Advice Required Delta Integrale

[Matt Cole]

I have the chance to go and view one of these at the weekend. Its a car ive always wanted right from the start. Loved em since i sat in one years ago at walkers garage. The one im looking at is local, cheap, a non runner (engine issues), requires some welding, comes with loads of spares and would be took on as a project with the view to getting it sorted and then running it daily. Anyone ever owned one of these? What are the key areas to watch out for? The down side to all of this is i can't really afford it (can get the cash) and short on time. Sensible would say stay away, but these cars rarely come by cheap enough and as said ive always wanted one.

Opinions and advice chaps.......

[Bigfoot]

All I have heard is the amount of rust which appears on them especially by the tailgate. If its cheap and says rust more than likely its going to need a lot more work than a few welding up bits.

Any car which is none runner I always look at if I cant get it running/road legal if I break it can I make my money back just in case.

[Alastair]

Dude, my bro had one from Walkers about 6 years ago. Mint EVO, needed a full engine rebuild, cluch slave cylinder (common issue i believe), and lots of TLC. Good job they honoured the warranty but he had just payed Walkers prices.

Awesome car though, but being a left hooker they can be difficult to drive fast on a B road as you have to pull right over to see past...

[dave-sbs]

lift the carpet that covers the inner rear wheel arches, if there is metal there its a brucie bonus as i have seen a few that are gone beyond repair there,

also the roof's are prone to fall off , so get a good ganders round it fat boy

[Matt Cole]

Ok chaps, the car doesnt look to bad in the pics apart from a hole in the boot floor. That worries me as what else might be rotten underside?!

[MFaulks]

Unfortunately these are expensive cars to maintain these days, and I don't say that lightly. Engine and gearbox won't give you any trouble, but the transfer box, shafts etc have known weaknesses. Rot is an issue in all the usual places with Fiat / Lancia's. Is this an 8V or 16V engine?

There are a lot of very poor engine modifications carried out, so try and get as near std spec as possible. I love these engines, and mine gives a sweet 320hp at the wheels reliably.

[Matt Cole]

I went to see the car mate. It was an 8 valve. Initially it looked ok, but on investigation it was rotten!. It was such a shame as it could have been repaired. Unfortunately it was 400 quid too much so i walked away.

Im saving for a 16v for around £5000 which hopefully should get me a decent one.

[MFaulks]

Sounds good, get the best example you can afford, check the splines out on the intermediate shafts - will tell you if it has really been cared for, usually left to go dry. Must be smooth in drive, any knocks and bangs bad news.

When you get it, I can burn up a nice MAP file for you, have all the performance versions from Italy and beyond and a few of my own, reverse engineering the software in the old IAW L4/L5/L6/L8 and P8 ecus got to be a bit of an obsession (read as fetish) a few years ago - it's ok, I'm cured now .. haha, but I can feel the pull... darn better get back to the quacks!!

[Matt Cole]

Sounds good, get the best example you can afford, check the splines out on the intermediate shafts - will tell you if it has really been cared for, usually left to go dry. Must be smooth in drive, any knocks and bangs bad news.

When you get it, I can burn up a nice MAP file for you, have all the performance versions from Italy and beyond and a few of my own, reverse engineering the software in the old IAW L4/L5/L6/L8 and P8 ecus got to be a bit of an obsession (read as fetish) a few years ago - it's ok, I'm cured now .. haha, but I can feel the pull... darn better get back to the quacks!!

Hey thanks matey. Is that for the 8 valve too? Thing is do like the 8 valves, as they seem a little easier to work on too. Ultimately te evo 2 would be my dream version, but they are daft money!!

[MFaulks]

For the 8V can tweak a little, no problem... I run the earlier version of the ECU core software anyway (HF), subtle differences in primary fuel and ignition map algorithm; means you get faster throttle transient response at the expense of overall fuel econo. I had revised and corrected most of the mistakes in the assembly code at one stage (fuel correction routine, acceleration response etc etc), the OE software is full of errors but decided twoz better to be actually be driving it in the end, loads more could do, but then you may as well stick a Motec on it and save all the agro

.. I have another engine project semi on the go, just done a big valve 16V head +1.5mm exh +1mm inlet - puts it up with the Cossie 16V heads on flow, been tested, going to be usint the late 8v block (ex-Croma) - adv of no balancer shafts, stronger block, and later design oil pump. Run 2ltr crank, H beam rods forged slugs, and run go after 400 - 450 Cossies... just built a gearbox with a mix of ratio from the Delta and Ferrari Thema boxes to get close ratios. This is going in my Coupe for fun

[Matt Cole]

For the 8V can tweak a little, no problem... I run the earlier version of the ECU core software anyway (HF), subtle differences in primary fuel and ignition map algorithm; means you get faster throttle transient response at the expense of overall fuel econo. I had revised and corrected most of the mistakes in the assembly code at one stage (fuel correction routine, acceleration response etc etc), the OE software is full of errors but decided twoz better to be actually be driving it in the end, loads more could do, but then you may as well stick a Motec on it and save all the agro

.. I have another engine project semi on the go, just done a big valve 16V head +1.5mm exh +1mm inlet - puts it up with the Cossie 16V heads on flow, been tested, going to be usint the late 8v block (ex-Croma) - adv of no balancer shafts, stronger block, and later design oil pump. Run 2ltr crank, H beam rods forged slugs, and run go after 400 - 450 Cossies... just built a gearbox with a mix of ratio from the Delta and Ferrari Thema boxes to get close ratios. This is going in my Coupe for fun

Sounds awesome mate. I would be happy with a standard 16v to use as a daily, but 400bhp would be incredible especially being 4wd!!! Keep me posted on your project mate.

[Kenobi]

A good friend of mine builds these in his spare time. Ive never took much interest but he knows his stuff. I will dig out his email addy for ya.