1981 Lancia Beta Spider 2000
Discussion
I test drove a 2 litre HPE when I was fresh faced and less cynical. It was beige, I like beige, and it looked like it had been resprayed. I think the TPF&T insurance was comparable to the value of the car so I didn't buy it.
Cracking drive though, felt responsive and nimble but well riding. I remeber looking at my father sat on the back seat and the car not feeling like it was carrying that size, feeling more like a little hatchback.
Cracking drive though, felt responsive and nimble but well riding. I remeber looking at my father sat on the back seat and the car not feeling like it was carrying that size, feeling more like a little hatchback.
BV I spotted this Beta on the bay and though someone night be interested on here who is into Lancia's. I have seen worse certainly. I will remove the post if you prefer it out. Steffan.
See: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-Lancia-Beta-Spyder-...
See: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-Lancia-Beta-Spyder-...
Steffan, no probs, you don't need my appro to post Lancia stuff on the thread!
That Spyder looks a goner and £1000 is too much in its current state, IMO. There is a barn find Spyder for £500 elsewhere on the net that might be a better bet as a project.
Yes, that was me on the M40 this morning, on my way to north Norfolk to collect my daughter from school. The twisty road between Brandon and Fakenham was great fun, and the car showed its supercharged overtaking ability on the straight bits. Hoonage was had.
That Spyder looks a goner and £1000 is too much in its current state, IMO. There is a barn find Spyder for £500 elsewhere on the net that might be a better bet as a project.
Yes, that was me on the M40 this morning, on my way to north Norfolk to collect my daughter from school. The twisty road between Brandon and Fakenham was great fun, and the car showed its supercharged overtaking ability on the straight bits. Hoonage was had.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 1st March 16:51
Breadvan72 said:
Yes, that was me on the M40 this morning, on my way to north Norfolk to collect my daughter from school. The twisty road between Brandon and Fakenham was great fun, and the car showed its supercharged overtaking ability on the straight bits. Hoonage was had.
Top stuff, lovely looking car you have. I was going the other way as had some work to do in Oxford. Edited by Breadvan72 on Saturday 1st March 16:51
Cheers! A pleasant sunny day to be in Oxford, after the morning fog lifted. I hope you weren't stuck in a meeting all day.
Here is that barn find Beta. It seems that it has now sold for £500. Risky, very risky, but possibly a reasonable punt for someone with skills, time and/or funds.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LANCIA-BETA-SPYDER-BARN-...
Here is that barn find Beta. It seems that it has now sold for £500. Risky, very risky, but possibly a reasonable punt for someone with skills, time and/or funds.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LANCIA-BETA-SPYDER-BARN-...
A year or two ago I considered buying a rusty Spyder from a scrapper to be a donor car, but I had nowhere to store it.
Anyway, stop press, my Spyder has now gone to a new owner. I am going to stick with the HPE for now. I shall start a thread on the HPE but probably not until I have polished it a bit and taken some better photos of it than the ones I have so far.
Anyway, stop press, my Spyder has now gone to a new owner. I am going to stick with the HPE for now. I shall start a thread on the HPE but probably not until I have polished it a bit and taken some better photos of it than the ones I have so far.
Volumex Coupe for sale here guys. A bit scabby here and there, but looks goodish overall. EDIT: I have changed my mind. Looks iffy.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985C-Lancia-Volumex-Cou...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985C-Lancia-Volumex-Cou...
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 5th March 21:57
BUT I have just seen that the seller won't let you test drive the car, so, rust apart, that would put me OOT.
EDIT: the way in which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
EDIT: the way in which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 5th March 22:16
Breadvan72 said:
BUT I have just seen that the seller won't let you test drive the car, so, rust apart, that would put me OOT.
EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
I am all for informative ads but this one is too much for me. The seller has an attitude which IMO is just not helpful. If I were interested I might look because as you say, the initial impression is quite good. However as you again suggest it diminishes with closer examination. Pity really because there cannot many of these left and they were real stormers in their day and would easily keep up with traffic. Good find hope someone succumbs.EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
Edited by Breadvan72 on Wednesday 5th March 21:59
Steffan said:
Breadvan72 said:
BUT I have just seen that the seller won't let you test drive the car, so, rust apart, that would put me OOT.
EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
I am all for informative ads but this one is too much for me. The seller has an attitude which IMO is just not helpful. If I were interested I might look because as you say, the initial impression is quite good. However as you again suggest it diminishes with closer examination. Pity really because there cannot many of these left and they were real stormers in their day and would easily keep up with traffic. Good find hope someone succumbs.EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
Edited by Breadvan72 on Wednesday 5th March 21:59
Seller said:
I am selling my 1985 Lancia Volumex Coupé because I have bought another Lancia (a 1936 Augusta, if you’re interested), and I need all my money, time and resources to spend on that. So my beloved Volumex is up for grabs, and my loss is your gain.
