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Here is the next one...sorry for the delay 🙂

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Edited by Lelmer
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That's funny, Wilson. :)

My good news of the week in this long, frustrating recovery from last October is that I have finally been able to drive my cars again. The Merc SLK is easier since it has the automatic transmission. But yesterday I was able to drive the Fulvia (the shift gate from 2->3 is still a bit of a challenge) and validate that all the work I'd had done just before the Calamity worked as planned! :D 

onwards ... probably another three-four months of healing to go. 

G

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8 hours ago, ramarren said:

That's funny, Wilson. :)

My good news of the week in this long, frustrating recovery from last October is that I have finally been able to drive my cars again. The Merc SLK is easier since it has the automatic transmission. But yesterday I was able to drive the Fulvia (the shift gate from 2->3 is still a bit of a challenge) and validate that all the work I'd had done just before the Calamity worked as planned! :D 

onwards ... probably another three-four months of healing to go. 

G

Godfrey, 

As I think I may have suggested in the past, maybe consider a 5 speed box on your Fulvia. It transformed my 1.3HF coupé. The short throw gearchange is a delight compared with the long wobbly walking stick of the 4 speed. However I suspect these 5 speed boxes are more difficult to find now, than when I did mine in 1973. I was lucky enough to find a close ratio box out of a 1.6HF Fanalone at a scrap yard (rolled over rally car right off), through the Lancia Club of GB. 

I am a great believer in improved gear changes. I liked my 1977 Porsche 911 RSR  rally car, when I got it in 2010, apart from the floppy and vague gear shift on the 915 gearbox with no spring biasing on the gate (what were they thinking of). I installed a Rennsport Precision Gearshifting System from James West Engineering and it made the car a delight to drive, with accurate short shifting, adjustable spring biasing into the 2/3 plane and either manual or automatic reverse lock out. This is a much more extensive system than the Wevo, which just replaces the shift tower. The Rennsport replaces everything from the gear lever knob all the way to the front of the gearbox, using a large diameter stiff chrome-moly tube and Rpezza CV joints in place of the original Hooke universal joints. 

Wilson

Edited by wlaidlaw
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13 hours ago, stuny said:

How about a Lambo?

Yes 🙂

12 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

Yeah, looks like a Gaillardo to me.

Correct. Superleggera version.

Your turn.

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Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

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4 hours ago, wlaidlaw said:

Godfrey, 

As I think I may have suggested in the past, maybe consider a 5 speed box on your Fulvia. It transformed my 1.3HF coupé. The short throw gearchange is a delight compared with the long wobbly walking stick of the 4 speed. However I suspect these 5 speed boxes are more difficult to find now, than when I did mine in 1973. I was lucky enough to find a close ratio box out of a 1.6HF Fanalone at a scrap yard (rolled over rally car right off), through the Lancia Club of GB. 

I am a great believer in improved gear changes. I liked my 1977 Porsche 911 RSR  rally car, when I got it in 2010, apart from the floppy and vague gear shift on the 915 gearbox with no spring biasing on the gate (what were they thinking of). I installed a Rennsport Precision Gearshifting System from James West Engineering and it made the car a delight to drive, with accurate short shifting, adjustable spring biasing into the 2/3 plane and either manual or automatic reverse lock out. This is a much more extensive system than the Wevo, which just replaces the shift tower. The Rennsport replaces everything from the gear lever knob all the way to the front of the gearbox, using a large diameter stiff chrome-moly tube and Rpezza CV joints in place of the original Hooke universal joints. 

Wilson

Hi Wilson, 

I have been keeping my eye out for a five speed transaxle and all the attendant bits "just in case one comes available" ... but so far none have surfaced. Lancia Fulvia cars (and parts wrecks) are much much less common in the US than in the UK and Europe; they only officially sold them here until 1967.

And fitting one is a largish project to do correctly as there are differences in the floor plan for the gearbox extension which also means differences in the rubber carpeting and floor mats as well, not to mention that the gearing change it implies would also mean a new set of tires (185/70R14 rather than 175/70R14) to keep the gearing I've set up as consistent as possible. 

Ultimately, I'm happy with my Fulvia the way I've got it set up now: it works very well, runs great, and the four speed—while a little wider ratio than I'd prefer—is precise and shifts nicely (my arm is the difficult bit right now, it's just not fully healed yet). Future mods I've semi-planned on are to upgrade from the S1 generator/mechanical fan to the S2 alternator and electric cooling fan setup, and then to update the standard S1 headlamp setup to the Fanalone style headlamp setup for more light on the road at night (yeah, my night vision at this age wants any advantage it can get...!). Those two mods are about a $3000 expense and net better charging along with more available power for higher wattage headlamp bulbs, and the bigger main beams are more efficient at outputting light as well. 

Priorities ... :D

G

 

 

 

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Godfrey, 

I was very lucky in that the Lancia garage in Thorpe Bay, Essex, had just joined a government apprentice training scheme. They undertook the 5 speed conversion on my Fulvia as an apprentice project (fully supervised!) and I can't now remember what the exact bill was, but not a great deal, less than £100. The transaxle, gearchange and various bits like different piece of floor pan and mats etc was £50 all in from the scrap yard. The most expensive thing was the wider alloy wheels and larger tyres. 

Wilson

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Wilson,

Ach, different age. I suspect that the parts alone nowadays (transaxle, interior gearbox cover, etc) would amount to near US$2000 if I could find them, and the labor alone would be another US$2000. 

I had the Fulvia out for another drive this morning. The front end work I did on it is transformative: It now feels just right in its handling! The steering quality has that same slightly heavy when parking, just right when rolling, precise and high-feedback feel as my Alfa Romeo type 105 spiders did, and I think the Fulvia understeers less, despite being a front wheel drive car. Three of the four ball joints were right on the wear limit, most of the old rubber bushings were past due... etc. All bits have been refreshed, the rubber bushings replaced with polyurethane ... It feels like a new car through the steering wheel. Very, very pleasing. And while the five speed box would certainly be a plus, the wide ratio four speed is rather nicely matched to the car's power and handling dynamics and doesn't present a hindrance to enjoying it. 

Just need my shoulder and arm to heal up a bit more ... sigh. A half hour's sprightly drive has exhausted me and given me an ache. Time to rest.

G

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