1978 Lancia Beta 1600 Coupe
Discussion
A Lancia Beta oddity: When moving around at low speed, if you push the clutch pedal down while turning the wheel you can feel part of the steering set up moving against your left foot.
My current perplexity is why Lancia illuminated the bit below the wood panel that has the clock and assorted knobs on it, so that a white light shines down onto the centre console, but did not illuminate the wood panel. The rear mister knob lights up when pulled on. I will have to check whether the clock is supposed to be lit up or not. The cloudy main instruments glow with a soft white light, which can be dimmed or switched off by a knurled knob located under the fuel gauge.
The fuel gauge reads at full and down to about 2/3, and at that point flips to empty. The oil level gauge is working: you pump a knob when the engine is off and then the gauge displays a reading via a tube connected to the dipstick. The oil temperature gauge is still broken but the pressure gauge is working.
My current perplexity is why Lancia illuminated the bit below the wood panel that has the clock and assorted knobs on it, so that a white light shines down onto the centre console, but did not illuminate the wood panel. The rear mister knob lights up when pulled on. I will have to check whether the clock is supposed to be lit up or not. The cloudy main instruments glow with a soft white light, which can be dimmed or switched off by a knurled knob located under the fuel gauge.
The fuel gauge reads at full and down to about 2/3, and at that point flips to empty. The oil level gauge is working: you pump a knob when the engine is off and then the gauge displays a reading via a tube connected to the dipstick. The oil temperature gauge is still broken but the pressure gauge is working.
gforceg said:
Good stuff, I only ask because the last carbed car I had was a bit of a balancing act to get running in very cold weather.
They certainly can be. I used to have difficulties with My Dolomite Sprint (twin SUs) on very cold days, but this Beta with a single twin choke Weber usually starts OK. 
A friend sent me this. His father's car, pictured some time circa 1981.
IT seems from DVLA that this Beta VLM 80X made it to 1991 before being scrapped, or going into storage or off register. Most likely scrapped.
There is a very vague connection between it and my car, because the owner of the red one was a man called Flight Lieutenant Tommy Thompson, who served five years as an RAF engine fitter working on Spitfires before he was commissioned as a pilot. He then flew Vampires, Canberras, Provosts, Victors, Hunters, and Hawks, and retired as the oldest Flight Lieutenant in the RAF, because he refused to be promoted, so that he could carry on flying. His son taught me to fly. Tommy bought cars for their engines. He had for example a Riley Kestrel ( a real one, not a badge engineered ADO16), a Fiat 124, and the Beta. My Beta was first owned by a Spitfire pilot called Eric Garland MC, MBE. Eric died in 2016 and Tommy in 2019.
IT seems from DVLA that this Beta VLM 80X made it to 1991 before being scrapped, or going into storage or off register. Most likely scrapped.
There is a very vague connection between it and my car, because the owner of the red one was a man called Flight Lieutenant Tommy Thompson, who served five years as an RAF engine fitter working on Spitfires before he was commissioned as a pilot. He then flew Vampires, Canberras, Provosts, Victors, Hunters, and Hawks, and retired as the oldest Flight Lieutenant in the RAF, because he refused to be promoted, so that he could carry on flying. His son taught me to fly. Tommy bought cars for their engines. He had for example a Riley Kestrel ( a real one, not a badge engineered ADO16), a Fiat 124, and the Beta. My Beta was first owned by a Spitfire pilot called Eric Garland MC, MBE. Eric died in 2016 and Tommy in 2019.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 25th January 06:56
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