I have had the car for 11 years and the previous owner had it for 12 years, so it has not been passed around amongst lots of uncaring owners but been looked after and cherished by a small number of enthusiasts. There are very few decent Volumexes left nowadays (and in fact there are very few supercharged cars of any description), so this is not an opportunity that comes up every day.
To put it bluntly, this car goes like STINK. In its day it was a seriously quick car (eat your heart out, Golf GTi), and even now it would give most new ‘fast’ cars a run for the money (if you are interested in motoring facts – I am – the main reason is because it is very light compared with the modern rubbish. A lot of modern cars have (even) more power, but most of those weigh at least half a tonne more).
The car is also a Lancia. This means several things (if you have seen the Top Gear programme on Lancia you will be familiar with the ‘great unwashed stereotypes’ so beloved of that programme…).
In the real world and away from Top Gear it means a) that it is mostly beautifully built and was way ahead of its time; b) that it is interesting, progressive and quirky – if you want a boring car buy an Escort Mexico; c) that its styling is superb (again for its time, but it also has a timeless beauty that few coupés can lay claim to); and d) that its engineering is second to none.
The supercharged engine under the bonnet is the legendary ‘Lampredi Twincam’, designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the incredibly famous and talented Italian engineer whose credits included, among other things, the Ferrari 275S, and 340 and 375 Formula 1 racing cars. Not many engines have a pedigree like that (again, eat your heart out, Ford and VW...). And as an aside the Lampredi Twincam is one of the most widely-produced Italian engines ever, and was made for a very long time (1966 to 2000). The reason for this is that it was WAY ahead of its time in 1966 and is incredibly reliable, tunable and virtually bomb-proof. Add supercharging to that tunability and you have a true classic. Icing on the cake? The superchargers often change hands among VSCC members for little less than I am asking for the whole car.
If you are interested in history (again, I am), you will be interested to hear that this is the most successful engine in the history of World Championship rallying. Ever. The World Rally Championship for Manufacturers was won by Fiat and Lancia, using engines based on the Lampredi Twincam, a total of **10** (yes, TEN) times. That’s way ahead of even the second-place manufacturer. Again, eat your heart out Citroën, Mitsubishi, Ford, SAAB, Audi, etc., etc., etc. The Italians rule. Really...
The engine is a 2 litre and develops 135 DIN bhp. It will pull from 20 to 120 mph in 5th gear. That’s not bad by anyone’s standards. Firstly, a lot of cars in the late 70s and early 80s didn’t HAVE 5 gears (are you listening, VW? Ford…?). And secondly, those would be good figures even now, as I said above.
The car also (of course…) has servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels – another thing that largely eluded lesser manufacturers such as VW and Ford for several years after this (even the Scirocco 16V had drums on the back…).
Usually, one of the other things that being a Lancia means is that you will get some rust. This aspect has been over-hyped and a lot of crass rubbish has been written about it over the years – Lancias do rust, but so did most other 70s and 80s cars, and if you look after one carefully you can largely keep the rust at bay. This one is in amazing condition for a Volumex of its age, but that doesn’t mean that it is totally rust-free. Most of the areas of rust it has are a consequence of the fact that during my tenure it has mostly had to live outside (I know, I know – I’m sorry…). It has some areas that need attending to, the most significant of these being the door tops, which could use welded insert panels. The bonnet also had some rust and has now been replaced with a much better one, which has a (good, though I say it myself!) amateur paint job. In all the car presents very well (see my detailed photos…), and if you want to use it as a ‘daily driver’ you could do so with very little extra work other than a few touch-ups and a cavity wax treatment (this is a good idea on any older car anyway).
The car was treated to a VERY high quality respray, but sadly this was some considerable time ago, and so, as I said, there are some deteriorated areas. But it still polishes up superbly, and I think you will agree that it is a real eyeful in the pictures I have attached. However, maybe they do flatter it slightly – as I said, the bodywork should really be considered ‘driver quality’.
The car has a very nice set of original style alloy wheels but the tyres should be replaced, as the sidewalls are beginning to show their age because the tyres have been on the car a long time (it does a very low annual mileage, which means that the tyre treads themselves hardly wear at all). The cambelt has done under 10,000 miles but is quite a few years old, so I would recommend replacement before you drive the car (as indeed I would on any car with a cambelt).
