Lancia Motor Club

I currently drive a Skoda Superb TDi. I'm bored of it, and have seen a decent Dedra Turbo for a reasonable price. It would have to be my main family transport (hopefully not quite a daily as I plan on cycling to work when it's not icy), and it would have to be parked on my (sloping) driveway as there's a knackered Beta Spider in the garage.

While I would love a working Lancia, I will be in a lot of trouble if I replace a sensible reliable car with one that breaks!

So, I would love to hear your opinions.

Cheers
Duncan

Hello Duncan,
Dedra Turbo's are a bit more fragile in daily use IMHO, but although I never ran a turbo, all five of mine being 2.0, I never had a problem in winter with them over 15 years, apart from when the handbrake cable froze up on one of them, but this turned out to be due to a split boot which had let water in that froze, so hardly a fault with the car.
Being that the newest RHD Dedra's are 15 years old now, it would certainly be worth checking for rust protection, they had a lot of galvanised panels so if it's been looked after it shouldn't be a big problem, although the normal things that go wrong in winter should be checked.
Dedra Turbo also has visco drive on the offside drive shaft to stop grabbing under acceleration which should be handy in the snow.
Should think it will be a lot more fun if not as economical as the Skoda.
You just need to check all the electrics  work as some of them are hard to replace nowadays, headlights are another thing to watch as RHD headlamps and foglights are hard to get hold of.
But have a look at my original guide for the bits to check.
Any help you need just let me know.

Brian
8227 8)

A cracking idea but you must be insane!  I suppose a lot depends on what kind of mileage you do, and how much trouble you will be in when the thing breaks down!!   Don't underestimate the wallet drain on going from 45mpg of the Skoda to sub 30s with the Dedra. It will hurt, especially given fuel is not a shout off £6 a gallon these days. On the up side, no depreciation to speak of, a lot more fun than the Skoda and possibly cheaper to run, especially if you join the TDC to get bits for it.

I myself subscribe to the bangernomics view of motoring :)

My Alfa 155 is pushing 15 years old - and based broadly on the same floorplan as the Dedra.
You WILL see more cash going out on bits and bobs as things wear out, but the flip side is at time to change - there is no depreciation to speak of.

Cars of this age are still serviceable, and enjoyable, but can be wearing - my advice is to have 2 modes of transport available just in case (we have a Ford Focus as my wife's car) - but so far, in the 3 years I've had the Alfa it hasn't let me down.

Do it - at least there will be some joy in ownership of your mode of transport again.

Duncan
(a different one)

I ran a Dedra Turbo as an everyday car - that was 9 years ago and when BWE were arround and John Day worked there and he lived round the corner and could pick it up on his way past. 

In the severe cold the speedo would flick up and down but no other electrical gremlins.  We had a couple of failures, I think one was a fuel pump and the other a CV joint, and so with a small baby and two busy careers it went.  The replacement was a two year old low milage Audi A4 1.8 turbo Avant which looked lovely, had a lovely looking interior, but was horrid to sit in, horrid to drive, and no end of electrical and mechanical trouble.  However the dealer would always leave a loan car and bend so far backwards they could smile at you through their legs.  That got replaced after 3 years and a hellish depreciation with a 20 year old W124 Merc 300TE which is now 217,000 up and counting and while no stranger to the garage gets forgiven anything.

Doorbell just gone so more later...

David

Can't really comment on the Dedra, but I do run a 1990 Thema V6 auto as a daily car and it lives outside on the drive all year. The Thema is an excellent car if you want a daily Lancia that you can run with relatively little cost and grief.

In the last 3 years, I've only had to replace a rubber gaiter on the steering rack, change a handbrake cable, change one rear brake caliper and get a new flexi section welded into the exhaust pipe.

My 20yr old Thema has been far more reliable than my wife's 2001 Citroen Xsara and 2005 Renault Laguna.

