Project Resto 2 - More Beta fun (madness)

[MattNoVAT]

So, I get a call from one of my friends from the Stratos building side of my life who tells me about a 1977 "R" Beta Coupe thats been left in a garage for the 30 years.
Hmmmm my interest picks up at this point,  1 owner, went in to have a sill welded in and a new front crossmember - but never came out the garage after the sill went on.  That was 1982.

I drive to Wales to see it, Antibes Blue with the lovely lurid orange velour interior, brown dash etc etc.  Turns out to be a very very early S2 but the chassis seems to be S1.  Rear panel is flat, the roofline at the back is curved rather than the later design with the swage line/extra headroom (I never knew about that subtle change until Andy Collins told me... thanks Andy), doors have the red warning lights in them and the washer jet nozzle is centrally located in the middle of the front scuttle but it has a 2000 lump and a 2000 bonnet. So I think its a very early S2. (BC1 Coupe 2000 on the Chassis plate though)

Pretty much complete, needs a bit of welding to the drivers side of the floor and some welding on the junction of the A pillars/scuttle.

Bolt on panels are all pretty much shot - wings are probably salvageable but if its gonna be resprayed then I'd prefer to put wings that have not been perforated by rust. Bonnet is the worst I've ever seen... first 6 inches of front have just.... well...gone.  Bootlid rusted around the lock hole and the holes where the badges locate - but I have a boot lid already

Underside - surface rust mainly (its been stored inside for 30 years luckily)

Mechanicals - well, it needs recommissioning - not sure, was told it was seized through lack of use but diesel was dropped into the pots about 18 months 2 years ago so you never know and its fun finding out :-)

Came with a fair bit of NOS,mostly service items which will come in handy!   So I'll be dipping into my supply of new Beta bushes and a lot of the other spares in my garage that I've collected over the years.

Emptied out the car today, got to strip and bin some of the spare suspension that came from the guys brothers 1600 coupe that rusted away, then I'l clean it out  to get a better idea of the extent of the welding work tomorrow evening ready for the weekend when I'll get to inspect it fully, in detail in the daylight - but I don't think its a basket case (I do hope I'm not proved wrong!)

[MattNoVAT]

And heres some pictures of the car  

The car is back at my house now, huge thanks go to Tony for coming to Wales (after the NEC show) to collect it with the truck.  Also to Andy Collins who came along for the ride, provided brekkie, great humour and some Beta history/facts.  At the very least it was better than working :-)

Will keep you posted on the progress....

[MattNoVAT]

And inside, well some of it:  I love this colour

[MattNoVAT]

And in the cold light of day....

[HFStuart]

OK I've just worked out where your brownie points went !

That looks like well worth saving.

[targa2000]

Hi Matt, I have a good n/s door if its any good to you, no rot, small surface rust on sharp edges due to storage, no hole for mirror in quarter light, free if you need it.

[MattNoVAT]

Update 27-02-2011  

After getting the 1977 Coupe home and stripping down the front of the car it soon became obvious that the car was beyond saving sadly, the N/S A pillar had gone and the O/S A pillar was not far off matching it.  The underside of the bulkhead hid a few horrors also and I spent the weekend thinking about what was the sensible thing to do.  The following weekend I stripped the car of as much useful stuff as possible and weighed the shell in.  Sad, but necessary.  Plus..... there was plan B.

I've been eyeing S1 1600 Coupes for a couple of years now, well aware that I have a nostalgic urge to have another one just like my first Beta Coupe I owned when I was 19.  (WDP 45 T)  Azzuro Metallic blue with orange velour interior.

So, a few weeks ago I went and looked at two 1600 Coupes, covering 380 miles on the Saturday, and a further 100 miles on the Sunday looking at E46 BMW for my wife. (The newer BMW for Mrs NoVAT was a brownie points exercise   )

Yesterday, with the kind assistance of TonyLanciaBeta (again) we set off and bought home my new stablemate for my S2/FL.  I bought Mark W's 1976 S1 1600 Coupe, which needs some welding, complete respray and a new exhaust plus a few minor bits and bobs.

The good news is that I have a garage loft full of Beta S1 parts and the orange velour interior from the first car will be re-upholstered and fitted to the Azzuro Coupe - thus making replicating my first ever Lancia.  

First I need to replace middle and tail sections of the exhaust and then drive it down to my friendly MOT man who will give me the benefit of his ramp and what needs doing as essential work for an MOT pass.  Then off to my bodyshop man and he'll sort the welding and paintwork. Interior will be re-trimmed in orange velour as per original Lancia spec.

In the light of day and after a wash.....(the car not me) I'm chuffed to bits!!

[MattNoVAT]

Front view 

[MattNoVAT]

drivers side

[MattNoVAT]

Back end.

Will start a thread in the blog section with better pictures.

[gillybeta]

hi matt
congratulations on your aquisition and good luck with the project.
there are so few series 1 models about . i do like the earlier bonnet for the 1600 and that front grille is a bit classier. does this 1600 engine differ to series 2 and series 2 fl giving out more power? 
if that interior is mustard/gold and in good nick i might be a willing buyer in the future.
regards jon

[MattNoVAT]

Hi Jon,

Yes the S1 1600's had 1592cc engines with 108 bhp & a compression ratio of 9.8:1, the S2 and onwards 1600's were 1585cc with 100bhp and C/R of 9.4:1.

Earlier cars had different pistons and manual chokes IIRC plus a few other subtle changes under the bonnet.

[peteracs]

Hi Matt

Nice looking car, hope the work is not too much.

Just one question on the S1 1600, did the original S1 coupe have the black grill, or was it like the Spider which had a silver one to match the light surround?

Peter

[MattNoVAT]

S1 1600 Coupes have a silver grille, silver light surrounds and also silver vents behind the rear windows.

The work required should be fairly straight forward, the car is complete, so I don't have to go searching high and low, parts that I do need I've bought new (sills) and the rest of the bits I took off the first car, but I am a stickler for originality and like to think I have quite high standards when it comes to my cars.

[HFStuart]

That reminds me  - I found a brand new silver (OK chrome I suppose) coupe vent in a box yesterday. Can't remember what side it was but do you need one?

[redvxcoupe]

Nice to see a S1...
I was lucky to find one in Norway last summer...
Think it's only 3 S1 Coupe's in Norway, (2 1800 and 1 1600) never sold new.
Mine is original...allmost. Fitted new springs from BetaBoyz, new bushings and Nardi   (lying in my garage since my last S1)
Also got rid of the green/brown interior. Had a gold one from a red S1FL...

Daily driver all summer  

[MattNoVAT]

That's a very nice example.

Good choice on the changing of the interior.