OT - but not very far off OT, lancia montecarlo Options

[wonkipop]

interesting day at the workshop/office.
enjoying the spring warmth, knocking out some 75 L-Jet vacuum line drawings for @JeffBowlsby and anyone else who cares to wonder how 76 hp vo-pos were meant to be all hooked up engine bay wise. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

right around 3.00pm this rocked up.



a little bit of a sad story in some ways.
belonged to a great structural engineer down here - he passed away last year.
been trapped in his garage for 30 years since an impact with a gum tree.
rolled backwards down a hill after the hand brake let go while it was parked.



family are wanting to send it out into the world. maybe someone might want to............reincarnate it down here, who knows?

job here is to see if the engine will run. get a fix on its condition presently.



lancia montecarlo. 1980. last time i saw one of these in the metal was almost 1980.
was 1982 to be precise.

i had a fun late afternoon getting up close and looking over this one.
as sad as its condition is.
because its an italian 914?
this one is an early series 2.
dunno if you got these in the USA.

observations.
its lower at the top of the windscreen than a 914.
the tacho is dead ahead and the speedo is off to the side.
and both are in a binnacle.
you sit slightly askew with the pedals. but not as much as a 914.
and you sit low and stretched out.
(but the steering wheel is a little far away like most italian cars designed for short legged long armed variants of human beings)
bananas anyone? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)




its got cool seats. very comfortable.



and i really think lancia took a good long hard look at a 914.
in left hand drive form the engine and battery up front is triangulated with the driver.
which is good mass distribution for a driver alone having a hoot on the twisties.
(and like a 914 in rhd form all in a straight line which is not so good).




i was curious about the long front overhang.
figured the italians might have been trying to tame lower polar moment of intertia -
hanging the radiator and the battery out in front a long way forward of front wheels.

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it was an interesting encounter.

i hope someone buys this and brings it back.
not for me. its too much work.
but i certainly enjoyed looking over this quite rare object - at least for australia its rare.
really a very considered design.
and believe me i am NO fan of italian cars. so it takes a bit for me to get interested.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)