Wanted: spare parts for Lancia Flavia Coupè 2000

[Giacomo]

I am looking for the following parts for my Lancia Flavia Coupè 2000 of 1970:
- rear tail lights (or only the left one);
- complete set of rubber carpets.

[Gunthr]

Hello Giacomo,
I think I can help you partially:
As you will know the tail light is in two parts. I have a left tail light but only the red/white part, not the orange It's in excellent condition.

[Michael Findlay]

Hello Giacomo

I hope you find the parts you are looking for but I also want to warn you about the Flavia 2000 Consortium in the UK. In response to an advertisement on their website listing the parts that I needed for my Flavia coupe I requested parts from them in February this year, paid for them in March and I am still waiting to receive them now. Apparently New Zealand is too far away and the difficulty of shipping the parts has become too much for them. Unless you can collect the parts yourself, do not do business with them.

Good luck,

Michael Findlay
Squadra Port
Port Chalmers
New Zealand

[Peter Longhurst]

The Flavia and 2000 Consortium website contains a page which includes a garage clear-out list from one of its officers, who has entirely voluntarily dismantled and scrapped quite a few “dead” cars. These are parts now surplus to his immediate requirements, and not Consortium parts.

Well over a month ago I received an email from MF, asking if I could contact the Consortium member to chase up parts ordered some time before from this page: this I did. MF copied me all previous emails on the subject. I became aware that what had been requested also required the construction of a case robust enough to transport safely, amongst other stuff, two windscreens and a bumper bar 15000+ miles around the globe. Foolishly, I emailed MF and said I thought this was unreasonable. Still do. MF left me in no doubt, and at some length, that I was the unreasonable one, particularly as he'd already received a similar case of parts from a UK Alfa Romeo parts specialist quite promptly. Moreover, he said, as this list was on the Consortium website, we (the Consortium) were completely responsible for all resulting actions and consequences.

The situation is complicated further in that MF has ordered and paid for some reproduction silicone rubber hoses from another Consortium member. It seemed sensible to include these hoses within the packing case. So: I have been told that no parts in dispute here are actually owned by the Consortium, and apart from a membership subscription for MF, no money has been paid to the Consortium.

I think that the awkward items like bumper bars and windscreens have now been sourced closer to NZ, so the worst part of this problem has gone away. It does look as though MF, who is clearly very computerate, is now intending to carry out a Spam attack on me, to judge from what has been turning up in my inbox. Whilst this might make him feel better, it doesn't alter the fact that I have no influence on the outcome of this miserable affair, and it is not the Flavia and 2000 Consortium itself that is culpable.

[Michael Findlay]

I do not wish to be unfair about this. I have recently heard from the Flavia Consortium member who was advertising these parts. Final payment has been sent and when I get the order I will place another message on the forum. I have no doubt that the Flavia Consortium is well meaning but I have had a difficult time with this organisation. I suggest, as Peter clearly recommends, if you live some distance from the UK, do not ask them to do anything complicated.

[Michael Findlay]

I have just revisted the Flavia Consortium website and found an advisory note that reads "It is impractical and needlessly costly to ship large heavy items around the globe.  Please be sensible about this, to avoid any disappointment." I feel that I should point out that I never objected to the shipping costs that were provided by the Flavia Consortium member who was advertising these parts. Living in New Zealand is my problem, not the Consortium's, and I am quite happy to pay the going rate. There are two of these cars in New Zealand. It is not as if I can pop down to the local Lancia Flavia 1800 Coupe mega-store and buy what I need off the shelf and I am reliant on international suppliers. Items need to be properly packed if they are being shipped anywhere and the distance or the cost to the purchaser should not be anyone else's concern. This is why I regarded Peter Longhurst's reply as unreasonable and – once again for clarity – why no-one outside the UK should do business with them. 

[Geoffrey Goldberg]

At the risk of getting in the midst of this, I'd like to offer the following:
Living in the US has presented similar problems to MF's situation: Lancia parts typiically are found in Europe - and finding the parts and a willing seller is only the first step in a necessary two step process. Shipping parts, especially large parts, overseas is a tedious process, and many parts sellers are not willing to undertake this.

Commercial operations (such as Omicron) are willing to do this, but there are many, both commercial and private, who are not. Given the newly created restrictions on international shipping, this has ony gotten worse. A can of paint can't be shipped to the US from Europe, and to send some bolts back to Italy once took us 7 pages of paperwork from the US (where is the country of origin for the material? etc.).