I previously ran a 1988 Thema Turbo 8v, and that was a fantastically reliable car. It did 30mpg on the motorway and would return 27-28mpg when driven in a mix of town and motorway. I sold the car to Brian Phipps about 6 yrs ago and he currently has it for sale for £1200. I fitted an 8.32 leather interior to it and it really is 100% rust free and mint condition. You can see pictures at this link http://www.lancia-tdc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=180 (http://www.lancia-tdc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=180) as it advertised on the Thema Dedra Consortium website for Brian. I think it is still available.

So my advice would be get a Thema, they have far fewer rust problems than a Dedra and they are better built, in my opinion.  ;D

...guests gone.   So a clonky CV joint and a fuel pump failure was all that Dedra did to us, but as I said at that point I couldn't justify a "hobby car" and the servicing being from an eccentric and (sometimes!!) moody specialist halfway accross town. 

Alas the Audi turned out NOT to be the "annual service" car we expected, nor a quality item in any shape or form, or a car with rock solid residuals.  Others have told me "it could have been worse" than we had it with that Audi and of course plenty have got worse tails to tell.   

I came to the conclusion that with an "Italian passion" marque the problems are almost bragged about as a badge of loyalty, while with the "sensible Germans/Sweeds" there's a conspiracy of silence and people keep veeery quiet about the problems they've had.  My dad's five year old Volvo costs him an arm and a leg every year on all sorts of dumb and irritating stuff.  A friend had the engine fail on a six month old BMW.  We were absolutely not alone with our Audi woes.  Love or hate Clarkeson he at least tells it straight as regards reliablity (lack of...) and customer satisfaction (lack of...) with Mercedes.  Range Rover?  Jaguar?

In terms of economy with the Dedra Turbo it would do over 30mpg, but I could also get sub 20mpg from it - but since then cameras are everywhere and speed humps all over and I now shudder to think about the places I tried to beat 100mph.  Driven the way I do now I'd expect high 20s day to day and well over 30mpg on a run.

I say go for it - you'll have zero or negative depreciation and the parts and expertise are about to keep it on the button.  Without depreciation or the need for main-dealer stamps that's a LOT of money in the kitty towards fuel and the occasional rental car should you get caught short on a clutch change or something major.  You should also start collecting tails-of-woe from people with modern "sensible" cars so you know that even if you get problems the grass really is no greener the other side of the fence.

In return you get a fab-u-lous machine.  I got to drive an Integrale this year and all it did were bring back memories of that Dedra and remind me of the ways a Dedra is so superior to an Integrale.  The engine is the same. Really super spooky smooth with its ballancer shafts.  SOOO much torque.  Just the right balance between sounding great without being intrusive.  From memory the Dedra's wastegate phhhraaa was more lovely.  With that visco-gizmo front diff a Dedra Turbo is not short of traction either.  That lift-off tuck-in / power-on drive-wide behavour just the same. 

On the plus side for a Dedra it doesn't sound like a snare drum.  I thought the Integrale ride was harsh until I realised that I could hear every bump even if I didn't feel them.  A Dedra is (was?) a properly screwed togeather car with a beautiful dash and interior not the hotch potch of crap plakkie.  The ride and seats are great.  There's a trade off with a fair bit of roll, and pressing on on a b-road a wierd low frequency bounce from the back BUT the benefit is that you CAN press on with adults aboard reading their papers or snoozing without complaint.  Its an absolute monster mile eater.  Its London to the Lakes in time for 11ses sort of car.  Its the sort of car you want to drive out for skiing as you enjoyed both the run out and mountain time in it last year.  It very much a rain or shine car - very stable in cross winds and not bothered by bumps or puddles.  Really decent boot, and with the spoiler on the back doesn't look as fat-arsed as a regular Dedra.  Other happy memories are as a tow car - and with the Austin 7 behind still able to outdrag anything away from a rounderbout.  Alas the A1 has lost most of those :(

It sounded lovely, great gear change, faultless steering.

Do it - and make me jealous!!   

Every time one comes up in the adverts I have a think about it but we can't justify a second car and the one we do run has to pretend its a van half the time.   With some disposable income I'd have another like a shot.  With a lottery win I'd try and find some of those electronically adjustable dampers to kill that fully loaded bounce. 

