Lancia Beta Volumex

[Lowtimer]

GC8 said:

Because all of the 'thinking of throwing a few grand at one of these' forum bullst really winds me up. PH is full of it.

Its just talk - if you wanted one youd either own one or youd have bought one. The notion that you cant buy a £4,000 car because you don't have a £40 a month garage is ridiculous.

Read through the whole thread and see how many instances there are of it, and then check out the Spyder thread too. The same crap is evident on all Porsche 924 and 944 threads as well.

You're very quick to believe you know how everyone else feels.

I'm sure lots of people are perfectly happy leaving their old cars exposed to the weather, and that's fine for them. I'm not one of them. I just can't do it. I currently have four cars, mine and wife's DD's and two stupid old crocks, one of which, as it happens, is a 944. The modern DDs can take their chances in the weather but I have absolutely no interest in having old cars if I cannot preserve them, and that means not only getting everything wrong with them put right at totally uneconomic expense, but also then keeping them properly garaged and dehumidified. The limiting factor for me in having more old cars is my ability to find secure dry garaging with power within easy reach of where I live.

This is not some moral crusade, it is just how I feel about it personally. Anyone else is completely entitled to buy whatever they want and leave it out on the street in the rain or in the salt spray at the seaside, I make no criticism of what they do with their own property. It's just not for me.

Edited by Lowtimer on Wednesday 2nd April 23:24

[GC8]

You've missed the point Simon.

[anonymous-user]

Er, yes, I think he has.

[MarshPhantom]

GC8 said:

You've missed the point Simon.

What is the point?

[Lowtimer]

MarshPhantom said:

What is the point?

I'm wondering that now, too.

[Yertis]

GC8 said:

Saloon or Sprint? I never liked the Sprint myself, but saloons are great, if it isn't a basket case.

I've often thought of throwing a few grand at a Sprint – I think they look lovely and by all accounts they handle nice – but I'm too tall to fit in one and in any case I don't have anywhere left to garage it.

[GC8]

[anonymous-user]

I would choose an early GTV 6 with the mad square dials in the middle of the panel and the mad inboard brakes. I drove one for a weekend once, Hootful. Quite spenner nowadays.

Garages, screw that!


PS: on reflection, the wedgy GTV that I drove had Alfa's lovely two litre twin cam four in it, I think, and not a Busso V6, but whatevs.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 3rd April 10:25

[MarshPhantom]

Test drove and loved a very early Alfetta GT, 1.8 IIRC back in the early Nineties, P-reg I think. Came close to buying that, but I think it was a lucky escape as I saw it in a local scrapyard a couple of months later.

Lovely car all the same.

[anonymous-user]

Tales of the lost Lancia, volume 97. Piccadilly Circus, 120 ish today, nervously watching the coolant temperature gauge (rad could do with a flush, methinks), heavy traffic:-

Italian Man 1 (in Italian): "What is that car?"

Italian Man 2: "It's a classic Audi Quattro".

Shame on your, raggazi! Five mins later, after dropping Mrs BV off at her club, I drove slowly past Bar Italia, and did at least get a "che bella macchina!" from a waiter at the restaurant next door.

[GC8]

That takes me back. Both of mine got hot very easily, but could be quickly cooled using the heater. The VX was worse for this than the 1.6l, despite being under five years old.

[shouldbworking]

More things I can relate to apologies I've already posted themes images before

b pillars..

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

and on the wheels / tyres.. its got to be ronal a1s. Cost a fortune in the uk, but you can get them for a pittance from holland where they were a common dealer accessory on fiat / alfa / lancia cars of the time.

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

[Mighty Flex]

shouldbworking said:

More things I can relate to apologies I've already posted themes images before

b pillars..

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

and on the wheels / tyres.. its got to be ronal a1s. Cost a fortune in the uk, but you can get them for a pittance from holland where they were a common dealer accessory on fiat / alfa / lancia cars of the time.

https://plus.google.com/photos/1029919878598822246...

I love the Ronal A1s. Do you think it's worth getting some from Holland in that case?
Edit: I had a look and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference. Something to bear in mind. I think i prefer the Zender milano for that style of wheel. however. a working car is a priority!

Edited by Mighty Flex on Friday 4th April 10:25

[anonymous-user]

GC8 said:

That takes me back. Both of mine got hot very easily, but could be quickly cooled using the heater. The VX was worse for this than the 1.6l, despite being under five years old.

Yes: windows and sunroof open, heater on, and the needle dropped almost instantly, but I will still flush the rad. As you know, the engine bay is crowded, and I think that the radiator is arguably too small for the car, and also the fan could be bigger (twin fans would be good, but there isn't the space).

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 4th April 08:37

[GC8]

I noticed that press-on driving quickly elevated the oil temperature too. A nice large cooler, if you can make it fit, will increase capacity as well as keeping the temperature down.

[POORCARDEALER]

Ive just fitted a fan switch which is modified to my 78 X1/9, it kicks the fan 5 degrees lower than the standard item, ideal for italian cars

[anonymous-user]

In my Beta Spyder and Alfa Spider I had switchable fans, so I will make that mod for the HPE.

[POORCARDEALER]

Breadvan72 said:

In my Beta Spyder and Alfa Spider I had switchable fans, so I will make that mod for the HPE.

Very worthy mod

[GC8]

If you are proposing a manual override as opposed to a cooler switch, then may I suggest that you use a relay and do not run the current through the switch that you fit?

I think that PCD is suggesting a cooler rated radiator switch...

[POORCARDEALER]

GC8 said:

If you are proposing a manual override as opposed to a cooler switch, then may I suggest that you use a relay and do not run the current through the switch that you fit?

I think that PCD is suggesting a cooler rated radiator switch...

Yes thats it, I think BV means a switch so he can manually turn the fans on and off??