Portuguese Aprilia

[Mic]

Having decided to replace a 1925 Sunbeam with something closed and with space for family the problem was what to buy.  In Portugal the vast majority of cars on old car rallies are just that, old cars.  Little of any interest and certainly hardly any pre-war; think of political and economic history of the country.

Having had 1929 blown Alfa and then an 8th series Lambda in the past, I have a predilection for Italian machinery.

Apart from post-war Alfas there was little available here but I always had an interest in Aprilias and decided to look for one, more in hope than anger.  The only known one in the north of Portugal had been sold last year, to France I think, but the guy knew of another that had been off the road for a long time.  I am told that it had received an engine overhaul at the same time as the monocoque had been stripped and painted, painted extremely well.  First series car.  Initial registration here September 1938.

Went to see the car, on its wheels accompanied by boxes of bits, see photos taken at that time.  Checking the newspaper that was wrapping the headlight reflectors the car must have been off the road since Spring 1996.  The owner must have died shortly after this time so the guardian was not the official owner and had to engage a specialist agency to fight the system.  Bureaucracy and incredibly strange system.  Six months later the car is finally in my name.

The main car, with its mechanicals and on its wheels is with the fettler awaiting work to start in September as I cannot now do much myself.  I have all the boxes and loose bits here at the moment.  I spent a while removing pounds of fine dust and now have a better idea of what is there is and what is missing.  Meanwhile if anyone knows anything at all about driver's door lock (the part with key) please let me know.

More news as and when.

[Parisien]

Great story and lovely car, hoping shes on the road pretty soon


P

[lancialulu]

Mic

Drivers door lock...held with big brass nut. I could get mine to work but only with a key cut to match the worn tumbler. Interestingly the boot lock was not worn and works on the original key. Hope this helps.

[simonandjuliet]

Congrats re paperwork , living in France I understand bureaucracy !

Look forward to progress reports and if you want more photos of anything , let me know

[Mic]

In case you think I have spent the last few months just waiting for all to come good with this Aprilia let me put you right.  Thank goodness for the internet and even more so for the Lancia Club.

Obviously I re-joined the club at an early stage to remake contacts.  Then there was the task of trying to work out what was missing from the car and its associated boxes.  It seems that just about all the interior fittings had disappeared and my theory is that they were all put in one box, perhaps for re-chroming, which has been lost.  Hence I spent a very long time on the computer, one of my first finds being the CD with the instruction manual and illustrated parts list for, I seem to remember, €27.  That was an excellent start, all pages printed and passed to the fettler, João. He has quite good French which is useful as the CD comes in French as well as Italian.

Then it has been chasing around for the missing goodies, including headlamp glasses.  These came from a pleasant Dutch guy in Germany but most everything else was found on EBay – or turned out to be on EBay.  Anyone trying the same route is recommended to go direct to the Italian version.  For this I have had to try to restart my Italian, which reminded me that years ago my pilot and I used to practice talking the language when on boring high altitude patrols.  I get confused easily with different languages but I am getting there.

A long trip planned in the summer turned out to become centred on Aprilias and I was actually able to see two, and drive one.  Thanks to Simon I and his wife in France and John S in Guildford.  France was the first occasion on which I had driven an Aprilia and was enough to convince me that I have made the right decision.

In England I found out why the criticism of the A14 is justified when making a visit to Omicron.

It has been very well worth while browsing the web in general to find loads and loads of photos.  These are going to be gold dust for restorer João there being no other Aprilia that we can locate anywhere near here.

And that really brings me up to date and I hope it is not too long before the next episode of the restoration of 38-6963, or TR-10-36 to its Portuguese friends.

However, I already have an Aprilia, a Brumm model in the correct colour, albeit the wartime version with the gas cylinders on the roof although these have been removed.  Meantime, for those who want to see and hear an Aprilia engine have a look at this, which seems to be Polish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e1xW82nrIQ&feature=related

[Mic]

I am ashamed to be so tardy in adding news but not much to report except we found many problems with the monocoque, in spite of the body having been painted by a so-called expert years ago.  I have heard this before!  Hence the slow progress.  The wings had extra parts added so these had to be removed and a lot of work done in general to the body.  These photos were taken this morning so are totally up to date.  Everything is now ready for colour, the doors and wings will be painted separately of course, all should be done this week.

The good news is that the alleged work on the engine sixteen years ago looks to be correct.  Top end looks good, valves, springs etc. OK just tappets need to be reset, no big deal. A bit of a giveaway is that the timing chain is new and the clutch has never been engaged in anger.  Bottom end being checked this afternoon.  Other mechanical items still to be checked.

Upholstery.  Removing the awful rexine type seat covering reveals the original cloth.  Have a look!  Yes, well.  I await quote as all seats and panels obviously need complete recovering.  Also awaited is the quote from the electrician as all the old wiring was removed previously.  I am staying with 6 volt, albeit with halogen headlamp bulbs.  There is no fuel tank sender for the fuel gauge, not even some bits to work on, so it looks like dipstick time.  I gather that the proper sender is not that too reliable anyway.  Incredibly complicated; what a system.  I wonder who sold it to Lancia in the first place.  More to the point who at Lancia decided to buy it.

[lancialulu]

Good progress

Petrol gauge if S2 is a delight if terribly complicated. Always a crowd puller if working....

[Parisien]

Always a shame when info proves spurious, unreliable and costly......hoping nearly out of the woods...keep up the good work!