I am a fully paid-up lifetime member of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ club, and also of the ‘if the factory engineers did it you probably can’t improve on it much’ club, so the car is mostly standard. However, there have been a few modifications made, largely to improve driveablility and reliability. These are a) that it has a full stainless steel sports exhaust system with 4-branch manifold (if you need me to tell you what that’s for you shouldn’t be buying a car like this…); b) grooved front brake discs (ditto); c) relays for the headlights (to ease the load on the wiring system); and d) a manual switch to operate the engine fan if you want it to come in sooner than usual (a good idea with a supercharged engine on a hot day!).
Here are the things you might want to look at sooner rather than later (in addition to the tyres and cambelt already mentioned): a) the interior is in the unique and beautiful checked cloth by the famous designer Ermenegildo Zegna. However, Sg. Zegna’s design capabilities seem to have been better than his ability to identify hard-wearing materials, and Volumex driver's seats are ALWAYS worn and the door cards are usually warped at the bottoms (because of poor damp-sealing inside the doors). This car is no exception. Favoured way to replace the seat is to look for the right-hand seat from an LHD (Italian market) car… or the left-hand seat from a British market (RHD) one. But they don’t grow on trees… b) the windscreen washer reservoir has disintegrated (an easy fix or replace with another kind) c) the side rear boot spoilers need sorting as they have split – again, it’s a case of ‘they all do that, Sir’… d) rust areas are as follows: rear offside wheel arch, and rear of floor in same corner (but only MOT advisory). Both doors have some rust along tops and drivers door has some at front lower corner. Rear valance panel has a bit of patchy rust. For a Volumex that’s remarkably little… e) the gear linkage needs adjusting - a new front ball joint was recently fitted and the lever is biased too far to the left so it baulks into 5th/reverse. f) the electric windows work but are slow (again, ‘they all do that, Sir’ – but this was the 80s, and most cars had wind-up windows!). And finally, g), there are a few scratches on the bumpers.
If you know Volumexes like I know Volumexes you’ll know that this is an amazingly short snag list!
To sum up, the essential facts: The MOT runs to May 2014 and the road tax to June 2014. The mileage on the clock reads 21,104 but the speedo was replaced at approx 66,000 so it is actually around 87,000 – still amazingly low for a car that is coming up to 30 years old.
If you are interested in the car I would strongly recommend a look-over, and especially a test drive (with ME driving! No test pilots please…). Then you won’t be disappointed, and neither will I. I really do not want to part with the car but I have to, and I would like it to go to a good and responsible owner. I am based in Surrey near J11 of the M25, Brooklands, and Heathrow airport, so I am easily accessible from anywhere in the southern Britain or London – or even the rest of the world, if you want to fly in and take a look. If you do want to do that I will pick you up from the airport if you call a day or two in advance (I'm usually around, so I should be able to fit in with you).
My phone numbers are landline 0044 1932 844221 and mobile 0044 7960 836860. eBay won’t let me put my email address in the sale, so if you want to email me you’ll have to use their contact form. There is a sensible reserve on the car but I am a realist and I am not expecting the earth for it. I am not giving it away either though. Please call to discuss pricing and logistics if you are seriously interested. Please don’t if you aren’t. Thanks for reading about my car, and I hope you enjoyed it and are interested in buying it. Cheers – Dale
I have had the car for 11 years and the previous owner had it for 12 years, so it has not been passed around amongst lots of uncaring owners but been looked after and cherished by a small number of enthusiasts. There are very few decent Volumexes left nowadays (and in fact there are very few supercharged cars of any description), so this is not an opportunity that comes up every day.
To put it bluntly, this car goes like STINK. In its day it was a seriously quick car (eat your heart out, Golf GTi), and even now it would give most new ‘fast’ cars a run for the money (if you are interested in motoring facts – I am – the main reason is because it is very light compared with the modern rubbish. A lot of modern cars have (even) more power, but most of those weigh at least half a tonne more).
The car is also a Lancia. This means several things (if you have seen the Top Gear programme on Lancia you will be familiar with the ‘great unwashed stereotypes’ so beloved of that programme…).
In the real world and away from Top Gear it means a) that it is mostly beautifully built and was way ahead of its time; b) that it is interesting, progressive and quirky – if you want a boring car buy an Escort Mexico; c) that its styling is superb (again for its time, but it also has a timeless beauty that few coupés can lay claim to); and d) that its engineering is second to none.
The supercharged engine under the bonnet is the legendary ‘Lampredi Twincam’, designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the incredibly famous and talented Italian engineer whose credits included, among other things, the Ferrari 275S, and 340 and 375 Formula 1 racing cars. Not many engines have a pedigree like that (again, eat your heart out, Ford and VW...). And as an aside the Lampredi Twincam is one of the most widely-produced Italian engines ever, and was made for a very long time (1966 to 2000). The reason for this is that it was WAY ahead of its time in 1966 and is incredibly reliable, tunable and virtually bomb-proof. Add supercharging to that tunability and you have a true classic. Icing on the cake? The superchargers often change hands among VSCC members for little less than I am asking for the whole car.
