Hi,
I'm starting to investigate the purchase of a late 60s/early 70s italian sports car as a hobby vehicle, and am definitely interested in the Fulvia. One issue, however, is that it's mighty hard to see them in person here in the US. Since I'm fairly tall (6'4"/1m93cm), I'm curious to know what the leg- and headroom is in this model. Keep in mind that there's a good chance I'll be wearing a helmet while driving this car, so there's a need for a good few inches on top. I'm willing to put in an aftermarket seat in a lower-than-stock position to accomplish this, which I've done in most of my cars.
I'm also interested in hearing from people who have experience with both the Fulvia and Alfa Romeo's GT/GTV/Giulia Supers. The latter are (comparatively) more plentiful here, so parts may be easier to come by. What I'm really looking for are first-hand experiences with the two ranges of cars, their strengths & weaknesses, etc.
Any insight is greatly appreciated!
Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
-
Mike Keitz
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Hi Dave!
Well, you happened to ask the right question for me! I am 6'5" & 250lbs. I have no problem with space at all in my Fulvia Coupe. I could easily fit a helmet if I needed one.
As far as experiences go, I love the car, it is dead reliable and oh so much fun to drive. Parts are a bit of a pain sometimes here in the USA but everything can be had from overseas sources if not available locally.
Good luck
Well, you happened to ask the right question for me! I am 6'5" & 250lbs. I have no problem with space at all in my Fulvia Coupe. I could easily fit a helmet if I needed one.
As far as experiences go, I love the car, it is dead reliable and oh so much fun to drive. Parts are a bit of a pain sometimes here in the USA but everything can be had from overseas sources if not available locally.
Good luck
-
Dave
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Mike,
Thanks for the quick response... There doesn't seem to be a lot of activity here sometimes
Do you use your Fulvia as a daily driver, or is it a second/hobby car for you? Have you ever competed with it, either in autocross, road/TSD rally, or any vintage events?
Thanks for the quick response... There doesn't seem to be a lot of activity here sometimes
Do you use your Fulvia as a daily driver, or is it a second/hobby car for you? Have you ever competed with it, either in autocross, road/TSD rally, or any vintage events?
-
Michael Keitz
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Hey Dave !
No I've never used this car for competition. It is strictly a hobby/collectible. I have put on almost 6K miles on it in the past 3 years.
I actually am about to have the car lightly restored, am just waiting for the shop to have the next space available.
As for activity in here, you are correct, there sometimes is a significant lull. However, when someone does raise a question or look for help the response is always quick. There is a very good following for this car, of course much of it is in Europe but the 'net is a god send.
Mike
No I've never used this car for competition. It is strictly a hobby/collectible. I have put on almost 6K miles on it in the past 3 years.
I actually am about to have the car lightly restored, am just waiting for the shop to have the next space available.
As for activity in here, you are correct, there sometimes is a significant lull. However, when someone does raise a question or look for help the response is always quick. There is a very good following for this car, of course much of it is in Europe but the 'net is a god send.
Mike
-
Andreas
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Hello from Germany Dave ,
I suppose the reason for this low activities is that the historic cars needs time.-:))
But some sentence to your question.I have been driven a Fulvia Coupe since
1984 and a Zagato starting this year.
And it is always a great pleasure to do that.Depent on your problem ( 1,93 cm)
and with a helmet you should be in trouble without modificat the hight of the seat.
But it should be possible.I know a race driver in Germany and he is more or less
in the same situation.And it seems to work with other seat´s and reduce hight position.
But don´t think on a Fulvia Zagato car.The space is much less than in the coupe.
I am 1.73 cm and between my head and the top is less then 4 cm.
Andreas
I suppose the reason for this low activities is that the historic cars needs time.-:))
But some sentence to your question.I have been driven a Fulvia Coupe since
1984 and a Zagato starting this year.
And it is always a great pleasure to do that.Depent on your problem ( 1,93 cm)
and with a helmet you should be in trouble without modificat the hight of the seat.
But it should be possible.I know a race driver in Germany and he is more or less
in the same situation.And it seems to work with other seat´s and reduce hight position.
But don´t think on a Fulvia Zagato car.The space is much less than in the coupe.
I am 1.73 cm and between my head and the top is less then 4 cm.
Andreas
-
Leonard Zapala
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Dave,
I have a S2 Fulvia coupe. It is my good weather "toy", but I try to drive a 100 miles a week. I am 6 foot even and weight about 250 lbs and I am very comfortable. The knees up and arms out Italian style of driving is not as pronounced as it is on Alfas or Fiats. I have driven it as much as 500 miles (1000K) at one time and have felt fine afterwards. I think long trips is what it does best.
