1978 Lancia Beta 1600 Coupe
Discussion
Matte, I think, but the badges are in a box somewhere waiting to go on. I think but am not sure that shiny may be more 80s. What year is your dad's Beta?
EDIT: I may have that the wrong way around, and shiny may be earlier and matte may be later. I have the Lancia Beta book by Brian Long, but the pics in there are too small and too black and white to see the details of the badging.
EDIT: I may have that the wrong way around, and shiny may be earlier and matte may be later. I have the Lancia Beta book by Brian Long, but the pics in there are too small and too black and white to see the details of the badging.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 18th July 06:32
The magazine firmly disapproves of the Hi-fi edition, on the basis that it took the Beta down market. The Lancia Club is all about Lancias being posh cars!
It is remarkable how partisan press, Clarksonisation, and pub rumour can trash a brand, and the poor old Beta itself, which I think is one of the best mid-priced sporty cars of its era, has got a rotten reputation even with people who claim to be petrolheads. The myths about mafia-sourced steel and what not just won't go away.
It is remarkable how partisan press, Clarksonisation, and pub rumour can trash a brand, and the poor old Beta itself, which I think is one of the best mid-priced sporty cars of its era, has got a rotten reputation even with people who claim to be petrolheads. The myths about mafia-sourced steel and what not just won't go away.
The Daily Mirror was was really did it for Lancia in the UK as far as I am aware. "Rust riddle in luxury cars", the Mirror said, and went on to print some fibs about engines falling out. Early Berlinas did indeed have dodgy engine mounts, but once that was fixed, it appears that most Betas may have rusted as much or as little as any 1970s to 80s car did. If you had one ziebarted or waxoyled when new, and then garaged it, sprayed off the salt etc, it would be no or more less claggy than a similarly cared for Ford etc. If you left it out in the rain, drove it on salty roads and then didn't wash it etc, then it would fall to bits, much as a BMW treated in the same way would.
Lancia's PR and /or legal teams appear to have screwed the pooch by not staging an effective fight back.
See also BL and reliability - truth and falsehood intertwined, and then pub mythology steps in.
Lancia's PR and /or legal teams appear to have screwed the pooch by not staging an effective fight back.
See also BL and reliability - truth and falsehood intertwined, and then pub mythology steps in.
With apologies to the Evangelist:
"The car that slept in darkness hath seen a great light"
After two years em-barned, the Lancia awaits towing outside, ready for a low loader to the clutch place next week.
The cover that had been on the car since 2018 was moved off the front of the car some weeks ago for some reason that I now forget, and not put back on properly - hence the dust!
Tow truck (UMM, just been sold - this is its last gig here before it moves on).
"The car that slept in darkness hath seen a great light"
After two years em-barned, the Lancia awaits towing outside, ready for a low loader to the clutch place next week.
The cover that had been on the car since 2018 was moved off the front of the car some weeks ago for some reason that I now forget, and not put back on properly - hence the dust!
Tow truck (UMM, just been sold - this is its last gig here before it moves on).
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 25th July 14:19
Quick check: some signs of minor rust under the front lip of the bonnet. Some rust on the exhaust, and a bit on the edges of the front sub frames. Nothing that looks too bad from a rapid shuftie, so here's hoping. Paint generally good. The car needs a new battery. The Pirelli Cinturato tyres are newish and seem OK because they have been in the dark, and pumped up.
It is a 1600. Some say that an Italian 1970s twin cam 1600 is as punchy as an 1800 or even bigger engine from a less modernist manufacturer. When I had a 1300 Lancia Lampredi-engined car, that felt more like a 1500 or 1600.
Hopefully within a week or two I shall be able to do a head to head comparison between my Beta and my Fiat 124. They will be, I suspect, quite similar, but also quite different, because they have different steering and suspension rigs, and of course one is driven by the front wheels, and one by the rear wheels. Both have a degree of factory dialled-in understeer, but the Fiat will naturally give more tail happy oversteer too. The Lancia will give you lift off oversteer if you bottle a corner, much like, say, a Pug 205 GTI will.
