aprilia berlina photo's needed

[chugga boom]

just about to start on one of the aprilia's , its a 1st series berlina and we need pictures of the engine bay and bulkhead area so we know what it should look like, the other 2 cars we have are lusso's so very different around that area so we have nothing to go off, any help appriciated,

[ColinMarr]

Chugga,

This picture might be useful. Green with envy!

Colin

[chugga boom]

yes brilliant colin thankyou, i could also do with some from the opposite direction looking at the maintanance plates and wiper motor area if anyone has some??

[ben]

Hi Chugga
              Glad to hear you are starting on an Aprilia.
              Suggest you contact Graham Aylett for underbonnet detail.He wrote an article on the subject for the LMC Journal (Spring 1969) which included a good photo.I could photo-copy it and post to you if you are still stuck.Also I will try to post some pictures of mine (if I ever work out how!) Mine is unfortunately missing its battery box cover and has a round regulator on the dynamo instead of a rectangular one but is otherwise all original all-be-it somewhat scruffy.
              Does your car have a resevoir for topping up the front suspension? Early cars didn't and overall have a very neat appearance.Also they did not have a strut from the cam cover to the top of the rad. which isn't necessary if the rad mounts are lined up properly.
              Similarly (arguably!) unnecessary mods seen on many cars nowadays are thermostats in the top hose,modified plug connectors,electric fuel pumps and modern oil filters.
             If your Dad wants a challenge one thing I have never seen working on an Aprilia is the automatic control of the radiator shutters. The wax(?) thermostat screwed into the top of the radiator is invariably duff.
                 Happy spannering (or should that be hammering?)
                                                                                        Ben
                                         

[fay66]

Is the radiator thermostat similar to the Fulvia Series 1 Berlina as fitted to my 2c? as these can still be found on ebay from time to time.

Brian
8227

[chugga boom]

thanks for the reply, noel sent me some really good pics of various cars in oz, i think i've got enough to go off for the time being but if any more pics are to hand then "you can never have too many!!" its an early car without the oil resevoir for the axle, pretty sure he will sort the shutters , he's very particular with that kind of thing   , we will more than likely need more detail photo's of other areas as we go along as we are both a little blind as to how it all goes together, the car is just a bare shell at the moment, hopefully we will be checking all the panels for fitment on saturday, then sunday removing front and rear suspension so it can go for glass blasting on monday, i will start another thread up either over or after the weekend so you can see whats wrong yourselves, car seems to be solid however some of the repairs are ok but not correct if you know what i meen, thankyou all for your replies, james

[chugga boom]

Our bulkhead..................not groovy!!!!!!! 

[Scarpia]

I suspect the radiator shutters are fairly low on the priority list at the moment but I posted the Ken West article in the appia (and aprilia sections on this subject (how to repair the wax cylinder) and also how to use a cable to manually operate)

Like Ben said , once a car is running the main challenge is often undoing the decades of now surplus adaptions to get back to original purpose. I also don't feel the need to run a modern oil filter.I had to remanufacture the housing for my thermostat but it remains in the same position (with extra take offs for the heater and sender).Where you actually place the temperature sender is really more the point in order to have the most useful information and once you have this its interesting to be able to operate the radiator shutters by hand in my opinion.
I think the point is to aim for an original look but with practical and discreet mods if required to compensate for 60 years of progress and a cool climate in the UK.....

If you do happen to remanufacture or manage to repair the fuel guage (or find a practical modern alternative) let me know as the last attempt advertised was asking several thousand euros as I recall......

[Andy M-M]

Looks like another great project, maybe you will inspire me to get cracking again.
Meanwhile, here are a few photo`s of the late Rodney Wilkinsons series 1.

[rogerelias]

My old Aprilia that i did,nt have for long (health reasons then, that i regret selling now) was reg EGH 333, and my dads old Aprilia was EGH 387, small world   one day you never know

[fay66]

Looks like another great project, maybe you will inspire me to get cracking again.
Meanwhile, here are a few photo`s of the late Rodney Wilkinsons series 1.

Now that's what you called restricted working room!
Good point is at least it's covered.

Brian
8227

[chugga boom]

thanks andy every photo helps!! 

[ColinMarr]

Andy,

I am intrigued by your photos of EGH 335. When were these taken?

Here below is a photo of the same ex-Rodney Wilkinson car at the Covent Garden event in 2007. Lovely man, lovely car!

Colin

[chugga boom]

i remember seeing this car in london and was absolutly drooling over it!! the colour suites it well all be it a little modern for the car

[Andy M-M]

Hi Colin, it was taken in about mid 2000 as the tax disc may suggest.
He always tried to keep it on the road if he could manage it.
I think the only time I recall it not being on the road, was when the engine was out.
Also with his bad knee it was more easier to drive than the fulvia.
I thought I would take these pictures for my project. glad I did now!