Working on Fuvlia's is no better or worse than any other car, but, mechanics not familiar with the car (plenty of those in the USA) may not want to touch it. It took me almost a year to find a good one who was not a coward. There are plenty who will work on an Alfa. But, in my opinion, you will have less need for a mechanic if you buy a Fulvia. Most Lancias started as sedans before they became sport models. Many owners of sport cars will put up with a lot more nonsense than your average sedan owner. The quality and reliability required in a sedan is transfered to the sporting models of Lancias.
There are no reliable parts sources for a pre-Fiat Lancia in the USA. There are parts sources but the key word is reliable. You will have to deal with Europe or South Africa. With the internet it is pretty easy. The prices are not outrageous, but, shipping costs may be more than the price of the part!
Dave wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm starting to investigate the purchase of a late 60s/early
> 70s italian sports car as a hobby vehicle, and am definitely
> interested in the Fulvia. One issue, however, is that it's
> mighty hard to see them in person here in the US. Since I'm
> fairly tall (6'4"/1m93cm), I'm curious to know what the leg-
> and headroom is in this model. Keep in mind that there's a
> good chance I'll be wearing a helmet while driving this car,
> so there's a need for a good few inches on top. I'm willing
> to put in an aftermarket seat in a lower-than-stock position
> to accomplish this, which I've done in most of my cars.
>
> I'm also interested in hearing from people who have
> experience with both the Fulvia and Alfa Romeo's
> GT/GTV/Giulia Supers. The latter are (comparatively) more
> plentiful here, so parts may be easier to come by. What I'm
> really looking for are first-hand experiences with the two
> ranges of cars, their strengths & weaknesses, etc.
>
> Any insight is greatly appreciated!
I have a S2 Fulvia coupe. It is my good weather "toy", but I try to drive a 100 miles a week. I am 6 foot even and weight about 250 lbs and I am very comfortable. The knees up and arms out Italian style of driving is not as pronounced as it is on Alfas or Fiats. I have driven it as much as 500 miles (1000K) at one time and have felt fine afterwards. I think long trips is what it does best.
Working on Fuvlia's is no better or worse than any other car, but, mechanics not familiar with the car (plenty of those in the USA) may not want to touch it. It took me almost a year to find a good one who was not a coward. There are plenty who will work on an Alfa. But, in my opinion, you will have less need for a mechanic if you buy a Fulvia. Most Lancias started as sedans before they became sport models. Many owners of sport cars will put up with a lot more nonsense than your average sedan owner. The quality and reliability required in a sedan is transfered to the sporting models of Lancias.
There are no reliable parts sources for a pre-Fiat Lancia in the USA. There are parts sources but the key word is reliable. You will have to deal with Europe or South Africa. With the internet it is pretty easy. The prices are not outrageous, but, shipping costs may be more than the price of the part!
Dave wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm starting to investigate the purchase of a late 60s/early
> 70s italian sports car as a hobby vehicle, and am definitely
> interested in the Fulvia. One issue, however, is that it's
> mighty hard to see them in person here in the US. Since I'm
> fairly tall (6'4"/1m93cm), I'm curious to know what the leg-
> and headroom is in this model. Keep in mind that there's a
> good chance I'll be wearing a helmet while driving this car,
> so there's a need for a good few inches on top. I'm willing
> to put in an aftermarket seat in a lower-than-stock position
> to accomplish this, which I've done in most of my cars.
>
> I'm also interested in hearing from people who have
> experience with both the Fulvia and Alfa Romeo's
> GT/GTV/Giulia Supers. The latter are (comparatively) more
> plentiful here, so parts may be easier to come by. What I'm
> really looking for are first-hand experiences with the two
> ranges of cars, their strengths & weaknesses, etc.
>
> Any insight is greatly appreciated!
-
Randy Adams
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
OK, Dave, I'll weigh in here.
In the U.S., you can get parts most of the time from a man named Mike Kristick. He is located in Pennsylvania and does this on a part-time basis after he is done with his day job. He gives excellent service in light of this.
The Fulvia is the only car I really enjoy working on. I love my Flaminias, but on average they're not as easy to work on as Fulvias. I don't think you will find very many front drive cars that are in the Fulvia's league for ease of access. The engine can be removed by hand (no hoist), if you disassemble it in layers and remove each one. You can put it back in the car the same way. Changing the clutch is the same as for any front engine/rear drive car except that the access to the bellhousing is better. Working on the front suspension is a genuine pain--the Fulvia's most daunting mechanical arena. Unfortunately, the front leaf springs do have a tendency to break, so this difficult operation may be in your future somewhere.
