1981 Lancia Beta Spider 2000
Discussion
This car was built in 1979 or 1980, but not sold and registered until 1981 (when I was 19 and just about to start at university).
The car has not, as far as I know, ever been fully rebuilt. It has been patched up from time to time. I bought it in March 2012, and since then have had three majorish snags to deal with - failure of the clutch pedal, failure of an aftermarket immobiliser, and the dreaded OMGHGF. The car is currently running very well, and the only niggles are that the targa roof lets in water near the rear view mirror, and the grotbag OE radio is borked.
The two litre twin cam engine (with Webber twin choke carburetor) is a very splendid thing, and the five speed gearbox is fine, although not super quick. The car is FWD, but has that Lancia trick of feeling RWDish, and the steering and suspension are very nifty.
There is some flaky pastry showing at the valances, but no major rust issues. The car says that it has done about 79,000 miles, according to the odometer and some paperwork, and that figure may not be far off the truth.
These photos date from 2012 (and that's not my house!), but the car looks much the same now, save for a replacement rear hood, and new mats.
I like it.
PS Spider/Spyder? Even Lancia couldn't make up their minds about that one.
The car has not, as far as I know, ever been fully rebuilt. It has been patched up from time to time. I bought it in March 2012, and since then have had three majorish snags to deal with - failure of the clutch pedal, failure of an aftermarket immobiliser, and the dreaded OMGHGF. The car is currently running very well, and the only niggles are that the targa roof lets in water near the rear view mirror, and the grotbag OE radio is borked.
The two litre twin cam engine (with Webber twin choke carburetor) is a very splendid thing, and the five speed gearbox is fine, although not super quick. The car is FWD, but has that Lancia trick of feeling RWDish, and the steering and suspension are very nifty.
There is some flaky pastry showing at the valances, but no major rust issues. The car says that it has done about 79,000 miles, according to the odometer and some paperwork, and that figure may not be far off the truth.
These photos date from 2012 (and that's not my house!), but the car looks much the same now, save for a replacement rear hood, and new mats.
I like it.
PS Spider/Spyder? Even Lancia couldn't make up their minds about that one.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 15th January 21:53
When I was about 9 my Dad took my mum and me to a garage to test drive a blue Lancia Beta Volumex HPE. I thought it was awesome! It had a black leather interior and looked amazing. My Mum didn't like it though and dad grumbled about 'fuel consumption' and we ended up instead with an Audi 100 GL5e instead, which was really nice too but.... wasn't a Volumex.
I've loved the Beta ever since. I was offered a pristine VX about 5 years ago for £1500 and said 'no' (having remembered Lancia cars from the 70s and 80s and their host of electrical faults and rust) and have often regretted it! Is this yet another car you own BV? You have a nice collection there!
I've loved the Beta ever since. I was offered a pristine VX about 5 years ago for £1500 and said 'no' (having remembered Lancia cars from the 70s and 80s and their host of electrical faults and rust) and have often regretted it! Is this yet another car you own BV? You have a nice collection there!
Cheers.
Here is the over complicated dash display at night. The oil level indicator (bottom right) is knackered. The oil pressure gauge(upper centre) always sits thusly at idle. The reserve fuel light is on, showing about two gallons left. Mileage of 22 to 30 mg, depending on wahoo factor. 25mpg ish is pretty usual.
Here is the over complicated dash display at night. The oil level indicator (bottom right) is knackered. The oil pressure gauge(upper centre) always sits thusly at idle. The reserve fuel light is on, showing about two gallons left. Mileage of 22 to 30 mg, depending on wahoo factor. 25mpg ish is pretty usual.
That is ball-achingly 70's........ My mate was left this in a neighbours will last year, he, as a child, used to help the guy wash it on a Sunday morning back in the 80's ( where since it has lived in a heated garage ) and he kindly without letting on left it to him upon his death in 2013. How cool would they look side by side in your garage??? 
When I was 17 I killed my bosses almost new Beta HPE. (Actually,the guys racing in the orange Saab 99 and Black Capri JPS killed it when the took the front end off at a blind junction)
The Beta was almost new but already disintegrating with rust - the guy at the bodyshop tried to cheer me up by poking holes in the wings with his pencil!
