Go Kart Track in Utica, Illinois. Way out in the farmlands, but a large road course, and I raced there for so many years that I knew every sheep turd on the track even (the owner raised sheep and corn). On my FIRST RUN, I clinched FTD Stock Class! 2nd run I was FTD Overall! Then the guys in race/modified class went out and beat my times, but my 3rd run got them all again! Their 4th run they all blew it, and I was faster still! Now this was not an SCCA event, it was a smaller club. But most of us AutoX folks went to ANY race we could, so even here there was always a very large turnout -always over 100 cars +. And the cars I beat in race class were driven by very good drivers too (some went on to IMSA and Trans Am racing).<p>Well, as far as nearly getting killed, . . . one event at another very large Go-Kart track, just a week before Blackhawk Farms (another course in the Quattro Club's driving schools list), I was coming to a turn hot, and when I hit the brakes, the complete left front suspension tore off the ROAD SALT rotted box frame. OUCH! I never realized just how bad the frame had been rotted. And if it had happened the next weekend - well, you can be going over 100+ MPH on the front straight at Blackhawk, so imagine what would have happened if I hit my brakes hard there?????<p>But I'd STILL do it again and again, cuz driving that Lotus was one of the most cherrished memories I have today! And though I was VERY good back then, I have to admit an Europa is so damn easy to win in, that anyone could do well in one too! <p>So if anyone EVER has a chance to drive a Europa, DO SO!!!!!!!!

As a veteran of TWO Europa Twin Cams, I'd like to add that they were the most evil, difficult to work on Loti ever built...<p>Mike had a early Renault engined car which were at least service-able, so he never developed the loathing that I did. <p>Twin Cam cars: Bad water pump ? Remove the engine. Leaky front chaincase ? Remove the engine.<br>Ashtray full ? Remove the engine. <p>Notice a pattern ? <p>Before any of you decide you have to get a Europa for a play car, talk to a Europa owner about their adventures. Yes, they are a blast to drive (especially the Twin Cams, and especially if they have the 5 speed Renault gearbox) BUT...you had better be pretty mechanically talented if you want to keep them on the road.<p>I sold both of them to a fellow racer friend who now races a Formula Atlantic, and his Ralt RT-2 is a whole lot easier to keep alive than his Loti.<p>Now, Elan's are a different story.<p>John<br>Trained Seals Racing<br>somewhere in my garage is a '67 Elan...<p><br>

Dear John, . . . I never DID say to have one as your every day car, unless you mean it as your every day PROJECT car :)<p>But beleive it or not, the 69 Non-Federal (smaller 1470cc engine non smog) was a SCREAMER! It had more power than the Fed 1565cc, was lighter than the Twin Cam, and back when I was raing it, even on skinny Uniroyal Rallye 180's - there wasn't a single Twin Cam that could touch it! And I was racing both in Chi-SCCA and Tri-State. Also, the Lotus Corps was there en mass - and those guys (I was a member too) couldn't nail me in it. Oh I missthat car, . . . and I THINK I know who still has it! He's in Indiana NW Ragion SCCA, and though he would never sell it back to me way back, he might now????

Skinny 180's ??? That's the widest sneaker you can put on a Europa, unless you start cutting fenders.<p>It may sound like I'd burn every Lotus I spotted - not really. You never had to deal with poorly built Twin Cam's stuffed into that stupid little engine bay. And I think that your shift-linkage actually had some feel to it. The later cars didn't have a gear "box" - it felt like a gear "bag" - "just keep wiggling the shifter around, they're in there, you'll find one eventually." I just don't have fond memories of Europa's. I have almost equally bad memories of Elan's, but I still own one. It hasn't had a motor in it since July 3rd, 1989, but I still have the damn thing. It's one of those 20 year long love/hate things.<p>And, of course, I still desperately want a Lotus 23. Any condition. With or without driveline. Or even bodywork. I just want one bad. <p>John/TSR

The size was not 180, it was the model of the tire, Uniroyal Rallye 180. They were 13", but it was so damn long ao, I forgot the rest of the size. Later, I was able to get COSMOS wheels for it, and then upgraded to 70 series.<p>Oh, those were the days!!!! Remember when Cooper's were good, or the Pheonix Stahlflex 3011, or the Pirelli P6??? Remeber the days of 13" wheels/tires???? Remember when 70 series was WIDE, and the 60 was either on a Porsche or Vette? <p>Hell, do you remember when we COULD remember???<p>:^)