Not sure what to do with my classic
Discussion
My classic is an 85 Lancia Beta HPE VX. I've had it for a good few years and I've had a lot of restoration work done on it. Since it was completed I used it for about a year as a daily driver but I kept on getting little niggling things crop up so I got a motorbike to commute / learn on.
I've since moved house, changed work locations and taken my motorbike test. The only thing I need a car for these days is hauling stuff / people, and the lancia just isnt reliable enough for that sadly.
I've thought about what would be the suitable next step... I dont want to part with it, I would like to make it reliable but im not sure how to do that without significantly changing it from the original spec, not to mention the cost involved for a car id barely use. It's not immensely original - the doors, bonnet and tailgate are all off other examples, but it is correct and mechanically to the original spec too.
Thoughts?
I've since moved house, changed work locations and taken my motorbike test. The only thing I need a car for these days is hauling stuff / people, and the lancia just isnt reliable enough for that sadly.
I've thought about what would be the suitable next step... I dont want to part with it, I would like to make it reliable but im not sure how to do that without significantly changing it from the original spec, not to mention the cost involved for a car id barely use. It's not immensely original - the doors, bonnet and tailgate are all off other examples, but it is correct and mechanically to the original spec too.
Thoughts?
They are getting very rare now, and it sounds like you've fallen out of love with it.
I'm all for modernising classic cars so they can be driven today- brake mods, suspension mods etc so it looks original (this to me is very important) but it goes modern.
However, for soemthing you just dont use, why pay the money? can you see yourself letting someone else enjoy it? Give it to a better home etc etc
I'm all for modernising classic cars so they can be driven today- brake mods, suspension mods etc so it looks original (this to me is very important) but it goes modern.
However, for soemthing you just dont use, why pay the money? can you see yourself letting someone else enjoy it? Give it to a better home etc etc
Trouble is there will be a time at some point in the future where I will need a car on a daily basis, and it would make an excellent all rounder if it were reliable. I'd consider selling it now and get one again in the future but my current one has had its horrors exposed - its been stripped bare and rebuilt, its got most of it the way I want it and some very rare bits like the period accessory wheels I had imported for it.
I wouldnt see anything close to its value in sale and I wouldnt be able to get anything nearly as good condition in the future. Heck I would probably have to sell out and get something newish.
I wouldnt see anything close to its value in sale and I wouldnt be able to get anything nearly as good condition in the future. Heck I would probably have to sell out and get something newish.
It depends what reliability issues you are having with the car. Is it the typical electrical earth problems? If it is, that is something that would be reasonably inexpensive to fix, clean up connections and protect them. The mechanicals are quite straightforward so shouldn't be problematic. If you can sort the niggles out, then they will stay sorted. I can understand that if you have to pay someone, it wouldn't be economic, but these are easy cars to work on (compared to moderns!).
I have been using my 1984 Lancia Beta Coupe 2000ie daily for the last year as a station car and it has been great. Before that it was sometimes left for six months and would still always start. As with most cars they benefit from regular use.
You also get the benefit of people looking at you, most people admire it but some ask why it hasn't rusted away !!!!
I have been using my 1984 Lancia Beta Coupe 2000ie daily for the last year as a station car and it has been great. Before that it was sometimes left for six months and would still always start. As with most cars they benefit from regular use.
You also get the benefit of people looking at you, most people admire it but some ask why it hasn't rusted away !!!!
Yep typical mysterious electrical problems...
I had a weird problem where the car would start and run fine for about 10 minutes but then would lose all the electrics. I cleaned all the engine bay earths and protected them but no joy, I've taken all the interior out and tidied up some dodgy additions by a previous owner but I still dont have a great deal of trust in it.
Its a tricky one to hand over to an auto electrician when it seems to be running fine and say, here, have a working car, now fix it!
I had a weird problem where the car would start and run fine for about 10 minutes but then would lose all the electrics. I cleaned all the engine bay earths and protected them but no joy, I've taken all the interior out and tidied up some dodgy additions by a previous owner but I still dont have a great deal of trust in it.
Its a tricky one to hand over to an auto electrician when it seems to be running fine and say, here, have a working car, now fix it!
Have you checked the wiring that goes into the fusebox. If you lose all electrics then it must be something general.
There are two heavy duty cables that go in at each end of the fusebox, check those as they are the main supplies. Also, in the same area check that none of the wires from the fusebox have worn the casing off of the speedo cable or the throttle cable.
It would be a shame to get rid of it after having spent time and money on it already, as someone has already said they are quite rare now.
There are two heavy duty cables that go in at each end of the fusebox, check those as they are the main supplies. Also, in the same area check that none of the wires from the fusebox have worn the casing off of the speedo cable or the throttle cable.
It would be a shame to get rid of it after having spent time and money on it already, as someone has already said they are quite rare now.
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