Is there anything to match the all round ability?   Of course I'd love to try an 832, and every time a Thema Turbo (Robin...) sits there at a bargain price I get the same itch...  One day!!
   
David

Just looked at that Thema add - and now have that terrible itch again...     

Can I keep convincing myself a Thema is no substitute?  Then again three kids should fit better accross the back seat of a Thema than a Dedra.  But it's more car to park and its got to be more thirsty given the brick shape and frontal area.  The Dedra dash is lovely - anyone got a picture of one at night?

Am splitting hairs - and I shouldn't even think about it for a year or so yet.

VERY fond memories of mine. 

Chugga sold his Integrale and held onto his Dedra Turbo.

David

To answer some Qs:

I intend doing about 10,000 miles.

The Superb is a 52 plate with 150,000 miles on it. The engine will go on a lot longer, but I had to replace the boot locking mechanism and an alternator idler in September (which cost 400 quid), so it's not quite the cheap to run car you might think. It's started on the button and not broken down for a year and a half though...

I won't have a second car (until the Beta is restored), but I can get about by bike when it's not icy.

I'm less enthused by a Thema because the main complaints I have about the Superb are the size, the lack of folding rear seats and the diesel, and the Thema fails on 2 of those counts.

The Dedra I have seen is solid except for the rear passenger door, which isn't too bad. It has a repaired headlamp, but all the other points are ok.
I'm really tempted, and a lot of the comments are positive, but the poll result is pretty negative. That makes me wonder how good an idea it is.  :-\

Cheers
Duncan

The size of a Dedra is great.  Never had a complaint for legroom front or rear.  I expect a bit of a squeeze for three full size (or over!!) across the back.  The width is handy and the visability great to place the car.  Its a really lovely thing to drive - so precise but at the same time comfortable.  I never used to slow for a width restriction - that Audi was not the same at all.  A Merc 300TE you can forgive having to slow down to squeeze through as its a big old load lugger but that Audi rode like a board and got harsh and noisy at speed and SHOULD have been so much better in that (and so many other) regards.

What do the rest of the family think about the idea?   

David

That Skoda could throw you a 1000 bill for a computermaboblette any time...

David

I've scrapped a few Dedras for the TDC, one thing that does need to be checked carefully is the rear wheel arches. If the owner will let you, pull back the boot trim and shine a torch into the cavities to look for signs of rust and repairs. It seems that a lot of Dedras left the factory without enough wax sealant injected into the cavity where the rear wing meets the inner wheelarch.

Regarding folding rear seats in the Thema, true my old 8v Turbo with the 8.32 interior doesn't have this feature, but the boot is so cavernous that you'll get an enormous amount in with ease. From memory, it has the boot access arm rest thing for long objects too. I managed to get an entire engine subframe for a Thema into a boot without putting the seats down.

As for size, a Thema really isn't a big car when compared to your average family car these days. A Skoda Superb is surely as big if not bigger?

For me, the Thema has the edge style wise. After stripping a lot of Themas and Dedras, I'd say that the Thema is easier to work on and better engineered. But I am biased as I've owned 6 of them.

And there's a known issue with waterproofing the ECU! It's probably only worth 1500 quid anyway, so it's almost bangernomics teritory already. IfI keep it I may try biodiesel!

My wife was ambivalent, and then when I got back from the test drive  said that she likes the Superb. Because it's big and is a nice colour (she doesn't drive)  ::). My 16 month old has no input as she can't talk!  ;)

I had a good look at the wheelarches and a quick look at the rear turrets from inside. Looked solid and like original paint in there. The only issues I could see were the door, the headlamp (the wiper arms had been removed too) and a little rust under the headlamp.
Superbs have a stupidly big boot (I'm 6 foot and strugle to reach  the back without getting into the boot),but folding seats mean bikes and longer thngs fit. The same would be true of the Thema.

Cheers
Duncan

I had a good look at the wheelarches and a quick look at the rear turrets from inside. Looked solid and like original paint in there. The only issues I could see were the door, the headlamp (the wiper arms had been removed too) and a little rust under the headlamp.
Superbs have a stupidly big boot (I'm 6 foot and strugle to reach  the back without getting into the boot),but folding seats mean bikes and longer thngs fit. The same would be true of the Thema.

