The long search for an Aurelia B12

[stanley sweet]

Where do you buy sheets of filter foam? Or is foam foam...............?

[Sliding Pillar]

You can get the Air filter foam on eBay, generally it is made for motorcycles, search for 'Ramair air filter foam'

[lancialulu]

I have been taking a 'If it aint broke, don't fix it' approach with the B12, (not that anything needs fixing of course) just checking things over where necessary.
I have never been a fan of the Aurelias air filters, the mesh on the wire gauze seems far too open to stop very small particles getting through, and at over 60 years old there is the chance it could start to disintegrate, so I have done the same as on previous Aurelias I have owned and replaced it with a modern foam filter. Easy to buy in sheets, just cut to fit, secure it around the wire cage with tie straps, job done.

Oh no its not original any more :-)

[Sliding Pillar]

I won't tell anyone, if you don't!

[lancialulu]

I won't tell anyone, if you don't!

Your secret is safe with me......

[LANCIA]

Ciao su e- bay pubblicita' autoradio condor   per b12   vedi foto .

[Sliding Pillar]

Grazie Andrea, adesso devo solo trovare uno!

[Sebastien]

The only time I have seen a radio fitted to a B12 - very nice!
It is not the same as the advertisement shown by Andrea.

[Sliding Pillar]

This is the radio I am really looking for, similar to Sebastien's photo but without the push buttons.
But lets not get too picky... either would do!

[Parisien]

I have a radio for mine, a period version (with buttons) but not a Condor ( whats the make on Sebastiens photo?), not seen a B12 Condor radio like that for sale on the net.


None quite the same on this search.


http://www.subito.it/annunci-italia/vendita/usato/?q=autoradio+condor


P

[LANCIA]

Incomincia a comprare la pubblicita' su e -bay poi la radio uscira'...........

[Sebastien]

I think the Condor Automatic that Ade is looking for came out in 1958, so it was fitted to late B20s, and Convertibiles, and sometimes retrofitted to older Aurelias.

The radio in the picture I took of the B12 interior should also be a Condor, but of an earlier model, of which I can find no reference on the web. I assume it is of the same age as that B12, which was a very original car in Sicily. What I found amazing then was the front plate, which had exactly the same finish as the dashboard.

[Brian Long]

I have an Autovox radio for my B12. It is in two parts; a tuner section which fits in the dashboard and a power supply section which I think is fitted in the alcove up in the bulkhead where the handbrake cross arm goes.
It has push buttons and a three band selector switch. The wiper switch has to be moved to the spare hole under the dashboard beside the heater fan switch, etc to allow the two knobs for the radio to be accommodated.
It has the matching 'filigree' surround, matching knobs etc. Trouble is, it uses a vibrator power supply, vacuum tube valves, but it works. I haven't fitted it because I don't want to punch a hole in the body for an aerial.
If you want an old-style modern radio have a look at the audiolabs website where they have a good range of modern radios with optional 'period' knobs, escutcheons etc.

[frankxhv773t]

http://vintagecarradio.co.uk sell refurbished period radios and also period radios upgraded with FM and I-pod sockets. They aren't cheap though.

[GG]

Slightly off topic - the radio for the 1952 B20 was an Autovox, and predates this discussion by about 6 years. Its restoration was interesting: first, three vintage radio restorers in the US wouldn't touch it. Finally found a vintage radio buff in Trieste willing to take it on! He had to hunt hard, but found a power diagram somewhere, and a power source on Ebay, then proceeded to rebuild in detail. Shipped this 30 lb object back, no joy in that either. Lots of detail in his writeup of the restoration:

https://www.depoi.net/en/2017/restoration-autovox-car-radio-lancia-aurelia-b20