Mid-Engine Project Cars: 1969 Lotus Europa vs Three Porsche 914s

Good morning! Today’s Shitbox Showdown is a little weird. But what the hell; it’s a weird week, with the holiday in the middle and all. You’ve got a lot of choices today. I’m pitting one car against three, or whichever one of the three you like best, since they’re being sold either separately or as a package deal. But before we get to that, there’s the small matter of yesterday’s wagons to attend to:

The Colt wins pretty decisively. Half the price and a stickshift, even currently non-running, seem to be enough to beat out a flabby ’80s Volkswagen automatic. Personally, having owned both a mid-80s Colt (but not a Vista) and a mid-80s Volkswagen (but not a Quantum), my imaginary money’s on the VW.

Today, there’s nothing flabby about any of our choices. They’re all lean, pared-down sports cars, with the engine sitting just behind you, and the ground whizzing by inches from your backside. All of them need some work to be roadworthy, but they’ve all got potential to be really impressive, and a hell of a lot of fun, when they’re done. You’ll have five choices in the poll at the end: the Lotus, any one of the three Porsches, or all three Porsches as a package deal. Let’s see what we’re working with.

1969 Lotus Europa S2 – $12,500

Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead valve inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD

Location: Brentwood, CA

Odometer reading: 75,000 miles

Runs/drives? Runs, not drivable – needs brakes

Is there anything cooler than a Lotus? Wrap an engine and a simple, responsive suspension system in the least amount of bodywork possible, carefully tune it to react like an extension of your own nervous system, and go rip up a race track or a back road. While everyone else was throwing horsepower at their cars to make them faster, Colin Chapman was cutting his to the bone, making the most of what they had. Lotuses of the 1950s and 60s almost seem to resent the added weight of things like windshield wipers and turn signals required for road use. And in fact, the original Europa was so stripped-down it didn’t even have door handles or adjustable seats.

Instead of the Ford or Coventry Climax engines of earlier Lotuses, the Europa sourced its engine and transaxle from Renault. For US models, it displaced 1.6 liters and put out 80 horsepower. It doesn’t sound like much, but the Europa only weighed about 1500 pounds, less than half of what another contemporary fiberglass-bodied sports car, the Corvette, weighed. It was quick enough, but more importantly, it stuck to the road like glue.

This Europa had its engine rebuilt, and mildly hot-rodded, a few years ago, but the car has sat since. It runs fine, but the brakes need to be re-done before it can be driven. I want to point out one other thing that comes up fairly often in the realm of project cars or occasional-use cars: this car’s tires are “new,” but five years old. There’s no real consensus on exactly how old is too old for tires, but these should be considered “getting up there” in age. They’re probably fine for a summer or two, but you’ll want to replace them soonish, especially if you plan to drive the car hard (and it’s a Lotus, so of course you plan to drive it hard). I’m facing this with my own MGB; its tires are now seven years old, and I should probably replace them this year or next.

The seller says this car photographs better than it looks in person. The rear deck lid doesn’t match; I’d assume it’s a replacement from another Europa. It doesn’t look terrible with the black lid, though. Apparently the windshield gasket also needs replacing, but it’s included.

1970 Porsche 914 – $7,000

Engine/drivetrain: 1.7 liter overhead valve flat 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Reno, NV

Odometer reading: 50,000 miles

Runs/drives? Not at the moment

Along one wall of a back garage/warehouse at a dealership in Reno, Nevada, hedged-in by golf carts and what appears to be an early-model third-generation Camaro Z/28, sit three examples of Porsche’s oft-maligned 914, a mid-engined sports car that, until recently, was written off by the Porsche elitists as being “basically just a Volkswagen.” But with air-cooled Porsches and Volkswagens hitting unprecedented, and sometimes downright idiotic, sale prices, the 914’s time has come, or at least this dealership thinks so, and they’re looking to cash in.

First up, we have this 1970 model, with a 1.7 liter engine. It appears to be rust-free and straight, and sits on a nice set of four-spoke alloy wheels. Its interior is intact but kinda trashed. The yellow paint is dull and faded, but if it’s just a single-stage paint like I’m guessing it is, it should clean up and shine up with some elbow grease. It isn’t currently running, but the seller says it “should run” with a little work. I’m assuming that means everything is there and connected, and the engine turns over, but they haven’t tried to get it going.

1972 Porsche 914 – $5,000

Engine/drivetrain: 1.7 liter overhead valve flat 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Reno, NV

Odometer reading: unknown

Runs/drives? Nope

For a few dollars cheaper, we have this apple-green number, also a 1.7 liter, also not running. This one has the plain steel wheels, and is a little bit scruffier outside. The rear deck lid doesn’t match, and appears to have been primered. The interior is also gutted, but the seller says the seats have been re-done and are waiting to go back in.

The seller says this one “needs engine service to run,” whatever that means. Engine swaps of various types (up to and including small-block Chevys) are a time-honored 914 tradition, and a basic, beat-up 1.7 liter car that already doesn’t run would seem to be the ideal candidate. Or have 914 values increased to the point that it’s worth restoring in stock form? Whichever way the future owner decides, that awful J.C. Whitney luggage rack has got to go.

1975 Porsche 914 2.0 – $8,500

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter overhead valve flat 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Reno, NV

Odometer reading: 75,000 miles

Runs/drives? Ran when parked 7 years ago

Fast-forward a couple of years, and this is what became of the 914 towards the end of its run, with some definite improvemens in the form of a much livelier two-liter engine and improved gearbox, and some definite signs of the times, namely those enormous black rubber bumpers. Apparently these had a side effect on the 914 of improving high-speed stability due to the weight. Yeah, whatever. I’ll take the earlier cars’ sleek chrome bumpers, thanks. And it’s not like the big bumpers did it any good anyway: Of all three of these cars, this one is the one with a broken taillight.

This car also allegedly has the best interior out of the three, though the door cards still appear to be missing. An un-cracked vinyl dash top is a rare thing on a car this age, so that’s something. This car also got to where it is under its own power, though that was seven years ago. Be prepared to tow it home and carefully bring it back to life, just like the other two. At least they’ve all been parked indoors all this time.

The seller says they’ll knock a couple thousand off the total if you buy all three of these Porsches, and sell the whole lot for $18,500. But I’d bet that if you showed up with a smaller wad of cash than that, you’d be able to make a deal. But then what? Back-date the appearance of the 2.0 using the green car as a parts donor? Turn the green one into a race car and restore the other two? Mix and match body panels and creat three “Harlequin” 914s?

Hey, you do you. But that’s what you’ve got to choose from today: a nearly-ready-to-go Lotus, or three derelict Porsches in varying degrees of niceness. Or you can show up with your very own car hauler and take home all three Porsches. The choice is yours.

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)