To be or not to be...that is the question

[bruciebonuz]

The restoration of my 1976 S3 Fulvia has not begun yet as the restoration chap is very busy....fine by me. I am seriously considering going down the route of flaring the arches HF style (given mine need work anyway) and giving the car the HF look with 6J x 14 Cromodoras (and the HF seats I purchased recently). Has anyone done this?

I know this isnt everyone's cup of tea and originality is desirable....but I cant stretch to the real thing. I appreciate the look of an original S3 Fulvia 1.3, but I LOVE the look of the HF Lusso.

Just interested to hear any views or experience.

Thanks

[marlboro]

Hi,
Its your car,its your money, its you thats going to drive it:). So if you want flares have them!! I would be of the view that if it is what you want then go for it!

[1,6 HF]

Jon,

What you're describing is turning it into a replica of the Fulvia Montecarlo. which was the special edition S2/S3 with a 1.3 engine, a 1600HF flared body shell and seats, deleted bumpers, special fog lights, and a satin black hood. In other words, it was the look of a bumperless 1600HF, but with the smaller engine.

The S2 Montecarlo was only painted rosso corsa, but the S3 was available in 5 national racing colors: rosso corsa, yellow, French blue, BRG, and orange.

[marlboro]

What would be cool is a 1600 in 1300 shell!!!!!!!

[bruciebonuz]

Thanks - hadnt appreciated that was what the Montecarlo was....you learn something new every day! Yes, thats basically what I would be looking to do (apart from the satin black bonnet) - but am undecided about the bumpers...to keep or not to keep...ok I'll stop that now.

[ncundy]

What would be cool is a 1600 in 1300 shell!!!!!!!


My brother has one of those :) ... but even cooler about 10 years ago a friend ran in his 1600 engine in his Berlina :D

[marlboro]

Yeah ,like the sound of that:). My wife has a Saab aero in standard body,real wolf in sheeps clothing>:D

[1,6 HF]

Thanks - hadnt appreciated that was what the Montecarlo was....you learn something new every day! Yes, thats basically what I would be looking to do (apart from the satin black bonnet) - but am undecided about the bumpers...to keep or not to keep...ok I'll stop that now.

Yes, the Fulvia Montecarlo was essentially a 1600HF with the bumpers removed, the oil temp gauge swapped back for the clock, a 3-spoke leather steering wheel, unique yellow Carello fog lamps with ribbed housings, and a 1.3 instead of the 1.6. I've never quite understood why they used the 1.3 instead of the 1.6; what could the cost difference have been?

And I'm not sure I'd be in any hurry to lose those bumpers. Fulvia Coupés look great without them, but they're useful items on a street car.

Incidentally, those ribbed-housing fog lamps are a useful way to spot a correct Montecarlo. Montecarlos didn't have a unique chassis type number, so there's no way to tell a real one by its serial number. But those Carellos were unique to that car. So, while some real Montecarlos have lost them, any one that still has them is almost certainly real.

[fulviafiend]

A few 'Montecarlo' pictures for reference… 8)

Series 2 & 3.

FF

[bruciebonuz]

Thanks all - really appreciate your comments and the photos. I am pretty sure I am going the flared arches route - its now or never really as the arches on mine all need some work anyway.

I harp back to the 1600 HF Lusso in the Classic Car mag piece - thats what I am going for so will probably keep the bumpers....

Took delivery of the HF seats yesterday. Aside from smelling like old sheep they are in very good condition, head rests and all.

[bruciebonuz]

Anyone with £3k to flush down the loo? Slightly optimistic price!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1971-J-LANCIA-FULVIA-SPORT-ZAGATO-1300-BLUE-RHD-S1-S2_W0QQitemZ170371840377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomob iles_UK?hash=item27aaf3f979&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[jackois]

slightly? ho ho

[marlboro]

That is a nice dark blue,so you should end up with a pretty nice car. I have a second car myself that I have finished the welding on and was also thinking of a similar dark blue or royal blue.

[1,6 HF]

Anyone with £3k to flush down the loo? Slightly optimistic price!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1971-J-LANCIA-FULVIA-SPORT-ZAGATO-1300-BLUE-RHD-S1-S2_W0QQitemZ170371840377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomob iles_UK?hash=item27aaf3f979&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

What do you mean flush down the loo? I thought that was the loo...

Probably very useful for parts, but priced as a viable resto, for which "optimistic" seems an understatement.

[philm]

It is up at Tanc Barratts shop. I had heard about it but it was described as a viable project! Not a 3K its not! It would strip out for around 5-600 maybe. Running S2 Zagatos can be found for between 3K and 4K if you look (even on eBay) If this was an aluminium S1 then maybe just maybe if you were able to do pretty much all the work yourself it would be viable.