Lancia Gamma Coupe - lie to me

[motorpunk]

I have too many cars. I still want another. I’ve long admired Lancia Gamma Coupes. Seems you can pick them up in Italy for not too much (glossing over the admin nightmare of Italian DVLA and shipping). 

Can you tell me positive things about them, or lie so I have a false sense of confidence about potential ownership. I am crap with spanners and hate rust.  Perfect for me, right?

Any of you loons got one, or had one, or know anything useful?

Here’s a pic.  Mucho wanto, as they (probably) say in Rome.

 

[flat4alfa]

@Six-cylinder to the Gamma experience phone

[Mr Pastry]

16 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

know anything useful?

Yes I do.  Just say No. 

[Asimo]

I had one many years ago, bought as a 7 year old car from a Lancia dealership, with a months warranty.

During that month it needed a (manual) gearbox!

Later the rear window came loose - the metal of the frame had turned to bran flakes.  Thank goodness for black silicone mastic.

When the oil and water in the engine started to mix, I sold it to a chap with an Alfetta GTV.  
 

But it was a beautiful drive. Marvellous handling and the engine is lovely, absolutely thrilling to rev. Really it drove just like a big AlfaSud. Interior is very comfortable but very badly made. Some bits of the body were galvanised, others weren’t and were barely painted.

Many of theItalian market cars are wimpy 2litres.

Lovely looking alternative to a Ferrari 412.

Get one!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

It may not be a good idea to turn the steering wheel to full lock, especially when the engine is cold. Allegedly. Might be an old wives' tale.

Awkward spares situation. 

[motorpunk]

29 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

Yes I do.  Just say No. 

La la la, I can’t hear you.

[motorpunk]

1 minute ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

It may not be a good idea to turn the steering wheel to full lock, especially when the engine is cold. Allegedly. Might be an old wives' tale.

Awkward spares situation. 

Yeah, I’d heard that, true for earlier cars apparently. I can sort of live with such idiosyncrasies, probably. Not that many sharp corners round here. 😁

[motorpunk]

20 minutes ago, Asimo said:

 

Lovely looking alternative toa Ferrari 412.

Get one!

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I’d bloody love a 412, these are a budget/shite alternative in my eyes. 

[ETCHY]

Terrible & wonderful.

You'll need balls of steel I reckon.

Might be worth it though..when it's working..

[Asimo]

3 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

It may not be a good idea to turn the steering wheel to full lock, especially when the engine is cold. 

Whilst this is true, it is a bit of simple engineering to eradicate the weakness.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, Asimo said:

Whilst this is true, it is a bit of simple engineering to eradicate the weakness.

Just a pity that simple engineering wasn't discovered and publicised early enough....

[wuvvum]

50 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

@Six-cylinder to the Gamma experience phone

@Skizzer too.

I had one, about 15 years ago.  Paid 150 quid for it.  It ran and drove (had no PAS, I think that had been deactivated for cambelt reasons) but unsurprisingly turned out to be far more rotten than it initially appeared.  I eventually sold it to a chap who was going to use the engine in a kit car in place of an Alfa 33 unit.

[Mr Pastry]

2 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

La la la, I can’t hear you.

Okay then.  I worked on these things back in the day when there was still a bit of input from Lancia UK, and they were challenging even then.  They look great and are super cars to drive, but they are let down by poor build quality and some questionable engineering.  They are difficult to work on, e.g. you will have to get underneath to change the head gaskets - both of them - and you *Will*  need to do it.  There is hardly any parts support or technical knowledge.  Avoid unless you have lots of free time, are seriously wealthy and/or a competent engineer ( not just a mechanic).   I would say that any hydropneumatic Citroen, even an SM, would be a lot less trouble and expense.  But you're not listening, are you?

[Mrs6C]

4 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

There is hardly any parts support or technical knowledge. 

The Gamma Consortium is very good in both these areas, we have found.
http://www.lanciagammaconsortium.info/

[Mr Pastry]

Yes no doubt, but they are seriously wealthy and have lots of spare time.

[JMotor]

Do it!

Shitebag if ya dinnae! 😂 

[Mrs6C]

11 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

Yes no doubt, but they are seriously wealthy and have lots of spare time.

Possibly so, but having met several members now, they seem to be decent enough.

On the spares front, the LCG has bought and dismantled a number of the cars over the years, to form a collection of dry-stored spares for members to buy at reasonable prices. Also, they have had several hard-to-find parts remanufactured.

Their most recent breaker spent a few weeks at the FoD having all possible useful parts removed for that purpose, before it went off to become saucepans.

