Lancia funnin around

[gamma a.i.]

where to park a Lancia Jewel ?

never in the sun !; gamma rays baking Lancia gamma/kappa metallic paint; Fulvia Z non-metallic paint, baking like-new interiors; baking uncracked plastic (exception - Z Dash Top) ....no thanks, unless the Lancia are covered (neighbors shake heads in sadness)

in summer rain? - ok; except for Z, unless we are outside doing a Lanica "natural-wash"; us in rain-clothes or short pants, with clean soft rags & car-wash/car polish* diluted with water in a bucket. Result of this wash/polish product is unbelievable !!

never outside in winter !; even if there is no snow falling nor salt on the road

although both of our Gam have been across Alps & back (oh what adventures) in winter-time (& other times) - many -times...without any visual damage, still we fret about salt !

I am not so happy thereafter such winter trips when renting the wash-bay of my local Ital-Car Shop for several hours after each such-trip; to desalt/degunk/water-spray/brush-wash everything -over,around,under the body-; in every nook & each hidden cranny & of course thereafter waxing the still-shiny-paint, all while soaking myself to bone & risking pneumonia !

Z has never crossed the Alps in our time of ownership. NOTE: its 1st 2 owners lived dead in mid (more or less) Alps; it seems that they took great care of our Z back then - it is still rust-free.

not on the street !;
not in city! - where funners may key-customize otherwise unscratched paint,
not in crowded parking lot! or park-haus ! - beware of dent-risk
not outside at night when traveling neither! (picky picky) - theft-risk:
not outside in oursafe-neighborhood! unless under some sort of roof....like in our courtyard
not outside a repair-shop - it is amazing what damage occurs in open-parking-areas....&?<§%$ nutters !!
Z's "Milano-wheels, Torino seats & original Lancia leather steering-wheel would go-missing ovenight,to never to return - Roving Gangs with foriegn # plates are everywhere !!
yes to some-corner inside shop! when at a shop for whatever needs to be attentioned.

We enjoy a 2 bay home garage; 2 Lancia bays, except in winter, when 1 is reserved for an "everyday Fiat Punto"; which - btw - is a bonafied "slow-cook thrill" on the economy road. Who would wish to get into an ice covered / snow-covered car at minus temps (not that that occurs here very often - in the sud German Baden-Wuertenburg Riveria) when 1 bay can be made available ? But where to park the 2d Lancia ?

Our warehaus was not built to be (to only be) a Lancia Repository...so not too many Lancia are authorized toclog it up each day, but they do anyway !

Sometimes 3 or even more Lancia were parked innit in the past.....crazy crazy + some Fiat vans & a large covered (restored9 pony-trailer. All of the ingree-outward isles were daily blocked - what a pain it was to actually have to work in the warehaus

It may have possibly been even Lancia soon ? Thus we decided -in late 2012-to park the 15 year old lovely Lancia - Autobianci Y 1.2L Automatic under a big tree in the garden; it seldom gets wet there (amazingly) & anyway, it averages less than 200km a month these days. It is there "if anyone needs it"; it is used when the other cars have low/no fuel & I don't fill them up myself personally. .....It - the Y - returns 2x mileage than a kC or a gC would.....

So,what to do ?

We took our used in past by us at Trade-Fairs - Circus-Tent (constructed for outdoor use) out of warehaus storage & spent days assemblying it, so that it would not collapse under the KG per M² when it rains/snows.

It has proven up to the task in last days of torrential rains; with its extra -ong purpously-cut pine broomstick X over X web of interior roof supports - resulting in no sagging & no troughts of water.
2 Gamma now fit in it; as soon as we return the dozens of pallets clogging up 1/3 of it it will be joined by ??? Lancia; leaving the warehaus free for only 1, or was that 2, Lancia Jewels................alas, we will definately have to sell some Lancia in 2014 & buy no more....

[gamma a.i.]

dropped off our slvr gamma C at gamma Michaels shop in Jun for some very minor work; it was parked outside under the not so hot sw german sun with occasional rain falling to wash the dust away. I fretted more as weeks went by, however, since we here had a busy summer (T Y L) & had little time for driving old Lancia, it was not missed. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that it was not tegistered for 1/2 driving in 2013. By Oct it was driven back home (on temporary# plates); running quite fine btw.

Upon arrival at the car wash, during the details drying ritual / body panel inspection that I go thru with every car I drive thru the car wash (arriving prepared, with lots of clean cloth, paper towels, polishes etc), immediately noticed some minor bubbling on the black tar painted area of the lowest panel under the left rear fender. I thought that that would be easily taken care of on a Saturday afternoon, wire brush, rust sealer, primer, undercoating. I decided to ask Adam, my 1 shop removed neighbor & partner in Mokikat Body & Fender Shop. Adam, as usual, was not prepared for any surprises - like me showing up without even phoning ahead. He said "leave the keys in it; I'll get to it some day". He phoned 24 hours later to report that he was bending an entirely new panel, since the outer panel hadl rusted into oblivion & actually - other than sióme black tarry paint - no longer existed.

Gamma Geoff of Southhampton was contacted about this unexpected matter; he reported -via the gamma forum - that the rear lower outer tin panel covers an inner steel panel that is actually the trunk (boot) wall; that both of these panels are a wonderful water reservior cavity with no drainage. Oh Heavens; that sounds like a sad Fulvia story that I heard from Zagato John some years back.

Adam cleaned up this mess, filled the cavity with rust-preventive gunk & now I am happy.
He was able to deternine that there was not a similar disaster awaiting in the wind on the right side cavity.

Was the long parking time at Michaels shop responsible or was a rust worm hidden in the cavity for many years ?
Who knows, who cares ?

Thanks Adam !!