Cheers
Duncan
[/quote]
While Mike is biased in the direction of Themas, I'm still a bit biased towards Dedras, even though I've had Themas, as I said before it's horses for courses, a Thema is still limited by the size of the boot aperture, admittedly large, and while the boot aperture on Dedra is probably smaller, the advantage of being able to drop the rear seats completely flat is a real winner, and if need be you can get a bit of extra length by folding over the front passenger seat squab. I used to be able to get Kyak double paddles in without much problem, and a bike will also go in without too much problem as well, ideal Lancia for you if he hasn't sold it yet, is John Nicholson's Dedra 1.8 LHD Estate that I posted for sale  on here a while ago for him.
http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3209.0
I would agree with Mike about the Dedra rear inner wings may have holes, although most of those I've seen are repairable, the point about no wax injection maybe correct, but even then it's a galvanised panel.  if it needs repairing despite what the workshop manual says, you can remove a rear wing without having to remove the glass to repair the inner.
I know Dedras can rot, which is why I stress having a good look, but my own ownership and dealings with many Dedra owners over 15 years, doesn't lead me to the same conclusions as Mike, fact of life is TDC only gets them to break when most of them are past the point of repair anyway, although TDC has to my knowledge put at least one of them back on the road.  Themas may not have the same problems as Dedra, but also have their own Achilles heels such as the rear suspension, and propensity for breaking 16v cambelts, so it's pay your money and take your choice.

brian
8227 8)

After approx 7 yrs of dedra ownership and 3yrs of dedra turbo ownership i have just a few pointers for you, alot of the mechanical parts are totally different to the non turbo varients so are fairly scarce for replacements, i solved this problem by buying a scrap car for 1p off ebay which i still have more or less complete, they are no where near as complex or tempremental as quattros, yes they do have rust issues but nothing that cant be fixed, fuel consumption is not good but they are immence fun if you get a sorted one, another point of view is that my girlfriend has a 2005 astra cdti, 50+ mpg cappable of 120 mph nippy car but also an absolute pile of c**p, its nowhere near as reliable as the dedra and everything is rediculas money for it, by comparison the dedras clutch cost me £130 for parts only however the astra cost me £705 parts only, egr valve for a dedra was approx £40 astra was £350, wipers went mental on the astra where you couldnt turn them off , control unit failed £600+vat!!!, injectors on the astra were £1200+vat new or £600+vat recon, the car owes us so much now its uneconomical to sell it however the dedra owes me far less!!, most really modern cars have way to much electronics on them and when they get to 5yrs old or so they fall appart, my opinion is if you get a good older car run it into the ground unless you can afford a new car every 3yrs, as an everyday vehicle i run a berlingo van , i used to have a 1998 model and exchanged it for a 2005 model, BIG MISTAKE!!! again electronic faults , body computer failure is £1000+fitting + vat and a common failure, hope this helps james

The alarm failed on the Merc - it was six years old but the RAC man positively enjoyed himself pulling it all out and making the car run again.  The replacement was 250 fitted one evening by the hifi shop round the corner.  He told me on any other car (ie less than 10 years old) it would be at least 500 the part and half a day at a main dealer to get it to go.  He also said a modern Jag has more than a dozen computers in it.  What do they all do?   Guessing:

1 - engine ecu,
2 - gearbox,
3 - something to get the two to talk,
4 - abs/stability
5 - locking/alarm
6 - dash
7 - satnav/hifi/phone
8 - aircon
9 - wipers
10 - lights
11 - parking sensors
12 - ...erm...

Looking at that list dad's Volvo has had about half of that in its first five years.

Someone told me their Yaris keyfob got trodden on and it was 850.  You can buy a lot of waxoil for that, or more sensibly petrol.

Lots of cars go like a rocket - a Dedra turbo goes like a guided missile.  A lovely place to spend time either as a driver or passenger.

David

Just read the Viscodrive blurb - that could account for a lot of the remarkable all-weather any-surface stability.   At higher speeds I guess the aerodynamics count as its not a car that gets blown about or starts feeling light.