If you are interested in history (again, I am), you will be interested to hear that this is the most successful engine in the history of World Championship rallying. Ever. The World Rally Championship for Manufacturers was won by Fiat and Lancia, using engines based on the Lampredi Twincam, a total of **10** (yes, TEN) times. That’s way ahead of even the second-place manufacturer. Again, eat your heart out Citroën, Mitsubishi, Ford, SAAB, Audi, etc., etc., etc. The Italians rule. Really...
The engine is a 2 litre and develops 135 DIN bhp. It will pull from 20 to 120 mph in 5th gear. That’s not bad by anyone’s standards. Firstly, a lot of cars in the late 70s and early 80s didn’t HAVE 5 gears (are you listening, VW? Ford…?). And secondly, those would be good figures even now, as I said above.
The car also (of course…) has servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels – another thing that largely eluded lesser manufacturers such as VW and Ford for several years after this (even the Scirocco 16V had drums on the back…).
Usually, one of the other things that being a Lancia means is that you will get some rust. This aspect has been over-hyped and a lot of crass rubbish has been written about it over the years – Lancias do rust, but so did most other 70s and 80s cars, and if you look after one carefully you can largely keep the rust at bay. This one is in amazing condition for a Volumex of its age, but that doesn’t mean that it is totally rust-free. Most of the areas of rust it has are a consequence of the fact that during my tenure it has mostly had to live outside (I know, I know – I’m sorry…). It has some areas that need attending to, the most significant of these being the door tops, which could use welded insert panels. The bonnet also had some rust and has now been replaced with a much better one, which has a (good, though I say it myself!) amateur paint job. In all the car presents very well (see my detailed photos…), and if you want to use it as a ‘daily driver’ you could do so with very little extra work other than a few touch-ups and a cavity wax treatment (this is a good idea on any older car anyway).
The car was treated to a VERY high quality respray, but sadly this was some considerable time ago, and so, as I said, there are some deteriorated areas. But it still polishes up superbly, and I think you will agree that it is a real eyeful in the pictures I have attached. However, maybe they do flatter it slightly – as I said, the bodywork should really be considered ‘driver quality’.
The car has a very nice set of original style alloy wheels but the tyres should be replaced, as the sidewalls are beginning to show their age because the tyres have been on the car a long time (it does a very low annual mileage, which means that the tyre treads themselves hardly wear at all). The cambelt has done under 10,000 miles but is quite a few years old, so I would recommend replacement before you drive the car (as indeed I would on any car with a cambelt).
I am a fully paid-up lifetime member of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ club, and also of the ‘if the factory engineers did it you probably can’t improve on it much’ club, so the car is mostly standard. However, there have been a few modifications made, largely to improve driveablility and reliability. These are a) that it has a full stainless steel sports exhaust system with 4-branch manifold (if you need me to tell you what that’s for you shouldn’t be buying a car like this…); b) grooved front brake discs (ditto); c) relays for the headlights (to ease the load on the wiring system); and d) a manual switch to operate the engine fan if you want it to come in sooner than usual (a good idea with a supercharged engine on a hot day!).
Here are the things you might want to look at sooner rather than later (in addition to the tyres and cambelt already mentioned): a) the interior is in the unique and beautiful checked cloth by the famous designer Ermenegildo Zegna. However, Sg. Zegna’s design capabilities seem to have been better than his ability to identify hard-wearing materials, and Volumex driver's seats are ALWAYS worn and the door cards are usually warped at the bottoms (because of poor damp-sealing inside the doors). This car is no exception. Favoured way to replace the seat is to look for the right-hand seat from an LHD (Italian market) car… or the left-hand seat from a British market (RHD) one. But they don’t grow on trees… b) the windscreen washer reservoir has disintegrated (an easy fix or replace with another kind) c) the side rear boot spoilers need sorting as they have split – again, it’s a case of ‘they all do that, Sir’… d) rust areas are as follows: rear offside wheel arch, and rear of floor in same corner (but only MOT advisory). Both doors have some rust along tops and drivers door has some at front lower corner. Rear valance panel has a bit of patchy rust. For a Volumex that’s remarkably little… e) the gear linkage needs adjusting - a new front ball joint was recently fitted and the lever is biased too far to the left so it baulks into 5th/reverse. f) the electric windows work but are slow (again, ‘they all do that, Sir’ – but this was the 80s, and most cars had wind-up windows!). And finally, g), there are a few scratches on the bumpers.
