Lancia Motor Club

Read of Richard Fridd's ownership from whom I bought KPD 569K here http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5143.0

I've done a fair few miles now and nothing has given me second thoughts about having bought it. Well, maybe the complete lack of a functioning heater and the draft which howls up through the non existent door bottoms is a tadd trying. :o Otherwise I'm loving getting reacquainted with a S2 Berlina after some 20 years. The last one was christened by my kids as 'The Pig' on account of it being pig ugly in their eyes and the fact that it was painted a mix of faded green cellulose and grey primer. However, it served them well whilst in further education, their college friends being totally won over when they realized just how many of them could be jammed in and travel in comfort.

So, the journey has begun to complete Richard's good work on the refurbishment in time for Fulvia 50th. One of the first jobs was to see if I could find a pair of original front seats and Richard suggested that I try Peter Pasquale. Peter did indeed have a pair in very good condition which incredibly were from the same scrapped car as the back seat in mine. However, they were cream and the back seat has been painted black. So, cream front seats, black back seats and blue door cards. Which way to go? Decision made when Peter produced the cream door cards so just the rear seat to re-colour.

Along with the door skins needing replacement the rear valance is in a bit of a state but Italian Ebay turned up an unused original equipment rear panel at a not exorbitant price. Carriage was reasonable too - just hope it turns up OK!

Jonathan and I have had it up on the ramp and all looks to be fine underneath and also it drives OK so fairly confidant about the impending MOT on Thursday.

Robin.

Well done with the valance.  When I came oh-so-close to buying it I found doors in the correct colour on one of the Italian sites.  Worth a look on Subito and AutoScout.  Perhaps having found the item get them to list it with a buy-it-now on ebay to complete the transaction.

I've heard good things of the interior paints, but is it possible to get from black to cream?   I'd be playing safe and going to black.  If you get it all a nice clean cream I'm going to be impressed.

As for the heater spring is almost upon us and when summer comes you'll be glad of the extra ventilation. 

As an aside do they have heated rear screens?

David

Hi David,

Doors we reckon we can repair and in truth the car deserves a re-spray.

These people ( http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/index.php) who's products Richard used to black the seats reckon that black to cream is not a problem. So, having been offered  the original door cards (one still with its factory plastic cover intact) that go with the seats it seems to make sense to go for a cream interior which will look good with the Lancia Blue body colour.

Dilambdawoman, having experienced Modestine's cosy interior was not at all impressed with having to be wrapped in a blanket for a 40 mile round trip on Sunday last and if there is to be any hope of keeping the Berlina something will have to be done. ;)

40 years ago I remember taking my father to and from our business premises some 20 miles each way in a S1 Fulvia Sport and he bought a sleeping bag which he used to climb into for the journey! :o How times have changed.

Robin.

Our S1 Fulvia GTE Berlina has a really super heater so maybe you have blockages, sticky water valve or suchlike. Worth a proper look I reckon as they can work efficiently.
Chris

Chris,
Never made mine work with two complete rebuilds including  a new valve innards and heater matrix rebuilt with a recore, and great attention paid to make sure there were no leakages in the airbox ???
It's also such a pain to get out I'm not really tempted to have another go.

Brian
8227 8)

Chris - any chance of some pictures of your new toy or "the big reveal" at Goodwood?

Robin - space to hang some generic heater under the dash?  The priority MUST be goodwill indoors so you can keep it.

David

David,
I posted a few photos of our GTE when wet and dirty on a dull day in 'Fulvia Spotters Guide...' a couple of weeks ago.
Chris.

Ohhhhh that's going to take some beating for my "car of the day" at Goodwood.

Its a colour combo I like.  RHD?!!!?

In terms of a spotters guide if its dark green its a GTE, dark blue a 2C :)

David

MOT on Thursday last and failed on a couple of previous non continuous weld repairs and a hole in the back of the rear nearside chassis. Repaired today and back for certificate on Monday.

Had a good look at the door skins today and not as bad as at first thought. Couple of days welding should sort it.

Robin.

"Had a good look at the door skins today and not as bad as at first thought. Couple of days welding should sort it."

 - After the Fanalone , I would have thought you'd had enough of welding !

I think its more a case of after that one anything else looks like a day off.

David

OK, she will be at Goodwood on Saturday. 8) But, we've been unable to do any of the work on her we had hoped to (can't imagine why!) so she's still looking a bit sad. 

However, just spoken to Margaret and Tony and Shelley Seiler at the Fulvia 50 hotel and she performed brilliantly on the journey over even showing impeccable manners dealing with the M25 at it's worst.

