LANCIA FULVIA (1963-76)
Fancy some Italian brio in your garage? Here’s what to look for on a Fulvia
ASSESS THE BODYWORK
Start with the sills, wheelarches, valances and inner wings along with the A-posts and Macpherson strut tops. Also take in the floorpans, rear spring hangers and jacking points along with the door bottoms and the area around the headlights. Most panels are available on a repro basis but costs can be high. Replacement front wings are £750 apiece, for example.
SEE HOW IT RUNS
A specialist rebuild on the V4 is pricey so it is essential to check for low oil pressure, oil leaks and blue exhaust smoke. Don’t ignore a noisy timing chain, either. Replace it at the first opportunity after purchase. The water pump can be a weakness, too, and check that the electric cooling fan works; a badly positioned fuse on the Series II gets corroded, leading to failure and overheating. And the twin Solex carburettors can be tricky to tune, with inexpert fiddling causing poor running.
CHECK THE PANELS
Outer panels don’t escape rampant corrosion either, so have a thorough look at the wheelarches, the bottoms of the doors, bonnet and boot lid edges, and the sills. And both front and rear valances are problem areas, with rust attacking the welded seams especially at the front around the headlights; chrome trim can hide issues and repairs are often done badly.
IS THE CAR SITTING TOO LOW?
The suspension has a transverse front leaf spring which suffers from wear of the bushes at the wishbones; if the car is sitting low, this could be why and it can be an awkward repair. And watch for sagging rear leaf springs and corrosion around the mounting points. Replacement items aren’t always that great with specialists reckoning that refurbishing and re-tempering the originals is best.
CHECK THE BRAKES
Rear wheels that lock under heavy braking point to a failed compensator at the rear – an easy fix – but bear in mind that special tools are required for a variety of Fulvia repairs, including removal of the rear hub bearing to access SII handbrake shoes.