The Portuguese Aurelia B12 .....and so the journey begins..........

[the.cern]

As you say Frank, oil everywhere ..... still, you can now put that right permanently!!!

Regarding Niels' point, I will try to find a photograph of the pressure plate from my car ..... the pressure plate is, well I think the easiest way to describe it is, something like a brake disc!! The disc is between 6 and 10mm thick if I remember correctly. The plate on mine, far from being concave was convex, having been machined down to less than 3mm thick at the edge!!! Fortunately I have been able to obtain another complete clutch!!!

Frank it is great to see that you are getting at it! We will overcome .... eventually!!!!

                                          Andy

[Parisien]

Thanks Andy and Niels, will get my mechanic to run his eye over and use a steel ruler or what ever works best to ensure said flatness, plus what is the normal thickness for the pressure plate or is anything between 6-10mms thick acceptable?

P

[chriswgawne]

I cant give you the full answer on the amount which can be skimmed off both friction surfaces but if too much is removed the clutch springs wont be able to do their job even with washers behind them resulting in clutch slip.
Its not the easiest things to get a small batch of longer springs made particularly as the inners and outers are wound in different directions to avoid binding!
Chris

[Parisien]

Thanks Chris, so the minimum or acceptable thickness they'd need to have?

P

[chriswgawne]

Having spent some time trying to sort out clutch parts for an Aurelia owner in the last couple of weeks, Niels' point about flatness of the pressure surfaces is well made.
I found several where the outer edge 'fell away'  - i.e the outer 15mm or so seemed to have worn by more than the area inside this circumference. No real idea why and easily rectified by a light skim but not easy to see particularly on the clutch component - Part 11 in TAV27 - with the pressure surface on the inside bottom.
Chris

[Sebastien]

Frank,
Thank you for the article on your car in this month's Viva Lancia.
It really shows the huge amount of work you had to undertake up to now. I am looking forward to Part 2, hopefully soon to come, and the installments on the Forum!

Just a small remark: in the last picture of the article you show a cylinder head which is clearly B20, with the new valve arrangement devised by Franco de Virgilio to increase horsepower for the 2nd series B20. your B12 has the coplanar valve system, taken from the earlier B10 and B21.
I enclose a picture of B12 heads, after refurbishment.

[Parisien]

Sebastien, thank you for your kind words.

Its only when its all condensed down into a few pages that you realise just what a journey its been!

The article isn't quite as submitted, plus there was an issue with the photos not opening for the publisher, so not entirely sure where the B20 heads photo came from either!

Still phoning my body/paint guy, think hes on hols, oh well.

P

[Parisien]

Has it been 15 months since my last post?

Whilst football may not be coming home, word on the Lancia grapevine is that a certain Aurelia might be heading in the direction of my home!

After endless visits, numerous excuses and reasons why nothing had been done, lots of sheepish looks, embarrassing silences, shuffling of feet, cajoling and then a semi-ultimatum, some progress has been made. The ice breaker as it nearly always is was money, during a visit in May I manfully broached the subject, eye contact was made, a faint smile crossed my body/paint guys face, he looked at the silent, grey, uncared for carcass of my B12, panels scattered around his workshop, then back to me and a figure slipped from his lips.

Having failed my GCSE negotiating skills and tactics "O" level (think I got and "F"), and not truly having an idea if the figure mentioned was reasonable or unreasonable , I remained silent for at least a couple of minutes, I looked at him, looked at the B12, then back at him. Batted back at him the need for a timetable and transparency in moving it all on and then a further period of silence as I attempted to master the art of the pregnant pause without appearing obtuse.

Having been made so many promises before, (the first one five years ago that it would take him three to four months) I was understandably very, very hesitant to agree to anything but pragmatism takes over in the end.

A deal was struck, I didn't quibble at all, thinking that he was going to ask for quite a bit more and we then shook hands. Smiles all round, I left his premises not entirely sure of how it would all pan out.

More to follow.

P

[chriswgawne]

What sort of timetable are you working to now Frank?
Chris

[Parisien]

What sort of timetable are you working to now Frank?
Chris

Still a tad stop start Chris, hes plagued with difficulty in employing suitable guys, currently he's got an older retired guy working on the B12, but intermittently ( ie hes had recent surgery) been off for a fortnight after he'd done a few days work and should be coming back this week.

So over the last few weeks hes done welding to the aluminium doors, re-instated the indicator apertures on the wings that came with the B12 (cut out from a spare set) and been isoponing the doors and rear wings, so these have moved on quite a bit.

I live in a twilight zone between despair and hopeful expectation!
P

[Parisien]

Same wing, files a bit big apols!

P

[Parisien]

Other side.

[Parisien]

More.

P

[GG]

It’s getting there. Long deep breaths. 

[tzf60]

It's looking great, Frank! I'll wager that you can't wait to see the body in primer......!!!
 
I can almost picture you heading up the north coast in your B12 
 
Best regards,
Tim