Spyder owner, just joined, a little introduction

[spyderben]

Evening All,
I've only just joined the forum & thought i'd post a message.
I've recently purchased a 1976 Series 1 Spyder with the idea of restoring it to a decent standard.  Not only did i buy a Series 1, the guy who had it had a 1980 Series 2 as well, so did a deal on the two.
I've always had a desire of owning a Lancia after my dad previously had a Beta Saloon, Fulvia Zagato & a Spyder.
I've decided to start on 'the red one' (series 1) first, looks pretty good so far, i recon it's had a part restoration job on it already with the amount of welding it's had, bit of a dodgy respray though.  Its had the 1600 lump changed for a 2000 which runs but won't drive (think the clutch may be seized on the flywheel).
Engine & interior is out, starting on the bodywork.
Not too sure what to do with 'the black one' (series 2), doesn't run, looks a bit ropey.  May strip it or use it as a track car.
Anyway, i'm open to any general advice about anything to do with anything.
What i do need is a near side bonnet vent, it's missing & advice on where to get a new windscreen from.  Any ideas?
I look forward to hearing from anyone who can help.

Thanks,

Ben Chadwick
ben@astromezz.co.uk

P.S.  I'll get a couple of photo's posted soon.

[HFStuart]

Ben,

Welcome. Whereabouts in the country are you ?

Stuart

[thecolonel]

Hi ben,

pair of bonnet vents on ebay sorry can't remember the item nbr.

Geoff

[spyderben]

Wellesbourne, near Warwick & Stratford on Avon.
I'll have a look on ebay for those bonnet vents, i know there were a couple of side vents listed.
Thanks for that.

[spyderben]

The Series 1.

[spyderben]

The Series 2

[thecolonel]

Well if you do decide on dismantling,

I'm after a pair of carello headlight mounting/backing plates ...

Geoff

[HFStuart]

Ben,

Perhaps I've got this wrong but I thought all series one cars had frameless windows and didn't have the bracing bar between the screen and roll bar ?

It looks as though your red one has though ?

Stuart

[spyderben]

Stuart,

I'm not sure. As it is a '76 model & has a different bonnet, i asumed it was a series 1.  Thats what the guy told me when i bought it.  He seemed to be pretty clued up on Beta's as he had a barn full of them, coupe's, HPE's, a couple of IE's & a Volumex.  The dash board is different too with wood veneer above the centre console.
If any one could shed some light on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Ben.

[MattNoVAT]

It is possible that at some point the doors have been replaced with those of a later car. Not sure if the brace bar from can be retro fitted.

Or its a very late Series 1? (Thats what I think it is FWIW)   What with all the to-ing and fro-ing between Lancia and Zagato factories I guess its possible that they just ended using some Series 2 parts and some Series 1 parts at final assembly at the Lancia factory.  If its anything like the way the Stratos Stradales' were built, people just wandered along the parts bins and used whatever they could lay their hands on! Fiat 131, X/19, 124  parts, Beta parts, Ferrari parts etc etc.

Lancia did do some odd things, I've just seen my car at the paintshop.  The people doing the work say that its colour was definately changed before it left the factory for certain.  Most odd!

 

[spyderben]

Both shells do look the same, can't see any differences in them, identical doors, just the bonnet's different.
The owner before de-seemed where the wings join the scuttle panel, need to investigate whats underneath all the filler.  Can you get repair panels for them? if not i might have to cut out the ones off the black one.
Floor looks OK, has had alot of welding done already, looks OK though. The bottom of the rear wings look a bit ropey though.

[MattNoVAT]

D'oh silly me - if you check the identification plate on the red car (front drivers side in front of suspension turret) it should say 828 AS.0 if it started out life as a 1600 (828 AS.1 if it was an 1800).

The black one should say 828 BS.1 or 828 BS.1FL (if it was a Face Lift)

If you do scrap the black one then I reckon that most parts would be sought after by people on here!

Me personally, I wouldn't use a spider as a track car. No point stiffening up suspension etc only for the body to flex when taking corners at speed.

[HFStuart]

The wood veneer panel (and the brown  / tan trim) was standard on seres 1 and pre face lift series 2 cars (1978 was the changeover) You should also have a wooden gearknob.

[hutch6610]

Hello Gents;
What i have read hear is quite interesting!

Perhaps I've got this wrong but I thought all series one cars had frameless windows and didn't have the bracing bar between the screen and roll bar ?

Did Zagato really do this? - stiffening bar on roof above the door was definitely added a little later (my "R" reg had this fitted) but frameless windows?
What on earth would stop the window from flapping around, it would need a completely different mechanism to be strong enough - anybody got any pictures of this?

A nice touch on early cars (black one should not have this) is the red lights which were fitted at the back of the door below the door lock.
They were a "tell tale so to speak" other drivers could see when the door was opened at night, later cars just had reflectors - well it saved a few Lira!

Lancia did do some odd things, I've just seen my car at the paintshop.  The people doing the work say that its colour was definately changed before it left the factory for certain.  Most odd!

So did Jaguar - i have a MK11 Daimler V8 and it has also had a colour change, Its painted in Regency Red (same colour as the Inspector Morse Jag) inside and out but on removing the rubber seals and the bitumen sound deadening inside, the car was in fact metallic red. 
A customer wanted a specific colour that was not available at the time and i suppose they just returned it to the spray shop and changed it to the requested colour - could be what has happened to your car MattNoVAT.

Ben keep the tail lights for yourself from the black car as spares because if they should get broken, you will have a hard job getting them -  the last time i needed one they cost me £250.00 for just one side!!!!

[MattNoVAT]

If only 514 of the Series 1 Spiders were produced, I think the Lancia team were likely to be tweaking the few things in the design.  I've only ever seen one Series 1 spider (granted that was in Italy) without the brace and there are photos in Brian Longs book of a UK Series 1 without the brace too.  So I think it didn't take them long to work out (As Hutch rightly points out) that there is nothing to stop the window from flapping around.

Anyway - heres a pic of one without the brace (not the one I saw in Italy)

[hutch6610]

That's interesting to see matt, no braces and no window frame - could explain why Spider side windows have that extra gusset on the lower rear, an attempt to stop the flapping?

Love that aerial on the boot lid! 
It could either poke your eye out or go up your nose when you open the boot.

Where did you photograph this?

[MattNoVAT]

Hi Hutch,

That ariel made me laugh too - typical Italian.   

I found that picture on the web just searched under pictures on Yahoo, the one I saw when in Italy I did photograph, but then lost the damn camera because I was very drunk at the time.   

[gaz.thomas]

Hi all,
I can confirm that my series 1 spyder has no braces between the windscreen and roll-over bar and that the windows are frameless.
Unfortunately I can't confirm whether the windows flap at speed as I've yet to get it into a state where it'll go anywhere!
Gaz

[khashi]

may be this photo can give you som idea about the widow frame of spider.

[rossocorsa]

to clarify this series one/series two confusion series two cars started when they changed over to the new engine specs and introduced the 1995cc engine so series one are 1592 or 1756 series two 1585 or 1995. the later engine sizes were introduced to harmonise parts they could make more capacities using less different parts by juggling bores and strokes.  the early series two cars retained the original style dash and seats this causes a lot of confusion as many people don't understand the difference and class all cars with the early dash as series one it also doesn't help that revisions to the berlinas seem to follow a different pattern to coupe/hpe/spider