Lancia

[Sasha]

In 1975, at the Geneva Motorshow, the Beta range was again supplemented, this time by the HPE (High Performance Estate) and Montecarlo. The former was approximately what we now call a 'lifestyle estate', more a roomy five seater with a hatch than a load-lugging estate car. It used the floorpan (and hence the longer wheelbase) of the berlina, but the front end copied the design of the coupe and there were only two doors.
The Montecarlo was only weakly connected with the Beta family, it had been previously designed (by Pininfarina) as a prototype FIAT (first the X1/8 and later the X1/20) with various engines (including the 2800 V6 from the 130), but in the end the Beta drivetrain (complete engine, clutch, gearbox and diff) was adopted, albeit behind the seats and tilted back slightly. The engine was also enlarged to 1995cc by increasing the stroke, producing 120bhp. The cockpit was reasonably roomy, and there was a quite roomy luggage compartment under the bonnet, the spare wheel being stored next to the engine at the rear. The 'Spider' variant featured an opening roof, really a full size sunroof. It was sold as the Scorpion in the USA, fitted with an emissionised 1756cc unit with only 81bhp. This poor output, combined with an increase in weight of some 30kg meant that the performance in that market was rather disappointing. Various other detail changes were made to meet US legislation such as bumpers and lights (which raised slightly in use).
Yet further removed from the Beta family was the 037 or 'Rally' which was developed from the Montecarlo for use in rallying.

[Sasha]

In 1975 the range was revised. Minor external changes were made to the styling, and the 1995cc engine replaced the 1756cc engine in all models (except in some in the USA). The 1592cc engine was replaced by one displacing 1585cc, whilst the 1438cc engine was discontinued. All the engines were used across the berlina and coupe models - the latter no longer having higher output units.
Small changes continued to be made to the range. In 1976 the 1297cc engine was introduced into the coupe, and from 1978 an automatic gearbox was offered as an option on the 1600 and 2000 cars, whilst all the cars got electronic ignition. A minor facelift was carried out on the coupe, HPE and Spider and the 1297cc engine was enlarged to 1301cc.
The third series berlina entered production in 1979 and included a restyling both inside and out (including the adoption of the 'new' shield shaped grille) and the discontinuation of the 1300 engine. A year later the range was joined by a new design, the Trevi, a conventional three box saloon with a most unconventional dashboard designed by Mario Bellini. This was also the first Beta application of a new fuel injected version of the 2000 engine with 122bhp. In 1981 the fuel injected 2000 engine was added to the coupe and HPE, and power steering became available.

The Montecarlo suffered from a lack of go in it's US spec (it's primary market) and poor brakes (the front wheels had less weight and servo assistance and tended to lock up too easily, whilst the rear had more weight and no servo). Production was stopped in 1978 and restarted in 1980 (not for the US) with numerous modifications, to improve the braking (bigger discs and no servo), reduce the weight (down by 70kg) and increase the torque (higher compression ratio). Some minor cosmetic work was also carried out, including new wheels, new grille, new wing mirrors and a few other minor changes. It never really took off though, and production ceased in 1981 the same year as the berlina ceased production. In the following year the Spider also stopped being produced.
The ultimate production engine for the Beta family was the Volumex, a 1995cc engine with a supercharger. This was introduced in the Trevi in 1982 with 135bhp and more importantly, considerably more torque. The VX HPE and coupe models were introduced in 1982 and also received a stiffer suspension and improved brakes.
These final versions, the coupe, HPE and Trevi continued in production until 1984.
The Beta family was involved in motorsport in a variety of ways. The Beta Coupe was used in rallying (with the 16V cylinder head from Abarth) and helped Lancia win the World Championship with the higher profile Stratos. The 037 was developed from the Montecarlo, even if very far removed, and achieved many successes in rallying, including one World Championship. And the Montecarlo itself was used with success in endurance racing, the Montecarlo turbo winning two World Championships. In club racing the Beta Coupe proved popular in many countries, and still continues to see action in various club events.

[Sasha]

Approximate production volumes were as follows :

Berlina :195,462
Coupe :111,801
HPE :71,258
Trevi :36,784
Spider :9,390
Montecarlo :7,595

Technical Details

Driveline-transverse engine at front with front wheel drive
Suspension-front : MacPherson strut with telescopic dampers and coil springs plus anti-roll bar rear : independent with telescopic dampers and coil springs, twin transverse links and anti-roll bar wheelbase : 2540mm (saloon & HPE) or 2350mm (Coupe & Spider) track (front/rear) Berlina : 1405mm/1390mm
Brakes-front : discs rear : discs calliper piston diameters : 45mm (front), 34mm (rear) handbrake operating on the rear via cable dual hydraulic circuit with servo assistance
Gearbox-5 speed manual 3 speed automatic cable operated clutch disc diameter : 200mm (1300,1400 & 1600), 215mm (1800 & 2000)
Steering-Rack and pinion ZF power assistance on some models
Kerb Weight-early RHD models : Berlina (1600) : 1085kg; Coupe : 990kg; HPE : 1060kg; Spider : 1050kg early US models : Berlina : 1119kg; Coupe : 1088kg Montecarlo : 1040kg (srs I); Scorpion 1070kg; srs II : 970kg




