1978 Lancia Beta 1600 Coupe
Discussion
Breadvan72 said:
PS: Sweden did actually switch over from left to right one day in the 1960s, IIRC, but I suppose that Sweden having a population of about ten people made that easier.
PPS: In Gerry Anderson's TV 21 universe, the UK has switched to driving on the right by some time in the mid twenty first century. I know this because Captain Scarlet.
I've been imbibing a crafty intake of 'UFO' this past week or so and every scene involving a car driving down the leafy lanes of Hertforshire has LHD vehicles driving on the right, apart from the odd moment when they cross the white lines to avoid low flying UFOs. As well as Straker's fab gold car and Foster's fab pink one (steady), there are two episodes where guest actors are driving a dark plum coloured and extremely fab Oldsmobile Toronado, other episodes have Deborah Grant (Mrs.Bergerac) driving a LHD Porsche 914 and yummy Jane Merrow driving a LHD 'soft window' Porsche 911 Targa.PPS: In Gerry Anderson's TV 21 universe, the UK has switched to driving on the right by some time in the mid twenty first century. I know this because Captain Scarlet.
Lovely looking 2000 Beta Coupe here, fab orange interior is fab...
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1268249
It's a pity the Flavia seller isn't answering any enquiries....
Now that the idiot Clarkson is fading into memory, the Lancia Beta may at last find its money. It is remarkable that a car so good can find its way onto "worst car ever" lists. Even classic car afficionados on PH routinely repeat all the hoary old myths about Russian steel and engines falling out.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 29th September 13:25
Breadvan72 said:
Now that the idiot Clarkson is fading into memory, the Lancia Beta may at last find its money. It is remarkable that a car so good can find its way onto "worst car ever" lists. Eve classic car afficionados on PH routinely repeat all the myths about Russian steel and engines falling out.
A friend of mine actually did have an engine try to part company with the car.The subframe had rusted so badly that it broke, and the engine ended up about an inch from the road.
Were VW type 3's made from Russian steel? The public has a right to know!
It gets a bit boring doesn't it....? I gave a mate a lift home from work this morning in my (modern) Alfa, he half jokingly asked about its reliability, I replied that the German sourced electrics are the achillies heel. Almost every car built in the '60s and '70s rusts, but this is conveniently forgotten by some folk.
Breadvan72 said:
I have never owned anything that had a boxer engine. I drove a friend's scruffy but fun Subaru Outback the other week, and boxer engine me likee.
As a beta and a boxer fan I would heartily endorse getting one. Currently have a 145 boxer, very marmite car but the engine is just lovely. Still not as lovely as my old twin carb sud sprint boxer though. Talking of broken down cloverleaf 33,s.the only time mine let me down was a clutch slave cylinder seal that went. Luckily the robust Italian electrics allowed me to start it in second matched with superlative driving skills that only alfa ownership can bistow, a bit of rev to speed matching allowed almost flawless gear changes to get me home.
Changing the gearbox mounted slave cylinder seal was on the other hand a right faff.
Changing the gearbox mounted slave cylinder seal was on the other hand a right faff.
When I blew up the engine of my Lancia HPE Volumex after an attack of gethomeitis on Christmas Day some years ago, directly opposite me on the opposite carriageway of the M25 was a broken down 33 Cloverleaf. I exchanged cheery waves with the driver. His low loader arrived before mine did.
P5BNij said:
It gets a bit boring doesn't it....? I gave a mate a lift home from work this morning in my (modern) Alfa, he half jokingly asked about its reliability, I replied that the German sourced electrics are the achillies heel. Almost every car built in the '60s and '70s rusts, but this is conveniently forgotten by some folk.
It is super boring. Garage forecourt idiots will come up to you and regale you with tales of how the type of classic car you are driving is super unreliable and how they all rusted on the dealer forecourt. The idiot will never have owned or driven one of the cars in question, but will have sat in pubs and watched Top Gear. AW111 said:
A friend of mine actually did have an engine try to part company with the car.
The subframe had rusted so badly that it broke, and the engine ended up about an inch from the road.
Were VW type 3's made from Russian steel? The public has a right to know!
That is believable, especially if the car was an early Berlina. They had the big issue with rusty subframes. Otherwise, 1970s Italian cars rusted just as much or just as little as 1970s cars from Britain, Germany, France, and Japan. Even Volvos rusted. Some modern cars still rust. A car that was rustproofed when new, and washed and garaged, would not be very rusty. Exhibit A: the Beta that this thread is about - almost entirely in its original metal and paint. The subframe had rusted so badly that it broke, and the engine ended up about an inch from the road.
Were VW type 3's made from Russian steel? The public has a right to know!
Breadvan72 said:
AW111 said:
A friend of mine actually did have an engine try to part company with the car.
The subframe had rusted so badly that it broke, and the engine ended up about an inch from the road.
Were VW type 3's made from Russian steel? The public has a right to know!
That is believable, especially if the car was an early Berlina. They had the big issue with rusty subframes. Otherwise, 1970s Italian cars rusted just as much or just as little as 1970s cars from Britain, Germany, France, and Japan. Even Volvos rusted. Some modern cars still rust. A car that was rustproofed when new, and washed and garaged, would not be very rusty. Exhibit A: the Beta that this thread is about - almost entirely in its original metal and paint. The subframe had rusted so badly that it broke, and the engine ended up about an inch from the road.
Were VW type 3's made from Russian steel? The public has a right to know!
Breadvan72 said:
When I blew up the engine of my Lancia HPE Volumex after an attack of gethomeitis on Christmas Day some years ago, directly opposite me on the opposite carriageway of the M25 was a broken down 33 Cloverleaf. I exchanged cheery waves with the driver. His low loader arrived before mine did.
Oh God don't. My (second) 33 Cloverleaf died on the M25. In a monsoon. And I mean terminally. The cambelt took the engine out. I was on my way to a garage appointment to have the cambelt changed at the time.Random Beta Coupe pic from the archives.... looks like it's on Gamma alloys and the badges are on the vertical part of the bootlid rather than on top of it, additional Lancia shield fitted too, I've noticed there are several detail differences like this but it may just be down to owner preference....
Brief but nice clip of a 1600 in a fetching shade of metallic blue which suits the shape....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLkcU111Eo
Brief but nice clip of a 1600 in a fetching shade of metallic blue which suits the shape....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLkcU111Eo
ElectricSoup said:
Breadvan72 said:
When I blew up the engine of my Lancia HPE Volumex after an attack of gethomeitis on Christmas Day some years ago, directly opposite me on the opposite carriageway of the M25 was a broken down 33 Cloverleaf. I exchanged cheery waves with the driver. His low loader arrived before mine did.
Oh God don't. My (second) 33 Cloverleaf died on the M25. In a monsoon. And I mean terminally. The cambelt took the engine out. I was on my way to a garage appointment to have the cambelt changed at the time.citizensm1th said:
No, if only.
A 33 sportswagon cloverleaf, and it has sadly been neglected for far to long. I still have the 1.7 boxer in the garage maybe I will gut it and make a coffee table one day.
Before you do that let me know. I may need a 1.7 boxer to swap my potentially goosed one with. You can make your coffee table with mine. (Cylinder 1 ingested a washer that cunningly fell in to the inlet ............. A 33 sportswagon cloverleaf, and it has sadly been neglected for far to long. I still have the 1.7 boxer in the garage maybe I will gut it and make a coffee table one day.
)contango said:
Breadvan72 said:
I have my eye on a Flavia Coupe that is for sale, but the dealer selling it does not answer the phone or reply to emails.
Have you seen this Flavia, BV72?Auction ends this evening......
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1972-lancia-fl...
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