Renewing An Old Acquaintance

Or an itch that needed scratching again!

The sale of my part build Stratos happened recently and it's almost ready for collection by it's new owner. The delay was due to the lack of a workshop or storage but that's sorted and I promised to complete a few minor jobs on the car - reassembly of the engine being the biggie! All done now.

I've been after another Lancia Beta for a while and have looked at a couple of VX Coupes and been offered two very nice HPE VX's but decided it had to be a Coupe. The ones I saw were either too far gone to be restored or pristine examples too good to use.

In the end I've just acquired a 1981 (small bumpers) 2000 Coupe that hasn't been on the road for at least 16 years. I ought to have gone to see it before bidding on it but it was just too far away to do that (and if it had been as good as described and I'd been outbid I wouldn't have been happy!).

So, last Saturday saw me trundling South East towards Ipswich in a rental car transporter in the pouring rain to pick it up. I've only had a quick look around it after getting it off the truck and it looks very good with no serious corrosion issues at all. Originally a white car it's been treated to a satin black jobbie. There is evidence of a primer coat but it's coming off in patches to reveal the original white... It is also missing a lot of exterior trim, some of which I got today (with another long trip to Bristol & back!) and the good folk at Betaboyz are helping me to find the rest of the missing bits.

It has a serious compression issue though! Like none. Not surprising as the cylinder head is in the boot with at least one bent valve! I'll find out the state of the bottom half later this week, if it's not seized it may be saveable otherwise I'll be looking for a replacement engine. Gerry says he thinks he has one somewhere in Frant - I think it's probably part of the foundations of one of his garages!

Wish me luck!

Guy

Good luck Guy!!!!

Attachment 20509They make a good pair! Lancia & Fiat were spoilt for choice in 74:)