Please be kind to her on the event we will get the bodywork sorted out as soon as we get over the stress of the Fanalone. ;D

Robin.

Viva Berlina! Looking forward to seeing the trusty car tomorrow. Will it be on the track in addition to the parade? And well done with the Fanalone Robin

Tony and Shelley delivered her back yesterday having covered almost 1000 miles in the two weeks including a trip to visit friends in North Yorkshire. She ran faultlessly marred only by a puncture. Tony has a collection of Lancia in South Africa including Integrale, Flaminia and Fanalone but was full of praise for this scruffy S2 Berlina. In his words, "What a joy, seems to run on fresh air!"

So, 1500 trouble free miles to date and with a new MOT, what to do next? The original plan was to replace the front seats with originals (done), re-skin the doors, repair the front and rear valances, respray and sell on. However,  if we go that far we will have spent well in excess of what she will be worth. So, financially not viable. On the other hand we love her to bits and could be tempted to keep her (Margaret often takes her out instead of her Alfa 156!) and carry out the repairs gradually, even maybe doing the painting ourselves. But, do I want another project?!

Robin.

Maybe sell her on as she is to someone who wants an entry level Lancia and is prepared to take on a rolling restoration. Or perhaps a Lancia for the winter when you don't want to take your pride and joy out? Any takers out there?

Robin.

Just enjoy it as it is, years ago we didn't give a s**t what it looked like, but just enjoyed them

Here Here!

Having had a rant on the Flavia Berlina thread I'll get it off my chest here.  Its a personal view, something I've come to over time.

"if we go that far we will have spent well in excess of what she will be worth"

That only makes sense (or not...) if you do the work and then sell it.  It will be most worthwhile if you and your family (and friends) enjoy and appreciate the car all the more for it being in better cosmetic condition, use it all the more, keep it for many full and happy years.  There's no need to go crazy with it: door skins, machine polish (and spray can touch ins where it goes through), interior all the same colour?  It could be a full respray and having proven the mechanicals and proven you like and enjoy and will use it why not?  Perhaps there's a colour combination you'd prefer?

I got "stuck" with the same logic with a scruffy Fiat 124 Coupe I had.  It will be no surprise that women think about money differently and Sara's view was that if I wanted her to go in it then ripped and stained seats needed to be improved, and if she was going to be seen in it then all the same colour blue would be a start.  If we were going to keep it and use it then it needed that money spent and it would be well spent.  I just couldn't put money into that car and it went out on a couple of extended loans before being sold to a friend of a friend.  He's a friend of mine now and was in touch just last week.  She tried the "but any modern car depreciates so what's the difference" but something held me back.  "We don't keep a budget of restaurants and hotels" (double income no kids - ahh....) didn't do it.

Twenty years on a scruffy Flavia Sport - and the budget is the same as "beers" and "days out" and "staycation" and "meeting up with friends" and parts are the same as "books and picture"s and it is most certainly not run on a balance sheet basis and hours and money are not going to be tracked.  I still feel ill remembering some of the Aurelia totals so - for me - I just can't add it up.

If you just can't bring yourself to spend on it, and we can't all point at expensive Fulvia Berlinas (Sedans?) and persuade you its worth more than you think, then how about buying Richards Fulvia Zagato with his Berlina (Sedan?) back as a part-ex?  If that doesn't appeal (low seat, no room in the back, small boot, lack of gravitas, bit flash, poor view, worry about parking it in town) then that rather tells how much you appreciate the space and usability and CHARM of the car you have there...

On the other hand that Zagato is one of the good ones and could provide very smart day to day Fulvia motoring while being "as good as money in the bank" with great scope for capital gains.  Less useful as a taxi but longer legs for touring.  Four speed and all the other S1 delights as well.

David

I look at it as a hobby. My definition of a hobby is spending my own money on something I enjoy - the return being just that..enjoyment. I've friends whose hobbies are golf (spend ~£3k a year on fees, tours, new equipment), football (similar on home and away games, travel, after match beers, keeping up with the new kit etc), horses (don't ask but if you think Omicron are expensive try bloody vets fees!!). No one ever asks them what the horse is worth at the end of it. If over time the car becomes worth more than was spent on it then thats a bonus, never the raison d'etre.

I ask myself "can I afford it ?" when I want to spend some money on my hobby, never asked myself "what RoI will I get?"

It seems a peculiarity of our hobby that some people see it differently. Try reading the threads on Bring a Trailer, most of it seems not to be car enthusiats but amature investers stating the obvious (it'll cost more than its worth) and overlooking the obvious (for most of us its money spent for enjoyment) and makes for depressing reading. Thankfully it does not seem to have got too much of a hold in the UK, and long may it continue.

