1981 Lancia Beta Spider 2000
Discussion
I forgot to add that the twin choke Webber is a bit like a poor man's turbocharger. At about 4000 RPM you get a whoosh, and the car will accelerate quite well even in fifth gear at a fast motorway speed.
The revvy twin cam engine is a fine unit. Variants of it were used by Lancia and Fiat in many cars, right up to the four cylinder versions of the Fiat Coupe.
The Montecarlo version had two carbs, but arguably that car needed a V6.
The Beta is reasonably well supported by companies including Betaboyz and Omicron, and there's a useful parts supplier in the Mid west of the USA, but some parts are now becoming hard to find.
I had a pleasant experience last year when a chap stopped to admire and discuss the car when it was parked at Highbury Fields in north London. He had owned a similar car in the 80s. He then went to his nearby house and produced two very rare tail lights in their original boxes, which he insisted on giving me. He would take nothing for them, but I dropped a decent Italian red off at his house the next day.
More recently, I got chatted up in a railway station car park (glamour!) by a hot MILF in an Evoque who had owned a red Spider in her younger days. Alas, I think that she was only into me for my wheels. Very PH.
A less pleasant experience involved Jim the Crim trying to make off with the alloys, but he failed, and I managed not to crash despite driving off with loose wheel bolts.
The revvy twin cam engine is a fine unit. Variants of it were used by Lancia and Fiat in many cars, right up to the four cylinder versions of the Fiat Coupe.
The Montecarlo version had two carbs, but arguably that car needed a V6.
The Beta is reasonably well supported by companies including Betaboyz and Omicron, and there's a useful parts supplier in the Mid west of the USA, but some parts are now becoming hard to find.
I had a pleasant experience last year when a chap stopped to admire and discuss the car when it was parked at Highbury Fields in north London. He had owned a similar car in the 80s. He then went to his nearby house and produced two very rare tail lights in their original boxes, which he insisted on giving me. He would take nothing for them, but I dropped a decent Italian red off at his house the next day.
More recently, I got chatted up in a railway station car park (glamour!) by a hot MILF in an Evoque who had owned a red Spider in her younger days. Alas, I think that she was only into me for my wheels. Very PH.
A less pleasant experience involved Jim the Crim trying to make off with the alloys, but he failed, and I managed not to crash despite driving off with loose wheel bolts.
Some photos taken today.
First, here's a couple of my old Italian bird. She's wet, a bit dirty, and a bit rusty around her tailpipe. She still goes quite well, and sometimes lets me take her top off in public.
Lastly, rust never sleeps! Another one of the two Italians and one Italian/Brit/Yank hybrid bitzer visibly falling to pieces. Yes, folks! It's a race to the bottom (of the boot falling out).
First, here's a couple of my old Italian bird. She's wet, a bit dirty, and a bit rusty around her tailpipe. She still goes quite well, and sometimes lets me take her top off in public.
Lastly, rust never sleeps! Another one of the two Italians and one Italian/Brit/Yank hybrid bitzer visibly falling to pieces. Yes, folks! It's a race to the bottom (of the boot falling out).
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 18th January 23:29
Is the leather original? The instruments don't look nearly as modern to me now as I remember them being when I owned my Last Beta.
The front view is quite average and exactly the same as my own HPEs, but the rear three quarter is beautiful.
Looking under the bonnet takes me back. Chromed engine stay? That must be an upgrade. I remember that problems with my own oil level devices were cured by re-piping them. From memory the pipe hardened and split where it joined the dipstick top.
The front view is quite average and exactly the same as my own HPEs, but the rear three quarter is beautiful.
Looking under the bonnet takes me back. Chromed engine stay? That must be an upgrade. I remember that problems with my own oil level devices were cured by re-piping them. From memory the pipe hardened and split where it joined the dipstick top.
GC8 said:
Is the leather original? The instruments don't look nearly as modern to me now as I remember them being when I owned my Last Beta.
The front view is quite average and exactly the same as my own HPEs, but the rear three quarter is beautiful.
Looking under the bonnet takes me back. Chromed engine stay? That must be an upgrade. I remember that problems with my own oil level devices were cured by re-piping them. From memory the pipe hardened and split where it joined the dipstick top.
The seats are in fact trimmed with vinyl, which I believe to be original. To my eyes, having had several older cars, the instruments look hyper modern!The front view is quite average and exactly the same as my own HPEs, but the rear three quarter is beautiful.
Looking under the bonnet takes me back. Chromed engine stay? That must be an upgrade. I remember that problems with my own oil level devices were cured by re-piping them. From memory the pipe hardened and split where it joined the dipstick top.
The chrome bit is indeed an upgrade, placed there by I know not whom, along with the mildly blinged airbox, Thanks for the tip re the oil level piping - mine looks pretty knackered. I am still lusting after an HPE.
The car came with some rosettes from some comps in the noughties, and was featured in Practical Classic, but about ten years ago. It would not win any prizes now, but is mostly pretty OK.
I am wondering if I have the wrong oil in the car for the cold weather. It recently had an oil change and I can't remember what oil the dudes put in. I hope that it wasn't too thick (the bill is buried somewhere). The oil pressure reading when the engine is cold is fine - needle in the centre, but once the car has warmed up, the needle stays to the left, although not in the danger zone, even at high revs. Meanwhile, the oil temperature needle, once out of its cold zone, also stays close to the left, so it does not appear that the oil is getting unduly hot, if that needle is to be believed. The oil level is fine, and there are no apparent leaks.
I imagine you know this, but the oil level indicator isn't supposed to read when the engine is running. You press the little dooberry like a mileage reset button below it when the engine is stopped and it should display it.
Of course, the reality of it that is that the little plastic tube that sits on the end of the dipstick and allows it to work will have gone brittle and snapped off many years ago, and if it hasn't, the one from the top of the dipstick will have.
Of course, the reality of it that is that the little plastic tube that sits on the end of the dipstick and allows it to work will have gone brittle and snapped off many years ago, and if it hasn't, the one from the top of the dipstick will have.
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