introduction

[Peter Ratcliffe]

Hello Id like to introduce myself. My name is Peter Ratcliffe. Im 71, retired a few years ago after a career  of 32 years as a restorer of prewar cars--mostly MG and Riley. I have two 1939 Aprilias and a daily driver Fulvia as well as several other unusual cars. Although Ive owned the Aprilias for around 20 years, Im only now getting around to serious restoration.  One is hand painted white and is sound, but bodged up horribly. It does run. The other is blue, very original ,but needing new floors and sills.With this car ,came the remains of six others, so I have a sizeable stock of spares, among which are several boxes of new items.
         Im at a very early stage of these restorations and at the moment just doing research on what is going on in the Aprilia home restoration field. Im in Louth Lincolnshire.I would much appreciate any guidance/contacts with like minded individuals.

[Raahauge]

Peter, welcome to the clan.
I am in N Gloucestershire, so not local, but have just been through a series two that we bought last year and which is now on the road.
I would be delighted to share any experiences I have.
This forum is excellent for help and advice, and any reports on progress would be of general interest although ashamedly I have not been active in that respect.
Best wishes.
Mike

[davidwheeler]

Yes, welcome to the Apriliaisti (and others!).   You will find a lot of useful information in the technical information only thread.
                            Apristi?
                            Sapristi!

[Peter Ratcliffe]

Thanks for your welcomes. Id like to start by asking how do I identify precisely what Ive got. Both cars were registered in August 1939 . I have buff log books that give chassis numbers of  38/10052 and 38/9711 Both are uk spec. with chromed flat blade bumpers. In my spares I have both round and square instruments and two types of front axle---do these correspond to S1 and S2 ? Do S1 andS2 engines differ only in bore size or are there other more fundamental differences?  I have hundreds of other questions but Id better stop there.

[CesareFerrari]

Greetings Peter. My 1938 Aprilia is in good working order and on the road. I live in west London. I cannot offer technical advice, only moral support aplenty. My car will be on the club stand at the London Classic Car Show at Syon on 25th to 27th June.
To other Aprilia owners, it would be nice to find an occasion to bring a few cars together at some time when conditions allow.
More generally, it would be good to try to raise the profile of the Aprilia again, which, having been central to the Lancista enthusiasm, second only to the Lambda and on a par with the Aurelia, seems to me now to be rather overlooked.

[simonandjuliet]

Hi, with my Aprilia Advisor hat on, welcome to the Forum !

I received an email from "Emma" on a very similar subject, and have replied with my phone number - if that's you, please do give me a call.
If it isn't , give me a call anyway ! If you send me a pm I will let you have my phone number

Good luck with your restorations, if someone hasn't already said, they sound like S1 saloons, may be lusso but that is often marked by an L on the I/d plate, but not always
They should be 1350cc and the engine number will confirm this. 97 .... = 1350, 99..... = 1500cc

Square instruments, depending on colour, are either S1 Lusso (grey ish) or S2 (ivory)

Axles - generally, "T" section beam = S1 and "I" section S2. Over the years the ends can be changed so it's not always easy to say 100% S1 or S2

[davidwheeler]

1938 instruments are round.  Series II are square.
The series II engine has larger bore and longer stroke.   I have a series I engine bored out to take weries II Nardi "high compression" pistons with domed heads which compensates for the longer stroke (it is only a fe mm)  I think the bore angle is slightly different too but would not swear to that.    Early series I front axle pillars are thinner than later series I which are close to series II.   I don't think there are many of the early axles about (though I may have one in my spares).  The series II is preferable.   I'll check the engine differences tomorrow in my owners' handbooks.

[Peter Ratcliffe]

Thank you all for your input. Im gradually piecing together an idea of what I have.  The white car was manufactured April 1939 , registered August 39 and is a standard series1. The blue car which I bought from a man called Albert Mead ,was also first registered in August 1939, but is about 300 chassis numbers earlier, so is probably also a series 1. This car has square instruments. It may however had some changes to spec. during its 82 years.
     Mr Mead had seven Aprilias between 1945 and 1973. My car was the last one. As each one died, he chopped it up, kept the best bits and moved onto thenext one. I have an Aprilia instruction book , in which he has written the reg. numbers and chassis numbers of five of these seven cars, two 1938 models , two 1939 models and a 1948model.. I have no idea how many parts from these cars are now on my car.---more detective work needed.

[davidwheeler]

Series 1 72mm bore, 83mm stroke, 1352cc max 4,000 rpm  47bhp  12.9 hp
Series 2 74.61mm bore, 85mm stroke, 1486cc max 4,300 rpm 48bhp   5.75: 1 compression   13.9 hp
Nothing about V angle, that must be earlier/later Lambdas.