As many of you already know, I became the proud owner of a beautiful Appia furgoncino C80 S earlier this year and said beast, because she is a beast, arrived last week. Previous owners Alan and Claire Wesson delivered her last Thursday. She is complete , albeit in pieces all the important furgoncino bits are there including the 5 speed 'box , but I am sure I will have to raid the Appia consortium for one or two other bits I have never owned an Appia before, although I did a lot of work on a Zagato when I was a teenager, but I think we can discount that since it was some time ago Consequently, the arrival of the body and so many boxes has been thought provoking, more of that later!
She has done 59, kms and has the original Italian log book to back this up. Some time in the early 60's she blew a head gasket and was laid up for 40 years in a field in Aosta, before being discovered by Alan in the early noughties.
Despite 40 years of fresh air, she is in amazingly sound condition. Some bodywork has been done, particularly around the back quarters, under the "bumper" and a bit behind the front wheel arches, but amazingly the floors and sills are all there and perfect - NO welding to do The doors and bonnet are aluminium and are not showing any oxidation, the interior is complete and undamaged, rear doors are perfect I am sure to find some horrors, but I'm still in the honeymoon period So what to do?
I cannot be as laid back as David L. I still don't have the answers or indeed a plan, but at least I am planning a plan! The most obvious thing is that this is a 'conservation' project, not a 'restoration' project, although I realise these boundaries can be blurred - but for example, I am not intending to do anything with the inside of the car - just dismantle, clean and refit. No paint, just scratches Here goes A few bits started this week Everything removed from boxes and catalogued.
Interior removed, cleaned, repaired and stored. The only damage was a broken spring on the driver's side of the seat which ripped the cloth underneath. Both repaired. Also I had to retack the piping to the door panels. The panels are slightly water damaged, easy to change if I am not happy with the fit later on.