If you know Volumexes like I know Volumexes you’ll know that this is an amazingly short snag list!
To sum up, the essential facts: The MOT runs to May 2014 and the road tax to June 2014. The mileage on the clock reads 21,104 but the speedo was replaced at approx 66,000 so it is actually around 87,000 – still amazingly low for a car that is coming up to 30 years old.
If you are interested in the car I would strongly recommend a look-over, and especially a test drive (with ME driving! No test pilots please…). Then you won’t be disappointed, and neither will I. I really do not want to part with the car but I have to, and I would like it to go to a good and responsible owner. I am based in Surrey near J11 of the M25, Brooklands, and Heathrow airport, so I am easily accessible from anywhere in the southern Britain or London – or even the rest of the world, if you want to fly in and take a look. If you do want to do that I will pick you up from the airport if you call a day or two in advance (I'm usually around, so I should be able to fit in with you).
My phone numbers are landline 0044 1932 844221 and mobile 0044 7960 836860. eBay won’t let me put my email address in the sale, so if you want to email me you’ll have to use their contact form. There is a sensible reserve on the car but I am a realist and I am not expecting the earth for it. I am not giving it away either though. Please call to discuss pricing and logistics if you are seriously interested. Please don’t if you aren’t. Thanks for reading about my car, and I hope you enjoyed it and are interested in buying it. Cheers – Dale
mybrainhurts said:
Steffan said:
Breadvan72 said:
BUT I have just seen that the seller won't let you test drive the car, so, rust apart, that would put me OOT.
EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
I am all for informative ads but this one is too much for me. The seller has an attitude which IMO is just not helpful. If I were interested I might look because as you say, the initial impression is quite good. However as you again suggest it diminishes with closer examination. Pity really because there cannot many of these left and they were real stormers in their day and would easily keep up with traffic. Good find hope someone succumbs.EDIT: the way oi which the owner has apparently let the rust develop doesn't inspire much confidence either. Soz, looked OK at first glance but on reflection not so good.
Edited by Breadvan72 on Wednesday 5th March 21:59
Seller said:
I am selling my 1985 Lancia Volumex Coupé because I have bought another Lancia (a 1936 Augusta, if you’re interested), and I need all my money, time and resources to spend on that. So my beloved Volumex is up for grabs, and my loss is your gain.
I have had the car for 11 years and the previous owner had it for 12 years, so it has not been passed around amongst lots of uncaring owners but been looked after and cherished by a small number of enthusiasts. There are very few decent Volumexes left nowadays (and in fact there are very few supercharged cars of any description), so this is not an opportunity that comes up every day.
To put it bluntly, this car goes like STINK. In its day it was a seriously quick car (eat your heart out, Golf GTi), and even now it would give most new ‘fast’ cars a run for the money (if you are interested in motoring facts – I am – the main reason is because it is very light compared with the modern rubbish. A lot of modern cars have (even) more power, but most of those weigh at least half a tonne more).
The car is also a Lancia. This means several things (if you have seen the Top Gear programme on Lancia you will be familiar with the ‘great unwashed stereotypes’ so beloved of that programme…).
In the real world and away from Top Gear it means a) that it is mostly beautifully built and was way ahead of its time; b) that it is interesting, progressive and quirky – if you want a boring car buy an Escort Mexico; c) that its styling is superb (again for its time, but it also has a timeless beauty that few coupés can lay claim to); and d) that its engineering is second to none.
The supercharged engine under the bonnet is the legendary ‘Lampredi Twincam’, designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the incredibly famous and talented Italian engineer whose credits included, among other things, the Ferrari 275S, and 340 and 375 Formula 1 racing cars. Not many engines have a pedigree like that (again, eat your heart out, Ford and VW...). And as an aside the Lampredi Twincam is one of the most widely-produced Italian engines ever, and was made for a very long time (1966 to 2000). The reason for this is that it was WAY ahead of its time in 1966 and is incredibly reliable, tunable and virtually bomb-proof. Add supercharging to that tunability and you have a true classic. Icing on the cake? The superchargers often change hands among VSCC members for little less than I am asking for the whole car.
If you are interested in history (again, I am), you will be interested to hear that this is the most successful engine in the history of World Championship rallying. Ever. The World Rally Championship for Manufacturers was won by Fiat and Lancia, using engines based on the Lampredi Twincam, a total of **10** (yes, TEN) times. That’s way ahead of even the second-place manufacturer. Again, eat your heart out Citroën, Mitsubishi, Ford, SAAB, Audi, etc., etc., etc. The Italians rule. Really...
