Lancia Motor Club

Virtually the last piece of my restoration of SYR13F bought from club member nearly 2 years ago.

We tried to make the hood separately from the old skin allowing for shrinkage (well my trimmer lady tried) while I worked on the car. Big mistake! Even with a generous allowance it was still 2" short around the back and sides. So after that false start I left the car with my trimmer to correctly size the hood. I also added a couple of "extras" not on the original hood, so the design process was a bit protracted.

A couple of weeks ago I picked my car up with the hood skin. It was down to me and Sarah to fit it. Never done anything like this before so what could go wrong. Well actually not as much as we thought. We had been told to start at the front and work back applying tension as we went but releasing tension at each stage to to get the panels in the right location. The 2 extras were a zip out rear window and extra rain deflector flaps over the side pop studs. Both expertly executed by the trimmer.

So today it was finished and we must say we are rather pleased. But will not be doing it again thank you!

Well done both, rather you than me  :o

Looks lovely - well done !

Is the roof lining done in patchwork ?

Just to clarify my trimmer lady is not my patch work quilt lady......at the moment there is no lining not even patchwork.... it may just stay that way as you only put the hood up when its raining...

Looks good Tim, well done

Tim, do you hire the car out under the Club tools scheme? I fancy a cruise around Italy in it. Ten quid deposit of course.

To you Stan.... well let me see... Sorry the answer is no. I am already hiring to my able assistant for an unscheduled picnic, and it may well also feature in the upcoming FFFEAR!

Why is the Flavia steering so much lighter than a Fulvia?????

Not all Fulvias have the same steering.  Are both yours on wide tyres with negative camber?  There's also the size of the steering wheel.

not wide tyres - both 165.... maybe its the HF suspension geometry which has a bit of neg camber. Maybe smaller steering wheel too so David you go to the top of the class! Still amazing ly different with not very radical changes.

That's a lovely car Tim.
What's it like to drive, compared to say a Fulvia?

Thanks. We have just used it to drive from Colchester to Somerset so I can give some views on how it drives. Firstly it would be wrong to compare with the Fulvia coupe which I know very well. It is a bigger car so aybe compares to the Fulvia Berlina better but I cannot comment as I have only briefly driven a Berlina some years ago. This Vignale is fuel injected Kuglefischer which is more powerful and different engine characteristics than the carb version. It is suited to A / B road driving and is fast. A bit ponderous to start but when on the move it is a real pleasure. Very easy to cruise at illegal speeds with the hood up or down.very comfortable to with the supple Flavia ride this chassis was famous for. I have a few niggles to resolve after this shake down trip but that was to be expected. Summary - very nice to drive, and the hood was well behaved too.

Brilliant Tim, I am so pleased that you have her on the road.

                                 Andy

Many moons ago, we, as a family of 4 drove down to Brittany in my dads Vignale and a boot full of luggage, me and my sister were in the back as we were about 10 and 12 at the time, i can always remember coming off the M4 at junction 7a i think for Maidenhead , and dad going round the outside of the slower cars on the exit slip,which if you know it the bend tightens all the way round. Happy days