Beta Restorations - how many?

[MattNoVAT]

I'm curious to know how many people are out there actually in the process of restoring Betas, of any version. 
How far have you got? 
How long has it taken you?
Cost - if its anything like mine then I think its best we do not enter into that discussion!

My Beta Coupe 2000 was very close to being finished but then I decided I wasn't happy with the paintwork finish from its last respray, so I'm having it fixed by a different painter.  Then it will be complete and I'm looking forward to driving her on high days and holidays. She will not be used as a daily driver, as I've owned her for over 20 years I think she's done her hard work and now earnt the right to take it easy now she is getting on

Also, how many are used as daily drivers?  I still see a few on the roads, but very few and far between these days, but thats kind of how I like it. There is a Beta Coupe I see a few times driving down the A338 in Bournemouth, and I see Tony out and about in his.

[betabuoy]

I've got a '78 coupe that I was restoring for motorsport but my family have changed my mind and it will now be a tastefully modified road car.  Shell was welded at Betacar and fresh capri blue was applied inside and out by a chap in Shropshire; suspension is Koni top adjustable with shorter springs, subframes and wishbones are all powder coated with comp poly bushes fitted; 2l engine is rebored with new o'size pistons, it has a lightened and balanced flywheel (Guy Croft) and I have several heads with a variety of cams to try.  Interior is standard.

This was always intended to be a 5-year project; I started in autumn 2003 and although I should've finished by now I need about another year.  Main heavy job to do is brakes then it's just electrics! 

[MattNoVAT]

When I first bought my car from Martin Sismey (the guy who originally started L&M - which stands for Lisa & Martin BTW) my car had 205's, the full body kit, flared arches, side skirts, front spoiler/splitter and VX boot spoiler, it had Cobra bucket seats and all sorts of "go-faster" bits like K+N filter etc etc.

Since then I have spent my time returning the car to its original specification.  Like yourself, along the way I have had to fix the "poor attempts at repair" myself, I had the first round of welding done back in 1995/1996.  I had another round of welding done two years ago and now she is as solid as a rock, You can even jack her up from the factory jacking points without the doors being affected or the sills kinking under the weight!

Interior has been completely re-trimmed, after months and many miles driving round the country looking for "Mint" doorcards I ended up having them remade.. £100 a side, fitted perfectly and you cannot tell the difference between them and originals.

Electrics, as usual were a bit of fun, but I have everything working now, only niggle is the charge light comes on when the heater fan is on full blast. But I'll get to that once she has had the paint done finally.

Over the years I've spent a frightening amount of money considering the cars re-sale value - but I'm not in it for the money, I do it because I love that car!

[HFStuart]

What year is your coupe ? Is it the pre face lift brown / brown trim (ie like my spyder) ? Where did you get the cards done ?

I remade one of the door cards myself after the backing had collapsed (no outer window seal = wet door card) I re used the vinyl and the foam but for £100 I might not have bothered with the DIY route !

Stuart

[MattNoVAT]

Mine is a S2/FL 2000 Coupe model with the black dash and the late front grille and lights.

However, Mr Sismey was a bit of a lad and often made one "good car" out of several others, so it was a bit of a struggle working out which version my car was, it had plenty of S1 parts and front suspension off a Berlina.  All completely S2 now though.

The door cards were made by a vehicle trimmer just off the A3 at "Great Bookham", I went there a couple of years ago to see if they would do the interior on my Stratos but their building had been knocked down and flats had been built on the site.

The Beta door card hardboard backing was replaced and the foam sections re-used, but were completely re-trimmed.  So it is possible but some re-trimming skills are needed I guess.  After clocking up approx 800 miles looking for mint ones, with hindsight I would recommend just have them re-made rather than all that messing around.  I could not find enough blue check material to retrim the entire car but it turned out that Ford did a material used in the old Mondeo range that had very very similar pattern & feel.

[psi101]

HI
I have a white lancia beta spyder (1979) which I am just prepping to respray.
Hope to have her ready and back on road by may ....
Have had sills, rear arches etc redone professionally.
just need to respray and get back on road.
si

[MattNoVAT]

Tonight I have to remove the rear seats, front passenger seat, N/S headlight assembly, front bumper, side repeaters and windscreen wiper motor & assembly. 

Windscreen guys are here tomorrow at 9am to remove front and rear screens.   Front has started to de-laminate and has a score across it where previous owner didn't think to replace a work wiper blade!  I have a new screen ready to go after the painting has been completed.

Paintshop have her booked in for 26th Jan.   

Just converted to Carello backplates and replaced all the headlamp bowls with the BetaBoyz Consortium parts - these are top quality if your thinking of doing it yourself.

When she is back its just a clean up and a refit.  Will also be fitting the BetaBoyz bonnet liner, so she should be back to her former glory.

Really really looking forward to having her back on the road again!

[gillybeta]

hi mattnovat. i hope you do not discover the dreaded corrosion around / in the surround flange.i presume you have bonded screens. both of my cars have had restoration to the front screen surround - the latter (nov08) a great hole in lower nearside corner by the time the grinder attacked it and some perferations across the top and offside edge .suffice to say Alan Wesson of Western Lancia (Exeter, Devon) done a great job rebuilding back to top coat finish. i would be interested to learn if your screen fits well as does the metal trim.the trim can distort on removal and realigning and maintaining the perfect margin around on refitting is almost impossible in my experience. my 1981 white coupe should be ready this year - exchange coolant hoses (brittle so might explode), fuel lines, brake pads and set of tyres. ( despite good looking tread they are rather old - do'nt risk blow out with ancient michellin zx 175 70 r14) .the underside of the car looks a bit dry, so treat with zip wheel and then prime paint and waxoyl plus all the other areas - rear arches , front inner and outer wings, cills, bonnet front edge etc. good luck with the screens.regards jon

[MattNoVAT]

Hi Jon,

Back in 1995 had a new scuttle welded in during the first round restoration / putting back to standard spec.