The engine is a 2 litre and develops 135 DIN bhp. It will pull from 20 to 120 mph in 5th gear. That’s not bad by anyone’s standards. Firstly, a lot of cars in the late 70s and early 80s didn’t HAVE 5 gears (are you listening, VW? Ford…?). And secondly, those would be good figures even now, as I said above.
The car also (of course…) has servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels – another thing that largely eluded lesser manufacturers such as VW and Ford for several years after this (even the Scirocco 16V had drums on the back…).
Usually, one of the other things that being a Lancia means is that you will get some rust. This aspect has been over-hyped and a lot of crass rubbish has been written about it over the years – Lancias do rust, but so did most other 70s and 80s cars, and if you look after one carefully you can largely keep the rust at bay. This one is in amazing condition for a Volumex of its age, but that doesn’t mean that it is totally rust-free. Most of the areas of rust it has are a consequence of the fact that during my tenure it has mostly had to live outside (I know, I know – I’m sorry…). It has some areas that need attending to, the most significant of these being the door tops, which could use welded insert panels. The bonnet also had some rust and has now been replaced with a much better one, which has a (good, though I say it myself!) amateur paint job. In all the car presents very well (see my detailed photos…), and if you want to use it as a ‘daily driver’ you could do so with very little extra work other than a few touch-ups and a cavity wax treatment (this is a good idea on any older car anyway).
The car was treated to a VERY high quality respray, but sadly this was some considerable time ago, and so, as I said, there are some deteriorated areas. But it still polishes up superbly, and I think you will agree that it is a real eyeful in the pictures I have attached. However, maybe they do flatter it slightly – as I said, the bodywork should really be considered ‘driver quality’.
The car has a very nice set of original style alloy wheels but the tyres should be replaced, as the sidewalls are beginning to show their age because the tyres have been on the car a long time (it does a very low annual mileage, which means that the tyre treads themselves hardly wear at all). The cambelt has done under 10,000 miles but is quite a few years old, so I would recommend replacement before you drive the car (as indeed I would on any car with a cambelt).
I am a fully paid-up lifetime member of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ club, and also of the ‘if the factory engineers did it you probably can’t improve on it much’ club, so the car is mostly standard. However, there have been a few modifications made, largely to improve driveablility and reliability. These are a) that it has a full stainless steel sports exhaust system with 4-branch manifold (if you need me to tell you what that’s for you shouldn’t be buying a car like this…); b) grooved front brake discs (ditto); c) relays for the headlights (to ease the load on the wiring system); and d) a manual switch to operate the engine fan if you want it to come in sooner than usual (a good idea with a supercharged engine on a hot day!).
Here are the things you might want to look at sooner rather than later (in addition to the tyres and cambelt already mentioned): a) the interior is in the unique and beautiful checked cloth by the famous designer Ermenegildo Zegna. However, Sg. Zegna’s design capabilities seem to have been better than his ability to identify hard-wearing materials, and Volumex driver's seats are ALWAYS worn and the door cards are usually warped at the bottoms (because of poor damp-sealing inside the doors). This car is no exception. Favoured way to replace the seat is to look for the right-hand seat from an LHD (Italian market) car… or the left-hand seat from a British market (RHD) one. But they don’t grow on trees… b) the windscreen washer reservoir has disintegrated (an easy fix or replace with another kind) c) the side rear boot spoilers need sorting as they have split – again, it’s a case of ‘they all do that, Sir’… d) rust areas are as follows: rear offside wheel arch, and rear of floor in same corner (but only MOT advisory). Both doors have some rust along tops and drivers door has some at front lower corner. Rear valance panel has a bit of patchy rust. For a Volumex that’s remarkably little… e) the gear linkage needs adjusting - a new front ball joint was recently fitted and the lever is biased too far to the left so it baulks into 5th/reverse. f) the electric windows work but are slow (again, ‘they all do that, Sir’ – but this was the 80s, and most cars had wind-up windows!). And finally, g), there are a few scratches on the bumpers.
If you know Volumexes like I know Volumexes you’ll know that this is an amazingly short snag list!
To sum up, the essential facts: The MOT runs to May 2014 and the road tax to June 2014. The mileage on the clock reads 21,104 but the speedo was replaced at approx 66,000 so it is actually around 87,000 – still amazingly low for a car that is coming up to 30 years old.
If you are interested in the car I would strongly recommend a look-over, and especially a test drive (with ME driving! No test pilots please…). Then you won’t be disappointed, and neither will I. I really do not want to part with the car but I have to, and I would like it to go to a good and responsible owner. I am based in Surrey near J11 of the M25, Brooklands, and Heathrow airport, so I am easily accessible from anywhere in the southern Britain or London – or even the rest of the world, if you want to fly in and take a look. If you do want to do that I will pick you up from the airport if you call a day or two in advance (I'm usually around, so I should be able to fit in with you).
