Thursday 8th May 2014

Delta Integrale: £15K Competition Update

Eager to drive some local B-roads, all John Crook's Lancia needed was an MOT...

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John Crooke's Delta Integrale has been liberated from its winter hibernation. Understandably excited about finally getting to enjoy his dream purchase, John's first job was to get his Lancia through the MoT. That didn't exactly go to plan however, as you will read below.

With the Integrale in regular service, expect more updates to come from John soon. It's been rumoured the car may well turn up at a Sunday Service or two which should be a treat. Once the MoT has been passed of course...

Matt Purdon is still enjoying his Capri 3.0S and we'll get the latest from him very soon. It looks like both our competition winners will have fabulous summers with their cars, weather permitting of course.

Thanks again to Adrian Flux for sponsoring the competition.

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Off to the workshop to get that crucial ticket

So, with the sun shining (sometimes at least) and the rain, winds and general misery of winter leaving us it could only mean one thing for me; it was time for the Integrale to come out and play!

Opening the garage door and rolling the cover off is always a treat. Starting the Integrale up and bringing her out into the sunshine always brings a smile to my face. What brought less of a smile was remembering that the MoT was due... It expired whilst it was locked up for winter so it meant it's first outing was down to the test centre for what should be a routine check. A car in this pristine condition, with full service history, having passed its MoT with not a single advisory last year, and only having done a very small number of miles since then, can only mean one thing... A certain pass, surely?.

Turns out it does not mean that at all. The smallest item was a blown number plate light (it was definitely working when I left for the test as I checked them all!) The larger jobs were a CV joint that has split (relatively easy job I hear you say. Not on the Integrale - it's a driveshaft out job!), the two front brake pipes not adequately supported (my specialist mechanic is currently making new brackets as we speak) and a rear brake binding (fingers crossed this can be sorted fairly easily) which all means the Integrale is still not on the road.

Trouble lurks behind those lovely wheels

To say I'm itching to get the car back is an understatement. I enjoyed the drive down for the MoT so much that it's made the pain of waiting for it to be sorted harder to bear! It feels such an event driving the Integrale - you can feel the rally bred background flowing through the direct steering and huge grip provided by the 4WD, not to mention the turbo lag which I still can't get enough of!

At the end of the day I knew there would be some troubles with an old Italian car (and a very rare one at that) so it's not too bad a list at all, just means its days lost that I can't be exploring some new B-roads!

Whilst I was ordering the parts from Tanc Barratt (an Integrale specialist who were so helpful in my search for mine and are with of the largest part stockists too) I treated myself to some new wheel caps. They were the only thing on the car that wasn't in immaculate condition.

Hopefully off the ramps and on the road soon

A big thanks to Simon at Classic Modern Sport who always goes over and above to get the job done (sending photos/regular emails to show me the work he's doing and so on). Hopefully I'll be getting a call from Simon very soon to say I have a fully fit Integrale that's waiting for me to come and collect. That's a call I'm looking forward to!

In my next update I hope to only be talking about the driving experience, no sourcing parts or problems encountered. Time will tell, but either way I still own one of the all-time greats! I'm eagerly anticipating having a good few months of using her (my perfect weekend afternoon trip down to Brighton included).

Other trips planned for the summer include some shows and, fingers crossed, hopefully a few PHers will get to see the Integrale and admire it as much as I do.

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Previous updates:
Finding the right Integrale takes more than a cash injection
John reports back on first months with his dream Lancia

[hman]

Last photo = ghost car....


Not massive problems to get fixed, but the rear brakes might not be binding if you used it over winter occasionally.

[smilo996]

Fortunately not significant issues at all. How to brake pipe brackets eat themselves? Great looking car.

[Contigo]

Yep don't store it use it! I put my Maser away in a garage for winter but make sure that once or twice a week when the roads are dry and free of salt that the car comes out and gets warmed up nicely and driven hard as they are intended. Cars like these get better with use and leaving them sitting will cause things like CV boots to perish. Get in it and drive it MAN!

[dublet]

Article said:

not to mention the turbo lag which I still can't get enough of!

Are you sure?

[thatdude]

I found with my motorcycle that regular caliper cleaning helps stave off caliper issues. I tend to pump the piston out until a clean shiny surface is showing, clean off all the crap with brake cleaner and a cloth, then before squeezing the piston back in putting a good smear of red rubber grease around the piston. Reassemble with copper slip of similar anti-seize compound.

