Lancia Stratos AUC976T (24-valve, still?)

[Alex Moore]

Hello!

Just out of nostalgic curiosity, does anyone know if and where this car still exists? If so, is it still 24-valve, or did some sensible person convert it back to 12-valve?! Is it ever seen 'out', might it be at the Abingdon event next weekend?

Thanks.

Alex Moore
(former owner and rebuilder)

[chris.richard]

The number doesn't come up on several databases I've tried.

[John]

Any chassis number available Alex?

[Alex Moore]

It was (is?) chassis number 1983. The car was featured in 24-valve form in Motor Sport April 1985 and Performance Car July 1985.

Thanks for your interest.

[John]

With that info maybe Tryphon can help?

[tryphon]

Sorry. I know that car but don't know its current whereabaouts. Anyone who owns it is very lucky. 24V, special big valve engine. If I'm not mistaken it has its camshafts mounted on bearings. Might be in the US now.
Only Thomas and the owner know. I have data for around 104 chassis. If anyone wants to contribute feel free ;)

[Alex Moore]

Tryphon, thank you. I guess you mean 'shell' bearings for the cams. I had forgotten that but yes I think you may be right. I can only find photos of the finished engine so I'm not sure. The parts book will make clear, it shows the Group 5 bits as I recall. The heads were bare when I got them, I remember having to have bearing caps made up, and many other parts, including camshafts using the alternative profile that my company had developed for the 12-valve engine.

I do remember... fighting a losing battle keeping valve clearances steady because the cylinder heads were apparently made of cheese... wishing I hadn't ditched the lightened conventional flywheel and clutch for the AP Racing sintered metal job (lured by the parts book there!)... searching for space for a decent-sized battery without the need to hack the bodywork about... but lots of pleasurable bits too, especially for the all-too-brief time when it was working really well in that form.

[colin artus]

Didn't the car sport Kugelfischer injection as well? Just to make it a bit more lairy than your average 24v engine.

[Alex Moore]

Yes Colin it did. I bought a kit of parts, and the heads, from Latte di Nepi, based in Nepi near Rome. They ran a 24V car in Italian hillclimbs, it was one of the (12?)prototypes, having a special chassis number. The car came to the UK in the '80s.

The injection kit was new, never used. We had to map the fuel cam on a dynamometer. It did work, and it looked very pretty (all the inlet kit was polished aluminium) but 48IDFs would probably have made more sense!

I have some photos of the engine, I'd be happy to upload them to the website if anyone's interested.

[chris.richard]

Pictures? Oooh yes please!!! :)
Put them in the gallery - it saves resizing them to fit in the forum.