RE: Shed of the Week: Lancia Dedra
Discussion
Bollah said:
Afraid not, my tipo Sedicivalvole suffered with rust / rot on the chassis (rear arch) and I've recently started clearing up some small rust patches on the floor of my Fiat Coupé
My Fiat coupe was rust free after 16 years. Galvanised cars will all eventually rust but point making is they really resist the rot. By comparison, my 6 year old MX5 rusted badly and had a perforated inner wing, sill and floor. Point I'm making is they resist rot far better than contemporary cars, although subframes a are a weak point.My second car was a 1990 1.6ie.Dedra. What an awesome machine it was. I loved it.
Mind you, it did have some trouble;
> Dashboard would switch off for no given reason (like the whole dash tacho and all) whilst the car was still running
> It broke down often. The engine would just stop, I'd open the bonnet and tap something (I can't remember what it was, but it worked)
> The sunroof drains were blocked so the roof filled with water which would drip down onto the passengers seat
But it was 'character', no rust and went really well the rest of the time.
In the end I sold it to a Lancia specialist. On the last day, it decided to make a fuss and the sunroof jammed open - good news was that it was sunny!
Then about a year later there was an RAC advert where the lady who drove the car went shopping, came back out and grabbed the RAC mans bum because she thought her husband was working on the car. Well, the car in that advert was my Lancia
Buy this one and enjoy the rarity.
Mind you, it did have some trouble;
> Dashboard would switch off for no given reason (like the whole dash tacho and all) whilst the car was still running
> It broke down often. The engine would just stop, I'd open the bonnet and tap something (I can't remember what it was, but it worked)
> The sunroof drains were blocked so the roof filled with water which would drip down onto the passengers seat
But it was 'character', no rust and went really well the rest of the time.
In the end I sold it to a Lancia specialist. On the last day, it decided to make a fuss and the sunroof jammed open - good news was that it was sunny!
Then about a year later there was an RAC advert where the lady who drove the car went shopping, came back out and grabbed the RAC mans bum because she thought her husband was working on the car. Well, the car in that advert was my Lancia
Buy this one and enjoy the rarity.
timbo48 said:
Mrs Timbo had one of these as a company car back in the nineties. Thus we didn't have to worry about the immense oil consumption that it was supplied with. Great car though, lovely alcantera interior and it sounded nice and twin cammy when pushed, Wheels on this one look ok and were probably changed because the originals coroded and looked awful in pretty short shrift. One of the few company cars we were sorry to see the back of.
Shame that Lancia stopped importing but they must have lost so much credibility with earlier models rusting away. The new ones (Chryslers that is) look awful compared to the Dedra.
As an owner of 2 Dedras I would thoroughly reccommend one. As I mentioned earlier I had a 1.6ie which, by the time I sold it, had done 173,000 miles and still ran perfectly and never used a drop of oil. For a 1994 1.6 it was surprisingly nippy. Very comfortable inside, even had heated seats!Shame that Lancia stopped importing but they must have lost so much credibility with earlier models rusting away. The new ones (Chryslers that is) look awful compared to the Dedra.
Now I have a 1993 2.0 HF Turbo. This one has 135,000 miles on it and runs perfectly. I replaced all the suspension last year, fitting adjustable Konis and H&R Springs. Mainly because the previous owner had fitted lowered springs but not uprated the shocks, thus causing them to become knackered.
Most of the parts are easily to get via many Fiat dealers. The engines are pretty much bullet proof, having been used in Lancia's 037 and Delta rally cars.
Ah the memories! I had a blue HF Turbo in the early 90s. A total lunatic of a car! I enjoyed it so much that i founded the Dedra consortiun at LOC! Cazy, yes, butat the time it was a serious BMW baiter and very comfortable and stylish inside. Im almost tempted to get another for the nostalgia!
Reading the thread bought back just how completely Lancia trashed the entire UK market. I ran a used car lot near a Lancia dealer and remember the recall of Deltas (you took them back for a full refund when the chassis cross member rotted through dropping the gearbox on the road). Also the glorious Gamma coupe in metallic brown and a fab Ivory leather interior that afforded such fun motoring (2.5 boxer motor) Great car, very cheap second hand, lots of excellent design going on. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gamma+coupe&...
I always loved these back in the day, especially the turbo ones. I think the hatch version (Delta)was much prettier though. I also liked the dials and the alcantara, at the time they seemed so exotic and elegant, not like the fugly stuff they make now!
Some more anagrams:
A rancid deal
Arid acne lad
A darn cad lie
-I really should be working!
Some more anagrams:
A rancid deal
Arid acne lad
A darn cad lie
-I really should be working!
In the early 90s, among Lancisti it was said that Lancia UK organised several clinics for "average customers" who'd shown interest in buying a 4-door, compact saloon.
