Lancia Motor Club

Anyone seen this for sale on ebay. item number 270207377584 . One to avoid me thinks, says 1600, when reg number checked comes out as 1600 sport,  ??? ??? this dont look like a sport to me. Not even a 1600 shell looking at the rear arches. Watch this space.

This one's (item number 150211144538) listed under Cars and not Classic Cars and looks a much more interesting proposition.

Lee   

The red Fulvia description box for the car for, 270207377584, states is it left hand drive, then below and the photos is definitely right hand drive - may be the wrong box was selected in error, yes 1300 body shell not 1600 despite the non UK front wings and not a Sport!

It actually says in the advert that the V5 states L/Hand 16oo but the car is in fact 13oo R/Hand
and as you say it is without eyebrows so a bit odd (looking at engine bay it doesn't look like a
conversion.

This one looks like nice - item 290204381267 - very tempting, now where did leave that spare £1000?

Committee member alerted me about a month ago to this car being for sale but I didn't follow up as it's lhd. Margaret would use it a fair bit and is not keen. Same as with the 2000 saloon Christos had at Covent Garden, lovely but lhd.

However, it certainly looks like a good one, is it feasible to convert it to rhd? Anyone had any experience?

Robin.

Hi Robin,
Feasible from a Technical point of view I would of thought, but getting the RHD bits would probably a problem unless you can find a scrapper ::)

That said, it looks very nice & I appreciate Margarets views on LHD. but I would like it myself , from what I understand from those with experience, the 1300 series 2 Berlina it is certainly a viable proposition as a daily driver. ;D

Brian
8227 8)

The late great Harry Manning told me that converting a Fulvia from LHD to RHD would very difficult or next to impossible as the LHD and RHD shells were quite different - i.e. there were RHD and LHD versions of the floor pan and bulkhead with pressings for the mounting of the steering column peddle box (S1) and brake master cylinder, and on S2 cars again, the mounting for the peddle box and master cylinder being on either the left or right depending on whether it was a LHD or RHD car. Even if you could some how overcome those problems, you would then need to source and replace the dashboard mounting panel, which has the upper mounting for the steering column and the windscreen scuttle as the windscreen wipers are also handed!

Much easier to learn to drive a LHD in the UK which is a lot easier than most people think!

Chris

Thanks Chris,
I did say feasible not practical! anything is feasible but not necessarily cost effective, having been in motor manufacturing for 25 years I've seen all sorts of conversions to vehicles. Generally speaking the same would apply to any vehicle that had a LHD & RHD options, nonetheless it didn't stop integrale being converted to RHD, how successful a conversion it was, everyone no doubt, has their own opinion ;D
And I would very much agree with your last comment, LHD isn't half as bad to drive here as many people think.

Brian
8227 8)

Hi Brian,

The difference between the Fulvia and Integrale is that the Integrale was produced on the standard Delta platform, which as that was designed for both RHD and LHD markets had the required pressings and apertures on the floorpan/bulkhead for both LH & RH drive versions, which made the job of conversion a little easier. This was not true however of the Ypsilon, which used a modified Punto platform that was never intended for RHD, so again the required pressings, mounting points and apertures were missing - which is why no Ypsilons were converted to RHD even though with the centre console design it would have appeared on the face of it an easier conversion.

Chris

Why would you bother converting anyway. You just jump in and drive whichever side the steering wheel is on. A fulvia has such good rear visibility it hardly mattters in that regard.The opposite extreme is the Aprilia where you see nothing behind you wherever you sit......
The heater works better in LHD cars (usually) which is the only realy weak point the car had so buy and enjoy I say....

Totally agree, Lets be honest we often drive sur le continent and were always on the wrong side.

Thanks Chris, exactly what I wanted to hear. Let's face it, with 15 items on the Dilambda 'To Do' list the last thing I need is another project. I'll just wait patiently for a good rhd pre Beta saloon to surface.

And listen here guys, if Margaret says 'no lhd' then no lhd it is! I've always sailed close to the wind with her over my obsession with Lancia and I'm not about to risk a "Go ahead..." from her. In my experience that is a dare, not permission. Don't do it! ;D

Robin.