I said I would never buy another Aurelia.........

[chriswgawne]

……...but we have had such fun bowling around in our B12 this year, particularly when the family were here when we were 6 up with the children in the back singing and waving to locals that I couldn't resist this 1952 B21S. The B12 is such a capable car whether going up and down steep hills 6 up or on the autostrada at 120kph. Quite remarkable really for a 65 year old car and so quiet with the windows closed.

It needs a total restoration both bodily and mechanically so that will keep me quiet for a few months! The good news is that it is virtually 100% complete.
I have a spare rebuilt 2.5l B20 engine which will fit and I also have a rebuilt B12 transaxle and a set of S4 B20 front brakes so I may reassemble using those for a sort of 'Q car' even though everything is there to rebuild as standard.
More photos to follow when it arrives.
Chris 

[Richard Fridd]

Lovely project Chris

[Parisien]

Great news, great project, great to see another Berlina being rescued!

P

[williamcorke]

Terrific Chris, a worthy cause, but did you actually say that?

[impaw]

Looks like a nice project!!😎👍

[DavidLaver]

Should keep you busy!

More than a Q-car could even be your rat rod

Out of interest, with it being nearly 100pct complete, are there particular bits that are often missing and difficult to find or "just" having everything that belongs still happily rubbing along together?

[chriswgawne]

Work is progressing on the body and also the mechanics of this car. I have assured Jacky that the car will be on the road next Spring so its important to keep some momentum.
Photos will follow but briefly the body seems to have little rust and nothing really structural (which is why I bought it apart from the fact that the car was pretty complete albeit disassembled).
The timetable is for the bodywork to be finished around the end of October/November and when it comes back to me, I hope it will be fully retrimmed although I am still having trouble getting a dark enough shade of 'nocciola' wool cloth to my taste.
The engine block has a lot of broken studs and so that is at a local machine shop to hopefully be collected in a couple of weeks. I have opted for deep helicoils where needed. The block itself is in pretty good condition corrosion wise. I will be fitting new pistons, liners, camshaft, main bearinga and big ends all from Cavalitto which I have.
So far the only work I have had a chance to do ( because of our grape harvest, an oil leak from the gearchange rod on our 1st series B20 and a cracked heater hose on the B12 right up on the bulkhead in the passenger compartment) is rebuild the water pump and distributor and generally sort the boxes of bits out..
The original heads were found to be too corroded by the previous owner when they had been finally removed from the block after a struggle and I will be fitting a pair of B12 heads. Slightly larger valves and so I think the original Solex 30 (with no accelerator pump) will be a little unsatisfactory. Ideally I would like to fit a Solex 40 PAAI ( as fitted to B12s) as I like them  but I don't have one so I will try a Weber 40DCL if a Solex doesn't turn up in the meantime.
The transaxle is also in pieces but everything is there so new bearings, oil seals, rebuilt pot joints are the order of the day and this is my next job now on the bench while I am waiting for the engine block.
Chris

[chriswgawne]

Early Aurelia saloons (very few of which are now on the road) seem to have been frequently trimmed in 'nocciola' wool cloth which is quite a dark brown colour. I 'think' I am correct in saying that this colour was superseded on B20s by a dark beige colour which is not unattractive but it is significantly lighter and seems to be available from several sources today whereas no-one has any 'nocciola' shade material on the shelf.

This is a shame but the reality is that the car needs a total retrim and having received samples from various suppliers and Aurelia friends, I have failed to find a source of supply for this.
I am therefore getting close to ordering what I think is the next best thing, a darkish beige cloth from Elvezio. This is the colour Elvezio himself used to retrim his B21S https://elvezioblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/lancia-aurelia-b-21-del-1950/ 
but the dreaded digital photography comes up with some strange colours.

Anyway attached is a quick photo showing a piece of the original cloth from our car from behind the rear seat armrest top left together with various samples of available cloths (Elvezio EE 14001LB is centre right) and also a dated cotton tag 5th April 1952 from a seat which is a nice thing to have.

I think I will also get the leathercloth for the beading and kickplates from Elvezio when I order.
Chris

[Parisien]

Useful research, who would have thought there could be so much variation in one "shade" of brown wool cloth!

Will dig out my headlining and take a few pics.

P

[Parisien]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAh_Zk-P4k&feature=youtu.be

Can't remember if this was linked 3/4 years ago but worth a watch again.

Just noted its already linked in the post above.

P

[chriswgawne]

Just to clarify, my photo should be rotated clockwise by 90degress to make sense of the words.
What is currently bottom left ( and | said was top left in my post) is what I have in my car and what I want to find but I have had no success at the moment.
Chris

[Parisien]

http://classicandeuropean.com/product/english-wool-union-headlining/

Headlining only.

P

[GG]

Early Aurelia saloons (very few of which are now on the road) seem to have been frequently trimmed in 'nocciola' wool cloth which is quite a dark brown colour. I 'think' I am correct in saying that this colour was superseded on B20s by a dark beige colour which is not unattractive but it is significantly lighter and seems to be available from several sources today whereas no-one has any 'nocciola' shade material on the shelf.

This is a shame but the reality is that the car needs a total retrim and having received samples from various suppliers and Aurelia friends, I have failed to find a source of supply for this.
Chris

Trincero used to sell the nocciolo and the light grey interior cloths. No more?

By the way, you aren't considering the brown Berlina pin-stripe cloth instead?

[Parisien]

The hidden edge of headlining. Ageing nevertheless has taken its toll. The Elvezio B21, as in the link, surely is the correct shade?


P

[chriswgawne]

Frank, According to the text, Elvezio's B21 is dark brown (marrone) which is not apparent from the photos. Therefore the beige wool he used for his retrim- their reference ee 14001LB - is quite possibly equivalent to that originally used.

My black B21S originally had the dark brown wool shown top left (this is unfaded from the rear seat armrest)  and whilst I am not obsessed with originality, I do like this colour. At a casual glance of photos of the interior of my car, it looks as if some parts of the trim can be saved but sadly this is not true so a colour change is possible.
I am persisting with looking for the correct dark brown colour wool fabric as the trimmer wont be starting for a few weeks so there is not too much pressure in the situation just yet.