Been gone a while.. here is what I have been up to.
 

It's been a long time since I posted on here. Been keeping a low profile forum wise across the net. Just have not felt like contributing anything.

So to break that... I present to you a car I have spent a LOT of time looking for.

A Lancia Beta Coupe'.

Not familier with them? they were one of the first modern front wheel drive cars and still are one of the best from a handling point of view. The underpinnings of the Beta found their way under most FWD cars due to a lack of patenting their multilink suspension way back in 1973... and even until very recently, the basic suspension of the beta (modified for awd of course) was used under the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale.

I give you mine.. a 1975 vintage.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...anciaFront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...iarearside.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...Lanciaside.jpg

This leaves me with my 318ti, a Saab 900turbo, a Fiat 124 Sport Spider, and now a Lancia Beta Coupe

no offense, but my mom bought me a book called the worlds worst cars, and they mention the Lancia Beta :lol: if it's any consolation though, they said it could have been a great car if it didn't rust so badly, looks like yours is in great shape though

Jeremy Clarkson would be proud. Sweet find.

Nice find. No signs of rust on it. Are you going to keep the stock look or put some modern wheels on it?

plans call for european bumpers in place of the battering rams the US regs made them put on. probably some panasport rims, some BMW smily headlightlights, and a good bath.

As the engine is the same block and set up as the Lancia Delta Integrale.. I would love to drop the Turbocharged 16v head on a rebuilt block (no pesky harmonic shafts that way) and go pretty much stock for 210hp.

It will need the interior done over.. after 25 years the dash is cracked, the seats are ripped, and the headliner is filthy.

It does have a small spot of rust on the floor.. nothing that cannot be cut out and rewelded.. and some surface rust that will require a good sand down and respray from bare metal.

Like BMW was until very recently.. Lancia was a bunch of engineers who happened to build cars. What else can you say of a car that came with a tachometre, Speedo, Fuel Level, Oil Pressure, Oil Temperature, Oil Level, Water temperature, and voltage gages standard?

Yeah I thought those bumpers were a little wierd looking too. Those extra gages sound nice!

Well, the deal fell through, which is a shame as I spent a lot of time looking for a decent Lancia too.

I did however pick up something that was too cheap for my own good. A $300 Saab 900s (non-turbo) with 220,000 miles (now 225,000) with just a hint of rust, bad paint, and an interior with the seams falling apart.

Aside from a failing cat (that I have to temporarily gut) that is blocking up the exhaust some, it is a survivor that wants to run. The good news is, turning it into a turbo is VERY easy as I have a later model (GM900) that I am now parting out and the T5 injection and turbo are an almost bolt in.

Now for pics of my "other car"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...inna/Front.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...earquarter.jpg

I have already done some work to it.. the 16" "Super aero" rims from the 9000 being a big one. I have a set of Bilsteins and lowering springs sitting in my spare bedroom, a new kenwood stereo with Infinity speakers. Soon it will have a new exhaust (on backorder) and the vader seats I originally had slated for my Ti (going with something lighterweight in the ti)

You can't beat that price! I like the fog lights.

yes.. I added those too.. Hella 500 FFs. The stock lights on these cars just SUCK big time. I have plans to switch the car to a "flat nose" with the regular 5x7 square euro lights so I can actually see where I am going

very, very cool! Lancias rule - as long as they dont get wet! :biggrin:
But seriously - excellent project choice...

If you are fan of Top Gear, you have seen it already - if not, you tube it (!) - they proclaim Lancia as the greatest car company ever! LOL

EDIT: it fell through? shame...

I'd seen my share of Lancias when I was stationed in Europe. Those cars are awesome. Sorry the deal fell through, how would you get parts for it anyway?

A shame the deal fell through... I had always wanted a Lancia Beta Zagato when I was younger...

too bad about the Lancia, I love the Saab though, old-school euro's FTW :biggrin:

my mate had one of those Lancias for a while and offered to sell it to me but I didn't have a license (or any money) at the time so I passed up on it. Shame, but it was nowhere near as clean as that one body-wise and it would break down on a weekly basis.

I will say this for the saab. It is one of the few FWD cars with a true double wishbone front suspension (honda's was not a true double wishbone) and unless the road is damp or "greasy" it is the first front driver where you cannot tell where the driven wheels are.

It is VERY neutral and not much under what BMW can do handling wise