Posts Tagged ‘beta’

Driving Update: 1978 Lancia Beta goes to the Pedal Pushers Pullover Rally

November 17, 2009

It’s finally time for another update on actually driving the RustyButTrusty fleet. I actually manage to drive the cars on a fairly regular weekend basis, but this was an event where the setting was picturesque and other folks took on photo duty. This time, it was the Beta’s turn to serve as our ride, which was a great choice for me, but less so for my co-pilot. The softer ride this car has vs. my Alfas makes it great over the bumps and cattle grates, while its independent suspension makes it a great handler. That said, the softer ride also didn’t help my co-pilot’s tendency towards motion sickness, so we actually peeled off early. Other than that, the car held up fairly well on its first major outing, aside from an annoying tendency to stall out anytime we came to a stop. For now, it’s going to be parked for a little while so I can figure out what’s up next for it, make sure I’m good for 2009 taxes, and get reacquainted with the Alfetta GT, which was parked for the last month or so.

Anyway, back to the event. The Pedal Pushers are an all-women’s car club interested in a broad mix of old cars. This is the third annual Pullover Rally they’ve put on, and it’s a really fun, well-organized one-day drive out in the East Bay hills, an area that I’ve not had much of a chance to explore. Last year’s drive was great, so we decided to go again this year. Sure enough, it delivered, and here are a couple of shots:

1978 Lancia Beta Berlina at Altamont Pass

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall – 1977 & 1979 Lancia Beta Berlinas

September 18, 2009

I suppose this is what happens when you think you drive a rare car, and you snapped up the first one that showed up because you didn’t think you’d get another chance. Right now, on two different craigslist sites, are *two* different Beta berlinas. While one is more suitable for parts, a dedicated Lancia fan might want to give it a chance at a new life, without expecting to see actual money back out of it. Even though this is a post-Fiat Lancia, I’ve been learning the Lancia engineers still managed to pack some oddball features and impressive handling into these cars. And the Fiat-derived twincam is pretty revvable, even though you do need to turn 4000rpm to maintain 70mph. In any case, with their unique style (along with the fact that mine’s now driveable), I’m starting to appreciate mine more and more. To start us off, check out this 1979 example in Highland Park, CA (near LA).

1979 Lancia Beta berlina side

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Boise Betas – HPE, Coupe, and Zagatos

June 30, 2009

Since I’m feeling guilty (or something) for finally giving in on my Beta sedan and taking it up to a professional in Berkeley, I figured I’d do a post on Betas. Call it an act of contrition, if you like. Speaking from my experiences working on these cars, I would move on any of these cars with a certain level of trepidation, but I have to say they’re still very attractive in terms of the performance and technology you get in these late-70s cars. Maybe it’s just setting the correct expectations – with these cars at such low prices, expect to do a certain amount of mechanical work before having a reliable, smooth-running driver.

Who knew there were so many Betas in Boise? With four on the market at the same time, Boise must be a veritable hotbed of Lancia enthusiasts. With the varied assortment, you have to think that somewhere in the Boise area, there’s a Berlina hiding in someone’s garage. This first pair is pretty interesting – an HPE and a Coupe, both from 1979. Unfortunately, the HPE has an automatic transmission and is missing a carb, but from my perspective that’s a good reason to source a fuel-injected 2000 engine with a 5-speed and drop that in, instead of bothering with the strangling emissions equipment. The good news is, the coupe is a runner, so you can keep the flame alive with that while finding and installing that 2000. The HPE is also listed separately at $200, but you can get the whole package here at $750 in Meridian, ID.

1979 Lancia Beta HPE & Coupe
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