Delta Integrale: £15K Competition update
PH competition winner John Crook on why his Integrale will be sticking around for a while yet
In this report John is weighing up (again!) whether the Integrale should be kept or swapped, plus his plans for the rest of the sunnier months. There's even a tale of exceptional reliability...
We'll hope to hear more from Matt Purdon and his Capri soon, but for now here's the latest on John's Lancia. Thanks once more to Adrian Flux for sponsoring the competition.
The first thing you'll notice from this update is that I still own the Integrale; you may recall I was contemplating selling late last year. As I've been told many a time though, it is a car that gets under your skin. After meeting people who have bought them for six months and still have them 10 years later, I can see how this happens! Can you believe I've owned mine for nearly three years already?
Cars really are getting bigger!
The first reason is easy - look at it! There is no modern car, and indeed very few full stop, that have the presence and theatre of an Integrale. You can genuinely get enjoyment just looking at it. There is something about these iconic rally machines for the road (I'll include the Escort Cosworth too) that others can't get anywhere near in my opinion.
The second is that I'm still unsure what I would replace it with. Would an E46 M3 be too much of a change? Would I get that sense of occasion that I do driving an Integrale? I fear not. Do I therefore try another classic legend? This is a possibility, but it would feel like starting again as the searching takes months for a rare car.
Serviced, MoT'd and in rude health
Lastly, and I'm hesitant to admit this as it's always a contentious issue, it has unintentionally become an investment. I'm very fortunate as I wanted an Integrale because it was my dream car; as a bonus it has now become a significant savings pot to boot. This has the obvious advantages but it throws up disadvantages too. I'm not going to say I feel guilty driving the car and adding miles to it as that would be ridiculous, but it does make me think twice. I'm conscious of its value now which I wasn't as much before, and this does affect how I drive the car. I'm now the one that analyses a car park to work out the best spot to avoid scratches from others parking too close. Granted, some people do this anyway, but when I'm driving the Integrale it should be all about the experience, not concerns about parking spaces and road widths.
Iconic shape still drawing fans
I have had a few trips over the summer so far that have kept me enthralled, the best of which was the journey to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car drove faultlessly and gave a lot of people reasons to smile as they took photos and asked questions in the inevitable traffic. The comments focused on its condition and the fact people have always wanted one!
Crossing the muddy fields into Goodwood gave me the chance to showcase the Integrale's rally heritage as well, as I got through where many FWD and RWD cars had given up! The Integrale is always kept perfectly polished but there is something that looks so right about having mud up the sills and doors of a car like this.
There's a busy summer planned!
I honestly don't know what the future holds for me and my Integrale. Part of me still senses it's time for a change, while another can see me sitting in the tan Recaros in 10 years' time. All I can say right now is that I feel honoured to own this iconic car and won't forget how lucky I was to be in this position.
Previous updates:
It took a while but John finally found his dream Lancia
Is it living up to the hype? Hell yeah!
MoT'd and ready for a summer of fun
There's an issue... with the fuel cap
It's a Sega Rally hero made real!
Oh no! Integrale on the side of the road
Integrale now behaving itself, time to enjoy it
Is now the time for the Integrale to go?
[Additional pics: Tom Begley]
Don't care that I sometimes get comments and 'looks' from the do-gooders. They don't ever offer to pay to have the numerous dents removed.
People are getting fatter, cars are getting bigger, spaces stay the same size. The outcome is dents which appear, as predictable as night following day.
Enjoy your car, but the slight paranoia you get with driving and parking is normal.
You'll know when you want to sell it, as you'll be using it less and less, and it'll become a garage queen, like my 'nice' cars always become. Then as soon as it has gone, you'll want something to replace it, and the cycle starts again!
6 years of very spirited daily driving, it didn't miss a beat. Went through a fair few suspension bushes and ARB drop links through its epic cornering and back road capability. It always felt like an event firing it up with all the madcap gauges and the lovely whine of the balancer belt engine. The most enjoyable times were the summer 5.00am B road traverses of Wales and averaging 10mpg in a stock car. ;-)
If you can keep it, and drive the bejesus out of it, they like it.
What's it gone up-£20k, more? I couldn't excuse that unfortunately as sad as it sounds, plus as much as I adore them I don't think they're worth those sums.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Celica-GT4-IMPORT...
After all this was the car that demolished Lancia's domination and heralded a new era of Japanese Dominance in the WRC.
Yours looks fantastic, and the colour combination is the best I have ever seen on an Integrale!
Slightly off-topic I know, but I had a Z4C I was sort of thinking of selling and replied to a post from someone looking for one on a forum. Next thing I knew he had viewed it and given me a deposit! Then I realised what I had done
so I scoured the classifieds and found another! First one was taken away on 8 May, next one collected on 10 May! Phew!I suppose what I am trying to say is don't even think about selling your Integrale unless you really want something else and have a clear plan!
And thank you for sharing your ownership experience with us!
I think as soon as you get to the stage when you no longer want to drive a car because it starts to affect its value, or may damage it then it could be time to move on. Also, there is always that chance that something expensive or difficult to get hold of goes bang.
Lovely car though and there is something truly great about the Integrale: the looks, the performance, the way it looks on the road when moving.
I think as soon as you get to the stage when you no longer want to drive a car because it starts to affect its value, or may damage it then it could be time to move on. Also, there is always that chance that something expensive or difficult to get hold of goes bang.
Lovely car though and there is something truly great about the Integrale: the looks, the performance, the way it looks on the road when moving.
Although I agree the market may have peaked now for values (but I have been wrong on this before!!!)
I think as soon as you get to the stage when you no longer want to drive a car because it starts to affect its value, or may damage it then it could be time to move on. Also, there is always that chance that something expensive or difficult to get hold of goes bang.
Lovely car though and there is something truly great about the Integrale: the looks, the performance, the way it looks on the road when moving.
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