Lancia Motor Club

There are some interesting shots of the Competizione during and after restoration at Vere Lancia, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/42763286@N07/ on their flickr page. Amazing to see the lightweight frame.

Lee

They do some great stuff, but OH the prices! :'(

Brian
8227 8)

 i remember seeing WLC536X on the classic marathon as pictured in the hands of jeremy hall[late 80s?]but i was not aware of the car being anything other than a rally prepared alluminium s1 sport.the next time i came across it the car was offered for sale along with the ex-jolly club fanalone [c£4000 each,both for restoration] which is still in circulation i think, having been restored in kent at the same time as my sport. an impressive restoration/recreation of a competizione looking at the pics.i hope to see it sometime for a closer look.

The kamm tail is interesting.

Anyone know why the handbrake has a dog leg?

...and a link for those yet to write to Santa...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zagato-Fulvia-Sport-Competizione-Stella/dp/8879112554/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261582536&sr=8-1

David

to provide clearance for something?seat perhaps in LHD configeration?

I have been following Vere Lancia's website with interest, just trying to keep the Fulvia Sport section of Peter Pompilii's Zagato Register up-to-date.
WLC 536X was bought from Jeremy Hall in 2001 by Neale Shepherd, and was one of the four all alloy shells/cars that he sold to Vere Lancia in April 2007.
Although in very poor condition, I understand that the original steel work was repaired, converted to LHD and became the car finished in pale blue/dark grey satin that was marketed as "Competizione R", No.1 of 4.  Earlier this year the car was sold to Spain, and is now appearing on a trade site in Leida, Spain at a price of €55000.

From memory, I think I recall reading that the handbrake mechanism had been converted to a hydraulic system, with the button activating the lock position - a la 'fly-off'.

The satin grey bare skeleton shell which shows all the lightening holes, etc. does present a bit of a mystery to me.   It is a RHD shell - via bulkhead views and also windscreen wiper spindle holes, but apparently is not the RHD steel bodied car that was also sold at the same time by Neale (RPN 359G 818.333.2742).   I do not know its chassis number, and would dearly love to, just for the records.   If anyone does, please get in touch.

Great book and a welcome addition to any Lancia collection ;D


Brian
8227 8)

santa already brought mine a few years ago...very good.

Roddy, Is there somewhere we can access the zagato register? I've tried a search for a website but can't seem to turn anything up.
Tony.

Hello Tony

Unfortunately, in a word, 'No'.   In the early part of 2000, Peter Pompilii stopped issuing the Register as a printed copy and made it a PDF download from the web (pass-word protected).   The full membership at that time was in 3 downloads, which I had successfully printed off.   The website was extant for a number of years after Peter's death in 2000, but finally his widow had to close the site because of recurring charges.   A subsequent change of computer had me inadvertently wiping two of the downloads and loosing them;  so I have never been able to reproduce the original Register.   My work of recent years has been expanding an appendix that Peter started, to make it a stand-alone document, but limited to Fulvia Sports only.   It is in a Applemac application that does not convert successfully to a format that can be sent through the web as an attachment (looses its format and colour).   Hard copies can be issued, but they extend to about 25 pages A4, of known Registration and Identified chassis numbers.

Is that the ex David Jacobs' Sport as marketed by Renown Classics, I spot?

Regards - Roddy

Hi Roddy,
Correct, I bought it almost a year ago and love it. I've been meaning to rebuild the engine this year but been too busy at work so hoping to get it done in the next couple of months, I also managed to get a full set of original steel wheels and had them refurbed in black which look fantastic with the white car and black bonnet stripe, certainly better than the 2000hf alloys that keep being fitted to Fulvia's which I think look awful.
I just wanted the car to be logged with the Zagato register ifat all possible, may be it already is?
Tony.

Tony,

I wonder to what extent those alloys make the cars in the photos below look so awful?