Performance

Berlina 1600 (1979) 170 km/h 11.1 sec 33.1 sec
Berlina 2000 (1977) 180 km/h 11.2 sec 32.1 sec
HPE 1600 (1977) 174 km/h 33.5 sec
Coupe 1300 (1977) 163 km/h 13 sec 34.8 sec

[Sasha]

Tuning

There are three main areas to concentrate on, the engine (and transmission), the brakes and the suspension and then various other details. These three should be done together since they complement each other, not all of one and none of another !
1. The engine.
Before modifying the engine it is worthwhile filling it with a good quality synthetic oil and fitting new spark plugs. An engine oil additive may also be used.
The first improvements are relatively simple. The air filter can be replaced for an aftermarket item which will help the engine breathe more freely, the type which completely replace the original airbox are best, and the exhaust can be replaced for one which will restrict the exit of the gases less. The whole system should be replaced, not just the rear section.
The main modification (outside of taking the engine apart) is to fit a better carburettor(s). A pair of twin 45 DCOE's are a good choice (40's on a 1600 or smaller). Downdraught setups are also possible, but the sidedraught one is to be preferred. A camshaft will also provide a noticeable gain, especially if fitted in conjuction with the carburettor.
Other things to do should include fitting a cold air intake, a large diameter pipe (minimum 5cm) to provide air from outside the engine bay to the air filter. The exhaust manifold can also be lagged with thermal cloth or tape to keep the exhaust gases hotter (and thus reduce back pressure) and also to keep the underbonnet (and hence intake and fuel) temperatures lower.
The high tension leads can also be replaced with performance ones.
Further modifications require the machining of the cylinder headand/or cylinder block (which will not be dealt with here since it is not normally a DIY job) after which it may be worth fitting an oil cooler. If overheating is a problem due to the increased power output then a small hole can also be drilled through the plate in the thermostat. There are a multitude of company's with experience of internal cylinder head modifications for the Lancia twin cam engine, and a 1995cc engine with 45 DCOE's and a gasflowed head should produce over 150bhp.
Regarding the transmission the main requirement is to uprate the clutch to handle the increase in power and torque achieved though the engine modifications. Friction plates can be purchased with improved materials and heavier duty pressure plates are also available. Whilst doing this it is worthwhile lightening the flywheel.
2. The brakes.
Initially it is relatively easy to replace the brake discs with drilled and grooved items, and the pads for a harder compound. The latter should not be too hard (ie no race pads on the road) or they will not function effectively at the normal 'road' operating temperatures. Stainless steel braided flexible hoses will improve the pedal feel and reduce the chance of damage whilst DoT5 fluid (not silicon) will increase the temperature at which it can operate effectively. If the brakes are getting too hot the dustguards can be removed and/or ducts fitted, taking air from behind the front bumper.
If more serious braking is required the next modification would be to increase the disc size. It is possible to use larger discs with a bracket allowing use of the production callipers, or alloy four pot callipers can be fitted.
In order to improve the balance of the car under braking it is desireable to be able to adjust the balance of braking from front to rear (and vice versa). This can be accomplished by fitting a bias valve in the line to the rear brakes, usually in a position so that it can be reached from the drivers seat.
3. The suspension.
The easiest improvement,and the one which will probably bring the single most noticeable change, is to replace the dampers and springs. Fitting lowered springs will improve the cornering, but must be fitted together with shortened throw dampers, or else the springs may unseat ! Top adjustable dampers are compromised, but are good for road and track day cars since it allows the suspension to be adjusted between these two, rather different, requirements. Coil over units add more adjustability and can be purchased outright, or can be made from standard dampers by welding a threaded sleeve to the standard tube.
There are then two other main suspension aims; to reduce the flexiblity in the suspension and to increase the stiffness of the car, both of which aim at more accurate control of the wheel movement. To reduce the flexibility it is possible to fit nylon bushes instead of the normal production rubber items, or if perfection is desired the suspension can be fitted with metallic bearings (rose joints / rod ends). Spherical bearing top mounts can also be used. To stiffen the car it is most popular to fit strut braces. These can be fitted to the front and rear. For more extreme cases a rollcage can be fitted.....
Into this category also fall the choice of wheels and tyres. With an increase in power it can be necessary to fit larger tyres (thus requiring larger wheels) but the temptation to fit the biggest possible should be resisted. Consideration should be given to fitting a wider tyre on the front (since they provide traction and steering) but keeping the standard, or a wider but not as wide as the front, tyre at the rear. This will improve the balance of the car.
4. other things.
Other modifications worth considering include fitment of a shift light (and rev limiter if there is not one as standard), higher power bulbs in the headlights (if you are going to go faster you need to see further) and installation of a quicker steering rack.

[Guest]

Vidim da istorijat tema nije zakljucana, sto znaci da replike dolaze u obzir Citajuci tekst, dosao sam nekako do zakljucka da su neke stvari trebale biti naglasene. Za primer navodim ovo: "approx 10deg" gde bi po meni trebalo naglasiti da je taj V motor bio prvi danas takozvani VR motor, koji je imala i cuvena Fulvia (navodi se da je V od 13 deg). To je stvar koju mnogi pripisuju uz VW. Pored toga Lancia je imala i jedan od najvaznijih patenata u istoriji automobilizma - smonosecu karoseriju (patentirano 1922 godine, a pojavilo 1924 na modelu Lambda), a bili su i prvi automobil sa kocnicama na sva 4 tocka

[Sasha]

http://www.berlinasportivo.com/magazine/Lancia/fulvia.pdf