Lancia Beta Spider. Yes or No? PH decides..
Discussion
Need a daily driver for the next 12 months or so - and sick on modern cars.
Good, clean Lancia Beta Spider available.
I like the look of it - especially for what i left of summer.
It will qualify for historic rallying type 2 as well, I suppose.
So - steer clear or go for it?
Less than £150 to insure.
Less than £150 to service.
Seems a no brainer to me.
My gut says buy it.
Good, clean Lancia Beta Spider available.
I like the look of it - especially for what i left of summer.
It will qualify for historic rallying type 2 as well, I suppose.
So - steer clear or go for it?
Less than £150 to insure.
Less than £150 to service.
Seems a no brainer to me.
My gut says buy it.
I've had mine for 22 years.
A few things to watch out for;
A few things to watch out for;
- Targa panel seals are a weak spot; well worth a bikini cover when parked
- Fuel vapourisation when hot is a real issue; worth fitting a small electric booster pump
- Oil pumps wear out quickly; if oil preassure is good at tick-over, then drops when you rev before building again, replace the pump.
- All the rear suspension is interchangeable with Lancia Thema/Fiat Croma/Saab 9000 which is (used to be) cheaper & easier to get hold of
- Even with the hood up, they're bl**dy noisy at motorway speed
- They drink like a fish!
johnfm said:
Clapham
Thanks for the notes.
I assume oil pump is an engine out job? Or is it an external pump?
Drinks like a fish? A little 120hp 2l engine?
You can get it out with the engine in situ but its a dog of a job.Thanks for the notes.
I assume oil pump is an engine out job? Or is it an external pump?
Drinks like a fish? A little 120hp 2l engine?
They're greedy little b*stards because you'll want to drive everywhere at full cam and wind up getting about 20-22 mpg
Oh, don't forget to change the cam belt religiously every 20k miles
I've always wanted to upgrade to volumex running gear
mybrainhurts said:
How have cars survived with the chassis rust problem?
How extensive was the restoration process?
The front subframe mounting rust problem only affected the Berlinas. The Spyder still rusts (most notably around the well the hood retracts into, as Zagato created the Spyders by cutting the roofs off coupes and hammering the remaining bodywork down into the gap), but no more than any other '70s Italian car.How extensive was the restoration process?
My front wings and bonnet rusted through, but the chassis was all right...
This, despite Ziebart rust treatment when brand new.
The Ziebart franchisee wasn't a happy chappy when the franchise collapsed and he was left to do the warranty work. I think he kept a spray gun full of orange paint, just for me...
This, despite Ziebart rust treatment when brand new.
The Ziebart franchisee wasn't a happy chappy when the franchise collapsed and he was left to do the warranty work. I think he kept a spray gun full of orange paint, just for me...
I would steer clear of using one as an every day car all year round.
It will quickly deteriorate in the conditions that we have in the UK in the winter. Also if the hood leaks then you are letting yourself in for a lot of floor pan / sill welding in the future.
I would say go for it as a summer car, but buy something cheep and cheerfull for the winter.
Just my 2p worth
It will quickly deteriorate in the conditions that we have in the UK in the winter. Also if the hood leaks then you are letting yourself in for a lot of floor pan / sill welding in the future.
I would say go for it as a summer car, but buy something cheep and cheerfull for the winter.
Just my 2p worth
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