Lancia UK bought a selection of the Dedra's rivals, including a 3-series and an Audi 80, and removed all of the cars' badges/branding from the exteriors and cabins. A de-branded Dedra was also added to the group.
At various locations throughout the UK, punters were invited to empty warehouses where the group of anonymous cars would be presented for viewing and a test drive. The only info given was each car's cost.
Allegedly, a significant majority preferred the Dedra for its looks, performance, handling, cabin, etc. But a significant majority would then run a mile when the Dedra's ID was revealed.
Less than a year later, Lancia pulled out of the UK.
Lancia UK bought a selection of the Dedra's rivals, including a 3-series and an Audi 80, and removed all of the cars' badges/branding from the exteriors and cabins. A de-branded Dedra was also added to the group.
At various locations throughout the UK, punters were invited to empty warehouses where the group of anonymous cars would be presented for viewing and a test drive. The only info given was each car's cost.
Allegedly, a significant majority preferred the Dedra for its looks, performance, handling, cabin, etc. But a significant majority would then run a mile when the Dedra's ID was revealed.
Less than a year later, Lancia pulled out of the UK.
Edited by NGK210 on Friday 9th August 15:35
tonicro said:
not sure about uk, but here in south-east europe these are often driven by gipsys with loud gipsy music
and there is quite a few of them
in 1989 ait was a decent car i guess but now, no thanks
Hahahaha I've now got a picture in my head of a gypsy knocking around in one of these!!!and there is quite a few of them
in 1989 ait was a decent car i guess but now, no thanks
jamespink said:
Reading the thread bought back just how completely Lancia trashed the entire UK market. I ran a used car lot near a Lancia dealer and remember the recall of Deltas (you took them back for a full refund when the chassis cross member rotted through dropping the gearbox on the road)...
You're about a decade out, it wasn't the Delta, it was the Beta saloon. The cause of the rotting cross members was Lancia's parent, Fiat, being conned by the Soviets.When Fiat 'sold' the 124 - to become the Lada we still know today - to the Soviet Union, the latter couldn't afford cash so it offered a contra deal for a seemingly unlimited supply of "glorious Soviet steel", which Fiat accepted.
And unfortunately for Fiat, the steel was recycled, already-rotting crap, which was unwittingly allocated for the Beta saloon's cross member...
jamespink said:
Reading the thread bought back just how completely Lancia trashed the entire UK market. I ran a used car lot near a Lancia dealer and remember the recall of Deltas (you took them back for a full refund when the chassis cross member rotted through dropping the gearbox on the road). Also the glorious Gamma coupe in metallic brown and a fab Ivory leather interior that afforded such fun motoring (2.5 boxer motor) Great car, very cheap second hand, lots of excellent design going on. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gamma+coupe&...
It was the Beta, not the Delta, that suffered from this problem, and it was only the 1.6 version of the car. Lancia made the mistake of being honest with the Customers about the problem, and offering a full refund.After that they did a great deal of extra rustproofing on later models, but alas it was too late to save their reputation from a savage British press (and one J. Clarkson).
Evoluzione said:
It spelt Sedicivalvole, SOTW is an 8v.
No turbo = no good IMO.
Thanks. I can never spell it. No turbo = no good IMO.
8v is OK - they have a better reputation for reliability than the 16v. And it's not like 8v 2l Tipos are exactly common, so my point about chosing this over the Tipo stands.
I (bought and) sold my Turbo for less than a grand, so you can definitely get one for shed money if you can find one.
I had an Integrale one of these in Imola red, complete with full digital dash & Poltrona Frau (Google it!) black leather interior. Believe it or not, this was to be my 'sensible' daily driver, cos my other car is a Delta Integrale Evo1, complete with carbon brake coolers & the rear spolier set to 'ridiculous'!
Wish I'd never sold 'Deirdre' now but I do still have the Evo (it will have to be pried out of my cold dead hands, well either that or I will by pryed out of it, cold & dead! 'touch wood')
Wish I'd never sold 'Deirdre' now but I do still have the Evo (it will have to be pried out of my cold dead hands, well either that or I will by pryed out of it, cold & dead! 'touch wood')
I nearly took a punt on a Dedra Integrale about 5 years ago. I had a good natter with John Whalley and apparently the 4WD system is more primative (and a fraction of the cost in the replacement parts catalogue) than the Delta Integrale's.
I decided against it, a few weeks later I bought a Thema 8.32 and 18 months after that I changed to an Integrale Evo (my 3rd Integrale and 6th Delta).
Lancias are too addictive but I think I've finally kicked the habit.... if only because they're getting too expensive to buy.
I decided against it, a few weeks later I bought a Thema 8.32 and 18 months after that I changed to an Integrale Evo (my 3rd Integrale and 6th Delta).
Lancias are too addictive but I think I've finally kicked the habit.... if only because they're getting too expensive to buy.
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