Colin

Hi Colin,
They look hideous, the only cromodoras that look right on a Fulvia Sport or Coupe are the proper offset ones fitted as standard to the 1600 HF, my 2000 wheels were painted grey which made them look even worse before I had them refurbed in silver, but now as I said, the car looks fantastic sitting on an original set of steels finished in gloss black with the chrome centre caps, maybe next time I come up to the ace cafe we'll put them side by side to compare, it is however in my opinion only.
Cheers,
Tony.
ps if you know anyone that wants to buy a nice set of four cromodora alloys for a Fulvia.......  ;)

"One mans meat is another mans poison","Each to his Own" etc etc, personally I think black alloy wheels on anything look rubbish, and I can't say I'm that keen on the colour with steel wheels, although it depends on the car and it's body colour but that's my personal opinion, which I believe I'm quite entitled to hold without being slagged off for it, as is anyone else.
It would certainly be a far duller world if we all liked the same things.
Can we have a photo of these fantastic wheels please.

Brian
8227 8)

PS, How much are you asking for these terrible wheels ;D

Yes Vere Lancia have made some great looking cars. PVDB tells some very interesting car stories - some were printed in Viva Lancia a couple of years ago. If you get any work done abroad remember the exchange rate (almost £1 to 1 Euro), Dutch VAT and get EVERYTHING in writing.  Even under EU law you may not get all your parts back if things go awry. VL are great for body work and fun ideas but some of their mechanical work has been found wanting in the past.

I'm with Colin on the Chromodoras, although I do think Fulvia Sports look better with the 1600HF alloys, but you do need to bend up the lip of the rear arch and fit HF front suspension to stop the tyres rubbing the body.
Here's a pic of my old 1600 Sport GKO 870L although for most of my ownership it had the reg No YAA 10. I think it is now the car owned by Daniel Wiedemann and mentioned in this months VL Adriatic Rally article. It had a cream leather interior, it was like this from new.

Sorry, seem to have taken us off topic,
Brian, I'll take some pic's and post them up for everyone to admire when I get the car out next lol! Black alloys DO bring to mind all the 'Barry boys' with their 1.0 saxo's and huge black wheels worth more than the car! I just think the black gloss steels look right on the car with the white body and black bonnet stripe and fur interior, I'm not too sure how they would look with any other colour though. As for the alloys I was going to put them on e-bay, i've only got the four all with centre caps £250? they aren't mint but presentable as i had them painted about 6 months ago.
Sorry if it sounded like I was slagging Colins cars, I wasn't, (just the wheels) tee hee!
Just my humour! ;D
Tony.

Well gentlemen ( and ladies if reading ) , some very interesting comments on Zagato , especially on wheels, and as you have all said everybody has a preferance to colours and types of wheels, as fitted to their own cars, and as long as you are happy with your car that is the way it should be.
However I just would like to say something about another comment and again we all have our own opinions and no doubt we have all had good and bad experiences from garages and so called experts. I have a 1600 HF from 1972 which has an engine in it built by VERELANCIA to the specification that I wanted,( as I am an engineer and have sorted many cars over the years, but I do not have access to milling machines/ lathes and so on to do some of this work myself) right down to the last nut and bolt, and that is how it was done.  I went over to Holland to see Paul and discuss with him before he even saw my engine and to meet him , and as soon as I met him and saw his work shop and cars that was GOOD enough for me.It may have been a bit expensive but as I was 100% happy with what was delivered, then the price was not a problem. In fact that engine had 100 miles on it, before I drove the car from Oban to Turin in September 2006, and it was WELL driven all the way and never missed a beat.
However, this same engine had been built twice by so called Lancia Fulvia experts ( in the UK ) who claimed to know everything about them, and still the engine was POOR, I have driven 1300 Fulvias with more go in them. I am not here to put down or build up people, as I am sure we all have good and bad stories to tell about people, and we should all be happy about keeping our cars on the road.
Best regards, Ian Mcinnes.

hi ian, nice to see you on here, i can vouch for your engine as i remember you showing it me in turin , it sounded really nice and was built to a really high standard, neither of us had much luck with brakes on that trip though did we but what a trip, get some pictures of your cars up on here i'm looking forward to seeing your zagato project, all the best james

Still off-topic I am afraid!

Well I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder, but I am surprised to read of ‘look awful’ and ‘look hideous’ when applied to any combination of Fulvia and wheels!

In my humble opinion all the options of wheels for all the variants of Fulvia are simply great, particularly when matched to the correct model variant. For sure, some are more beautiful than others and my personal list of preferences is:

Campagnolo
Cromodora 6J as fitted to 1600 HF Coupe
Cromodora 5.5J as fitted to 2000HF
S1 Steel, with large stainless hub caps and stainless rim-trims
S2 Steel with small centre cap.

