1979 1600 Coupe

[GerardJPC]

Hello all.  This 1600 Coupe is the fifth Lancia Beta that I have owned.  The others were a 1981 2000 Spider, a 1983 HPE Volumex, a 1983 HPE ie spares car, and a veeeeeerrrryyyy rusty 1300 Coupe that used to bend when going around corners and had been awarded the World's most imaginative MOT by someone.

I bought this 1979 1600 Coupe in 2017, but it spent most of the period from February 2018 until October 2020 in a barn or in a workshop.  Its clutch failed in early 2018, shortly before I went to work overseas, so the car went into a dry barn and stayed there until after I returned to the UK earlier this year.  It then got stuck for many weeks at a local garage that had too much work on, but it has been back on the road for the last two weeks, with a fresh MOT.

The car was Ziebarted by its first owner, a Mrs Garland who lived near Aberdeen.  The car went to the Isle of Man in 1983 and came back to the UK some time before I bought it.  The bootlid has been welded at some point, and I had the front suspension turrets and one wheel arch welded soon after buying the car.  Most of the car's metal and paint are original.  The indicated mileage is around 51,000 miles and the car runs well.  It is shortly to get an Amedon Amethyst ignition set.  The mustard yellow seats have suffered from sun damage to the rear headsets, and the cover of the driver's seat has split in three places.  As a temporary measure, the car has a set of tailored seat covers in beige faux-leather. The oil temperature gauge does not work, but the other gauges do.  Its wiper stalk has been replaced by a panel switch, as the stalk broke off.  The car is shortly to get a new set of Pirelli Cinturatos or Dunlop Sport Classics, depending on which are available.

The car shares barn space with a 1962 Lancia Appia Berlina, a 1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe 1800, a 1981 Lotus Eclat (project), a 1983 Land Rover Series III 88, and also a 1982 Moto Morini 350 Sport and a 1982 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza.  

The car has a twin that is up for auction at Brightwells with no reserve.  

I am waiting for a new V5 to arrive and will then change the car's VED status to historic, and put its 1979 T plates on it (white and yellow plates - none of that ahistorical black plate nonsense).  My Fiat needs welding to its sills and suspension mounts, so the Beta and the Appia (which is almost rust free and is mostly original) will be this winter's classic cars for use on fine days, followed by hosing down.  

[GerardJPC]

This cheesy 1970s watch (a Breitling Transocean mechanical from circa 1970-71) was lost in the barn for five years, but has returned to use at the same time as the Beta.  It goes better with the more lairy Fiat.  I have a less knobbish 1970s watch that goes better with the Beta, but is in the Fiat below.

[HFStuart]

Deeply unsure about the Breitling  but that's a smart looking Coupe!

[GerardJPC]

Thanks!  I bought the Breitling on a whim in 2010 for not much money.  It is a bit bling and not my sort of watch!  I may sell it to fund rust repairs on my Fiat or a retrim for the Beta.

I have a couple of small and restrained 1962 watches to go with my 1962 Appia and they are more my thing.

Meanwhile the Beta stranded itself with a flat battery in a nearby village last night.  It was getting dark and I had forgotten to put a jumper pack in the boot, so I cabbed home and will go and rescue the car with a jump box in a bit.

[GerardJPC]

Pubbing -

[WestonE]

Even breaking down done with style. If you have to break down right outside a good pub is nice planning!

[GerardJPC]

I jump started the car and drove it home, but I think that it may need a new battery, or if not that has a charging problem.    The alternator belt seems to be fitted OK, and the alternator warning light has not illuminated.    I shall go to the shops in my Appia until I am sure of the Beta's charging position.

[WestonE]

You should see 14.4 Volts from the Alternator engine running. I recommend a CTEK Battery charger conditioner for each of your cars. Battery needs to be 175 x 175 x 243 size. I like the Yuasa YBX 5075 60AH 640CCA.
Seriously consider a WOSP Reduction gear starter motor they are so much better than the original and much lighter.

Eric

[GerardJPC]

Cheers!  I have two of the  CTek battery conditioners that move around the cars -  they are great!

[GerardJPC]

Yuasa ordered - Tayna undercut Halfords and others on that battery by almost 100% - v good.

[peteracs]

Hi

Based on the above comments I bought one of the CTek battery conditioners. After reading a number of comments I plumbed for the low end 0.8A one as already had a normal charger for drained battery use!

It works very nicely on my Saab and the Beta batteries. Best price I found was oddly enough Halfords, not usually price competitive, but they were on this occasion.

Peter

[GerardJPC]

Update: Yuasa battery good.   I shall take the car for a blat this weekend and then jet wash it.

[spydervx]

Hi Gerard,

That is a very lovely Coupe.  I grew up on the Isle of Man where you can drive when you are 16.  In 1983 I would have been 18.  I was very lucky to be able to drive my father's series 1 (real no roof bars) spyder or one of his two fulvias (normally fast and late at night around the TT course).   

That is where my lancia obsession started and I knew most of the montecarlos and coupes on the island.  I am certain that yours is one I would have lusted after at some point so it is great to see it looking so well.
Also completely agree, it is absolutely essential to wear the correct period watch for the car.

Gerry (also a Gerard)

[GerardJPC]

Cheers! 

Gerard (never a Gerry)

[GerardJPC]

I have info about the couple that first owned this car!  The warranty is in the name of this man's wife, and he appears in correspondence with Lancia UK dating from 1986 in the car's file.   The names and residence details indicated in other obituary sources match, and the car came back from the IOM in 2017, so it appears that this hero of WW2 and his wife had the car from 1979, and that he kept it after his wife's death in 2003 until he died in 2016.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/100587

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eric-garland-xqc6vl62b

[GerardJPC]

I wonder if Flight Lieutenant Garland's experiences fighting with the Italian partisans gave him a fondness for things Italian.

[GerardJPC]

Quick and dirty pezzer shot.

Jetwashed afterwards, promise!

[chrisc]

Quick and dirty pezzer shot.

Jetwashed afterwards, promise!

For some reason I thought this was still awaiting attention to the clutch BV - glad to see it out and about

[GerardJPC]

After being stuck in a barn for over two years the car got stuck in garagejail from June to October but has been rorting about since then.  I am still waiting to hear from DVLA re putting the 1978-9 UK plates back on the car.

[GerardJPC]

Play, wash, and engine shot -









Wax on, wax off -