1978 Lancia Beta 1300 Coupe
Discussion
I already have a Lancia HPE Volumex with a two litre supercharged Lampredi that is in good nick, but I have always liked lightweight sporty cars with small engines. These days I can't afford old Lotuses or Alfa GT Juniors, so I was pleased when one of the very, very few remaining 1300 versions of the Beta Coupe came up for £cheapo.
Lancia introduced this variant in Italy for tax reasons, and sold about 10,000 of them (but far fewer in RHD), presumably selling to UK people thinking of fuel economy or something.
This 1978 car has under 47,000 possibly genuine miles and drives very sweetly, subject to a problem with the steering knocking at low speed, and the Firestone tyres which pre date the invention of wheels.
The bodywork is dog rough, and I mean rough, rough, rough. The photos fail to show how scabby and scuzzy the panels are, with the worst rust located around the screen and on the driver's door. There is a new door skin in the boot, but the door bottom needs doing before that can go on. The sub frames are OK. The wings and arches are fine, inner and outer.
The interior was fitted by some crazed Lancia dealer, apparently, and looks like it comes from the Ann Summers bargain basement sex knickers range. I like it.
Pre facelift dash in the front, rare bench seat in the back. To show this to be the pov spec model, the car has skinny steely wheels and lacks intermittent wipers, a clock, an oil temperature gauge and a dashboard old level reader (those plus alloys are standard on larger engined Beta Coupes). It has the same great disc brakes all round as other Betas, and a lovely five speed box with lower ratios than the larger cars. Best door mirrors in EVAH.
The Lampredi twin cam has a single twin choke Weber, and a car magazine writer might use the word "lusty" to describe its performance.
The best thing about the car is the horn,which makes a proper Italian blaaaaaaart noise.
The radio/cassette is original, as far as I can tell, and is utterly rubbish. The heater is stuck on. There is an oil leak from the sump gasket.
In other words: World of WIN.
Lancia introduced this variant in Italy for tax reasons, and sold about 10,000 of them (but far fewer in RHD), presumably selling to UK people thinking of fuel economy or something.
This 1978 car has under 47,000 possibly genuine miles and drives very sweetly, subject to a problem with the steering knocking at low speed, and the Firestone tyres which pre date the invention of wheels.
The bodywork is dog rough, and I mean rough, rough, rough. The photos fail to show how scabby and scuzzy the panels are, with the worst rust located around the screen and on the driver's door. There is a new door skin in the boot, but the door bottom needs doing before that can go on. The sub frames are OK. The wings and arches are fine, inner and outer.
The interior was fitted by some crazed Lancia dealer, apparently, and looks like it comes from the Ann Summers bargain basement sex knickers range. I like it.
Pre facelift dash in the front, rare bench seat in the back. To show this to be the pov spec model, the car has skinny steely wheels and lacks intermittent wipers, a clock, an oil temperature gauge and a dashboard old level reader (those plus alloys are standard on larger engined Beta Coupes). It has the same great disc brakes all round as other Betas, and a lovely five speed box with lower ratios than the larger cars. Best door mirrors in EVAH.
The Lampredi twin cam has a single twin choke Weber, and a car magazine writer might use the word "lusty" to describe its performance.
The best thing about the car is the horn,which makes a proper Italian blaaaaaaart noise.
The radio/cassette is original, as far as I can tell, and is utterly rubbish. The heater is stuck on. There is an oil leak from the sump gasket.
In other words: World of WIN.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 21st May 10:04
Cheers!
One hubcap rattling like Hell. Sounds like it may be bent rather than a trapped pebble. Driver's door window winder about to expire (plastic cog teeth no doubt worn off). Electrics all working. Headlining fine, carpets OK ish. Door cards are from a post facelift car and don't fit very well. Boot floor solid.
Plan: keep it OMG RATLUK for a while, then slowly bring it up to a prettier condition, but I'm not aiming for prizes. The problem is that once I get someone to start on the bodywork there might be no stopping. Nothing manifestly structural just yet, but scuttle and screen surround are the priority for attention. Those ancient tyres have gotta go. They grip better than they have any right to do, but they gotta go.
