1300 Coupes

[smithymc]

Well done Neil- I have only managed to go as far as fetching a paper since taxing at start of last week.

Mark

[Neil-yaj396]

Goodbye to the pre-facelift Coupe after seven years sterling service. Sold to a genuine enthusiast for £1450 via ebay. More than I expected, but probably a lot less than it will be worth in the future if it gets a good restoration. 173 watchers and 2500 hits so it generated lots of interest.

[peteracs]

Hi Neil

So now you will need to change your username......

Peter

[Neil-yaj396]

Hadn't thought of that! Damn

[Neil-yaj396]

Yesterday saw another big day out for the 'new' 1300. 212 mile round trip to an LMC Committee meeting and back via my Mothers. It's most miles in a day for many years I think. Possibly back to the 1980's.

Possibly paranoia, but I felt that the gearbox got a bit noisy after the long motorway runs, so I'm going to change the gearbox oil at the weekend. Have read all the Redline recommendations, but knowing a bit about the oil industry I'm going to use Castrol 75w/90, slightly cheaper, readily available, correct rating and some good write ups.

My next long run is at the end of June (Stanford Hall). So may take a while to report back on the results, if any.

[GerardJPC]

Hello all, I am now the owner of YAJ 936T.  The chap who bought it from Neil only had it a month and then sold it to make way for a Volvo project.  I was very glad to acquire the car.  I have previously had a 1981 Spyder 2000 and I currently have a 1984 HPE Volumex.  I was particularly keen to get a 1300 Beta, and a pre facelift interior, and am loving the car so far.  It now lives in South Oxfordshire.

The car is cosmetically scruffy, and needs major work on doors and scuttle, and a full respray, but the engine, box and brakes and all electrics are good.  The engine needs new gaskets for rocker covers and sump.  The main problem with the car is that the bearing at the base of the steering column has collapsed, so this is the priority fix.

I have polished the car up and replaced its tired old Firestones with new Pirelli Cinturato P4s in 175/14T all round  (155s are only available in budget brands, it appears).   This has instantly improved the handling, ride and grip of the car.    It's a hoot!

[GerardJPC]

The car after a wash but before a polish:-



The seats are great!    So bad they're good!



Proper 70s dash - better than the later one, I think.

[peteracs]

Hi

Glad it has finally gone to someone who appreciates it and is likely to keep it for a while!

As to seats, I think Lancia in that period managed to corner the market in 'interesting' taste interior colour combinations, I had a bright red HPE with the mustard coloured seats and door cards, I will leave others to list their particular favourites. It all became rather bland with the facelift cars, some say thankfully.....

At least the Spyder had one colour fits all vinyl.

Peter

[GerardJPC]

AKA park it with the top down then it rains vinyl - v sensible!

I found the black interior and dash of my red Spyder rather gloomy and almost Germanic when the top was up.  The 1300 Coupe and the HPE have light and airy interiors by comparison.

The red and blue seats in the little Coupe were apparently fitted by some nutcase Lancia dealer.  The window winder on the driver's door is about to die the death.   The rust on that door is a thing to be seen, and demonstrates what a rubbish water trap design the doors are!

Anyone please know where to source a steering rack bearing?   No joy thus far from the usual haunts. 

BTW, I have a blue HPE IE donor car that is saveable, I reckon, if anyone fancies a project.    Good engine.  Box believed OK, body well ratty, not sure about sub frames.  Seats need retrim.

[cheeky monkey]

Welcome GerardJPC !.

seems you are enjoying the car already. Thats at least Neil, you and me with 1300 coupes. My MOT due in 2 weeks..aiming high and going for a pass with no advisories.
Graham 

[GerardJPC]

Cheers!  Is yours the amaretto brown 1300?

[GerardJPC]

Here is Yaj next to a minty 1976 1300 Berlina

[rossocorsa]

Sure I've seen one of those steering column bearings on eBay.it recently ........ It might even fit some fiats as well.

[GerardJPC]

Cheers, I will look there.  eBay.it produced a clutch for my Volumex.

[GerardJPC]

Found one!

[rossocorsa]

Be careful eBay is the full time home of the committed beta addict, you always need a nice hoard of those once in a lifetime parts made of pure unobtainium, well you never know when you'll need them do you?

[GerardJPC]

I have had classic cars since the late 1980s - Triumphs, Lotuses, Jensens, Alfas, Matras, Landies, you name it, so the endless hunt for spares is a long established pathology!

(My proud boast is that I never have owned and never will own an MG.  Only proper cars allowed!)

[rossocorsa]

I can't claim that as we used to have a zt and tf as everyday cars but I'd never consider a Morris Oxford coupe otherwise known as MGB

[GerardJPC]

To be fair (much as it pains me to do so) Midgets are rather good, but MGBs are simply awful in every way, and the cult associated with them makes the Vee Dub Scene look rational.

[Neil-yaj396]

Cheers!  Is yours the amaretto brown 1300?

I think Cheeky's 1300 is metallic blue. That brown one was for sale online for ages. Not sure where it ended up. A LMC member thinks he saw a gold pre-facelift 1300 in Manchester two weeks ago. If he did I think that would account for all the roadworthy cars in the UK.