1972 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S Coupe S2 from North America - Comments

The car was advertised on Ebay as a roadworthy older restoration and I bought it for (US$5,200). It was one of the only ones I have seen in 20 years for sale locally. I had looked at two cars for sale in Europe, but they needed major repairs.

My Fulvia 1.3S Coupe required new brake pads all around, a brake proportioning valve and a new master cylinder (US$1,200 Total). I had engine, trans and shock bushings replaced as a precaution (US$400). To pass US Pennsylvania State Inspection, it required some electrical restoration; the grounds were poor and the euro style lights were very dim; The reverse lamp was also euro style, not allowed in PA. The new halogen sealed beams are fantastic, but the total electrical work was (US$1,700).

I installed some period 1970 Seatbelts and discovered I need to lose some weight:-)

I have also discovered that the heater core is disconnected and there is a small crack in the spare magnesium Chromadora wheel.

Right before I bought it, a new head gasket was installed, the valves lapped and dual solex 2bbl carbs adjusted ($900.00)

The car when purchased was imported from Sicily to the USA in May 2003. It needed some minor body repair above the right rear wheel arch; it is missing the factory ID badge (Located a replica HF badge on Ebay!!!). The car has no headrests or bumpers, but has the bumper hole covers. The paint was in good shape, generally and the only rust visible is in the underpanel holes in trunk.

The KM speedometer moves, but is way out of calibration. All of the other indicators and gauges work fine.

My car is Lancia Red and is named Sylvia, after Sylvia Plath who I thought of when I got the bills for repairs.

The Lancia Club predicted my experience perfectly, and reccomended a S1 car, with the excellent 4-speed, but the rear drum brakes on a S1 are not as good as the 4WDiscs on the S2.

The car is fantastic to drive, with little torque steer and good balance.

I would say though the steering is slow and a bit heavy to park, like 6 turns lock to lock.

The 5-speed is a little tricky on the 1-2 upshift - double clutch is best. The motor roars like a brute, and attracts major attention on the street. It has amazing room for such a small car.

Huib Geeruink (viva-lancia.com) and Mike Kristick (Lancia Spares, Wellsville, PA USA) have been a major help with tech support and spares respectively. I have located another Fulvia owner nearby my home and I look forward to touring this summer.

One small note; I had some personal difficulty right after I bought this car, otherwise I would have done more of the work myself. Admittedly, I am a huge Lancia fan, so take my word with a grain of arborio.

Good to see another Fulvia is saved from the eternal highways - for the time being: Dig into that rust! It's a series 2, its steel is not as good as from a series 1 - which is enough of a pain already. You talk about a series 1's rear drum brakes - well well. There aren't any. Right from 1965 onward, every Fulvia has had discs all-round. Good to see you salvaged your Solexes - mine were beyond that point and were replaced by Dell'Orto's. Oh well, you've probably read my S1 review already. :-) And indeed, Huib is a true asset. There's not much he can't solve or figure out.

March must be Fulvia Month. I was lucky enough to go to Italy and recently bring back 2 Fulvia Coupes, An S1 in Aquamarine, and an S2 in a sort of maroon /chocolate. Delightful little cars, both needed brake work as the calipers tend to seize, but a pleasure to drive. The S1 is lighter and easier to toss, feels more delicate & classic, the S2 cruises better on the freeway, has more torque off the line, & feels more modern (in a 1971 kind of way...) Glad to see a few other people out there enjoying these little art objects. Good mechanical luck to all, Jaan.

A new update from the owner of this car: My mechanic had finally had made up the tool needed to remove the front hubs to replace the torn rt CV joint boot (cover). I had both done as a precaution and we found out one hub has 3 splines and 1 has 6 splines, requiring 2 special tools! ($300 - does not include tools). I also had the heater system repaired. The heater valve was missing and I bought a new one ($260) and had to have linkages made, plus then had the system flushed. There was a lot of oil in the flush, but the head gasket was not bad. The heat worked just OK, but after a 90 mile drive, some coolant overflowed and the heat worked great!?!

I had a body shop check out the car and the verdict is she is very solid and only now needs some detailing in the rocker panel area to be perfect looking. The shop did make a few body repairs, but I got these at no charge (long story). The paint was matched perfectly.

Omicron now has the correct ID badge (chassis plate -$15) and I have got one. I just needed a new Starter Solenoid ($80) and had a new Thermostat ($14) installed, with state inspection (total $150). It's a bit of a hot summer for the car with no A/C, but I hope to have a great fall driving her to Virginia.

I recommend against buying a Fulvia in North or South Europe; it is almost impossible to find a good one without overpaying and besides, it is almost impossible to trust anyone selling a Fulvia Sedan or Coupe. They were always terribly rust-prone, therefore they are almost non-existent and more non-existant in good, rust- free condition. Like older Porsche's, never be fooled by what you see. European demand is very low and it seems that the few that are on the market are waiting for a sucker; usually a foreigner, It is certainly better to take your time locating one close to where you live (at least in your part of the country in which you live) that someone else has either pampered throughout its life or invested a lot in bringing it up to standards. They are not rapidly appreciating assets, so don't assume you will be able to recover your investment somewhere down the road. Europeans tend to buy cars to drive; weather regardless and Fulvia's usually reflect this.

I live in Europe & want to say that every Fulvia I've seen in the last years is in stupendous condition. They are in fixed -hands & belong to Lancia Club members. Recently two popped up for sales in Munich, honestly described as having not been driven for ages and spending the last 20 years in a storage status; perhaps not worth restoring, perhaps good only as parts source. Of course, I have to say I never see a Fulvia other than at Club meets or other such events. Mine, a red Zagato almost defies description. Please realize I have to say that, since it is mine. I would recommend that anyone who goes anywhere to buy any Lancia, Porsche or any other rare, precious and beautiful (in the eye of the beholder) automobile, boat, or other vehicle rely on the services of an expert. The funds invested in advance are better than tears pf rage down the road, if car, boat, tractor or whatever even gets that far.

When I am thinking, I never use 1st gear. When I am not thinking, I do use 1st gear and immediately wish I had been thinking. I live in flat land, but with hilly regions all around. I guess if I was starting out on a on a steep hill I would have to use 1st, however I will state that 95% of the time, using 1st gear is just aggravating. Using 1st gear in my little Lancia Y10 means that after 1 car length I am 10 car lengths behind the car in front of me. Finding second in that car is easy & quick, but then I'm 15 car lengths behind traffic and those poor souls stuck behind me are late for work. In my Fulvia, small children on tricycles out drag me, since I am busy finessing the shift into 2d gear instead of accelerating. Try thinking too and forget 1st gear.

Hello!

Do you still own your Fulvia in PA?

I am in Montgomery County and am on the verge of getting mine back (thankfully!) after an almost 4 year restoration.

We are about to paint and place the motor back in after sending the head out to be done.

What a wonderful car the little Fulvia is.

Michael

mlkofkim at yahoo.com.

A more recent update. The shop (EuroTec of Livingston NJ) apparently did not replace the boots properly (did they replace at all??) and I had to pay to have these done a second time $600. (2005) It turns out one spline nut (Right/Left) is different than the other and it needs two tools. I am using Mike Tilson of Overbrook section of Philadelphia, as he is a factory trained Lancia Mechanic. I have had an intermittent problem with the first fuse in the fuse box. This prevents the starter from engaging. Frustrating, but very minor. Otherwise the car has been very reliable, although I don't drive it enough.