Lancia Beta Forum

Hi just to introduce myself, I'm Howard and my main hobby was restoring italian scooters mostly Lambretta. I have been hankering for an affordable italian classic for several years as I love the way they do sporty motor cars :). I am Looking forward to asking loads of questions so thanks in advance.

Hi Howard

Welcome to the forum. Not a huge amount of Spyders out there recently from what I have seen. Suggest if possible you get comments and ideally someone to go along to view with who has experience of the bad news areas such as the inner wings, sills and floors etc.

Peter

Hi Howard

welcome to the forum - whereabouts in the UK are you based? 

There aren't many Spyders out there - www.howmanyleft.co.uk (http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk) suggests that there are only 19 licenced in the UK and I'd wager a few of them are on their last legs / have been bodged. 

Problem is with them is that even if you get one with decent (ish) bodywork, it is still likely to need some work and there can be considerable hidden costs.  For example, sourcing interiors is hard (and expensive) and a hood will also prove problematic. 

It took me 4 years to find good front seats and I (with the help of another forum member) imported a hood from the US.   

All told, you are often better buying a good one as it will work out cheaper than buying a rough one.  Oddly, I am looking for a resto HPE and all of the ones I have seen are either too far gone or have been bid to stupid prices by idiots who think that some new oil and a bit of duck tape is the answer to all of their problems! 

I'm also thinking of (as I have been for a couple of years now) about selling my Spyder. 

Good Luck :)

Thank you guys I should have waited before posting, but was on my way to view a Spyder, which I went on to buy. Mot'd till feb next, sweet sounding engine if a little bit smokey, free revving though with no knocking or banging noises so hopefully not serious. the whole car needs lotsa tlc and detailing  . A few paint blisters here and there which will need addressing and general tidying up. Fingers crossed  :)

Hi

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Peter

Done ! Thx Peter  :)

It looks like it is all there which is always a good starting point for a resto. 

Good luck :)

Cheers. Roof in good nick with no tears although plastic window will need a good clean to make better, Interior fabric is in very good condition although drivers side door card has warped, and door lock pull needs attention. It is always going to be a leap of faith with an unknown car 37 yrs old tbf. Although I checked with the dvla and it has passed every mot since 2009 only covering on average 200 mile a year since, with only 2 advisories? So appears to have been looked after?

The hood straps need adjusting on that - the line of the hood should be pretty much in line with the roof.

What part of the country?

Thanks for that, are they easy to adjust? Im near Daventry.

FYI S2 Spyders came with vinyl (or in rare occasions leather) seats and not fabric so you probably have seats from a coupe / HPE.  The hood also looks to be aftermarket (certainly it is different to the 3 I've had) and so can't comment on how to adjust.  But if it doesn't leak, it's only asthetic ;)

Thanks Hawk and why its good to hang out on club sites with the wealth of knowledge that's out there  :)

Yep - OE hoods never had poppers in the corners - they're for the tonneau only.

The straps are pretty simple to adjust if they are not broken. They tie the hoop to the bottom of the hood. If they are broken it's easy enough to make and affix a new set with some webbing.

Thx for info

On this note I see they are still available as a remade item in the states for the amercican Spyder, the Beta Zegato? Anyone gone down this road by importing one?, my sister lives in the states?

If you are talking about the rear hood on the Spyder, I imported 2 off a few years ago, Hawk on here had one and from his comments all went well in the fitting. He had the vinyl one and I had the more expensive canvas style one, yet to be fitted (as with many parts on my car....).

The quality looks good and the price was significantly cheaper than buying here. If I can find the link I will post where I purchased from. If you can get someone to bring it with them from the US it will save shipping and the dreaded VAT on import which will make a big difference.

Peter

It is indeed the rear hood Peter. Have you got the forum link to Hawk's comments? I have tried several search strings but no info? Also a link to your source would be good. The ebay one is around £184 prior to shipping and customs.

The site was called www.zagattotop.com (http://www.zagattotop.com) and the owner was called Ed but it doesn't seem to exist anymore.  Which is a shame because the hood is really well made. 

I tried loads of places in an attempt to get it fitted and pretty much all turned me down (as they were not supplying the hood) or quoted stupid money - a well known outfit in Birmingham quoted me £700 plus VAT !!!!!  Just as I was about to try and fit it myself, I got recommended a guy who repairs softtops for insurance companies and we reached a cash deal :) 

He said it was well made and fitted perfectly - and after having watched him do it I reckon I could have done it myself. 

Hi

I managed to avoid the VAT (do not ask) and the shared shipping meant that Hawk paid £222 for his delivered. Mine was somewhat more as not the normal vinyl, I think about another £50-£100, I forget. That was in 2012 according to my messages.

So the price you have is probably the same hood supplier/maker as cannot imagine there are that many around, do you have a link?

Peter

Here you go Peter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lancia-Beta-Zagato-1979-1980-1981-1982-Convertible-Soft-Top-Black-Everflex-vinyl-/281643184901?fits=Make%3ALancia (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lancia-Beta-Zagato-1979-1980-1981-1982-Convertible-Soft-Top-Black-Everflex-vinyl-/281643184901?fits=Make%3ALancia)|Model%3AZagato&hash=item41933df305:g:31UAAMXQpPhTkMnl&vxp=mtr

I don't think that is the same guy but $380 delivered is fairly sensible.

Personally I'd like to see a few more close up pics as it looks to have a popper at the edge? 

They don't call you Hawk for nothing eagle eyed more like? I never noticed that !! But now I have it is in the same place as the roof fitted to my Spyder, wonder if it is indeed the same replacement? I was sifting though the boot earlier as there were a pile of various spares and wanted to see what? I come across what looks like being a cover possibly for the roof when its down, it also has popper type clips; I will try it when i have a moment to play? If it turns out to be the same I will obviously save myself some dosh by leaving it.

You should have a vinyl type cover for the roof when it is down as you surmised. I think the standard hood itself did not have the poppers (can anyone confirm this?), they were on the car purely for this cover (you should have a few more around the base of the hood for this cover as well).

Peter

None of the hoods I have seen (3 plus the one I bought) had poppers.

Personally I've never used the tonneau cover

Took the plunge and imported the one from the ebay link. It arrived today and looks nicely made although as to fit time will tell. Cost £260 with taxes and Duty so not too bad. Although it says vinyl in description it is actually made of black canvas type material and looks very attractive. Were the original ones canvas as the one currently fitted is grained vinyl?

Originals were grained vinyl