Lancia Motor Club

Presently looking to change Margaret's daily runaround and this turns up just down the road from me;
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330812193220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
OK! not terribly sensible but utterly tempting at least to have a look at. ::)

But then maybe this would be a better bet?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310503823183?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 ;)

Or this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170942051878?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 ;D

Just please don't tell Margaret yet who would rather have a Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon! ;D

Robin

I am sure that Margaret will be very pleased with the Y. We have had two, and my wife still regrets that we sold the first one. In her opinion it is one of the nicest cars we have had.

I am not sure I could live with that steering wheel in the Gamma !

yes, the steering wheel in the Gamma looks out of place.....but what make is it and where did it come from I wonder because in another setting it could work.

Hi Robin

Wouldn't touch the Gamma as a daily runaround, too temperamental, and unless your wife is over 5'8", the seat belt will be trying to strangle her when the seat is forward. Pity, beautiful cars, but I moved mine on about 12 years ago.

Bought both my kids a Y10 for Uni many years ago. I'd say the best small car I've ever driven. Had a Fila and a GTie, both lovely to drive. However I hear the Selectronic can be as temperamental as a ..... Gamma!

Don't know about the Lefty. I'd certainly never persuade my missus to drive on the wrong side. Especially if you're using those tiny little rural roads around Brands Hatch and the local villages.

I think there's a Y10 in the Vehicles for Sale section.

Best of luck. If you do look at the Gamma, have a look at the Flavia Convertible which I think is at the same dealer. The price keeps coming down, and I'm tempted to drive down from Cambridge to check it out. Would value your opinion.

159 Sportwagon sounds good!

I would be very wary of any Gamma with auto box.

Quote "Don't know about the Lefty. I'd certainly never persuade my missus to drive on the wrong side. Especially if you're using those tiny little rural roads around Brands Hatch and the local villages."Quote.

We loved our Y Elefantino Rosso and Diane used to drive around our very narrow Rural  lanes and steep hills in Herefordshire, with the sign at the top of our lane Stating 'Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles'
Only sold after I had a bad accident and couldn't change gear with my right hand which wasn't helpful in a LHD Manual.
Has anyone any ideas what happened to it, V267 HWO, Gerard Thorp bought it off of me and he sold it on to a LMC Member, but a couple of years ago it disappeared from of the DVLA listing, which means it's either been written off, changed to a personal number plate, or it's gone back to LHD World.
Y10 Selectronic that Ben Courage has for sale looks nice, if anyones tempted I have the complete workshop manual, so if you ever need advice!

Brian
8227 8)

 
Gamma troublesome?  Depends what you compare it with - by your standards it could only be a paragon. There's no harm in having a look and a run out in it....is there?

The Y10 in Suffolk (see for sale section) looks a cracker.  I was tempted enough to "have the conversation" again which at least reached a conclusion.  More anon.

Richard Fridd's Fulvia Berlina is well worth a look. If RHD is of value to you it would be worth painting and having the original front seats recovered - he has Rover seats in the front at the moment.  I was really impressed, as was Mrs L.  The car that sat at Richard Thorne's sold but might be available again somewhere in Kent.  Someone gave it a try and reverse was a bit difficult to find but other than that they liked it.  I rather fancied the adventure of a trip to Italy and bring a GT or GTE home but it's not to be.

There's three nice Appias for sale at the moment.  Christo's south african SII import at the same money as that Gamma needs a heater but other than that is hard to fault. Oh how I've yearned for that car...  His S1 is double that price but has had a lot of expensive work on all the details to make it a very smart car indeed, maybe too good for everyday use.  Peter Bakers S1 is priced to sell at somewhere between the two - another car I've long admired.  When having "the conversation" the difficulty with belts and the lack of power rather count against Appias, for us, as a really practical second car aside from needing more more space.

My vote would be a Fulvia Berlina - two to look at in Kent or a trip to Italy.

After years of pondering we've bought a second car (ok, sixth car but second 'proper' car to use week in week out).  Not a Y10 - just too small.  Not an Appia - belts and pace.  Richard's Fulvia was just a bit too much of a project and I don't have the time to go to Italy and then sort out any of the inevitable issues. 

I rather fancied a spanking new 2cyl Panda but the logic was to keep what we have as the runabout (1987 Mercedes 300TE, size does matter) and get a BMW 530i touring for "front line" use.  Hey ho...

