Rust can be a major issue, but any Montecarlo that has lasted this long, and is still in good condition, should continue to survive in decent nick for many years yet

INTRODUCTION
Mid-engined Italian two-seaters tend to have rather large price tags attached; if you want something with Italian flair but your budget is modest, the Lancia Montecarlo could be just the ticket.

Part of the ill-fated Beta family, the Montecarlo suffered from the same poor reputation as its less-glamorous siblings, ensuring that values remain on the low side. However, thanks to that mid-mounted engine, sharp Pininfarina lines, crisp handling and surprising rarity, the Lancia makes a great left-field classic buy.

Even a minted-up Montecarlo is worth no more than about £8000 – and to command that much money it has to be something pretty special. A merely ‘nice’ example that you won’t be afraid to take out of the garage is worth more like £5000, but a usable Montecarlo that’s a little dog-eared around the edges can be bought for just £3000. If a great driving experience is higher on your list of priorities than ultimate practicality, there’s not much that can touch it for the money.

ENGINE
The Montecarlo’s lusty four-cylinder twin-cam powerplant is its biggest asset, although there are potential problems. But as is often the case, most of these stem from inadequate maintenance – look after these units and they’ll easily despatch 200,000 miles without murmur. Although the twin-cam unit is based on the Fiat unit of the same configuration, only the cylinder block is interchangeable. That’s because the head was modified by Lancia to up the power, but it does carry over a freerevving nature, which is no bad thing.

Within the last 30,000 miles the cambelt should have been changed, as if it breaks the valves will come into contact with the pistons. The result is a bill for £400 to have the cylinder head rebuilt. Also be wary of blown head gaskets; after 60,000 miles, the head retaining bolts stretch. Look at the inside of the oil filler cap to make sure there’s no mayonnaise-like substance to give the game away. It’s usually a case
of just replacing the gasket and the retaining bolts, but the face of the head will need to be checked for flatness.If the engine doesn’t run very happily, suspect dirt in the idle jets of the Weber carburettor. Fixing it is easy enough, as long as you know your way around.

Don’t be too worried about an oily engine bay as the powerplant is notoriously tricky to seal. Cam cover and head gaskets are the most likely culprits. Lubricant shouldn’t be pouring out, but you should expect to see signs of it in the engine bay.

TRANSMISSION
The gearbox is tough, but a neglected car might give the impression that there are major issues that need addressing, the key one being difficulty in getting the gears. If fifth or reverse are hard to select it’s because the selector shaft needs greasing – an easy job. There’s also some sideways adjustment of the
gearshift linkage available, which often gets overlooked. As the box moves slightly over time (due to softening mountings), the gearchange gets increasingly notchy. All that’s needed are a few adjustments of the linkage and everything can be restored to normal.

Make sure you get to drive the car from cold, paying attention to the change up from first to second as well as down from third. The synchromesh on second gear is always the first to go, and when the box
is cold it can be a pain getting the ratio at all. You can either learn to live with it by selecting the ratio slowly or you can fit a used box – expect to pick one up for around £150 with replacement taking a day.

SUSPENSION, STEERING AND BRAKES
The Montecarlo has independent suspension all round, with MacPherson struts and lower wishbones front and rear. All cars featured a front anti-roll bar; early series 1s also had a rear anti-roll bar. There aren’t any particular weak spots, apart from the struts, which can leak. Any hydraulic fluid that has escaped from the dampers will be immediately obvious if you look into the wheelarches – replacement is the only fix, with a new pair of dampers costing £275. Although wheel bearings aren’t an especially weak point, renewing them takes ages.

While the braking system of a series 2 car is efficient enough, the series 1 wasn’t very well thought through. The problem with these earlier cars is that the servo acts on the front wheels only, and it has a habit of locking up early – which is why it’s very much advised to disconnect the servo of a series 1 Montecarlo, if it’s still fitted. The brakes don’t take kindly to being left idle for long periods; caliper pistons seize, along with handbrake cables. As a result you need to roll the Lancia on some level ground and see how quickly it comes to a halt. If the car stops quickly, the system will need to be freed off. Depending on how much dismantling and lubricating is needed, this can get pretty involved.

If the brake pedal is very spongy it’s because the system hasn’t been bled properly. The Montecarlo has a dual-circuit braking system, and both circuits have to be bled together – something that many
owners overlook.

BODYWORK, TRIM AND ELECTRICS
Rust can be a major issue, but any Montecarlo that has lasted this long, and is still in good condition, should continue to survive in decent nick for many years yet. And that’s why you have to be on the lookout for tarted-up cars. Taking your magnet when going to buy a Montecarlo is absolutely essential.

Post-1981 cars were better rust-proofed, but all need careful checking. If significant corrosion is evident, your best bet is to find a better example, because although you can get pretty much any panels you’re likely to need, the costs will quickly add up if your example is rotten. Start by looking at the bonnet, which gets stone-chipped, with holed metal the usual result. There are three layers of metal in the corners of this panel, and it’s not possible to properly rustproof.

Moisture gets trapped in the seams and the corrosion then starts on the inside; things aren’t helped by a layer of sponge that lines the bonnet’s underside. By the time any rust is evident, it’s too late. But these  areas are only cosmetic – it’s under the bonnet that you need to have a really good look. Especially important are the MacPherson strut mountings and the inner wings, crucial to the car’s structure. These can rot and allow the suspension to push straight through.

The front wings can corrode very badly where they meet the sills, as well as along their tops. Don’t forget to look at them closely from underneath, although post-1980 cars had wheelarch liners fitted. See what state the underside of each door is in – then check its condition at the base of the quarterlight. The quarterlights themselves can rot and even if the doors are okay, the A-posts to which they’re attached can corrode badly if the front wings have also rusted. Once this happens the A-posts lose their strength, so see if the doors are dropping; this is impossible to disguise.

Moving towards the back of the car, inspect the whole length of each sill, which has three sections including a centre membrane. All can dissolve, usually from the inside out, so press firmly and feel for the metal giving way. Then take a look inside each wheelarch, paying close attention to the seam between the inner and outer arch. There’s a mastic used here which hardens then cracks, allowing moisture in and leading to bad corrosion. Finish off by checking the rear valance and the quarter panels along with the back wings and the rear strut towers; this last area is best inspected from inside the engine bay.

Check that all the electrics are working properly, especially things like the power-operated windows. The main problem is poor earthing through corrosion of the terminals, along with worn motor bearings, and although fixing things probably won’t cost much tracking down what the problem is can be a pain.
Various materials were used to trim the Montecarlo;  all series 1 spiders had vinyl, most other cars had cloth but a few used leather. None of the trim should pose any problems as the original materials were generally very durable and you can source pretty much anything on a second-hand basis. It’s even possible to get some new bits through specialists such as the Monte Hospital.

CONCLUSION
While everyone is flocking to major British marques such as Triumph and MG, you don’t have to follow the herd. Affordability, great handling and a lusty engine are three great reasons to buy a classic – and the Montecarlo can offer all of those. Even better, you can buy anything you’re ever likely to need to rebuild one or simply to keep it on the road. However, finding a good example is getting harder, which is why you must join the Montecarlo Consortium before you commit. Its members are always keen to advise on buying a Monte.