1978 Lancia Beta 1600 Coupe
Discussion
Update - non update. Other projects (MOT prep for Landy, UMM, and Morini bike) have delayed my mech starting on the Lancia. It should be done next week. The fabric on the seats is worn very thin by age, use, and sunlight, and even trying to clean the fabric risks tearing it.
My girlfriend says that the worn seats are part of the car's charm, and she has a point, but I would like to do something about the tears if poss.
My girlfriend says that the worn seats are part of the car's charm, and she has a point, but I would like to do something about the tears if poss.
vincegail said:
My dad has a Beta 2000 Coupe, but the two badges on the boot, "Lancia B" and "2000" are missing. Anybody got an idea where I could buy these? Any webshop recommedations?
I have found such items on eBay before. My Beta needs its Beta and 1600 badges, but I have them in a drawer somewhere.Try also Beta Boyz but not sure if still trading. There is a South African Lancia shop that has many things. I cannot recall its name. Also Bayless Auto in Milwaukee.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 30th June 17:39
Most if not all Third Series (CC) 124 Sport Coupes had Cromodoras but no hub covers. The Scorpion ones may have been filched off a modern 500 for all I know.
It is deffo not an Alfa. I cannot afford a 105 Coupe. I have driven and would love to own an Alfa GT 1300 Junior, but they are spenner. The car pictured above is the fastest but also the least pretty of the three iterations of the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Lampredi with Fiat head and RWD versus its stablemate's Lampredi twin cam with Lancia head and FWD. Each has five speeds and four discs. Each has a single Weber.
The metal dash is a poor man's version of the dash in the Series Three Lamborghini Espada (which costs 125K).
It is deffo not an Alfa. I cannot afford a 105 Coupe. I have driven and would love to own an Alfa GT 1300 Junior, but they are spenner. The car pictured above is the fastest but also the least pretty of the three iterations of the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Lampredi with Fiat head and RWD versus its stablemate's Lampredi twin cam with Lancia head and FWD. Each has five speeds and four discs. Each has a single Weber.
The metal dash is a poor man's version of the dash in the Series Three Lamborghini Espada (which costs 125K).
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 30th June 20:20
Here are two more pics.
For some weird reason that nobody has ever explained, Alfa Romeo always used to put the words "Alfa Romeo" on the rocker covers of their 1970s twin cams, but, as you can see, the clumsy idiots at the Alfa factory forgot to do that on this Alfa.
For some weird reason that nobody has ever explained, Alfa Romeo always used to put the words "Alfa Romeo" on the rocker covers of their 1970s twin cams, but, as you can see, the clumsy idiots at the Alfa factory forgot to do that on this Alfa.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 30th June 20:28
carinaman said:
Dialage. Old enough for silver on black plates that would match the backing panel for the dials, though possibly not go with the red.
Those plates would not have been legal when the car was registered in the autumn of 1973, unless it had been built before (from memory, not checking) April 1973, and few if any buying a sporty car in 1973 would have wanted black plates on it. The fact that the DVLA are historically ill informed does not alter this. People who (legally but stupidly) put black plates on 1978 Escorts should be killed. No exceptions. There is a a 1969 Series one (AC) 124 Coupe on eBay for 9500. It has not seen an MOT tester since 2005, but has had a respray and maybe a retrim. It has black plates. Its first owner in 1969 (who may have been a very cool young woman, as the Series One is a very pretty and elegant car, unlike the rather 70s porn tache machismo of the Series Three) would probably not have wanted black plates. In 1969, your granddad had black plates on his sensible Vauxhall.
Here is one being driven by Ron Swanson's dad with no front plate. Note that he is The World's Coolest Man. Those are 1970s tyres, so that lean angle may be happening at 17 mph.
Lancia and Fiat offered five speed gearboxes, front and rear disc brakes, twin cam engines with alloy heads, and alloy wheels as standard on sporty cars in the early 70s. Compare the iron engined, four speed, rear drums braked sporty Escort of that time. But nowadays the Escort is worth mega money, whilst Fiats and Lancias are still relative bargains. That's markets for yer!
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 1st July 08:44
Breadvan72 said:
eBay is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
I have just found, for sale in Slovenia, two early Beta headrests, covered with the fabric used in my car. I have just bought them for 27 quid plus postage, and will use the fabric to patch the holes in the seats.
These eventually turned up. The seller was a very unreliable dude who did not send the headrests until put under a lot of pressure to do so. Every email he sent me contained a new lie. The headsets do not much resemble the advert photos and the fabric on them is shot, Never mind! I will keep looking. I have just found, for sale in Slovenia, two early Beta headrests, covered with the fabric used in my car. I have just bought them for 27 quid plus postage, and will use the fabric to patch the holes in the seats.
Pub and garage forecourt bores insist that Italian cars rust more than other cars. They endlessly repeat the undocumented story about the Mafia and Russian steel. The reality is that all 1970s steel cars rust. Even German and Japanese cars of that era can be Hella rotten. Swedes too: The other week I said no to a great looking 1970 Volvo 145 Estate because although it had shiny (fillered) bodywork and paint, a sturdy two litre engine that had been to Mars and back without effort, and a fab interior, it was mega rusty underneath and would have badly failed an MOT if not exempt (what a daft idea the exemption was).
Individual cars that were waxoyled or ziebarted and then garaged didn't rust. By chance, my Lancia Beta and, it appears, this Fiat 124 have never been very rusty. My Lancia has had some welding, but not loads. The Fiat has bubbles on the boot lid, and not much evidence of patching and filler, although there may be some. I worry about the bulkhead of my Landy, but I can't see to check it. Its chassis seems OK.
Individual cars that were waxoyled or ziebarted and then garaged didn't rust. By chance, my Lancia Beta and, it appears, this Fiat 124 have never been very rusty. My Lancia has had some welding, but not loads. The Fiat has bubbles on the boot lid, and not much evidence of patching and filler, although there may be some. I worry about the bulkhead of my Landy, but I can't see to check it. Its chassis seems OK.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 1st July 13:49
Dunk130TC said:
The Spider left you cold? Are you reptilian, unless you’re thinking of the appallingly bumpered later US cars? (In which case I agree)
Here’s my 1.8 with twin 40’s, early bumpers and a definite need for a higher compression using a 130TC head and pistons.
Yours looks great and I wish you joy of it. I just don't warm to them in the metal for some reason. Maybe because I had a 1977 Alfa Spider (Kamm tail) for ten years.Here’s my 1.8 with twin 40’s, early bumpers and a definite need for a higher compression using a 130TC head and pistons.
rjg48 said:
Front seats on German Ebay, no mention of the rears.
£600ish once delivered.
Possible options. Try the fabric from this, but it may be thin and fragile.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Serving-Cushion-Right-S...
Or this maybe slightly naff option, but the seller does not answer emails. -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liners-Seats-Car-Asiam-...
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff