Along came a Spider

[HFStuart]

For some time I've been wondering how I was going to find time and money to properly restore my spider, especially with the small blonde tornado (OK - toddler) I seem to have around now.

I've amassed a few rare panels for it but every time I looked at the state of the back end I kept seeing months of prep and big bills  - as I can't weld anything thinner than 5mm !

It seemed that I might be better off starting with a better car and making one good out of two. So I've been to see a few over the last year or so. None of them have been up to much TBH until last week when I went to look at this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120419496856

I couldn't believe the condition. It really is a 61k 1 registered owner car (the seller bought it but hasn't registered it in his name or driven it other than to one MOT), and the ziebart seems to have done it's job - everywhere expect the front strut mounts.

I've got it home now and spent the weekend attacking the usual suspect areas trying to find lurking horrors. As far as I can tell there aren't any. There are a couple of 2"x2" repair patches for and aft of the rear wheels which ironically are going rusty, a bit of tarting up with gob on the wheelarch lips and a bit of corrosion on the floorpan (just under the carpet edging strips). It's also got coupe wings on it that don't match the Spider sills.

So the only bad bit is the front inner wings where the top layer has rusted through where it meets the reinforcing plate. The rest of it is solid and original. Although it's a shame someone hacked the rear cards up to fit speakers.

I estimate £500 + MOT for what would be one of the best Spiders I've seen. Quite what I've done to deserve this I'm not sure - I've a nagging suspicion something will go horribly wrong to redress the balance...

Anyway a question:

The grill is an S1 or S2 1600 one. Did any other 2000 S2s come with this ? Should I swap it for the nearly new S2 (pre F/L) grill on the other one ?

Also what do you think - break the other car and use it as spares of sell to someone handy with a welder as a project ?

Stuart

PS The towbar is now off, it's in good condition  - if anyone wants it for a nominal sum let me know

[moorelli67]

Morning Stuart, welcome to my world!

I have been doing exactly the same over the last year. 2 false starts with cars bought for little or nothing and scrapped and then the right car comes along and it's on the road and up and running within a fews months of work beginning. Personally, I would keep the other car you have, storage space permitting, as to this point I have found the fact that I've got at least 1 if not 2 of everything sitting around invaluable. As you go through the new car you will find stuff that is not quite up to scratch, and if you have another there that is better, just strap it on. Cuts down the amount of time sitting in front of ebay I can tell you. My personal view on the grill, put a new 2000 one on.

Good luck.

Steve

[thecolonel]

And if you've got a spare pair of headlight mounting plates, I'm still searching.

Geoff

[MattNoVAT]

Stuart,

The perfect solution would be to keep the other car and use it for spares either for yourself or for others possibly and help fund the repair work on the better car.

The big question though is "Will the wife be happy about another car being stored?" 

I have 3 cars on the drive and two in the garage, I want another but the wife is adamant that it will start to look like Steptoes Yard if I add another car to the collection on the drive!

If you do decide to break your original car then I'm sure theres people on here that would have a few parts off you, myself included!  But you have to be reaslistic about this - if you think its too far gone then scrap it.  Don't get me wrong I love these cars but know that some have just gone past the point of being viable for restoration.  In the past fellow Lancisti would give me a hard time because I broke about 8 different VX Coupe's & HPE's - but these were rough cars either very rusty, badly bodged repairs, generally abused at ever level so just not worth the money or effort to bring back to life.  Sentimentality can be very very expensive!

There was recently a Series 1 Monte Carlo being flogged on Ebay as a restoration project - just from the photos it was obviously a complete basket case and only worth breaking (even then I'd wonder about what was worth using on it)

[HFStuart]

The big question though is "Will the wife be happy about another car being stored?" 

Now there's a question !

The thing is I know it's not beyond redemption but it needs a LOT of bodywork and I've put a lot of good bits on it  - ally tank, rebuilt engine, clutch  etc.

Much of it could be swapped over before selling it but it's a lot of work. I suspect I'd get 500-750 on fleabay for it as a project car (albeit one with an MOT) but I'm seriously wondering if I'd be better just stripping it and crushing the shell - it just seems a bit sad and disloyal to do that. (That's me being sentimental !)

I guess the desicion can be deferred at least until the other one is up and running.

[MattNoVAT]

Stuart, this is just my way of thinking when it comes to breaking a Lancia.

I look at it as its not dying completely, it lives on.... only on several different cars and keeps them going.  Kinda like an organ donor :-)

Yes, one car has died, but many others will benefit from the sacrifice. 

The other benefit is that selling parts can fund the other cars renovation work, thus keeping the pennies under control and self funding the project (this is how I sell it to my Mrs!) This is how I ran an HF4WD with a Grp N engine as a track car for 3 years!

Anyhoo, none of us likes to see 'the old cars' get crushed, but parts are becoming more and more scarce and I for one would prefer to see good examples on the road and continue to prove all those who only know the car as "oh the one that the engine used to fall out of"  completely wrong!

But as we all know, its whether the boss agrees with the plan! 

Whatever you decide.....Good luck !