APPIA BUYERS GUIDE, produced by Don Cross of the Appia Consortium
The range of Appia cars covers Series 1,2 and 3 Saloons , Coupe, Convertible,Lusso and Zagato. The remarks in this guide basically apply to all variants except the comments on bodywork where the Zagato is the exception as it has an all aluminium body on a steel tube frame all the other models have steel monocoque body shells. The guide is in six sections –bodywork, suspension, engine, transmission, brakes and electrics and fuel and carb.
Bodywork
The saloon bodies are pillarless ie no B post, check that the doors open and close easily, even with fairly rotten cars the doors will continue to open reasonably well. If they do not then there is likely to be a terminal problem somewhere. Series 1 and 2 cars have aluminium doors but Series 3 cars have steel doors and rust tends to attack the bottom of the doors. Other areas to check for rust are the tops of the front and rear wings particularly at the A post and C post. This is usually caused by mud and moisture lodged between the body and the wing and can lead to rot in the front bulkhead and rear wheel arch. Sills can also be a problem and if these are suspect check the floor panels. The chassis models can have similar problems – area to check is the water drain from the front windscreen down through a tube hidden by the front wing on the Coupe, if this is not clear then there could be trouble in the bulkhead and inner wing. On the convertible double check the sills as weakness here will cause trouble in opening and closing the doors. The Zagato has a aluminium panels attached to steel tubes and this is a recipe for electrolytic action - difficult to check but if there is a problem it will be an expensive one!
Suspension
The front suspension is sliding pillar and in general is not a problem. If after a car has stood for a long while it can become stiff and will usually ease up with running. Difference in height between offside and nearside could indicate a tired or broken spring. Check for play in the front wheel bearings and for play in the sliding pillar.There is always a little in a well used car only if it excessive is it a problem.
Rear springs etc are rarely a problem but check for wear in the silent block bushes.
Engine
The engine is good for many miles and should retain oil pressure at mid point on the gauge in normal running but will drop to nearly the bottom of the gauge on tick over when hot. Excessive exhaust smoke can be caused by either worn pistons/ rings or worn valve guides. There is usually some smoke when starting from cold after the car has stood for a while this should clear after a short run. Otherwise all the normal checks one does when evaluating an engine apply.
Transmission
At each end of the prop shaft there is a rubber coupling, check for decay /splitting of the rubber. Back The clutch in general is no problem but if there is juddering when starting in first gear or particularly in reverse this can be oil on the clutch plate. The oil can get into the bell housing either from the rear oil seal at the rear of the engine or the seal on the main shaft of the gearbox. There should be about ½ inch play at the pedal , if there is more than this it either needs adjustment or the clutch plate is worn.
The gearbox is very reliable but has no synchromesh on first and reverse. First gear is straight cut and therefore is normally a little noisy but if loud then it is likely that first gear is badly worn. Apart from the noise if first gear is badly worn then when driving the car it is likely to jump out of gear. If there is a tendency to jump out of all gears it is not necessarily the gearbox but the adjustment in the gear selection mechanism or worn bushes in the selection levers. Back axle is rarely a problem, it is not usually noisy nor have a whine.
Brakes
If set up correctly they are very good. If the car has stood make sure the plunger on the Fluid reservoir is fully up and the pedal firm with about ½ inch play before feeling the pressure. Common fault is pulling either to the left or right and this is caused by a variety of reasons non difficult to remedy. Handbrake is dependant on properly adjusted brakes .
Electrics
The electrics are Italian and subject to normal faults, if there is a failure in part of the system first check that all the fuses have clean contacts, corrosion occurs between the fuse and the contact, it is often sufficient just to rotate the fuses, this is worth doing even if there is no fault. All contacts and earths should be regular checked.
If the starter solenoid on Series 2 and 3 does not operate check contacts, if problem still exists run a line from the battery or a live source directly to the contact on the solenoid. If it operates then the problem lies in the ignition switch, probably the contacts in the back of the switch.
Fuel / Carb
Carb should be no trouble as it has fixed jets, play in the throttle spindle can lead to lumpy running at idle. Check for dirt in the float chamber. The Fispa fuel pump is renowned for letting the petrol drain back down the tube, which results in the starter motor having to work overtime to pump up sufficient petrol to start the engine, this can lead to burning out the bridge holding the brushes in the starter motor. It is advisable to fit an electric pump to prime the system. There is a filter in the petrol tank and if the tank has any corrosion this can lie as a sediment in the bottom of the tank and block off the lower part of the filter. This will allow the bottom of the tank to have a few litres of fuel so that the low level warning light does not come on, but the fuel does not get sucked into the system.