Its a bit soft in roll and a wierd rear end bounce when loaded but all forgiven for not having passengers complain when pressing on - plus I was often a passenger as well in that car.  Really hard to fault it.

I think I might have said enough and should ban myself from posting any more - as much out of a fear of getting an itchy bidding finger as anything else :P

David

Well if the door and headlamp are the only bad bits, you've no worries as the Thema Dedra Consortium can certainly supply those parts and we may even have the door in the same colour so no need for a respray!  ;)

Go for it, just treat the car as kindly as you would your Beta.

Have to say I am biased toward the Thema as well. I have had 14 or so of them, with one solitary Dedra, a 1993 1.8LE for a week!  Compared to modern cars the Thema is tiny. With regard to the folding rear seats, the Series 1 and 2 had folding seats, only the 8.32 and S3 versions didn't. I have not driven a Dedra turbo so am not qualified to comment on it particularly.

What I would say is the 8v engine is a far better bet than the 16v, in terms of longevity. So that rules out most Themas, unless you find an S1 V6.

I thoroughly agree with the point being made regarding costs of running a Dedra. As long as you get a reasonably sound one, then it should prove less costly to run than a modern, because of the, frankly stupid and disgraceful, cost of modern car spares. And as has been said already, too many electronics.

So, although on first thoughts, running a Dedra as a daily is not for the faint hearted, there are many good arguments for doing so. And don't forget, Lancias (as with all cars) run far better if used regularly.

I would be inclined to go for it really!

And don't forget,  all the technical information and advice, if you need it. is only an email away.

Brian
8227 8)

That's the thing, I wouldn't put my Beta through daily duties on salted winter roads. I'm sure that the Dedra I saw is good. I'm just not sure if daily driving it through the winter would wreck it.

I'm gona advertise the Superb and see what response I get. The difference in price will pay for a fair bit of petrol...

Cheers
Duncan

Duncan all of my 5 spent their lives outside without coming to any serious harm, don't really think you need to treat it quite as carefully as a Beta, The body was mostly galvanised and as long as you don't allow the dirt and salt to build up on it for any length of time, It is pretty capable of standing up to winter conditions, just make sure it's got a good coat of wax on it, and hose it down including the underside frequently, what ever happened to those car washes that used to have pipes on the floor and would clean the underside as well? considering it's age it would be worth giving or getting it a coat of waxoyl underneath yearly.
If it has decent original wheels keep them sprayed with WD40 during the winter to stop the wet and the salt getting under the laquer, I also forgot to say, don't worry about the headlamp wiper arms being missing, they were an absolute pain even when when new, mine packed up after 3 years, the wet gets past the spindle seal into the motor and corrodes the steel gears!, they weren't even plated.
After a while they also used to wave at me over the top of the bonnet, later Dedra's with headlamp washers had a bracket at the top fixed to the headlamp to stop them doing this.
If you can find a pair of standard headlamps you can replace the existing headlamps and the wiper motors as well as the triangular piece the wiper spindle goes through.
Besides anything else it looks much neater, then just remove the wires to the second wash pump.

brian
8227 8)

Potentially cheap solution...

I see that the latest Viva Lancia magazine has a couple of Dedra's going "free to a good home". A 2.0 and a newer 1.8. Only problem is that they are in Ireland, and there is no mention of roadworthiness?

How come this popped up in my browser???    ::)

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C195635/

Someone PLEASE buy it so I don't have to look at it again.

David

I know that number but I can't think whose it is, but if it's half as good as it looks, take his hand off before he changes his mind and realises he's making a mistake in selling it.
Not sure who the dealer was but there were originally quite a few Dedra's with an SWS Registration number in the 2000 Register of mebers and their cars, but not this one.

Brian
8227 8)

It appears to belong to an Anthony Fausset, do you know him? Not a TDC member. It's been on Pistonheads for a few weeks now so may have sold?

Thankyou - yes yes MUST have sold - no point worrying myself about it.

Ooooooooooooogggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeee........

Why oh why do I let myself look at ANY adverts???