Fulvias make superb daily drivers. The only reason you will want a second car is so that you have something to drive when you do need a part that can't be gotten immediately. For all their rarity in the U.S., the Lancia Fulvia is probably the most practical vintage special interest car there is.
As for competition, that's not my thing. You should be warned that Fulvias were always a little bit on the heavy side to be competitive. However, this weight is also one of the things that makes them so durable and practical for everyday use. I drove a totally rusted-out one for ten years before finally deciding that it needed to be retired. And I mean rust in important places.
A magnificent car.
In the U.S., you can get parts most of the time from a man named Mike Kristick. He is located in Pennsylvania and does this on a part-time basis after he is done with his day job. He gives excellent service in light of this.
The Fulvia is the only car I really enjoy working on. I love my Flaminias, but on average they're not as easy to work on as Fulvias. I don't think you will find very many front drive cars that are in the Fulvia's league for ease of access. The engine can be removed by hand (no hoist), if you disassemble it in layers and remove each one. You can put it back in the car the same way. Changing the clutch is the same as for any front engine/rear drive car except that the access to the bellhousing is better. Working on the front suspension is a genuine pain--the Fulvia's most daunting mechanical arena. Unfortunately, the front leaf springs do have a tendency to break, so this difficult operation may be in your future somewhere.
Fulvias make superb daily drivers. The only reason you will want a second car is so that you have something to drive when you do need a part that can't be gotten immediately. For all their rarity in the U.S., the Lancia Fulvia is probably the most practical vintage special interest car there is.
As for competition, that's not my thing. You should be warned that Fulvias were always a little bit on the heavy side to be competitive. However, this weight is also one of the things that makes them so durable and practical for everyday use. I drove a totally rusted-out one for ten years before finally deciding that it needed to be retired. And I mean rust in important places.
A magnificent car.
-
Dave
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Thanks for all your input, guys!!
It definitely sounds like the Fulvia is a fine little car. Although it would be a second car for me, it's good to know that they're reliable. I like to tinker as much as the next guy, but in the end it's not as much fun as actually driving! The suspension work would be a challenge to tackle the Fulvia, since the work I've done on my previous and current cars has always been easy-access. I'm sure I could manage, however, if that's the hardest thing I'm going to come up against.
The competition driving I've done until now has mostly been SCCA autocross and some TSD rallying, so it would make only a marginal difference that the car is heavier than others. Therefore I'm defnitely willing to compromise a bit of weight if it means that the panels will not look like a sieve in a few years.
This discussion definitely brings up some follow-up questions, mainly: what should I expect to pay for a Fulvia in the US that's at least solid body-wise? Where does one even start to look for one, or do most people do their own import from Europe?
It definitely sounds like the Fulvia is a fine little car. Although it would be a second car for me, it's good to know that they're reliable. I like to tinker as much as the next guy, but in the end it's not as much fun as actually driving! The suspension work would be a challenge to tackle the Fulvia, since the work I've done on my previous and current cars has always been easy-access. I'm sure I could manage, however, if that's the hardest thing I'm going to come up against.
The competition driving I've done until now has mostly been SCCA autocross and some TSD rallying, so it would make only a marginal difference that the car is heavier than others. Therefore I'm defnitely willing to compromise a bit of weight if it means that the panels will not look like a sieve in a few years.
This discussion definitely brings up some follow-up questions, mainly: what should I expect to pay for a Fulvia in the US that's at least solid body-wise? Where does one even start to look for one, or do most people do their own import from Europe?
-
Leonard
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Dave,
As a rally car, the Fulvia is world class. In HF form it is equal to the Mini. As an autocross car, the four turns lock to lock will be a disadvantage.
Price and relationship to condition are tough to pin down. The NADA does have an online price check . It is far from the final word, but, it is a starting point. The NADA says a 1967 GTV in "average " condition sells for around $8750. A 67 Fulvia HF $10500; Coupe $4850 and Zagato $7775.
Check www.hemmings.com and follow the links for cars for sale. On average they list 25-30 Lancias for sale. One or two are Fulvias. On average they list over 100 Alfas. The Fulvia I drive now took me one year to find.
Europe may be a good way to go. From what people tell me, the price on Fuvlias has dropped because they are so many of them still running in good condition!
