Living with a Trevi

[TreviDash]

Spotted again!

[Thotos]

That looks like Italian Race Services where the Trevi has been 'resting' since the 2nd of April. I used the Trevi to collect my Gamma which has almost completed its 27 month restoration. I say 'almost' because the Gamma needs to go back for some further work so I left the Trevi there to use as transport when I dropped the Gamma back. But it's been a very busy couple of months so the Gamma has not gone back (but has had a fair bit of use! (see http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff477/TheoKyriacou/Lancia%20Ireland%20Cork%20Rebel%20County%20Rally%202011/?albumview=slideshow
and
http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff477/TheoKyriacou/BIAMF/?albumview=slideshow) and then there was 3ma11 (Fiat 131 event - see http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff477/TheoKyriacou/3ma11/?albumview=slideshow) so the Trevi is still 'resting' there. Must collect it this coming weekend....

Out of interest, who spotted the Trevi there? Must be another one of Mark's customers  

Incidentally, the original plan was to collect the Gamma and leave the Trevi there and start a full restoration but the Gamma restoration has eaten up the budget intended for the Trevi  

[TreviDash]

Funnily enough, the reason why the Trevi paint was done on such a budget was...  he was also getting a Gamma restored and it was costing 

[TreviDash]

Confirmed.  Your Trevi auto is the sole-surviving, and one of just TWO on the road.

http://howmanyleft.co.uk/detail/N3062

[Thotos]

That's very interesting but I don't really understand it  Why is there nothing showing for Q1 2010 and only showing 1 on SORN? I've had the Trevi continuously taxed since I bought it in 2009. And does Q1 2009 mean there were two? One taxed and one on SORN? 

I'm a very grumpy unhappy Trevi owner at the moment because my Trevi was a "hit and run" victim in the car park of Duddleswell Tea Rooms  Someone in a blue car left a huge dent in the nearside rear wing    I suppose this might turn out to be the 'push' for the full restoration....
(photo below is after I straightened the dent by hand as much as I could)

[Thotos]

I hadn't used the Trevi for a while so when I was visiting East Sussex last Saturday I thought it was a good excuse to give the Trevi a well deserved run. About 150 mile round trip and I enjoyed every inch of it  I was simply reminded what a great car the Trevi is 

[Thotos]

I've always had problems with the windscreen washers on the Trevi.    They didn't work at all when I first got the car so I replaced the washer pump. Halfords have a pump (meant for a Ford Escort I think) which is almost identical to the Trevi's except for the electrical connector which comes out of the top of the pump instead of the side. But it fits fine as long as the pump is fitted horizontally.



Even though the new pump is very powerful, I could not adjust the washer jets to clear the grill on the bonnet and wash the front windscreen; the water jet would either hit the plastic grill or washed the rear screen!    So I used a dremel to take off part of the plastic grill so the washer jets could be adjusted to wash the front screen.



But the washer nozzles kept moving and there was dirt inside them that kept blocking the holes. I could get the windscreen washers to work just long enough for the MOT test but whenever I needed to use them they refused to play ball. So replacement was the obvious solution but the Trevi washers (mounted on metal platforms) are very tall.



Short, standard  washers would never clear the plastic grill.



(Trevi washer on the left and new standard and much shorter washer on the right)

But with a plastic nut meant for number plates (which has the correct thread for the new washer) plus a plastic washer the new washer nozzle was extended to be as tall as the Trevi original.





And it stands proud on the Trevi's washer platform  



Held tightly in place by the new and slightly thicker pipe.