I have a few bubbles showing nothing major, so as the screen is on its way out and there are some other scratches etc to deal with I thought I'd like to sort it all out in one go.

The screen are being removed by a pro rather than me and I hope he fits the front better than the last guy who did not put the inner finishing trims in properly.

I'll keep you posted and take some pics of the results.

[MattNoVAT]

Well, I've been to the body shop today and there are some issue 

It seems that during the first round of restoration the company who did the work (and are no longer trading) decided to just hammer in the top section of the roof line around the windscreen and then fill it full of P38.

So, this time round its being done properly.

Ho hum....

[hutch6610]

Hello Matt.
Seeing as they are no longer trading ....... would you share with us who did the "professional" job with the P38 filler.
Not like they are going to complain about somebody "blackening" their good reputation - closing down and no longer trading says a thousand words! 

[cheeky monkey]

Hi Jon,
my beta is same year and colour.. I suspect I have the same holes around the screen as you had ! 
Did you have to source a new windscreen.? I presume it wasnt possible to remove old one without it breaking

cheers
graham

[thecolonel]

Original "hot wire bonded" screens can be cut out with care, actually a lot of time and a lot of care.

if it's already had a replacement during its life then it will have standard bonding/mastic and should be a lot easier to remove.

check lower right hand side for a couple of short cotton covered wires.

Geoff

[MattNoVAT]

The people who did the original restoration work was called "The Shock Shop" who were based just outside Windsor.  Near where I lived at the time.

The irony is the "shock" comes later when you find out whats really been done!

At the moment the guys are fabricating up the new metal that is being shaped and then welded in place, they are going to be taking pics of the whole process, so I guess if anyone else has the same issues and is as fanatical as myself, then I'm happy to share the info and the costs etc (as long as you all promise not to tell my wife!) 

[MattNoVAT]

Heres picture of the front, in short the roofline has been hammered in and then stuffed full of P38.

The job of making up the right shape becomes quite complex due to the recessed section that the chrome trim sits in and covers the bonding.  If it weren't for that then it'd be a lot simpler.  A new roof would have been the easiest and best option, but they are not available, so repair is my only option.

[MattNoVAT]

I had to drop off some money for the work thats being done, from the pic below you can see the small recess that the chrome sits within (where the red/white stripe is).  If it were not for that recess then it would be a simple case of folding the metal and welding it in, but its going well so far and the tooling has been made up to make the correct profile (hence the cut out in the good bit of metal).  Once the trim recess has been profiled then the metal will have the main 90 degreen bends folded in and then it'll all be offered up and welded in, prepared and treated etc.  (Sounds easy...... not!)

Thankfully the inner roof skin is in good condition, but it'll still be sealed & protected after the welding is finished.

[WIL35]

Just read the post on how many are being restored and/or used as a daily driver. I'm hoping to do both with mine. I use it as a daily driver taking me 8 miles each way to the station and am trying to restore it at the same time. It could do with some bodywork and a respray (on original paint), but my current task is to overhaul the front suspension. The bearings howl a bit and some of the gaitors and bushes won't pass an MOT this year!

I've put a post in the Technical Section to see if anyone has any hints or tips on doing any of the suspension/drivetrain work.

[bigt2811]

hi guys
i have just been given a beta volumex 1984 the guy who owned it had it from new and has started its restoration due to the fact that his garage was broken into he was going to scrap it even though he had all the seats reupholstered in the correct material from italy replaced the rear springs and shocks new discs and pads all around new stainless braided hoses front and rear new bonnet the car is ready for a paint and then it can be put back together so i now have a new project any help will be welcome

[MattNoVAT]

Update on my car so far:

Its roof repair is complete, the car is primed up ready for paint, but got bumped because of Mike Brewer and Ed China (TV's Deals on Wheels etc) restoring a Purple/Blue coloured VW Beetle and they asked Dick to get theirs done first.   (Dick was filmed spraying it, but when your suited and masked up I guess it could be Elvis painting the car! so no-one will ever recognise Dick from the footage). 

BTW - If anyone saw the Deals on Wheels episode when Mike Brewer & Ed China bought a red Integrale to do up and sell, the whole thing was a joke, after Ed "repaired the car" with the parts they bought for it, the car was sold, the new owner then went to the specialist who had sold the parts in the first place to Mike & Ed and had the parts fitted!  Amazing what happens in the cutting room!  Caveat Emptor as they say :-)

[rossocorsa]

i have a coupe vx that's been off the road for seven years but it never seems to progress much these days. it's had a brand new rear panel fitted, turrets extensively welded and i have a pair of brand new doors and a brand new boot lid for it as well, engine wise I'm fitting a 40 dcnf to improve the running plus a smaller blower pulley with possibly a 130tc inlet cam which I've had kicking around for a while. Suspension wise I'm renewing everything I can and fitting new konis all round with lower springs. I have 99.9% of parts i need collected off eBay over several years couldn't even contemplate finding many parts without eBay  The car has a very patchy history  before me and was a very unwise purchase but we all live and learn!