Fulvias in the US

[WJones]

Well I wasn't looking for a Fulvia and I found one. I did go look at it today. My feelings are mixed. I knew it was small before seeing it. My hope was that the +2 seating would be just big enough for a couple of small ones. Well it isn't really unless they sit with their knees up.

This really make me have to compare the Fulvia to all the classics available including the pure two seat cars. Fulvias are bargains compared to GTVs and 911s but not against some other makes of the same era.

That being said I did like the car, esp. with the Montecarlo paint scheme. The condition was not as nice as I would want, but it was a decent driver.

[Huib]

People selling a car with bad sills are not necessarily dishonest. There are one or two who don't know.

[Sam Danenberger IV]

You did not say if you wanted a ready to go car or a project.
As Huib said, with a project, although sometimes costly, you at least know and control what is being done.
With someone elses, you can find out later, and those are not fun surprises!
Again, buy the best you can afford find, but kick a lot of tires.
I owned the car that Jaan has on the Eddinsmoto site.
Really kind of rescued it, it had one foot in the grave, because many parts had been canabilized.
I put A LOT of time and money into it, to get it back on the road, to save it from being broken for parts.
It needs an interior and some floorboard and sill work, but it runs and drives very nicely, i.e. mechanically very sound. Aluminum hood, trunk and doors too.
Good Luck.

[Huib]

I restored Tina, the Fulvia I am driving now completely. Absolutely bare metal. All subframe / rear axle and other parts blasted, zinc plated and epoxy coated. New rubbers, springs, shocks, wheel bearings, bushes, windshield, foam in the seats etc etc. I overhauled engine and gearbox. The Dunlop brakes got my special treatment. It looks, smells and drives like a brand new Fulvia. It is amazing. It is really absurd how well it drives.

For the same money I could have bought a band new Lexus. No way, I will trade Tina for a Lexus. Not even for two Lexi. I don't even know what the plural is for Lexus. I don't want to know.

If anybody is in the area (Breda, Neterlands) you are welcome to test drive Tina.

[Ed Levin]

Personally, I happen to love the size of the Fulvia coupe, but it sounds as though it's really too small for your family. You might consider a Fulvia Berlina, which will easily fit 2 children in the rear (a friend has both a Berlina and 2 kids), or a Flavia coupe, one of which is for sale in the US on eBay right now (and it looks pretty nice):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lancia-L ... enameZWDVW

[Huib]

The berlina is also a very nice car and still much undervalued. Prices seem to have gone up recently on the lists in the magazines.

I already drove Lancia's in the late sixties. I can still remember my old dealer going on vacation with two kids and all camping gear in a souped up 1200 coupe at 180 km/h to the south of France.

[WJones]

I don’t want a bigger car. But now that I know my kids aren’t going to fit into this one I can compare it to other cars my kids won’t fit into. Some of them you might be able to get more car for whatever you decide to spend.

MG’s, Tr6’s, 2002’s, 124’s, 240Z’s, 510’s etc are all cars with racing heritages that have to be considered. Of course the Fulvia is better; this is a Lancia board after all

[Sam Danenberger IV]

I would say the closest things to the Fulvia are an orignal Mini Cooper and possibly an early BMW 2002.
Weight, engine size, performanc etc. They don't "feel" like a Fulvia of course.
The other cars you mentioned are quite different animals, I think.
I know you know this is a biased site/discussion, but you said you drove the Montecarlo car.
What did you think? Compared to other machinery you've driven?
I think you would be well to keep looking and drive another one or two.
Again, Good Luck!!

[the answer man]

fulvias are so undervalued in germany it is a joke. holland, benelux, uk - I don't know. 2 yrs ago I was offered a 1.3 coupe in white locally for +- €2000 - a car that the long-time owner gave such a full & honest telefonic & photo description of, that it had to be an honest car & certainly was a bargain. It was described as being a 2- on a scale of 5 & was parked for winter on a lift at a shop. although it was only a few miles away, i didn't go to look - it was during the crristmas week & I was finally catching up on relaxing; besides 5 lancia in 1 family were enough ! that # was up to 6 recently, proving that some people never learn. but, upon being offered a 1 owner, low low low km, very honest 1992 Y10 with cat-converter @ €500, with new MOT & 10 tires, 5 on mags (original 1992 rubber & very porous) ...how could I say no ! even it had no radio nor ever had an antennae. It is really a nickel- racer & almost a ton of fun (on new rubber) even if i drive it like an old lady. there are very narrow streets in this town & i live near 4 schools, 2 parks & 3 retirement homes. what I took to be a sport-muffler was actually a big fat chrome extension of the standard muffler,,,which had a crack. I was disappointed to be told that by my service-station-guys, who had just serviced the car (costing the previous owner more than € 500), because he, being a truly fine gentleman, - who wanted to own 1 car in his life with abs, airbags, a/c etc - who now drives a new fiat panda - wanted the new owner to get a 'real nice little car,that was never in snow" !!! ..
during that service, the owner would't let them weld the crack...he had grown to like the sound. I did too, but I didn't want to wake up the neighborhood, arriving late or leaving early. back to the fulvia... i understand that that particular fulvia was sold many months later to a now very happy new owner via the german fulvia club. so, maybe I'll get to see it some day. in case you are wondering how 6 lancia in 1 family got to be 5 lancia .... well - the gamma-coupe parts car simply had no more parts that i needed.
a friend needed everything that was left = i traded 1 stripped gamma for 5 new Y10 tires...man, another great deal ! am i happy that i laid on the couch instead of going out in the cold to look at a fulvia i didn't need, had no need nor space for...of course I am ! / of course I am not ! what did you expact me to say ?
i figured i'd be disappointed, no matter what i would see...after all i have a darn near perfect 1.3 fulvia zagato..so why would i want to downgradeto a mere coupe ? ha, ha...that was a joke, because i still am stunned by the simplicity & total balance of the coupes design. if i had to do it again & if it wasn't christmas..yes, i would go look at it... plan to eat stale bread for a few years & - if it was what is was supposed to be - yes, i would have bought it. at that price, why not ?

[Stephan]

I agree all the above are great cars, I dont know about the 2002, I've never driven a great one but as far as the 510 goes I used to race one. Like I said a great car, but nowhere near the engineering of a Lancia.
Everybody that rides in or drives my fulvia comments on how solid it feels. From shuting the doors to driving over uneven pavement. The fulvia rides like a much larger more expensive car and has a solid feel to it much like some good 911s I've driven.