ardea pickup.........THING!

[DavidLaver]

The middle picture is the one I'm puzzled by - is that a 16in wheel on the back but with a different tyre?   The wheel/tyre on the front looks like it belongs, the one on the back like a space saver.   

I'm going to have to look at "normal" ones a little harder to get my head round it.

While I accept its a promotional vehicle, and I'm not your target customer, I'm thinking of those "vintage" vans with tiny wheels that just look wrong and if anything put me off rather than encourage me to look out a business.  Almost as bad as those vintage wedding cars based on a transit.  I'd look up some pictures but I've only just had breakfast.

In contrast something like an ex-GPO Moggie van on correct crossplies looks a treat and would have me following it and working out where it called home.  Whatever wheels and tyres this WILL be an eyecatcher.  If it was an Astra then a bit of bling and something special paint-wise would be essential to make it stick out but this will draw the eye whatever.

Thinking about it - if the idea is to pull in the "aftermarket alloy" customers really you should put your current stock on it.  The van then becomes the catwalk model and if people like what they see you can sell them the same.

I've printed a B&W photo now.  See if it grows on me...
David

[fay66]

Thanks James,
the de -blinged wheels work ok for me.

Brian
8227

[DavidLaver]

...something else that occured to me today is that I'm a big fan of steel wheels so there's a knee jerk reaction at the thought let alone actually looking.  For example I prefer an early Fulvia on steel wheels.  I don't like Aurelias on alloy wheels.  At the 2009 AGM I enjoyed seeing a W123 Mercedes estate still on steel wheels with its body colour hubcaps, I can picture it still.

These days everything, modern and classic, seems to have alloy wheels.   Steel has become the unusual choice rather than the austerity option.

So I'm predudiced 

David

[fay66]

...something else that occured to me today is that I'm a big fan of steel wheels so there's a knee jerk reaction at the thought let alone actually looking.  For example I prefer an early Fulvia on steel wheels.  I don't like Aurelias on alloy wheels.  At the 2009 AGM I enjoyed seeing a W123 Mercedes estate still on steel wheels with its body colour hubcaps, I can picture it still.

These days everything, modern and classic, seems to have alloy wheels.   Steel has become the unusual choice rather than the austerity option.

So I'm predudiced 


David

Know what you mean David as I generally prefer Steel wheels, but I think we have to give Chugga a bit of leeway on this, as it's going to be like no Ardea that ever left the Lancia Factory

Brian
8227

[fay66]

James,
Just spotted these and wodered if they were of interest.
Bit pricy but if I remember correctly they are of the rocking horse doo doo variety.


http://cgi.ebay.it/4-Cerchi-Fergat-Lancia-Augusta-Aprilia-Ardea-Wheels-nw-/280450345054?pt=Ricambi_automobili&hash=item414c24a85e

Brian
8227

[chugga boom]

thanks brian, they look like standard 400mm ardea rims, they would be way too skinny as i think they are under a 4inch rim + the price  , take into concideration that i paid £148 for the set of alloys!!!! and approx £100 worth of machining to fit ........BARGAIN!! i've always got the origional wheels that i can use however i want this too really stand out as an advert, so i think its gonna be bling for wrexham and steelies for the agm  , even my dad has grown to like them now, he's of the same opinion that he preferes steelies but atleast the brm/speedwells are period , however he did say i'd been watching a little too much Boyd Coddington lately ,anyway back to important stuff, hoping to finish off the tunnel and engine bay this weekend, dummy engine is now out and i'm going to fit a propper (correct weight) engine this weekend and start making sure everything else around it ie columb + manifolds fit, wish me luck

[JohnMillham]

James,
Just spotted these and wodered if they were of interest.
Bit pricy but if I remember correctly they are of the rocking horse doo doo variety.


http://cgi.ebay.it/4-Cerchi-Fergat-Lancia-Augusta-Aprilia-Ardea-Wheels-nw-/280450345054?pt=Ricambi_automobili&hash=item414c24a85e

8227

I'd love them. It's just the price which is putting me off! Thanks for pointing them out.
 Regards, John

[DavidLaver]

My next defence of steel wheels was going to be "what about using it to promote your business at classic car shows" but it sounds as if you've got that option covered...unless the car is modified in such a way to prevent that.

Now what about the paint - purple with a sparkle that shifts to green as you walk round it?

David

[chugga boom]

My next defence of steel wheels was going to be "what about using it to promote your business at classic car shows" but it sounds as if you've got that option covered...unless the car is modified in such a way to prevent that.

Now what about the paint - purple with a sparkle that shifts to green as you walk round it?

David

hmmmmm now theres a thought  , flames too , what about flames and spinners for the wheels, i wonder if sliding pillar can convert to air bags  , i think i'll stick to the colour i've chosen lol,be fair its not like i'm pimping my ride (keeping that for another project i have , full blown hotrod),  biggest problem with the 16's is its going to be "over geared" and id end up going everywhere in 3rd!! 15inch appia wheels would be better but try and get some!! as rare as aurelia wheels if not rarer, my s2 appia onbly came with 3x15" wheels and trying to get 2 more was a nightmare only s1/2 appias had them and most were rolled rim

[chugga boom]

Back to serious stuff again, i've spent my time getting the engine and mounts to fit propperly and used a full weight engine this time to make the engine mounts compress so that i could gain as much room as possible for the inlet manifold and distributer, anyway i succeeded!!! by moving the engine another 25mm forward and moving the rad it all goes in and clears, next i made up brackets and welded them into place for the floor change as the tunnel i had was for a columb shift and very different to a floor change tunnel, i've also had to move the handbrake back and cant understand why it was origionally fitted so far forward, next was to start making a dummy tunnel/cover to cover up the gear linkage etc before trimming, i'm waiting for a new tool to arrive this week to finish the job off, i've bought an air planisher which shoud get more curvature into the panel and make it a better fit, i've welded the piece i chopped out of the inner wing for carb clearance back in and been cleaning up the extra welds that it now has and most of the bulk head is now seem welded, last job tonight was fitting the doors propperly and sorting out the knackered theads in the A posts for the hinges , moving the door striker pin brackets so the doors would latch correctly, sort out the latches out in the doors so that they work and finally go from top to bottom on the B posts with a cutting disk in the grinder (whilst doors were shut) to get a reasonable door gap, so slowely and surely its coming along but still a long way off!!!

[chugga boom]

more

[chugga boom]

more

[DavidLaver]

Snug !!

David

[chugga boom]

WORK HAS RECOMMENCED!!  basically i'm cutting out the front axle mounts at the moment, both are heavilly stress cracked and bent! the truck has had a hell of a smack at some point and the mounts have moved and broken up, i'm also moving the axle mounts up an inch to in affect lower the car to standard aprilia height,and then i will be altering the amount of leafs in the rear springs to lower the back down to match , bodywork is also in progress with my apprentice making a start on the filler work once again, i aim to have it back on its wheels , straight and in prima in the next 6 weeks ....... we shall see

[chugga boom]

Some photo's of chassis leg work that i'm doing at the moment and the spacers my dad has made to move the axle mount up, its alittle more substansial than the origional but i never want to do this repair again!!