My phone numbers are landline 0044 1932 844221 and mobile 0044 7960 836860. eBay won’t let me put my email address in the sale, so if you want to email me you’ll have to use their contact form. There is a sensible reserve on the car but I am a realist and I am not expecting the earth for it. I am not giving it away either though. Please call to discuss pricing and logistics if you are seriously interested. Please don’t if you aren’t. Thanks for reading about my car, I can be a bit florid and repetitive and verbose without encouragement and I hope you enjoyed it and are interested in buying it. Cheers – Dale
I have had the car for 11 years and the previous owner had it for 12 years, so it has not been passed around amongst lots of uncaring owners but been looked after and cherished by a small number of enthusiasts. There are very few decent Volumexes left nowadays (and in fact there are very few supercharged cars of any description), so this is not an opportunity that comes up every day.
To put it bluntly, this car goes like STINK. In its day it was a seriously quick car (eat your heart out, Golf GTi), and even now it would give most new ‘fast’ cars a run for the money (if you are interested in motoring facts – I am – the main reason is because it is very light compared with the modern rubbish. A lot of modern cars have (even) more power, but most of those weigh at least half a tonne more).
The car is also a Lancia. This means several things (if you have seen the Top Gear programme on Lancia you will be familiar with the ‘great unwashed stereotypes’ so beloved of that programme…).
In the real world and away from Top Gear it means a) that it is mostly beautifully built and was way ahead of its time; b) that it is interesting, progressive and quirky – if you want a boring car buy an Escort Mexico; c) that its styling is superb (again for its time, but it also has a timeless beauty that few coupés can lay claim to); and d) that its engineering is second to none.
The supercharged engine under the bonnet is the legendary ‘Lampredi Twincam’, designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the incredibly famous and talented Italian engineer whose credits included, among other things, the Ferrari 275S, and 340 and 375 Formula 1 racing cars. Not many engines have a pedigree like that (again, eat your heart out, Ford and VW...). And as an aside the Lampredi Twincam is one of the most widely-produced Italian engines ever, and was made for a very long time (1966 to 2000). The reason for this is that it was WAY ahead of its time in 1966 and is incredibly reliable, tunable and virtually bomb-proof. Add supercharging to that tunability and you have a true classic. Icing on the cake? The superchargers often change hands among VSCC members for little less than I am asking for the whole car.
If you are interested in history (again, I am), you will be interested to hear that this is the most successful engine in the history of World Championship rallying. Ever. The World Rally Championship for Manufacturers was won by Fiat and Lancia, using engines based on the Lampredi Twincam, a total of **10** (yes, TEN) times. That’s way ahead of even the second-place manufacturer. Again, eat your heart out Citroën, Mitsubishi, Ford, SAAB, Audi, etc., etc., etc. The Italians rule. Really...
The engine is a 2 litre and develops 135 DIN bhp. It will pull from 20 to 120 mph in 5th gear. That’s not bad by anyone’s standards. Firstly, a lot of cars in the late 70s and early 80s didn’t HAVE 5 gears (are you listening, VW? Ford…?). And secondly, those would be good figures even now, as I said above.
The car also (of course…) has servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels – another thing that largely eluded lesser manufacturers such as VW and Ford for several years after this (even the Scirocco 16V had drums on the back…).
Usually, one of the other things that being a Lancia means is that you will get some rust. This aspect has been over-hyped and a lot of crass rubbish has been written about it over the years – Lancias do rust, but so did most other 70s and 80s cars, and if you look after one carefully you can largely keep the rust at bay. This one is in amazing condition for a Volumex of its age, but that doesn’t mean that it is totally rust-free. Most of the areas of rust it has are a consequence of the fact that during my tenure it has mostly had to live outside (I know, I know – I’m sorry…). It has some areas that need attending to, the most significant of these being the door tops, which could use welded insert panels. The bonnet also had some rust and has now been replaced with a much better one, which has a (good, though I say it myself!) amateur paint job. In all the car presents very well (see my detailed photos…), and if you want to use it as a ‘daily driver’ you could do so with very little extra work other than a few touch-ups and a cavity wax treatment (this is a good idea on any older car anyway).
The car was treated to a VERY high quality respray, but sadly this was some considerable time ago, and so, as I said, there are some deteriorated areas. But it still polishes up superbly, and I think you will agree that it is a real eyeful in the pictures I have attached. However, maybe they do flatter it slightly – as I said, the bodywork should really be considered ‘driver quality’.
