New Fulvia owner

[jogo48]

everybody probably knows this anyway, but for the record:
almost gas is drained prior to loading - for understandable safety reasons !
during unloading gas is only 'dripped in' if necessary to get a 'used car' off the ship ; however many cars are towed off in lieu of retanking.
I've never heard of mechanical damage being done by a port-crew. Dents, scratches & vandalism, yes....
Cars falling in the water ? NO, except when the ship is sinking; which happens !
In far north winters I've witnessed cracked blocks in below zero temps.........blocks that were "probably" not cracked as long as the cars were being driven. Or were they cracked before the cars was shipped ? When a block cracked & who is finally at fault situations have lead to many "unpleasentries".
I've always know that the port-loading crews don't buy their fuel !
It isn't a bad idea to arrive at the port - if port-pick-up is in the 'plan' - with a full jerry can. Or a friend to tow your car to the nearest gas station.
Port crews don't play with the cars they load / unload; they always work on tight schedules & don't have time to race. Thank goodness. However, lots of things (spoilers, a/c compressors, mag wheels, entire leather interiors ad infinitum) of value "take a walk". Always pay for full-insurance !!
Should anyone want a list of do's & don't prior to shipping a car overseas or from overseas, drop me a line on this channel. (No, I am no longer in that business*, so this isn't an advertisement).
* 25+ years in that business was enough is enough already.

Last comment / question: was it bought from a Brescia Dealer ?
Those I know (all of them) are excellent; so I assume that the car wasn't shipped with a "major-fault".
Oh, yes - my Italia Main Office is in Brescia, 5 minutes from Auto-Luzzago.; 10 min. from the rest of them.

[jogo48]

OK, now I see that your car came from Luzzago, Brescia.
Before "normal" Italian Cars were desired by (almost) anyone outside Italy I stopped in one day for a chat & drove back to the office in a Alfa Nuovo Guiletta 2000 Veloce (the newer body style, I think thay are referred to as "the uglier ones than no one wants" - at about $ 800, paid for in Lire .
When I got back to the office, all the older guys were excited, the younger ones thought I was stupid - asking me "where are the spoilers" & kicking the tires. The ladies disowned me, since it didn't even have a/c. . " John, why do you want to drive an old car ?" My wife asked, 'does it have rear seat belts at least' ?
My Partner, Gianna, arrived, he asked me "why are you driving 'Senor so & so's' car" ?
When I reported that I'd just bought it at Luzzago - even though I didn't (really) go there to buy a car , he said "Oh, I knew the owner. He was a nice man & in various regional & national veteran-car-clubs. I'd heard he was ill, but I didn't know he died". I said " maybe he just decided to sell his car (s)".
The rather forcefull reply was, "he would never sell his cars ! They were loved like his grandchildren" !!
Gianna drives a Fiat Barilla Cabrio, which he will never sell !!!
So I knew I'd gotten a good car ! When I returned to get my real-car & pay for the new purchase Sr. L said "you know, I cheated myself ! I told you what I paid for it this morning ! & that was before it went in the shop to be checked... By the way, we changed the air-filter & wiper blades, so you have to at least pay me for that ! I wanted to sell it for about $ 400 more, but I misquoted the selling price & you - you rat - you said - "OK, I'll buy it ,even though I don't like the color, inside or out" & I'd rather have a Lancia 2000.
I coughed up about $ 10 more for the filter & wipers.
He was not happy when I said "OK" & his face showed it !!!

About 1 year & many chats later I saw a Fiat 1500 Cabrio arrive. I went to get my wife, saying "don't sell it"; we'll be right back. By the time I returned there were 3 Older Italian buyers waiting ! They were all dealers & were all waiting for that particular car to arrive. It was a beauty, but we didn't bid on it !

Shortly after the arrival of the Euro, older-Italian car became more expensive in Italy (nice weather prevents rust & preserves cars) than mostly elsewhere in Europa & I already had (too) many nice older Euro-cars (since drastically reduced); so I stopped visiting Luzzago & anyone else selling rare & precious beautys's.

I saw many a nice Fulvia at Luzzago, but none quite like yours. I also never bought a Lancia 2000.
Luzzago told me "shoot yourself before you buy a 2000" !

[Bill Rempe]

John you are a genius! I've never had a plug go bad on me before, so I guess I just thought they were indestructible. I guess I was just expecting the worst, but I popped in a new set and now she runs great - I've been driving around all afternoon with a big smile on my face. If you ever come through Atlanta look me up, I owe you a drink.

I've seen lots of pictures of cars with the green carpet and always wondered about that... at least it's easy enough to change.

I bought the car from Luzzago Srl in Brescia and had a very good experience. Valerio and Cristiano Luzzago were very helpful and I would certainly recommend them, but my timing was bad as I was trying to get all this accomplished in August when everyone in Italy is on vacation. Once the ball got rolling it went very smoothly, and the only hitch was the "homologation" date. All the cars papers say 1970 instead of 1974 and I assumed they had given me the papers for the wrong car, but they explained that the homologation is when the design or version of the car is approved, not the actual date that the car was manufactured. Very confusing!

I used Transglobal Logistics and worked with Kay Lester for the shipping on another recommendation, and that also went very smoothly and I would highly recommend them.

[Sam Danenberger IV]

Bill -
Congratulations!
A new Fulvisti in the US, always welcome!
Car looks wonderful.
I'm sure you will enjoy it very much(I have a big smile on my face during drives too).
Please join the American Lancia Club,
the Fulvia ranks have been declining in recent for some reason.
I am thinking about trying to create a register to document the U.S. Fulvia population,
maybe it could be finished by the Coupes 50th anniversary in 2014?
Again all the best with your new car.

Sam Danenberger IV

[Huib Geurink]

Congratulations, Bill.
What make of plugs was in there?
The NGK BP7ES or BPR7ES usually does best with very few problems.
Change the condenser anyway and check the points.

[Bill Rempe]

Thanks Sam, and I'll be sure to join. Huib, the plugs were NGK BPR7E. The shop that I went to did not have them, so I will have to order them. In the meantime, I got what their computer showed to be an equivalent... they are Autolite APP63. And I'll take your advice about the points and condenser.

[Huib Geurink]

Write the date on the condenser. People making these say they have to be replaced every two years. I think this is overdoing it a bit but you might as well do it. The cost is very low.

[Ed Levin]

Bill,
I'm glad you got it running well. I'm not surprised it was a plug; that's why I asked if you'd changed them. I'll also second Sam's suggestion of joining the ALC. You can go to http://americanlanciaclub.org/; the web site isn't great, but you can print a membership form from there.

Sam,
I've already got a US Fulvia census spreadsheet, broken down by chassis type, but without chassis number recorded, and without having contacted all the owners for verification of color, equipment, &c. But if you seriously want to take the project on, it's yours.

BTW, I currently I show 71 (including ALC members and others I know of--and that does include Bill), but I know that there are others out there. There are some real surprises in the numbers--so far I show more 1.2HFs than 1.6HFs, and more 1.3HFs than 1.6HFs + 1600HFs combined. Strange.

Ed

[Bill Rempe]

Hi Sam and Ed, I think a US Fulvia register is a great idea. I travel all over the country for work, and it would be great to meet with other Fulvia owners and compare notes, especially since they are so rare here. If I can help, let me know. Bill

[Sam Danenberger IV]

Ed-

Email me your spread sheet.
sddiv@aol.com
I will take on the self appointed & unofficial title of US Fulvia Registrar.
I probably should email the ALC and let them know whats up.
Any other suggestions from the Fulvisti are of course welcome and appreciated.
Ciao!

Sam