At least it shows they are still out there.

David

Back in the day, Fiat Auto registered all the last remaining unsold Dedra Turbos in one batch (hence so many being SWS registrations) and put them onto their fleet as company cars for the Fiat / Lancia / Alfa Zone Service Managers to run for 6 months before being sold out to the dealer netword as secondhand cars. As these came out the Fiat storage depot at Portbury, they were Bristol registered - hence the *WS area code.

You will also find a lot of *AE,  and *OU registered Fiats / Alfas and Lancias of the period as those are also Bristol registration codes, and all the hire cars for the big companies were prepared and dispatched from Portbury.

Andy

That's the one I was looking at! Was still there on Sunday. I shall hopefully put down a deposit soon though  :)  ;D  (need to sell the Superb to raise the full cash).
The owner has a FIAT Coupe and said he sold his Montecarlo not long ago, I believe he's been a LMC member at some point.
Cheers
Duncan

My Dedra Turbo was L136 SWS. It was a lovely car, and very reliable - although the brakes glazed a little on trackdays!  ::)

Do it! Go on!

Good luck! :)

Harvey,
In the 2000 Register it was shown as owned by a Mr I Headford from Frome in Somerset.

Brian
8227 8)

Having seen the ad it seems a total no brainer - what a fantastic car for less than £1K!!!

Yes, I bought it from Ian. Apparently it had to be sold to fund a new kitchen but Ian's still in the LMC and last time I bumped into him, was driving a fine Delta 2 HF.

Bah! The 'autodim' rear view mirror on the Skoda has now expired (due to cold?). Apparently a replacement part is £135!  :o Another iinstance of unnecessary complication.  >:(

I've put down a deposit. :)

Anyone want to buy a Skoda Superb? :)

Well done that man ;D

Brian
8227 8)

What a relief !!   

Both for you getting it and me not having the temptation...

David

Good man! I ran a white 2 litre ie SE for a couple of years and have missed it ever since. It was such a wonderful car to live with. I felt great every morning when I got in to it to go to work. Can I safely confess here that sometimes I used to creep out at night and sit in it just to see that wonderful dash lit up. The automatic ventilation system is magic. Just when you think maybe you should manually switch the fan up a notch the car does it for you and you think "what a nice car". I know a man with a spare digital instrument panel.........

Sold my Skoda today. Collecting the Lancia sometime this week. :)
Cheers
Duncan

Collected it today.  ;D ;D ;D
What a fun car. I've smiled more on my journey home than in a year of Superb ownership! It reminds me of my old Uno Turbo, though hopefully this is a bit better built.

I have 1 question - what's the water temp supposed to read? A level dial would be about 190F, but mine is reading about 170 or so.
Cheers
Duncan

Woo hoo! I wish you many happy hours of exciting motoring!  ;D

Congratulations - and it sounds like you're off to a good start.

Mine ran hot on the test drive - but John Day was at the wheel.  He won a lot of races in a Beta Coupe and it was more an audition for the role of getaway driver than a test under the sort of conditions I'd put it to.

I made it work hard but the only problem I ever had, and just the once, was fading the brakes on a downhill section of the A40 that runs alongside the M40.  I think I used to come off at Stokenchurch - not clear on the map I have... 

David

Well done and after Harvey's 'Life with a Gamma' how about 'Duncan's Dedra Diaries'!!

Not sure with Dedra's but integrales are designed to run at 90C (roughly 210F?) ,my evo has run very cool the last couple of winters,
60-70C until you are in traffic then it comes up to 90.Suspect the thermostat is stuck open, I'm in the process of changing mine now, what a nightmare! Never seen so many pipes both air and water which have to be removed to gain access.I'll be amazed if the car starts
first time when I've put it all back together!

Regards

Steve

My old 16vt FIAT Coupe ran at about 65 deg C when I first got it, but more like 90 when the thermostat was replaced.
Today in traffic the Dedra stayed around 190F, so I think the thermostat probably could do with changing. I'll give it a week or 2 and if nothing's changed take it to the garage.
Cheers
Duncan

Certainly sounds like it would be worth changing.