It works great and I think it looks the part too  



(This is what happens when we have too much free time during the holidays! Some of us spend hours playing with windscreen washer nozzles....   )

[Thotos]

I should really title this Trying to get ready for the Beta 40th birthday celebrations weekend with the emphasis on 'trying'. I spent the day on the Trevi and feel I achieved little to nothing  I wanted to change the brake master cylinder but thought I'd loosen the bleed nipples first to be sure but after 3 days of applying lots of WD40 and using all the power I dared to release the nipples without snapping them off I gave up. So I still have 'Russian Roulette' brakes and don't know when they'll work or not  Only kidding  they are not that bad but pedal travel varies a lot when applying the brakes. Seems worse when going slowing in reverse  Makes no sense at all to me but I can only think that the problem is with the master cylinder. Maybe the bleed nipples will loosen before the weekend and I'll manage to change it...

But I did manage to eliminate some more squeaks and rattles especially the very annoying rattles from inside the rear passenger door and the even more annoying loud squeak when turning the steering wheel. Then I thought I'd do something simple and easy and washed the car  The wheels cleaned up well  shame about the rest of the car 

[VXdeMayo]

Best of luck with the brakes Theo, I hope you manage to solve your problem before Norwich. I get the feeling that there are many of us all having "issues" with our Beta's at present what with THE deadline looming! I for one am worried about this ignition timing / running / carb problem that seems to be getting worse, not better. Glad to see you resort to bucket and sponge to give yourself some "feel good factor". I think I do that as well.
On a lighter note - LOVE the 131 Sport. Looks suitably menacing!
See you at Norwich,
(I'll be the one kangarooing into the car park - with shiny paintwork of course!).
Best,
Chas,
(VXdeMAYO).

[Thotos]

took my beta for its first MOT since the late 80's, fingers crossed, my main concern are the brakes, despite new discs/pads/seals all round they dont seem that great. i am used to a modern car so maybe thats why they dont seem to good, prehaps they will get better with use as the car has still only done about 30 miles since i have rebuilt the brakes.
if it passes i shall treat it to a tax disc...the last time it was taxed was 1988

bloke at the MOT station was very impressed with it, although he did think it was a fulvia

I too took the Trevi for an MOT today (having finally got round to changing the brake master cylinder) and it passed without even any advisories (although the tester did say "running a bit rich but it'll do". Even though this is the fourth MOT at the same station since I've owned the Trevi, today's tester hadn't seen the Trevi before (in fact never seen any Trevi and didn't know what it was) and he was very impressed with the car. He actually said he really liked the shape and especially the C-pillar treatment! (most people's major dislike in the Trevi)  and of course he was amazed at the dashboard.  He must have 'got' the Trevi as he didn't have any trouble finding the hidden door catches to get out of the car!  I feel a long Trevi drive coming on now..... 

[Thotos]

Not so much "living" with the Trevi right now but restoring instead. So it'll have to be the Gamma or Fiat for Beta Meeta 13 

[James]

Wow I cannot wait to see this car when it's all finished!!!

[TreviDash]

Crikey!

[Thotos]

The bottom of the doors needed quite a bit of reconstruction but it's all done now and now there's paint which shines on the car    Just needs to be put back together and then it's up to me to sort out the interior .....

[Thotos]

Getting there .... 

[Thotos]

Nearly there... 

New windscreen (the last one in the country apparently!) was fitted last Friday and only finishing touches left now 

[peteracs]

Hi Thotos

And very nice too, you should be very happy...

Peter

[Neil-yaj396]

Theo

Any idea who the Coupe behind the tool box belongs to? Is it there for restoration as well?

[thecolonel]

The black coupe is a volumex , belongs to workshop owner,
Always open to a serious offer.....

Geoff

[Thotos]

The Trevi was collected today and it's back home now    I'm very pleased with the end result    TRJ cars understood very well what I wanted. I wasn't after a full nut-and-bolt restoration as there wasn't the budget for it. But I also didn't want to cut corners. I'm especially pleased with the C-Pillar badge plates for which I spent quite some time choosing the 'right' dark grey colour. I decided a grey with a hint of blue would look nice and chose a Mercedes colour. The garage had new "TREVI" transfers made locally in silver and they managed to match the original font exactly  A couple of phone photos and I'll post better ones once I give the car a good polish