Also, Fuvlias were not exported to the USA after 1967. You may have some gray market issues for a car made after 1967.
To me the bottom line is this. I didn't mind at all taking a year to find my Fulvia because they were one of the finest automobiles ever made. You can either own something extraordinary or some other car.
Dave wrote:
>
> Thanks for all your input, guys!!
>
> It definitely sounds like the Fulvia is a fine little car.
> Although it would be a second car for me, it's good to know
> that they're reliable. I like to tinker as much as the next
> guy, but in the end it's not as much fun as actually driving!
> The suspension work would be a challenge to tackle the
> Fulvia, since the work I've done on my previous and current
> cars has always been easy-access. I'm sure I could manage,
> however, if that's the hardest thing I'm going to come up
> against.
>
> The competition driving I've done until now has mostly been
> SCCA autocross and some TSD rallying, so it would make only a
> marginal difference that the car is heavier than others.
> Therefore I'm defnitely willing to compromise a bit of weight
> if it means that the panels will not look like a sieve in a
> few years.
>
> This discussion definitely brings up some follow-up
> questions, mainly: what should I expect to pay for a Fulvia
> in the US that's at least solid body-wise? Where does one
> even start to look for one, or do most people do their own
> import from Europe?
As a rally car, the Fulvia is world class. In HF form it is equal to the Mini. As an autocross car, the four turns lock to lock will be a disadvantage.
Price and relationship to condition are tough to pin down. The NADA does have an online price check . It is far from the final word, but, it is a starting point. The NADA says a 1967 GTV in "average " condition sells for around $8750. A 67 Fulvia HF $10500; Coupe $4850 and Zagato $7775.
Check www.hemmings.com and follow the links for cars for sale. On average they list 25-30 Lancias for sale. One or two are Fulvias. On average they list over 100 Alfas. The Fulvia I drive now took me one year to find.
Europe may be a good way to go. From what people tell me, the price on Fuvlias has dropped because they are so many of them still running in good condition!
Also, Fuvlias were not exported to the USA after 1967. You may have some gray market issues for a car made after 1967.
To me the bottom line is this. I didn't mind at all taking a year to find my Fulvia because they were one of the finest automobiles ever made. You can either own something extraordinary or some other car.
Dave wrote:
>
> Thanks for all your input, guys!!
>
> It definitely sounds like the Fulvia is a fine little car.
> Although it would be a second car for me, it's good to know
> that they're reliable. I like to tinker as much as the next
> guy, but in the end it's not as much fun as actually driving!
> The suspension work would be a challenge to tackle the
> Fulvia, since the work I've done on my previous and current
> cars has always been easy-access. I'm sure I could manage,
> however, if that's the hardest thing I'm going to come up
> against.
>
> The competition driving I've done until now has mostly been
> SCCA autocross and some TSD rallying, so it would make only a
> marginal difference that the car is heavier than others.
> Therefore I'm defnitely willing to compromise a bit of weight
> if it means that the panels will not look like a sieve in a
> few years.
>
> This discussion definitely brings up some follow-up
> questions, mainly: what should I expect to pay for a Fulvia
> in the US that's at least solid body-wise? Where does one
> even start to look for one, or do most people do their own
> import from Europe?
-
Sam Danenberger
Re: Tall folks in the Fulvia & a few questions
Dave,
1.Look in the Viva-Lancia site, it has been my best resource for tracking down all things Lancia.
2.Join the American Lancia Club, they have a great newsletter and many classified ads.
3.Talk to Mike Kristick, a great guy, and good source for parts.He may even know where there is a Fulvia for sale.
4.Buy the Brookland Gold Series Porfolio book on the Fulvia and the Collectors guide, both indispensable.
You can also email me I have 2 Fulvias currently, one running and one in progress, and have learned a great deal in just the 18 months that I 've owned them. They are brilliant cars! Good Luck!
Regards,
Sam
1.Look in the Viva-Lancia site, it has been my best resource for tracking down all things Lancia.
2.Join the American Lancia Club, they have a great newsletter and many classified ads.
3.Talk to Mike Kristick, a great guy, and good source for parts.He may even know where there is a Fulvia for sale.
4.Buy the Brookland Gold Series Porfolio book on the Fulvia and the Collectors guide, both indispensable.
You can also email me I have 2 Fulvias currently, one running and one in progress, and have learned a great deal in just the 18 months that I 've owned them. They are brilliant cars! Good Luck!
Regards,
Sam