Just have to get on with the Augusta then...

David

...if the back seat isn't an issue that gorgeous 1600 Beta Coupe in Essex.  Not been used for some years but properly looked after so unlikely to be major issues.  There was a rubbish one locally we looked at for size but alas I'd left it too late for headroom.

Thema 832?  Lot of car for the money...

The Alfa can't be an option on the basis of hidden rear door handles alone.  The debate with the kids is if we need to stick on handles or weld up the rear doors when we see them.  They do a bigger one with a proper handle on each an every door but they spoiled it with far too many headlights.  Every now and then we whoop with joy when we see a proper little three door Alfa, better still on sensible wheels and tyres.

Happy hunting - and I wish you better luck than I.  Then again it could so easily have been a van...

David

Or a ferry journey away...still RHD....save a further 30%!

http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/vintagecars/3726757

P

Lovely.
Brian
8227 8)

The Gamma in Ireland was Tony Armstong's car - later Jason Yorke-Edgell - and it has an electric power steering pump which works very well - so no issues with the left-hand cam belt.  Mark Williams is also looking to sell his nice SII Gamma coupe - see the Gamma forum - items for sale.

OK, the die has been cast (in fact a month ago) but I haven't had the courage to admit what it is until sure we like it and its OK! Well, we do like it and it is OK!

With the sensible hat on a Gamma made no sense, Margaret wasn't keen on a Y10 and the Ypsi was lhd so a non starter. Leaning towards an Alfa 159 Sportwagon we looked at one at the top of our budget and it was a dog. It did however make it clear that whatever we bought it had to be an automatic and 159 autos were well over budget and usually the more expensive to run 2.4 litre. And then up popped an Alfa 156 Sportwagon, low mileage and in lovely condition. And, wait for it, a Selespeed Automatic! :o  And less than half of our budget. :)

We had a 156 some years ago and loved it but I don't need to tell you lot what a nightmare a bad Selespeed gearbox can be. 28 pages of discussion on the pros and cons of it on an Alfa website! However, quirky we like and it is that in Spades. Essentially a manual gearbox changed electronically via buttons or paddles on the steering wheel or by pushing the gear stick forwards or backwards. A button selects City Mode which operates the box like a normal automatic for town use.

The car had stood unused for several months and gear shifting was a tad random for a while but gradually with use it sorted itself out and works fine now. Attack winding undulating country lanes and it really comes into its own. Changing up and down at the flick of a button coupled with the excellent handling and punchy performance and you're in a racing or rally car. Its massive fun and very effective. ;D 

So then, so far so good. Not everyones cup of tea for sure, it really is like learning to drive all over again. We'll have to see if it lives up (or should that be down?) to its reputation but for now we are both enjoying the experience and if it all goes to a can of worms we won't have lost a fortune. Watch this space!

Robin.

A friend had one and loved it, on the days he didn't want to club it or set it on fire.

Have fun !!

David

Just to update this thread, the Alfa Romeo 156 Selespeed has gone and been replaced with a 159 Q Matic.

The Selespeed semi automatic gearbox although it worked well initially is every bit as bad as everyone says it is. It drove me mad and Margaret refused to drive it in the end preferring the Fulvia Berlina! The Q matic box is a standard automatic box.

This 159 was owned by Ferrari UK from new and so has all the 'bells and whistles' which is nice. So far so good and Margaret loves it! ;D

Robin.

The selespeed semi-automatic box has indeed not gotten the greatest of reputations in Alfas, but the pump and ancilliaries of the same system are used in the Maserati 4200 and similar in Quattroporte, whilst not perfect, if carefully checked and manintained they don't give too much bother. I've had mine 4 years and done 30K plus miles with no issues


P

Not everyone says that! I like the Selespeed in my 156 and it works very well  :D

So "her" Fulvia can come into the barn for titivation then?

David

That was the plan until the second Dilambda arrived and the Fulvia has had to be parked outside.  :'(

Robin.

Nice to know that some of you have had success with a Selespeed box but as you know, you are very much in the minority. The final straw for me was when it needed a new actuator and pump which was going to cost almost more than the car was worth and wasn't a guarantee that it would solve the problem. It is a very nice system when it's working well and great fun to use but so unreliable.

Robin.