Aside from Bring A Trailer and the monthly classic car press there's cover in the general press and that's percolated into the chattering classes having an interest.


David

Whoa!! didn't mean to start a drum banging session!

Remember why I bought the car, simply to provide Fulvia transport for the Seilers over from SA for Fulvia 50 and very pleased they were with it. Initially I never intended to keep it long term as the Dilambda and Fanalone take up most of my spare time and cash to keep them on the road. Both of these cars would probably wash their faces were I to sell them on because as David points out, we have done most of the restoration work ourselves. However, I agree entirely that making a profit is not the driving force behind our passion for Lancia, I can't remember in 40 years of buying and selling them ever making any money on them. But, given the reason behind buying the berlina I would like not to lose too much when I pass it on hence my comments re the viability of carrying out lots of work.

However, for the moment we are hugely enjoying using it almost as our everyday transport and not giving a toot for its scruffy bodywork. Just amazed at the interest it generates wherever we go. So, if it's still here come the winter I might be tempted to tinker with it and who knows, it could be with us long term.

Apologies for stirring up a hornets nest  :o

Robin.

Robin,
No apologies needed, we're just a passionate lot ;D

Brian
8227 8)

+ 1

If its a rant....its a rant......if its clarification...or fuller rationalising of members thoughts and why we do things a certain way.......thats fine too.......its what the forum is about, doing it mostly real time makes it much more interesting than putting it on paper or waiting for a face to face moment to bring it up


P

Happily bowling along at 60mph today when there is a sudden horrendous clattering from the nearside rear corner. By the time we stop the noise has ceased and on investigation I find damage to the rear wing and door and a missing stainless steel wheel trim. Tramp back up the road and find it in the grass verge, see picture!

It mast have looked from behind like Boadicea's chariot and fortunate that we were not anywhere near pedestrians!

Robin.

It may prove difficult to refit  ......

Simon, I don't agree, after the fanalone it will be a doddle !!!!!!!

                   Andy

Well there's a challange.

Visited Gordon Cripps who lives just outside Rye in East Sussex and who was the last but one owner of KPD. He supplied me with a perfect replacement wheel trim complete with the correct fixing screws. Many thanks Gordon.

What a delightful gentleman he is! We had met before but this time spent longer together sharing our mutual love of Lancia. Whilst living in SA he visited the Lancia factory in Turin on three occasions to collect a new Fulvia and has some lovely stories about the experience.

I'm still undecided about future plans for the car but the longer it stays with us the more attached we become to it and I can't rule out embarking on the renovation of the bodywork over this winter.  :)

Robin.

Good idea Robin

MOT recently and the tester took one look at KPD and offered to write the failure certificate there and then. Good job I know him well! Soon shut up when he started the test and eventually said " Well, I'm going to have to pass it" He who laughs last and all that eh?

So, another nudge towards a rolling restoration? Made all the worse (or better?) when David Laver emailed to alert me to some Fulvia spares on Ebay including 4 x S2 Berlina doors. As you maybe aware from another thread I've bought them and very good they are too, with only light surface rust in the usual places and no holes.

An added bonus in that being from a lhd car there is a mirror on the passenger door which matches the one on KPD's driver's door. something Margaret has been asking for since we bought the car.

Onward and upwards then perhaps? KPD makes a good everyday run around and we get great pleasure from using it. There, almost talked myself into it!  :o

Robin.

Well done Robin...another one in the eye for officialdom and the non-Lancisti types...........AKA...98.99% of general population


Have you other pics of KPD on the forum?


OOOOOooopppsss...sorry just went back to start of thread.....:)


P

All good news Robin. Presumably the new doors 'should'  fit straight away without any adjustment to their size. I am not familiar enough with Lancias build techniques for S2 Fulvia Berlinas but the shut lines will undoubtedly be quite tight.

Hello Robin, do you have a Zagato too ?

No, not mine. It belongs to local to me club member Ron Skinner. He was coming to visit on a warm sunny day recently having just got his car back on the road (cylinder head gasket) and he suffered the brake locking on problem http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5484.0
I managed to get the car here by cracking the connections at the master cylinder thus freeing the brakes and will adjust the actuating rod which I hope will cure the problem.

The car has a number of bits and pieces that need sorting out but is in pretty good overall condition considering that it was some 17 years ago when my son Jonathan rebuilt it.

Photographs are of Ron's Sport with my 2c at the Goodwood Track Day 1997

Robin.