As to the choice between 6J and 5.5J Cromodoras. For the first few years I ran my S1 Sport on 6Js. Although it looked good (see photo below taken by Adam Jefferson) I was tempted to try some 5.5Js and using the same 175/R/14 tyres I found a significant improvement in handling. With the 6Js the ride was somewhat harsh and lumpy - although I do have HF lower wishbones and wasn’t bothered about wheels fouling the wings. With the narrower 5.5Js the car is much more civilised and within my limits is still capable of track-day pleasure.

Colin

Edited two hours later: Sorry, forgot to add: Happy New Year!!!!

Colin

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !

TONY.

Happy new year to all sport drivers!

I concur with Colin on wheels as I too like the 6j's on both the sport and coupe but for the delicate handling of the sport (mine's a 1600 with HF suspension) the 5.5j's are the more effective. My 1600 HF is set up for the track with lowered front and Koni's etc so 6j's and a small steering wheel make for a completely different drive....

Best for 2010 and many good driving miles. Anyone up for the Great North Weekend??

Tim

as mentioned elsewhere i have fitted flavia 2000 steel wheels with enlarged centre holes to my s1 sport [standard wheel arches]5Jx 14 with 175 tyres which i am more than happy with in cost/ fit/clearance/appearance.they are painted silver with no hubcaps[still need one more hubcap if any body has one for sale]best regards richard

I think it’s time to remember that we do have in the UK at least one genuine original Competizione – specifically the car owned by Neale Shepherd. And what a wonderful thing it is! Here below are photos of it taken at the 2009 AGM. Rumour has it that since then the engine has been fitted with a blower.

Colin

Wonderful details on that car.  I'd assumed it was a recent labour of love to get it to that spec.  Did the originals have the hatch mechanism or is that a retro fit?

My favorites remain the road spec S1s on the narrow tyres with hubcaps.  Also the large wheel and "grandfather clock pendulum" gear lever.

David

marvelous pics! where can i find one of those front number plate surrounds as pictured on the road spec s1?best regards richard

Hi Colin, It's not a rumour, it's a fact, If you look carefully, below the air filter you can just make out the body of the blower, in this recent photo from Neale  ;D

Brian
8227 8)

Must admit I'm with you 100% on the series 1 Fulvia Coupe with the 4 speed box and the long gear lever, it was so sturdy you could have used it as a pry bar! lovely to drive, I see you had a Rallye Coupe S, did you have the chrome rings? as I can just make out the studs on the wheel rim, I think they set the wheels off very nicely.
Photo was Brooklands about 1998.

Brian 8227 8)

Some more pics of a lovely early car.

http://www.eddinsmoto.com/id106.htm

David

I've read the comments on Fulvia wheels with interest, and I think that several options have received little mention, the 13" and 14" "works" type Campagnola wheels (5.5 and 6") and the 13" x 5.5" steel wheels that were available as period items.  Both of these look nice on the Fulvia Sport, and the steel wheels give the car a rather nice squat appearance, but are relatively heavy.

In addition regarding Roddys comments about the unknown RHD shell at Vere Lancia, it could just be a steel S1 car devoid of clothes, and possibly Paul has used the 1200 alloy body on it, this is a viable but involved route to getting an alloy shell on a steel car. Paul bought a steel car from me when he bought the three alloy cars.

The supercharger on the competizione works quite well, this is mounted on a 1500 engine (1600 block etc with nitrided 1300 crank using BDA narrow journal big ends) that in naturally aspirated form gave better performance than the standard 1600 HF engine the car had for a while. Coupled with a set of Bacci Romano close ratio gears (great ratios but B noisy) the car pulls quite well, but a rolling road session is needed to finalise carb settings (suck through Weber 48IDF) to improve the pick-up in top gear.  I hope it will deliver about the power of a variante 1016 fanalone when it is sorted out. The next option might be to try the blower on a bigger engine or blow harder!  Meanwhile the brakes are dire, so some new period calipers may be the answer as the Dunlop units are great if you use the car a lot but can get grumpy if not in frequent use. 

Regarding Vere Lancia Paul is about to try a 2 litre fulvia engine, so this should be an interesting developement if a success.  Neale