Lancia Montecarlo...37 years and counting

Lancia Montecarlo...37 years and counting

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Discussion

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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So after the first car - Yellow Triumph TR7 - cylinder head disaster and the second car - Orange Ford Capri 2.0 S - gearbox failure and various electrical problems - I took the safe option and bought a Silver (unobtrusive) Lancia Montecarlo in 1983.
Lusted after one for ages before I took the plunge.
A close friend had an HPE with problems (electric windows didn’t work and garage advised him to carry a house brick in the glove box...can’t see that advice given out these days..) but I ploughed on regardless.
Epic trip to London with said mate which included a visit to a soho where we country boys bought non alcoholic champagne in a dodgy cellar bar followed by a trip to a multi storey car park based garage. All high ( several floors in fact ) end stuff....
Uneventful trip back to Scotland, a huge relief, and the ownership experience was underway...
It’s been a gas !


CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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The Capri...

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
quotequote all


The Monte with original ugly wheels.

Jimmy Recard

17,540 posts

178 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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Wow, what a cool car to have for so long! Very nice

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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Thanks Jimmy. The interior is all original. The exterior not so much.

gforceg

3,524 posts

178 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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That's a SAAB behind the orange Capri, and ICMFPN.

I've found a renewed love of orange cars recently. Flat orange not fizzy.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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This is beyond fabulous! Thanks for the thread, OP.

TR4man

5,208 posts

173 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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That interior looks so lovely. Was leather an option or standard?

geraintthomas

897 posts

106 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
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Fantastic! I tend to get a bit itchy for a new car after about 5 years, so seeing that you've had this for 37 years is certainly incredible. It must be quite special to you.

80sMatchbox

3,891 posts

175 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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I've always loved these. That interior looks fantastic. Interested to see how the outside currently looks. cool

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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TR4man said:
That interior looks so lovely. Was leather an option or standard?
Strangely enough it’s a vinyl like cover which is intended to look like leather.
It’s a bugger to repair.

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
I certainly have an emotional attachment but it goes beyond that.
Money.
I am so far behind the 8 ball I just keep hoping that some Italian-Scandinavian noir TV thriller will feature a gorgeous 30 something female lead detective who drives a Montecarlo and I will open a bottle of Prosecco to toast the fact I may just get some of my investment back....
I am not deluded I go to bed at night believing this can happen.
The car has been looked after and is an ongoing source of enjoyment and worry (£).
Here she is not so long ago....

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
gforceg said:
That's a SAAB behind the orange Capri, and ICMFPN.

I've found a renewed love of orange cars recently. Flat orange not fizzy.
Well spotted a Saab 99 , one of several my Father owned.
I passed my test aged 17 years and 3 months in a brand new (only days) Saab 99 which swung it I think. My passing was a great surprise to my tutor who phoned up after the test to book a set of lessons...

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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Another pic from the big restoration project...

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Having looked at these photos again I will just take the basket wires out and see how the wheels look, it might work and save me some dosh.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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CallThatMusic said:


The Monte with original ugly wheels.
I like the original ugly wheels.

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
CallThatMusic said:


The Monte with original ugly wheels.
I like the original ugly wheels.

Yes I get that quite a lot of people do like them.
Wish I did too but despite believing that cars look best with the wheels the factory put on I just don’t like them much.
Might dig them out the garage and re-visit my dilemma.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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Fabby, OP. At what point, if at all, did the car transition from everyday car to groovy toy?

CallThatMusic

Original Poster:

2,523 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Fabby, OP. At what point, if at all, did the car transition from everyday car to groovy toy?
I think that was probably around 1987 when I acquired my first Company Car...a Renault 18 Diesel.
From that point on there was a procession of work related cars until the taxman got greedy and I bailed out of that game.
The Montecarlo was always around through the 80’s 90’s until 2007 when I escaped overseas and it went into dry storage for almost 10 years. This explains the relatively modest mileage.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
gforceg said:
That's a SAAB behind the orange Capri, and ICMFPN.

I've found a renewed love of orange cars recently. Flat orange not fizzy.
Orange cars are DA NUTZ, unless they are horrid modern chavbox RocketFords driven by Barries.


"You must have seen parties of Blockheads
In black and orange cars
Motoring accessory watches
Their soft tops got roll bars."

(Ian Dury)