Inferred history of car - never fully restored, has lived outdoors a lot. Four owners. Last one had it a month, the one before him had it from 2007 to 2014. People have kept it alive by general maintenance, waxoyl, and some panel swap outs and fillage over the years. MoTs in file suggest mileage is valid, but engine tappetiness and slightly lowish oil pressure may suggest otherwise. Sun damage to dashboard top and (foam) steering wheel rim.
One hubcap rattling like Hell. Sounds like it may be bent rather than a trapped pebble. Driver's door window winder about to expire (plastic cog teeth no doubt worn off). Electrics all working. Headlining fine, carpets OK ish. Door cards are from a post facelift car and don't fit very well. Boot floor solid.
Plan: keep it OMG RATLUK for a while, then slowly bring it up to a prettier condition, but I'm not aiming for prizes. The problem is that once I get someone to start on the bodywork there might be no stopping. Nothing manifestly structural just yet, but scuttle and screen surround are the priority for attention. Those ancient tyres have gotta go. They grip better than they have any right to do, but they gotta go.
Inferred history of car - never fully restored, has lived outdoors a lot. Four owners. Last one had it a month, the one before him had it from 2007 to 2014. People have kept it alive by general maintenance, waxoyl, and some panel swap outs and fillage over the years. MoTs in file suggest mileage is valid, but engine tappetiness and slightly lowish oil pressure may suggest otherwise. Sun damage to dashboard top and (foam) steering wheel rim.
Prime Autosh*te indeed. It is strangely appealing and reminds me a lot of a dark blue 1978 Mark II Escort 1300 that I had once upon a time. I think your first expenditure should be a custom set of driving gloves in that red/black interior combo (vinyl, is it?)
Pics in first post are working for me.
What is the engine supposed to put out? Is it basically a twin-cam version of what you would get in a 1300 Fiat 128 or Uno, or is it completely different?
Pics in first post are working for me.
What is the engine supposed to put out? Is it basically a twin-cam version of what you would get in a 1300 Fiat 128 or Uno, or is it completely different?
82 BHP, allegedly, torque figures I forget.
The Lampredi Fiat block has a Lancia head and Lancia pistons, IIRC. Lancia versions of the Lampredi are arguably better than Fiat versions. The engine was stroked to gain displacement, so a 2000 is taller than a 1300 by some margin.
Engine pic tomorrow when back from London frolics. Are you in Town, Lowtimer? Will PM you re lunch and/or Martinis.
The Lampredi Fiat block has a Lancia head and Lancia pistons, IIRC. Lancia versions of the Lampredi are arguably better than Fiat versions. The engine was stroked to gain displacement, so a 2000 is taller than a 1300 by some margin.
Engine pic tomorrow when back from London frolics. Are you in Town, Lowtimer? Will PM you re lunch and/or Martinis.
Lovely timeless little car! We had a beige X reg 2 litre when it was new. It was gorgeous, what with it's impossibly chunky CN36 Pirellis and eight (8!) dials. Details such as the Voxon stereo, catches in the rear panels if the front seats and grippy grippy handling will remain with me.
Ps, agree about the door mirrors. The HPE swivelled-through-90 degrees looked a bit odd though..
Ps, agree about the door mirrors. The HPE swivelled-through-90 degrees looked a bit odd though..
Edited by mickyveloce on Thursday 15th May 11:42
It so happens that I already own a working Lancia two litre engine with fuel injection and a matching gearbox that are in a non roadworthy donor car (bought to help my HPE). The donor car also has five good Beta alloys. I'm just saying....
Actually, I won't. The whole point is to have a 1300 with low ratio box and skinny tyres.
OK, not that skinny. 155T14 limits me to Toyo or Nankw
k. Go to 175/70T14 and I can haz PIRELLEEZE.
"Oi Mistah, your tyres iz worth more than your car, Mistah".
Actually, I won't. The whole point is to have a 1300 with low ratio box and skinny tyres.
OK, not that skinny. 155T14 limits me to Toyo or Nankw
k. Go to 175/70T14 and I can haz PIRELLEEZE."Oi Mistah, your tyres iz worth more than your car, Mistah".
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