 

[motorpunk]

26 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

Okay then.  I worked on these things back in the day when there was still a bit of input from Lancia UK, and they were challenging even then.  They look great and are super cars to drive, but they are let down by poor build quality and some questionable engineering.  They are difficult to work on, e.g. you will have to get underneath to change the head gaskets - both of them - and you *Will*  need to do it.  There is hardly any parts support or technical knowledge.  Avoid unless you have lots of free time, are seriously wealthy and/or a competent engineer ( not just a mechanic).   I would say that any hydropneumatic Citroen, even an SM, would be a lot less trouble and expense.  But you're not listening, are you?

Nope. Not listening at all. 

(Seriously, though, thank you for the info)

[Zantimisfit]

I have a Gamma sales brochure. It says they're really good if that helps

[Six-cylinder]

56 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

I have too many cars. I still want another. I’ve long admired Lancia Gamma Coupes. Seems you can pick them up in Italy for not too much (glossing over the admin nightmare of Italian DVLA and shipping). 

Can you tell me positive things about them, or lie so I have a false sense of confidence about potential ownership. I am crap with spanners and hate rust.  Perfect for me, right?

Any of you loons got one, or had one, or know anything useful?

Here’s a pic.  Mucho wanto, as they (probably) say in Rome.

 

Buy one!

For me the Berlina has the edge in looks which is why I bought the saloon.

The Gamma Consortium has done a fantastic job of salvaging parts from scrap cars, looking at supply from Europe and even have things made including the "L cloth" that many Gammas have. 

The power steering pump is powered from one of the cambelts and only really has a problem if the belt is old and sloppy.

It is 1970s technology and any competent mechanic with the right attitude can work on these successfully. 

There will be issues and you will need a bit of patience understanding a Gamma, but you will get it sorted. 

 

[Skizzer]

^what Chris says. I’ll reply properly later.

Heres’s mine:

[RoadworkUK]

6 minutes ago, Zantimisfit said:

I have a Gamma sales brochure. It says they're really good if that helps

Rather fittingly, my Gamma Coupe / Berlina brochure is superficially glossy and attractive, but isn't actually very well put together.

[chaseracer]

32 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

...having all possible useful parts removed for that purpose, before it went off to become saucepans.

Not very many saucepans, IIRC the sad pile of ferrous oxide that remained... 😉

[anonymous user]

As mentioned there are two currently owned by members on here. One coupe, Skizzer and a Berlina with the 6C's.

I owned a Berlina back in the mid 90s. It was an auto (the boxes are not renowned for their robustness)

It had been looked after and had minimal rust, but the lacquer was failing. 

It made a lovely noise, but, was not particularly quick or economical. It had relatively few issues, it's downside for me was that it was low and long and used to catch the exhaust on the ramp to my garage. 

Shortly after buying it I bought an Alfa 164 3litre Super Lusso, which I ended up using instead.

I like the coupe, but prefer the Berlina.

Would I buy another, no,  I'm now too old and risk averse, I'm glad I did it when I was younger and stupider  but they are just so stylish.

[Mr Pastry]

40 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

Possibly so, but having met several members now, they seem to be decent enough.

On the spares front, the LCG has bought and dismantled a number of the cars over the years, to form a collection of dry-stored spares for members to buy at reasonable prices. Also, they have had several hard-to-find parts remanufactured.

Their most recent breaker spent a few weeks at the FoD having all possible useful parts removed for that purpose, before it went off to become saucepans.

 

No disrespect intended - I am going back a bit now but all the Lancisti I  dealt with, almost without exception, were a great bunch - very straight to do business with, and often very interesting people.  They just weren't on quite the same planet as most folks.  And they all had a stock of worn-out secondhand parts from cars they had dismantled, no change there by the sound of it, and they expected us to fit this stuff and make it work, rather than source new parts which might have been more reliable and would have maintained the demand for new parts.   I actually found that a bit offensive.

[Mr Pastry]

59 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Nope. Not listening at all. 

Remind me where you live.  I don't think it's anywhere near me but if it is, I need to move before you buy this thing. 

[Matty]

Well manufactured car, surprisingly corrosion resistant for a car from that period, mechanically robust and simple to work on. In all the perfect entry into classic car ownership.

 

 

 

(You did want lying to didn't you? 😁)

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

"Subito.it " is the place to look.

Currently about 20 for sale.

Most are 2.0 ltr for tax reasons here .

 

[Asimo]

I like the look of this one because it has the radio blanking plate! Perhaps the proper steering wheel and gearlever knob are in the deal.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1323687

[richardmorris]

36 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

^what Chris says. I’ll reply properly later.

Heres’s mine:

I do like cars drawn with a ruler. My favourite is a fiat 130 with an orange fozzy bear interior.