I liked the comment about the wheel caps being the only thing not in immaculate condition...a bit of a lie, considering the faults found from the MoT!

[LargeD]

I understand why he does, but it seems a shame to only use a rally hero in the summer. Part of my fantasy ownership would be using it in the worst weather and out-performing the conditions.

[Itsallicanafford]

...as above, i think older cars benifit from regular use. I make sure the MX-5 goes on a good run at least once every 2 weeks over the winter and at least twice a week in the summer, whatever the weather (well, maybe not in snow)...if i had it stored over the winter and then drove it for its MOT, the brakes would be in a awful state.

[crookie]

I should say that the car is always used over winter - always started up once every 1-2 weeks and driven a short distance to keep the brakes moving and working.

The good news is that I've now heard the Integrale has passed the MOT, so off to collect her very soon! Then it's planning days out with it!

It means it is now in immaculate condition again - all faults fixed and some new wheel centres to boot...

[Richair]

Good news then, but all minor issues TBH!

Have fun enjoying it

[405dogvan]

Just agreeing with the "if you used it, you'd have less trouble with it" club.

It's not just that parts are less likely to sieze and stick, that lfuids are less likely to pool and corrode things etc. - it's more complex than that.

A car you use regularly is a car you get used-to - it's foibles and issues will become part of owning it - you'll get to ignoring the bad ones and liking the good ones.

A car you store/don't use properly never feels like that. Every time you take it out there are 'issues' - you wonder if it used to squeak/rattle like that - you wonder if the steering/brakes felt like that - and so you end-up spending more time fixing it than driving it.

Way I see it there's only 2 ways to own a car

1 - use the thing properly at least once every week-or-2 - not just a drive around the block
2 - admit it's an ornament and find a museum for it

[DeltaEvo2]

Such a great looking car!

[don logan]

I used to use mine ever day and the rear calipers were always a pain and sometimes the rear lights needed a slap!

[10 Pence Short]

Can you just get him to check the glove box and see if there's a Lotus in there?

[Axionknight]

I hope you get this thing on the road for usage soon mate - it is a lovely motor, a wise use of the cash IMO!

[andy-integrale]

Had mine for 7 years Crookie and fortunately its never failed its MOT.

Always used it as regularly as possible during the winter. I am fairly cautious about road conditions but contrary to popular belief a late good condition EVO 2 is not suddenly going to turn to iron oxide.

First real proper run of the year into Snowdonia, taking in the Evo triangle at the weekend. You are right, they are really special and the reaction to them when out and about is always positive. Hope you get to use and enjoy it.

Edited by andy-integrale on Thursday 8th May 20:40

[V8Ford]

Hours of playing 'Sega Rally 95' have etched this into my memory as an all time favourite. Always great to stumble across them at car shows etc!

[M666 EVO]

My Delta stays under cover for 6 months of the year and has always passed its MOT. But then again it's meticulously maintained and has been for over 10 years.

Things don't go wrong if it stays still, if it failed its Mot after a break it had issues before hand. At least now you can look after it as it should be looked after. No cutting corners.

Great car but treat with respect!

[jbforce10]

I used my last Integrale as a daily driver and only let a reputable specialist work on it.... it broke down 5 times in the last 12 months that I owned it.

[TheRealFingers99]

jbforce10 said:

I used my last Integrale as a daily driver and only let a reputable specialist work on it.... it broke down 5 times in the last 12 months that I owned it.

Yes, yes, but what with?

[predding]

Such stunning car and great pictures - I regard this and the Quattro as two cars from the same mold.

I concur with the storage issues (rear calipers seem to stick on the Quattro while you're having lunch) but the devil is in the detail and taking it out on freezing cold but dry and sunny days while laid up is the key. My Quattro sat for 2-3 years and then took 2-3 years of running gear strip down and refurb/rebuild to restore - good fun but not something I intend to do again. It now gets run regularly and as mentioned everything just warms up and the driving enjoyment returns.

I get back in my modern car and nothing comes close to the communication of the Quattro through the fast sweeping bends where it lives. My mate had one of the last Giallo yellow cars and it was right up there with the Quattro.

Edited by predding on Friday 9th May 05:20