Aprilia Diary

[lancialulu]

Don't understand why either front or back door cannot be opened or shut independent of each other

OVS does it Ok....

[Scarpia]

with new seals they are quite stiff sometimes.

[chugga boom]

my dads gussy is like that because of new seals where as my seals are "older" and dont work as well new seals are bit like a bathroom plunger suction and the back doors on my dads car feel like if you were to open them without opening the front 1st you would probably snap the alloy door handle off doing it 

[simonandjuliet]

Having had a rear door open inadvertently on YRV, I would prefer not to repeat it ! Not going quickly so not too much damage ....

I am sure Colin will have a photo of an Aprilia using "air brakes", I remember seeing one somewhere, but is was not an uncommon occurrence, especially on series 1 cars with the early catches 

I recall Paul Bishop telling me a story about a trip where his passenger was asleep and leaning against a front door. When on a sharp corner the seat, which wasn't bolted down, was half way out before said passenger was retrieved !

YRV was a bit more tired than PGY, even 30 years ago, the doors did not fit as well and the pins were worn. I used YRV everyday for several years and got into the habit of closing the doors "correctly". So I still do all I can to minimise the risk especially when I have a youngster who still likes to play with everything despite requests to desist.

So, I can still open the rear doors first but prefer not to and I don't want to break those beautiful handles either

[lancialulu]

Ben has fitted a little shed clasp across his doors to more than prevent accidental opening. It wasn't something with new cars, only when they got older and weakened in chassis through corrosion and pin hinge and catch department. If the car is strong this should not be a problem even now but better safe than sorry especially when family is being transported.

Tim

[peterbaker]

We took off over a hump on the Classic Marathon in Norway and a rear door of the Appia flew open. It frightened the life out of me.

[ColinMarr]

I am pleased to say that I never experienced rear doors flying open on my Aprilia, but it must have been a worry because I do remember rebuilding the curved-taper door latch pins by having them Stellite welded and then grinding back to shape.

The only photo I have of my Aprilia with doors open is below. This was at a picnic stop on the way back from southern Spain in 1967. Seems like yesterday …

Colin

[ben]

I have had my rear doors fly open a few times over the past 40+ years and have the dents in the rear quarter panel to prove it! The reason has usually been that they were not shut properly. The inside handles are prone to sticking in the open position so although the door seems to be shut it isn't necessarily properly latched.
The shed latches were fitted many years ago to give my wife confidence.She landed in the road after some spirited cornering in my Morris 8 tourer when she was still young and impressionable (but fortunately flexible enough to absorb the impact!) I have never lost a passenger from the Aprilia. With the rear doors the air-brake effect blows one back in!

[Sliding Pillar]

Great photo Colin.

I never had the doors open whilst driving my Aprilia, but I was a passenger in one when the front door sprung open!

[simonandjuliet]

Firstly, I must point out that I am not being paid by the Languedoc tourist board, however I thought I'd share a real jewel of a village here in the south. It's an ideal short stop if you are heading down to the Med or Northern Spain via the A75, it is about 100kms south of the Millau viaduct near Clermont l'Herault.

Villeneuvette is an "industrial village" started in the 1600's to make cloth for export in an attempt to snatch back some of the market from the English and Dutch. For me the really interesting bits were the "hydraulics" or the ground works and aqueducts which collected and channeled the water from a river and ground source up the valley. There is a short 3km walk around the area, largely in the shade.

It is a bit like Port Sunlight (Lord Lever of Unilever fame) in that the owners provided healthcare and schooling for the workers who lived in houses on the site however a strict work code was enforced!

A charming and tranquil place that even has a couple of restos ......

More info on http://pat.hernandez.pagesperso-orange.fr/villeneuvettevisite.htm

Loads of other brilliant places around there as well - maybe I should work for the tourist board

We had an excellent couple of days, sans enfant, walking, eating and drinking in the Montpeyroux area and the only problem was the shedding of a hubcap, which disappeared over the edge of a ravine never to be seen again ...... good job I bought those hubcaps on eBay last week !

Finally , how about the no entry sign - what is it really suggesting ?

[fay66]

Simon,
A favourite of mine although I haven't been for about 10 years is La Couvertoirade about 40kms south of Millau also off the A75, Lovely KnightsTemplar walled Village with Templar headstone in the churchyard, until the motorway was opened you used to reach it via Millau climbing out of the Valley on the D809, then the D185 that used to climb up through wildflower meadows, well worth a visit if you haven't already been.
Back in the early 1990's spent a fair bit of time canoeing the French Rivers including the Tarn.

Brian
8227

[ColinMarr]

I know some of those roads too - particularly going east from Clermont and Lodeve up the Herault towards the Cirque de Navacelle. I can just imagine winding down the windows of an Aprilia so as better to enjoy the sound of the barking exhaust echoing off the stone walls!

Colin

[davidwheeler]

Those are original Italian drive shafts.  I rebuilt mine with needle roller bearing sets from my local bearing shop.  Cannot remember the details now, it was many years ago but I see no reason why it should not still be possible should it become necessary.  It was not difficult.

[simonandjuliet]

Just back from the Rallye des Corbieres in S of France, organised by Lancia Club France and it was an excellent do !

This was Mathilda's first proper Lancia outing and she was chief navigator because my wife was in the UK for the weekend. I strapped her onto the front seat using webbing so if we did have any inadvertent door opening, I wouldn't deposit our only child on the tarmac !

She is 7 and coped ably with roadbook, indicators and windscreen wiper duties

The turnout was good with a lovely selection of Fulvias - 3 Zagatos (all with bumpers removed) several coupés including a Fanalone, 4 or 5 Flavia/2000's a couple of Betas (very nice 1300 sedan) Deltas, new and old , Thesis , (348 Ferrari), a delightful Appia Convertible and Mike Jennings in a modern non-Lancia - sorry Mike !

As you would expect in France the food was excellent and the visits to the Cathar castles were a highlight. We scaled the giddy heights of Chateau de Puilaurens and then the following day, shouted in faux French voices from the top of the Python-esque Tour d'Arques - "Ze Holy Grail - vee alreddy av won". Interestingly , all our French friends know these sketches as well as we do....

The Rallye ended at the wonderful wine domaine of "La Baronne" - a completely different scale to our own efforts ! The owner who is a member of LCF, prepared a fantastic feast to finish the Rallye, an enormous paella that took 4 people to carry, washed down with a lovely vermentino/granache blanc  and their classic Corbières reds.

Great weekend !

PS Aprilia did 400kms without missing a beat, just used a drop of water on the steep climb to Puilaurens in 30 + degree heat

[lancialulu]

Looked like a lot of fun.
OVS is off tomorrow for her inaugural Sliding Pillar Rally. 145 miles to the starting point. Should be OK. Fingers crossed we dont get blown away with this lovely weather...Finally the clock is working