The Beta was almost new but already disintegrating with rust - the guy at the bodyshop tried to cheer me up by poking holes in the wings with his pencil!
My Beta was one of the later ones, and so was made with better steel and came with a five year anti perforation warranty. Lancia was, IIRC, the first manufacturer to offer this, but it was too late and the marque's reputation was already fatally damaged in northern Europe.
Here is a recent picture of two Italians and an Italian/Brit/Yank having a rust race outside my gaff. Apologies for lack of (Ford) focus. (The sharp eyed may spot another Italian and a Japanese in the background).
Here is a recent picture of two Italians and an Italian/Brit/Yank having a rust race outside my gaff. Apologies for lack of (Ford) focus. (The sharp eyed may spot another Italian and a Japanese in the background).
That really is a cracking motor Breadvan. Interesting what you say about the later cars, I didn't know they were much improved. Back in 1981 I bought a very cheap 1977 Beta 2.0 Coupe (I guess this would be an 'early' car?) and
the amount of rust, especially in the floor, was shocking! Got it fixed up, mot'd and used it through the summer, great
fun. Thinking back, was there not an issue about some Lancias being stood in fields for ages before they were
registered, thus making them much older than the reg. date would suggest?
Many Betas were stored for extended periods before sale because of the disasters befalling the marque in the late 70s. There are all the rumours about Russian/Mafia deals for steel and so forth, but it's all a bit unclear. The rust protection was then drastically improved, and the warranty added, but, as noted above, it was too little, too late, and customer confidence had evaporated.
Thirty years on, you will still meet the standard pub bore here and elsewhere who will swear blind that all Italian cars still rust in seconds, despite never having been with a thousand yards of an Italian car. The reality is that all cars in the 70s rusted like crazy, but the Lancias were sometimes worse than the norm.
Thirty years on, you will still meet the standard pub bore here and elsewhere who will swear blind that all Italian cars still rust in seconds, despite never having been with a thousand yards of an Italian car. The reality is that all cars in the 70s rusted like crazy, but the Lancias were sometimes worse than the norm.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 16th January 09:04
GoneAnon said:
The Beta was almost new but already disintegrating with rust - the guy at the bodyshop tried to cheer me up by poking holes in the wings with his pencil!
Ha! That line cheered me up.I've had French and German cars of that era that could happily match an Italian in the returning-to-the-soil derby. Not an Italian phenomenon at all, despite the aforementioned pub bores.
Nice Beta you have there Fella
. My cousin had a white or was it off white (can't remember exactly) 'X' plate Beta 2L HiFi coupe back in the mid 80's, drove really well and felt quite quick back then when I was 18, offered it to me for £1800 but I was warned off by a mechanic mate at the time about rust and reliability etc and got scared off, so bought a Mk2 RS2000 instead.
I would still have a Beta for a summer blast in a shot but it's finding a good one...
Good luck with it Op...
. My cousin had a white or was it off white (can't remember exactly) 'X' plate Beta 2L HiFi coupe back in the mid 80's, drove really well and felt quite quick back then when I was 18, offered it to me for £1800 but I was warned off by a mechanic mate at the time about rust and reliability etc and got scared off, so bought a Mk2 RS2000 instead.I would still have a Beta for a summer blast in a shot but it's finding a good one...
Good luck with it Op...
When I as a child, my next door neighbours dad had a new white Spider. It was stunning. In the garage he had a green Marcos, which, for some reason always stayed in the garage and never for a good number of years ever moved.
His mum was stunning, I remember knocking on the door in the summer time (1982ish) was a very hot summer, and his mum answered the door wearing a green bikini, the same colour as the Marcos. She had spiders showing. Jamie wasn't in but I didn't want to leave the doorstep.
Sorry for being a bit 'off topic.'
His mum was stunning, I remember knocking on the door in the summer time (1982ish) was a very hot summer, and his mum answered the door wearing a green bikini, the same colour as the Marcos. She had spiders showing. Jamie wasn't in but I didn't want to leave the doorstep.
Sorry for being a bit 'off topic.'
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