New Beta Owner

[Harrier Gr9]

Hi everyone. Recently purchased my first Lancia Beta and wondered what everyone made of her and also seek some advice on what i need to do/watchout for as the inevitable resto begins.
 
She is a 1981 Lancia Beta HPE 2000ie automatic with 21000mls on the clock from new (guarenteed as well with the full service history and old MOT's). It is also a 1 owner car from new.  

Basically the story is that the old guy who had it laid it up back in 1995 when his health sadly deteriorated and it laid untouched until his son wanted the garage space so he decided to get rid of her.

He was going to crush it until i stepped in and rescued it for the princly sum of £75.00.

Got her back to the garage and did the usual, new battery/fluids and petrol etc.... Fired up straight away. So im now going to carry out a full nut and bolt resto on her.

Some pics to see what you think.









Retro Tax disc as well


Am going to start carefully dismantling her this week to see the full extent of what im up against.

DAN

[betabuoy]

Harrier Mate

From the look of those sills (or is it cills?) it looks like your welding torch is going to be busy.  A top tip with the sills: don't expect to be able to just patch from the outside; I recall there are three skins including a centre membrane and it is critical to make sure that bit is sound before you even consider the others. 

Also, worth a check under the bonnet but your model looks like a S2 (carb) and not an ie (injection) from the trim fitted!  I'm not sure though cos HPEs were a bit different but I know an HPE expert will tell you. 

[MattNoVAT]

Yep out with the MiG!   Welcome to the world of Betas!

That tinworm around the windscreen will need sorting too.  I've just had mine done.

Pictures will be posted up shortly on flickr or my site - If you need to repair the windscreens side pillar or top roofline sections then I have had metal formed to the correct profile.

its "Sills"  

[lanciamad]

Welcome to the club 
Nice to see another HPE hopefully being restored My initial thoughts, were series 2 carb as well when i saw the pics. did they do the IE like this or has someone just fitted the IE running gear once they got Carb problems
Looks like you've got yourself a pretty nice car for £75! I've got an HPE IE Manual which I paid £99 for, and mine didn't run for a good few months. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanciamad/sets/72157618324699407/ I'm using it as a road/track car now

[Harrier Gr9]

Cheers for the comments guys. I lifted the engine out of her today and it is deinetly carbed not fuel injected. Was advertised wrongly.
 Im not fazed by the welding tbh, stripped all the interior out of it today and the floorpan is in great condition as is the boot floor/stru tops etc... So far the only parts that need welding are the sills. I am going to replace both of them entirely rather than weld in patches. They are already being fabricated for me by a local metal fabrication company.
 And also getting pletny of welding practice on my alfa gtv6, Mitsubishi Starion and Datsun 260z helps i guess.