This problem is a large one for the remote Lanciste - perhaps it will engender parts cars being spread throughout the world, but more likely, is facilitated by "parts trips" - seemingly unnecessary, but in reality most necessary. It is painful sometimes to spend more on shipping and packing than purchasing the parts. Try to get a muffler from Italy, or even a set of wheels - shipping can cost well over several hundred $. I had a UPS shipping bill for some rubber mats of over $400. Yikes.

The reality is that small vendors (parts consortiums, friends, etc) really can't be expected to pack and ship large bulky items. Its just too hard to do.

This situation is now a piece of the ownership puzzle which the local Lanciste are not aware of, and the remote owners have expectations that often can't be met. The best of intentions may exist, but the reality is just overwhelming here.

Frustrating - yes. Sad - more so. But also true. The practical answer is use of large scale vendors who are familiar with the complexities of packing and shipping and willing to undertake them. Part of our remote ownership responsibilites now seems to include supporting our cars in ways that accomodate this part of the puzzle.

[Michael Findlay]

Geoffrey's response makes a great deal of sense in relation to the difficulties faced by individuals packing and dispatching parts around the globe. I am aware of the time and cost involved but there are organisations and businesses that do this sort of thing regularly and we, as remote car enthusiasts, need to adapt to changing situations and use them. The recommendation I made to the vendor in this case was that they use a company in the UK that I have successfully purchased a large number of Alfa parts from. They were happy to take over the shipping (for a fee) and relieve the club of all responsibilities. The parts just needed to be delivered by road to their address in Wales. The most difficult parts were front screens and there may be no solution to this apart from swallow hard and purchase off one of the larger firms like Omicron or Pilkingtons. I am flexible on all of these options.

The issue I have with the Consortium is that they offered to ship parts world wide on their site but then seemed to withdraw from this on the basis that New Zealand was "too far away". My point is that anywhere is equally far away if you have to put the items in the hands of a freight company and distance should not be considered as a factor. I have faith that my parts will eventually arrive and I am also aware that I am dealing with an individual Consortium member and not the organisation.

[jogo48]

please let us know what happens in the end.
I wish to know only out of general interest, but can add that sending 4 pallets of non-hazardous-goods (fruit juice concentrates) from N.Italy to Macedonia via Albania was real easy.....
Processing all the documents that everyone said everyone else needed to provide before, during & after the shipment was not easy.
When the finally goods arrived, it was discovered that the forwarder didn't have the same documents to give the consignee, customs, financial authorities, health ministry etc etc etc as the forwarder was given by the consigner .......who was me. I know I gave it to the driver, along with a cuppa-coffee.
It was a packet of documents that must have weighed 5 kg.
Eventually everything worked out. I assume the missing documents were found, but no one has told me.

We all know how to do it in the future........but it was a Hollywood-Production the 1st time.

I was required, if I wished to do business in Macedonia, to travel there & I did.

Why I had to travel no one told me...but, in my best American-English ( I am American) I believe it was so that the 'right persons' in 'right offices' wanted to give me "the old-eyball" !
To see if I was.....well, no one told me what I was supposed to be, so I just have to assume that many someone's wanted to see if I was "for real". And to get a Courtesy-Present for such kindness. I brought a lot of Comapny-Logo T-Shirts. Giving someone a T-Shirt isn't a bribe !!
I've been told that this "hassle" will never occur again, since everybody now knows everybody ...so it seems to have been worth it.
I can't imagine what would be required to import anything "technical, hazardous or of high value".
Juice concentrate isn't any of the above.
Michael Findlay wrote:
>
> Geoffrey's response makes a great deal of sense in relation
> to the difficulties faced by individuals packing and
> dispatching parts around the globe. I am aware of the time
> and cost involved but there are organisations and businesses
> that do this sort of thing regularly and we, as remote car
> enthusiasts, need to adapt to changing situations and use
> them. The recommendation I made to the vendor in this case
> was that they use a company in the UK that I have
> successfully purchased a large number of Alfa parts from.
> They were happy to take over the shipping (for a fee) and
> relieve the club of all responsibilities. The parts just
> needed to be delivered by road to their address in Wales. The
> most difficult parts were front screens and there may be no
> solution to this apart from swallow hard and purchase off one
> of the larger firms like Omicron or Pilkingtons. I am
> flexible on all of these options.
>
> The issue I have with the Consortium is that they offered to
> ship parts world wide on their site but then seemed to
> withdraw from this on the basis that New Zealand was "too far
> away". My point is that anywhere is equally far away if you
> have to put the items in the hands of a freight company and
> distance should not be considered as a factor. I have faith
> that my parts will eventually arrive and I am also aware that
> I am dealing with an individual Consortium member and not the
> organisation.