The car has a very nice set of original style alloy wheels but the tyres should be replaced, as the sidewalls are beginning to show their age because the tyres have been on the car a long time (it does a very low annual mileage, which means that the tyre treads themselves hardly wear at all). The cambelt has done under 10,000 miles but is quite a few years old, so I would recommend replacement before you drive the car (as indeed I would on any car with a cambelt).
I am a fully paid-up lifetime member of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ club, and also of the ‘if the factory engineers did it you probably can’t improve on it much’ club, so the car is mostly standard. However, there have been a few modifications made, largely to improve driveablility and reliability. These are a) that it has a full stainless steel sports exhaust system with 4-branch manifold (if you need me to tell you what that’s for you shouldn’t be buying a car like this…); b) grooved front brake discs (ditto); c) relays for the headlights (to ease the load on the wiring system); and d) a manual switch to operate the engine fan if you want it to come in sooner than usual (a good idea with a supercharged engine on a hot day!).
Here are the things you might want to look at sooner rather than later (in addition to the tyres and cambelt already mentioned): a) the interior is in the unique and beautiful checked cloth by the famous designer Ermenegildo Zegna. However, Sg. Zegna’s design capabilities seem to have been better than his ability to identify hard-wearing materials, and Volumex driver's seats are ALWAYS worn and the door cards are usually warped at the bottoms (because of poor damp-sealing inside the doors). This car is no exception. Favoured way to replace the seat is to look for the right-hand seat from an LHD (Italian market) car… or the left-hand seat from a British market (RHD) one. But they don’t grow on trees… b) the windscreen washer reservoir has disintegrated (an easy fix or replace with another kind) c) the side rear boot spoilers need sorting as they have split – again, it’s a case of ‘they all do that, Sir’… d) rust areas are as follows: rear offside wheel arch, and rear of floor in same corner (but only MOT advisory). Both doors have some rust along tops and drivers door has some at front lower corner. Rear valance panel has a bit of patchy rust. For a Volumex that’s remarkably little… e) the gear linkage needs adjusting - a new front ball joint was recently fitted and the lever is biased too far to the left so it baulks into 5th/reverse. f) the electric windows work but are slow (again, ‘they all do that, Sir’ – but this was the 80s, and most cars had wind-up windows!). And finally, g), there are a few scratches on the bumpers.
If you know Volumexes like I know Volumexes you’ll know that this is an amazingly short snag list!
To sum up, the essential facts: The MOT runs to May 2014 and the road tax to June 2014. The mileage on the clock reads 21,104 but the speedo was replaced at approx 66,000 so it is actually around 87,000 – still amazingly low for a car that is coming up to 30 years old.
If you are interested in the car I would strongly recommend a look-over, and especially a test drive (with ME driving! No test pilots please…). Then you won’t be disappointed, and neither will I. I really do not want to part with the car but I have to, and I would like it to go to a good and responsible owner. I am based in Surrey near J11 of the M25, Brooklands, and Heathrow airport, so I am easily accessible from anywhere in the southern Britain or London – or even the rest of the world, if you want to fly in and take a look. If you do want to do that I will pick you up from the airport if you call a day or two in advance (I'm usually around, so I should be able to fit in with you).
My phone numbers are landline 0044 1932 844221 and mobile 0044 7960 836860. eBay won’t let me put my email address in the sale, so if you want to email me you’ll have to use their contact form. There is a sensible reserve on the car but I am a realist and I am not expecting the earth for it. I am not giving it away either though. Please call to discuss pricing and logistics if you are seriously interested. Please don’t if you aren’t. Thanks for reading about my car, I can be a bit florid and repetitive and verbose without encouragement and I hope you enjoyed it and are interested in buying it. Cheers – Dale
Please, somebody, save this one!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291110704585?ssPageName=...
This has the sweet and relatively economical 1.6 version of the Lancia-ised Lampredi twin cam, and will have a single Weber sat on top of that. Five speed manual, discs all round, clever suspension, lots of clocks, quite light, all very modern for 1976.
I can't, but one of you lot should!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291110704585?ssPageName=...
This has the sweet and relatively economical 1.6 version of the Lancia-ised Lampredi twin cam, and will have a single Weber sat on top of that. Five speed manual, discs all round, clever suspension, lots of clocks, quite light, all very modern for 1976.
I can't, but one of you lot should!
Surprisingly good condition around the A pillars and the leading edge of the roof. My series two wasn't that good way over twenty years ago.
The series one interiors are pretty difficult to love, though. On the plus side thisll be a slightly more powerful 1.6l from memory and equal to the 2.0l in contemporary FIATs.
The series one interiors are pretty difficult to love, though. On the plus side thisll be a slightly more powerful 1.6l from memory and equal to the 2.0l in contemporary FIATs.
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