Flaminia Distributor caps & rotors

[Randy Adams]

Is anybody making new distributor caps and rotors for the Marelli distributors used in Flaminias. It's amazing how long my pieces have lasted, but it is a certainty that the cars are not firing as accurately as they once did. I am currently running three of these cars, with another good restoration candidate on the side. I can't speak for others, but I really would not care very much how expensive these parts were, so long as they were available.

[Brian Long]

Randy,
I'm not sure whether this will be of much use to you but years ago on my B20 I was able to get another distributor body machined so that it fitted the 'collar' into which the distributor is mounted. From memory it was a distributor from a Chrysler Valiant, a car that was sold in Australai at the time. There are probably other distributors from six-cylinder cars of the 70's which woukd suit. It would mean having access to someone with a lathe and you would also have to reset the centrifugal advance.
This would not work on a Touring engine such as mine because the air clean come ovetr the top of the cap.
Cheers for now,
brian Long.

[Michael Southgate]

Hello,
You may be interested to know that I have managed to have another distributor adapted to fit my Touring 3C. My understanding is that it is a Valiant slant six distributor by Bosch in Australia, but it means that caps, rotors and points are much more readily available than the original Marelli parts (of course, I've had my original distributor refurbished but I can now keep it as a spare).

At the same time I've had it converted to electronic ignition using and Ignitor kit. Overall, the new version was only 12mm taller than the original and will fit under the air cleaner I have on my car using right-angled leads out the top of the cap. The car's starting is better and it's running performance is much improved with this set-up.

I plan to write an article for the Australian Lancia Register newsletter explaining the process, listing the part numbers, and naming the distributor specialist that figured it all out and from whom distributors can be purchased.

Regards, Mike

[Hubert]

Hello Mike,


sounds really good what you have done regarding your distributor. By and by we are building up a network of Flaminia restaurers in Austria, Germany, Switzerland. Although we do have connections to Australia via the International Association Of Lancia Clubs, information of your kind will not reach us. Would you for this reason mind sending me an email copy of the article as soon as it is ready?

My email adress: hubert.enbergs@t-online.de or lanciaclubdeutschland@gmx.de.

Currently I am driving a 2.5 Pininfarina Coupé and will start a 2.5 3C Convertibile restauration next spring. The network up to now comprises two other convertibles and one Zagato.

Best regards

[Randy Adams]

I have long known that the Chrysler Corporation's slant six distributor can be adapted to the car. I've always hoped to avoid using this non-standard part but perhaps it is sensible to have at least one or two of these devices to save on the wear and tear on my originals. The electronic ignition is interesting. I would be very much interested in your article.

[Michael Southgate]

Randy,
If you would like to send me your email address to michael.southgate@autoliv.com I will send you a pdf file of the article.

Regards, Mike

[Tony Kovacevic]

Hi Michael, I was trawling the older Flaminia messages and came across your reference to using Valiant slant six distributors. I am currently restoring a Flaminia 3B, which I hope to have at Castlemaine this year. Could you please send me the pdf file on this conversion?
thanks
Tony Kovacevic

[Michael Southgate]

Hello Tony,
I wrote an article for the Australian Lancia Resgister newsletter, and I believe it's appearing in the April edition. Otherwise, once I get back to work on Monday I can send you a copy, along with details of the distributor specialist that performed the conversion, to which should go all the credit. My understanding is that a limited amount of machining is required, but the trick may be achieving the correct advance curve - my 3C is all-mechanical, and so the Valiant distributor's vacuum advance system was removed. I also had an electronic ignition module by "Ignitor" (i think) installed, but this can easily be converted back to conventional points.

Talking to Peter Renou, it may also be possible to convert to a distributor using much more common Bosch points used in Falcons, etc., so this may also be an avenue for you. I can get a name from Peter of the fellow he knows that has done this on some other Lancia models.

I hope to see you at Castelmaine later this year. It will be my first in my own Lancia, as up till now my association has been vicariously through my father and sister (Fulvia and Flavia coupes respectively) and I'm looking forward to it.

Best regards,
Mike Southgate

[Michael Southgate]

Tony,
Could you please send your contact details to me at michael.southgate@autoliv.com and I'll send a copy of the article. The version that appeared in the Register newsletter was complete except for the photographs.

Regards, Mike