Brian
8227 8)

Am I right in saying that 190 is where the water temp should be? How about the oil temp (that has a different scale on it)?
Cheers
Duncan

Duncan,
Yes 190f sounds about right, My early Dedra Manual for 2.0ie States,
Coolant Thermostat Starts opening 83c Plus or minus 2c,
Maximum Opening 98c.
as for oil pressure my Italian Dedra quattro manual ( more or less same engine)
says,
 3.4- 4.9 bar at 100c and this is confirmed by my early Dedra Manual in English.
do you have the oil Temperature gauge, or have you the useless battery condition indicator that replaced the oil Temperature gauge fairly early on?
I always found it useful, and when really pressing on you could get the oil Temperature Gauge to read a higher temperature than the Water Coolant gauge. at which point the oil pressure started to drop slightly.

Brian
8227 8)

It looks like I have oil temp and battery voltage. Not noticed an oil pressure guage - will have a look now...
Cheers
Duncan

Talked to my local specialist and he seemed happy the the thermostat is fine.  :)

The alarm is driving me mad (it's from the 90s made by UNGO and bleeps LOUDLY when you unlock it). I'm thinking I'll get a new Cat 1 alarm fitted. Is it with getting a turbo timer at the same time? It's not like I thrash it, but I hate sitting in the car waiting for a minute before I get out, and I'm somewhat paranoid!
Cheers
Duncan

Turbo timer?  Its going to depend where you live...

A friend used to be about 200m from a motorway so well worth warming the car properly before leaving and if they had a turbo it would have been worth them sitting there outside the house for a while for a cool off.  Where we are in the suburbs the last couple of miles have to be at a "cooling off" speed, and I'd have thought cooler than sitting on the drive doing nothing.

As a guide price the last alarm I had fitted was £250 all in.  The RAC man enjoyed himself - really he did - removing the old one.

David

About half a mile from a dual carriageway. Sounds like it's probably worthwhile. :)

One of my Dedra's had a none Lancia alarm fitted and it kept locking me out, after the AA bloke eventualy got in I had the alarm rippped out. But be warned, Dedra's do not respond well when fitted with non genuine items, and there is a specific warning against doing so in the handbook, and it's not just Fiat/Lancia trying to scare you off so that you only buy from them.
Jack Romano had the same problem with his Dedra that took months to sort out, eventually it turned out that a non Lancia alarm had been fitted but removed, I assume it also caused problems, unfortunately they didn't remove the wiring correctly and left some of it still connect inside the Central Electrics (fuse box)

Brian
8227 8)

All the Lancia's I  bought in Ireland Had a Lazerline alarm fitted, made in italy and approved by Lancia. I never had a problem with theese alarms besides worn out key fobs. One of the Dedras I had in the 90s was fitted with one. I sold the car in 2000 to a guy who had a Delta 1.3 that failed the N.C t test, I think he was a bit miserable with the maintainance and hence it fell apart, anyway he called me up just before christmas to tell me the alarm had failed  ???. After 10yrs it can since I sold the car to him. You can guess my reply !. The alarm must be 17yrs old at this  stage. look up Lazerline, It may be worth while. David :)

What I've always done on "classic" cars is a hidden switch to the fuel pump.  If its going to be nicked on a transporter I don't think an alarm/imobiliser is going to make much difference.  If they break in and hotwire they'll get 100m then abandon it with regret at taking on an unreliable old crock. 

If it needs a visual deterant then a steering lock or one of those handbrake/gear lever things.  I saw both the other week not having seen any for years.

Another thought is a motorsport type battery isolator.  You can get them with a low current (fused) circuit to keep the clock etc ticking over even if it won't start.  Above the passengers feet is a good spot.  Am I giving away too many of my secrets?  I usually leave that big red key in place but could pull it out to hide or take with you.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Motorsport/Electrical_Components/Battery_Isolators_Master_Switches/1594

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproducts.asp?sg=1&pgCode=020&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Switches&agCode=0500&agName=Battery+Master+Switches

The byepass type isn't jumping out at me from these lists but you get the idea...  Maybe its just a trick as to how you wire it.

David