P

[davidwheeler]

Difficult to see on your rather small images but are those 1st series wheels with the rolled rim and asymmetric well?  I bought the correct 155x400 Michelin X tyres from  http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/millimetric-classic-tyres   and have found them excellent, light and precise steering at any sort of speed and very good grip.  I know that series 1 were originally on crossply (? - Xs were introduced in 1949) but radials suit the Aprilia very well and I think the 155 are an improvement on the more usual 165 which rather overhang the sides of the wheel!  Hideously expensive of course but they seem to be lasting very well.

[Mic]

Here is the latest photo; beginning to look brilliant, well nice and shiny and more like a car as wings are now in place.  My visit this week showed a small hole in the lower rear of each front wing.  No idea why these are here as no other Aprilia I have seen, in real or photo, has these which may have been for wing support.  They are just in front of the sills. Tomorrow will discuss these and I think fill in.  Next phase is fitting of doors and once we get past Christmas things will move to the mechanical side.  Yes, wheels are series 1 and the tyres Michelin 140-400.  New, except they must have been fitted sixteen years ago but never used on the road.
Recently I have traced mirrors, both internal and external, which are in the post as I write.  And I have bit the bullet and ordered the fuel tank sender which will be my Christmas present to me especially as TNT say delivery on Christmas Eve.  An expensive present.
A horn is needed but several people offer those in 6 volt so easy to resolve.  More difficult  is a driver's door lock, with key, hence my recent plea for details.  I have already received offer of photos which says a lot for the Forum as well as Simon.
More news after Christmas assuming we all survive the end of the world but if anyone wants larger versions of photos just ask and give me an email address.

[Mic]

Christmas is long past so back to work for the restorers; wish I could do hands-on still..  Painting now finished apart from any detail, running boards are fitted - see photos - they make a great difference to the appearance of the car.  I am glad the pink blanket is not mine.  Our three year old is worried as the car does not have any wheels.

Major discussion has been over the radiator grill as the existing one would not survive acid bath prior to chrome.  I located three on the web, one is no longer available (and looked very expensive), another outfit, Parts Collector, cannot be bothered to reply (again) and the only sensible alternative looked not quite up to it. Hence yesterday the decision was made to make a new grill to fit into the existing frame which is basically OK.  Here in Portugal it is a lot easier to get detail work done than it is in England.  For instance if you want a motor rewinding there are at least three shops in the small town that will do a great job.  Yes, shops.

Since my last report the fuel tank sender arrived and has been passed over to the experts whose guy will start the wiring shortly.

Engine.  As I reported previously, several new parts had been fitted yonks ago so hopefully just needs general check and cleaning.  However the carb is not what it should be.  This is a Zenith 30 VIG-5 whereas the manual - and 'Revue Technique Automobile' - say should be Zenith 32 VIM with an alternative of Stromberg EX 22.  John Savage suggests a Zenith 36 VI5 also appropriate.  So I have just emailed two outfits in England and await their comments although one says it closed from 16th November until 27th January for holidays!  Meanwhile any comments appreciated.

The parcel of mirrors has yet to arrive and last noted in the post centre in Milano on 27th December.  One day.... 

A bonus in all this searching on the web is that I came across the book 'Falchetto, Planner and Designer' published as recently as 2011.  I immediately bought a copy and find it instructive and fascinating.  Odd in that is not listed either on Amazon or our beloved Chaters.  Recommended.  And in both Italian and English with lots of photos.

[Parisien]

Mic...loving those pics and how you are getting on.....any chance you can email the originals as the ones on the forum don't enlarge much?


P

[simonandjuliet]

Looks like a lovely finish

[lancialulu]

Fantastic colour for an Aprilia - I want one now!!!

[Mic]

A couple of weeks since my last post.  Doors now have the chrome surrounds in place as well as the glass.  They used all the raschiavetro - the fluffy stuff that goes between glass and door - on just one side as doing the normal thing and having it only on the outside meant there was a gap on the inside.  Much better having it on both sides and feels fine, not too tight.  So today arrived another batch from Peter Harding to complete that task.

The photos show the work on the rear axle, awaiting rubber seals for brake cylinders but looking really smart and clean.  For the first time I find there is a dipstick for diff oil level rather than the usual method of shoving a finger down the hole.  Steering box is in place and I was able to see that the innards were in very good conditoin.  The engine will be mounted very soon.  Instruments are cleaned and awaiting one more little bulb for the fuel gauge so wiring should start in the not too distant future. 

After a lot of searching on the web I finally located a Zenith 32 VIM in France, not cheap but they seem to know what they are doing and already have the information on correct jets for the Aprilia although I have a note from the November 1947 edition of Revue Technique Automobile.  This carb has been paid for and I am told should be shipped end of this month.  This is the type of  Zenith originally fitted and, indeed, mentioned in the manual but the aforesaid magazine also lists a Stromberg EX 22.  In the end I had a choice of either but it seems better to keep to original.

As I write the only problem is headlamp glass.  I bought a pair of glasses some while back which seemed OK but they are very slightly too big in diameter and cannot fit properly into the rims.  It is only a question of 2 mm.  The supplier is investigating what can be done but the next size of glass down may be too small.  Watch this space.

The garage here is finally clear of anything Aprilia, the rubber mats and s.s. exhaust having been delivered this afternoon to the fettler.  Some of the space has been taken up with a 51 c.c Motom 60S, a project for Carlos in slow time.  Motom had a connection with Lancia, particularly via Falchetto although he had left to go back to Lancia well before 1960 when this model was introduced.