I have already noticed that the twin choke single carb on the Fiat works differently to the twin choke single carb on the Lancia. On the Lancia, the second choke is a bit like a poor man's turbo, and you can feel it kicking in when you give the car the beans from a mid to upper rev range. On the Fiat, the second choke only seems to come in at the top end. IIRC, the Fiat Lampredi will rev higher than the Lancia Lampredi, as befits the Fiat's slightly more racey character, the Lancia being set up to be a bit more luxo-smooth.
Neither of these cars are licence or limb threatening hyper fast, but both are rapid, and handly, and fun.
Hopefully within a week or two I shall be able to do a head to head comparison between my Beta and my Fiat 124. They will be, I suspect, quite similar, but also quite different, because they have different steering and suspension rigs, and of course one is driven by the front wheels, and one by the rear wheels. Both have a degree of factory dialled-in understeer, but the Fiat will naturally give more tail happy oversteer too. The Lancia will give you lift off oversteer if you bottle a corner, much like, say, a Pug 205 GTI will.
I have already noticed that the twin choke single carb on the Fiat works differently to the twin choke single carb on the Lancia. On the Lancia, the second choke is a bit like a poor man's turbo, and you can feel it kicking in when you give the car the beans from a mid to upper rev range. On the Fiat, the second choke only seems to come in at the top end. IIRC, the Fiat Lampredi will rev higher than the Lancia Lampredi, as befits the Fiat's slightly more racey character, the Lancia being set up to be a bit more luxo-smooth.
Neither of these cars are licence or limb threatening hyper fast, but both are rapid, and handly, and fun.
My series 1 1300 Coupe was so corroded because of a life ungaraged oop north that its pre purchase MOT was a Parker Pen disgrace, and it was probably dangerous, but it was FUN. Sold for 500 quid as a resto project. The bloke I sold it to soon gave up. He complained and tried to get his money back. I had made full disclosure. I politely informed the bloke that it would be an away match for him. I think that he scrapped the car.
Anyway, the Lancia breathes the air of freedom. Its slightly older cousin came to visit.
Anyway, the Lancia breathes the air of freedom. Its slightly older cousin came to visit.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 25th July 19:38
Cheers! I think that, sadly, by the time that I started buying what were at the time modern second hand cars in the late 80s, the UK's anti-Lancia and in particular anti-Beta thing had taken hold, and the Beta was already well on its way to bangerland, although people were still whooshing about in Deltas. It is true also that cars were about to take a step change into the 90s, with the advent of things such as standard ABS, airbags, more widely available aircon, whacky valve timing on almost universally injected engines, ever bigger wheels and tyres (BOOOOOO!), and what not.
I have been too busy and haven't rung to check if the garage has made a start on the job yet. I will try to do so today. Meanwhile I have found a 2014 photo of the truly terrible but also great 1300 Coupe that I had then. The car was so knackered that it was probably dangerous, but it was such a hoot. It was the pov spec basic model, and so lacked one or two of the usual dials, and had steelies, as well as a different type of rear seat.
The Beta Badge has emerged, and is at present tucked in on the rear shelf behind the sun-damaged rear headrests . The 1600 badge is still buried. The Beta badge has a matte finish.
Badge and car have been at a garage for a week, but, as expected, the garage has been maxed out, so the car hasn't yet been touched by spannerwhackers.
I have been making some enquiries about upholstery repairers.
Badge and car have been at a garage for a week, but, as expected, the garage has been maxed out, so the car hasn't yet been touched by spannerwhackers.
I have been making some enquiries about upholstery repairers.
Cheers! I really like the colour, and the paint is in good nick. I cannot wait to test the Lancia against the 1970s hotty Fiat that I've been smoking around in lately. Then all I need is a 70s Alfa....
PS: I am glad that Karma bit the dodgy builder on the ass, but am sorry that your Beta died in the course of his education as to why it's not cool to be a scumbag.
PS: I am glad that Karma bit the dodgy builder on the ass, but am sorry that your Beta died in the course of his education as to why it's not cool to be a scumbag.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff