My long strange trip… 30 years ago, I came face to face with my first Italian car…not in a movie, video game, or buzzing by on a highway. No, in my best friend Mike’s parents’ garage. There sat a 1979 Lancia Zagato, as Italian as an Armani suit, with a touch of Versace thrown in for good measure. She was a very limited edition model with a black and gold paint job and the softest most delicate leather I could remember touching. The car belonged to Mike’s older brother…a really big tough dude, who had little patience for either of us. At all of 13 I felt pretty devilish when I opened the door to the Lancia and got in. So began a strange journey. For the next three years, Mike and I would often retreat to this garage and sit around the car talking about things that were important to teenage boys, from girlfriends, to parents, to future dreams. All the time, this Zagato sat patiently in the backdrop. When Mike turned 16, his brother and Father surprised him. The Zagato would be his when he turned 17. For the next year, Mike and his brother began the furious task of restoring her. I would stop by and lend a hand, which usually consisted of scavenging parts off other parts cars. Over time, I learned a great deal about the mechanics behind vehicles. Mike turned 17 a few months before me and the Zagato became the symbol of our new found freedom. More fantastic youthful adventures began and ended with a turn of the key. It is also how I truly came to love Italian cars. The sound of the Lampredi engine breathing through the Weber carb and exhaling though the Ansa exhaust gave me goose bumps with every shift off the redline. The old Italian seating position, familiar to bus drivers anywhere, forced you to adjust to its demands. It just oozed charm and character. Most amusingly, at least in hindsight, was its stubborn refusal to complete any journey without at least one stumble. We truly explored the limits of AAA patience as almost every Lancia story ended with “…and there we were, stuck on the side of the road.” As frustrating as it was at the time, I met so many fun and interesting people I wouldn’t have met without her. We once even had an impromptu three day “vacation” at a Baltimore Truck Stop hotel, when the distributer crapped the bed. That was one of the best vacations I ever had and one of the fondest memories I have of another great friend, Gar, who left us all too soon. Mike and I went to college together and through thick and thin and all sorts of machinations we managed to keep her on the road. This car meant the world to us. I happened to graduate college before Mike and as a graduation gift, he gave the car to me. Up until then, It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me. Unfortunately, not too long afterwards my parents separated and I no longer had anywhere to store her, nor could I afford to ship her back to Mike in Florida. We decided to sell her to a friend of Mike’s sister who had another Lancia. That was 20 years ago this August. Since then, though law school, my parents divorce, my marriage, kids and work… I have closed my eyes many a night to this fantasy of what I would do if I ever got that car back again. I have spent countless hours on EBay, Craigslist, Hemmings, trying to track down another 1979 Lancia Zagato Special Edition, but as they only made 500 of them and most are long gone, it was like trying to find a unicorn. Two weeks ago I found my unicorn in the form of a completely original unmolested Zagato, identical to ours in every way. She was sitting at a no name shop in California and I scooped her up immediately. She is now at the shop getting fully sorted. At the time of her arrival, I waxed poetic about finally owning a Zagato again. I will also admit I shed a tear the first time I saw her in person. Little did I know the best was yet to come. Mike’s sister was so touched by my little write up that she managed to track down the last owner of our Zagato,, who had alluded Mike and I for years. I came to find out that our Zagato had been sitting in a storage container in a warehouse in New Jersey for the last twenty years. Today, Jay and I made the trip to see her. The conditions were dark and extremely dusty, but I got to say hello to an old friend. I sent Mike pictures in real time and we both just pretty much lost our collective minds. We are now negotiating with the hope that he will let us take her home. Jay, just about the most generous guy I know, has agreed to help me bring her back to life. Jay and I will completely tear her down and restore her into something new and special. When we are done, I will put her on a truck and send her home to Mike, so his two boys can enjoy her much like he and I did all those years ago…and I can finally return the favor Mike gave to me so many years ago. Here is a photo of the old girl in 1991 during rebuild 3.0. Here is a photo of our new “California Lancia” and here are a few photos of our original car as she sits today…I can’t wait to get her home.
My old girl as she sits today... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Joe, What a great story. Ever since I snapped a photo of you at the 2014 FCA Annual Meet, anxiously biting your nails waiting for your TR to get judged, I knew you were a very passionate, meticulous and detailed oriented individual. I have no doubt that you will get the old car back up and running (better than new) and that your friend Mike and his kids will enjoy the car as much as you and he did back in the day! Looking forward to seeing those photos! Bill P.
Great story Joe..One of my first italian car experiences was driving and working on a light blue Lancia Zagato owned by boss at the time. Certainly out performed my brothers Fiat 850 Spider ! Congradulations on the find and having the ability to pay it foreward ! David
I rescued one a few years ago (an 81 injected car) from a little crappy dealership in Redmond. It was sitting there in the rain with a piece of white plastic flapping in the wind over the left window which was left open. The window regulator failed and someone put the window down and couldn't get it back up. I went in and made them a deal and took it home. It had been loved before--Hella H1/H4 headlights, 82 grille, a front spoiler, Supertrapp exhaust. But it was a solid rust free car red with black interior. I drove it for 3-4 years. My little girls loved riding in it with the top down. It also had a trailer hitch on it and I used it often to carry bikes to the velodrome or camping. Speaking of camping, I loaded the trunk with firewood and camping supplies more than a few times. Those little cars can store a TON of stuff. And they handle great. I imported some European bumpers, installed some gold Cromodora Daytonas, and did some minor maintenance and parts collection and loved it. I sold it last year when I was expecting a 348ts that never did come (the seller flaked out on me). Since then, I've moved onto an Alfa Spider. The guy who bought it last year ended up selling it to another guy on the east coast. Both of them are here are Fchat...and they both loved the car. I kept the Daytonas though. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I played with my Beta Scorpion today. Installing aluminum pulleys, waterpump upgrade and removing auxiliary to hack off antiquated mechanical fuel pump lobe.
I Really am lucky to know you . You are the enthusiast I dream of being but am not. Always someone to look up to. I Have popcorn in hand watching from the sidelines. Jon in Delaware
I'm excited to report that negotiations have been concluded! We are now the proud owners of our old zagato! One catch... I had to commit to buying all three he had! So now I own four Zagatos!!! Even for me that is nuts! One of them was a friends first car too coincidentally... So I will probably Just get it running and return it to him. The blue one will probably be cut up for parts to save our car... But our old black and gold girl will rise again!! Can you believe it!!!!!
That is sooooooo awesome!! He had you at " My Dear old car " Watching and admiring from the sidelines...Jon in Delaware PS nice puffy sleeve shirt my friend. There is a need to find another one just like it so you can take the inaugural drive in style. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I plan on hosting a welcome home party at Nick's when they come home, and I will show them to you in person In the meantime I will try to take photos when we pick them up!
Well, we came to find out that the white one we are buying was his first car! I think it was pretty tough for him emotionally to turn it over because he had dreams of restoring his car over the last twenty years, using our car and it never materialized. In his mind, by returning our cars to us, he kind of shut the door on that dream. It was telling that he asked that we not cannibalize his car in the process of restoring ours. We didn't commit to that, but Mike and I both decided that if it is salvageable,we would just clean his up and get it running and send it back home. Whether he intended to or not, he preserved our baby for twenty years, and it is hard to describe our gratitude.
Joe, This is AWESOME beyond words! Congrats, my friend! My question though is this -- have you filed with the necessary regulatory agencies that you now own more than x% of the remaining US stock of Zagatos? Think you're hitting that threshold. In fact, you might even want to consider a tender offer for the remaining shares you do not own... Cheers! Dennis
Joe, this story gets better and better Like Jon, I live my inner collector fantasy through you. I don't have the time, skills, money or space, so now I'm following this story. Looking forward to seeing them in person. As I mentioned the other day, you really do need to write a book. I'm dead serious. I would buy it!
I have stash of mechanical spares including complete performance motor from a PA barnfind I retrieved last summer. Many tricks to increase power in these. The Guy Croft Workshop Manual is best resource. Modifying and Tuning Fiat/Lancia Twin-Cam Engines (Technical (including tuning & modifying)): Guy Croft: 9780947981983: Amazon.com: Books
Awesome!!! I have to get that book! Are you interested in parting with anything? It has been extremely frustrating finding any performance parts or really any parts, thus far. It seems like the parts supply dried up! Luckily, I found a local supplier, but there are still gaping holes in his inventory. I even had to go as far as to order tensioner bearings from Europe! Incidentally, our Zagato... Assuming the engine hasn't seized after all these years, had a pretty hardcore engine in it if I recall. It was blueprinted and balanced and bored out with High compression Pistons, hot cams, headers, and an oversized carb. She also ran headers and a straight pipe to an Ansa exhaust can. She also had a Koni suspension all around. I haven't heard her run in over 20 years, but I remember her sounding the business... Unfortunately, I would surmise that all those mods probably only netted us an engine making, at best, 120hp. A big improvement over the stock 87hp, but not enough to make a 2800lb car move with any authority. Still, If we can get her to sing again I am going to lose my G-d damn mind!!! Having this car back is like winning the lottery... There is... Literally... No other car I would rather own. It transcends performance, this car and I have some serious history together.
This story is fantastic and I was smiling the entire time I read it; the absolute best of luck to you in this journey. Please keep us all posted on how this progresses- I can't wait to see what happens next. Best Mike
I will know soon if I am using or selling the barnfind performance engine. Funny story about it. Found it online located 1 town away from a rallyrace the following weekend. Went and picked it up, then headed to meet up w/ old teammates at rallyrace. Their modern Japanese rallycar lost an alternator bolt and they could find any the correct size in their spares. I removed one from the Lancia engine that fit and they continued. Joked that the bolt was a GrB rally-legend bolt that was good for 20HP. US parts suppliers are: Midwest-Bayless Italian Auto Vick Autosports, The Premier Fiat and Alfa Parts Source