Lancia Motor Club

well, my first integrale to be more accurate. a car i've been trying to buy for some time.
needs a fair amount of welding but having done quite a few alfasuds i'm used to rust!

it's an odd car though that needs a little help from you guys to figure out what i've bought. all the trim of a 16V but an 8V engine. i had been told it may be one of the swiss 8V Kat cars but it has nither a kat or ABS, both of which it should have i'm told if a swiss car?

guy i bought it off has had it since virtually new in 1990 so unlikly to have been a parts swap car like you can get with multi owners so he assures me it's as it was when new and i believe him to be genuine.
i've also emailed walkers garage to see if they can shed any light on it, they being the original selling agent.
the car was converted by john whalley to RHD , something i need as i can't get on with LHD cars.

any ideas?

i'll make a start on it next year as too busy at the moment with other stuff.

rot in the usual areas but surprisingly good in others...

Kat ( on an Evo2 ) sits under the passenger footwell so there's a lump there. If you wish to pop the registration on ( or part of it ) then someone may know of it and the history. Just bear in mind this is a public part of the forum if you're sensitive about details like that ( as some are ) - otherwise put something in the members' only section ....

i've had some news today from walkers which may shed some light onto it, just awaiting more details..

Paul Baker,
Tipo 038 is your man, Paul is very knowledgable on all integrale/evo and knows what models are what and the 8v Kat cars.He also owned a wicked S4 Stradale ;D ;D
I expect if Paul is about he'll answer you.

Brian
8227 8)

hi brian.
thanks for the info, i've heard about pauls exploits through the LMC mag over the years so would be keen on hearing from him.
i also met yourself once a few years back at a sharnbrook classic car meet, i was in an alfasud parked next to you, a red ti. loved your fulvia berlina. i'm restoring one for a friend at the moment.

i may have some answers about the cars history from ben at walkers, quite an intersing story if it all turns out to be correct. i'll give more details once it's confirmed.
 

some rusty pictures, now i've worked out how to post them!

Yep! That's a fair bit of work but you will know the car inside out by the time you are done. Good luck.

If you were at Sharnbrook are you close enough to join us at the Herts & Beds meet? We would give you lots of encouragement.

Frank

Hi Kevin,
Nice to hear from you.
What year is the Berlina you're restoring please.?
good luck with your own work, that should keep you busy for a while ::)

Brian
8227 8)

Hi I think it must have been imported and was originally a Swiss market car then converted by Whalley's after importation, it has an Evo bonnet too just to add confusion.
I am sorry but RHD cars I am not a fan of, the car does not handle the same way as intended and other parts used detract from the feel of the integrale, sorry you do not get on with LHD!
Looks like a complex project, rather you than me!
Good luck!
DVLA must be able to help you with some info on the car when imported Etc?
Paul

i'm just waiting for confirmation from the original selling agent that may well put to bed what the car is, or was.

i can understand how things get changed around with cars this age if they've been through 10 or more owners but this one is a one owner from new car, and the elderly gent i bought from inisists it is as it was when he got it. if the theory checks out then all will become clear.

i'm up in lincolnshire so sharnbrook was a one off show for me, once i get going though i'd be keen for a meet up.
the welding repairs don't daunt me too much, i've done a few bare shell restorations now so that side i'm happy with. no doubt i'll be asking loads of questions on the technical side of things though so your guys help at that stage would be appreciated.

the berlina is a '72 K plate car brian. in pretty decent shape really.

no probs re the rhd thing paul, i know that the converted cars aren't to everyones taste and have heard about the handling compromises but it's the only one i'd have. i used to work on vw campervans so we had plenty of lhd cars & vans coming in, hated driving them all. just couldn't get used to it.
the bonnet though is a 16V one isn't it? doesn't have the smaller side vents that evo ones have as far as i can tell from pictures of evo's. happy to be told otherwise though so feel free to point me in the right direction.

gave the car a wash tonight just to get rid of some moss from it, amazing how much better they look when wet!

Hi Kevin

Always interesting to learn of someone in Lincs, given its size, which part of Lincs are you in?

Peter

Hi Peter.
I'm over towards the coast, between Boston and Skegness.

You're right, it is a big county and Lancia owners are spread out a little!

Kev.

 You are right no side vents on bonnet i can see much better now it has been washed
paul

 ;D there was quite a film of stubborn moss and grime on it, looks better now it's been washed off even if it's now returned to it's natural pink!
no problem though, back to a bare shell once i get started next year so it'll all get fresh paint.

thanks for the advice, looking forward to bugging you guys with questions next year  ;)

They are very spread out, hence why I guess it was difficult to keep a regular meeting going. I am near Newark on the Notts border, so not a million miles away, at least in the same part of Lincs.

Peter

Alan Cooper lives in Grimsby but his Volumex has been off the road for sometime now.,although he does have a (lancia)Chrysler, Delta.

Brian
8227 8)

i've been in touch with walkers, who sold the car when it was new.

they have no records going back that far now unfortunately but an interesting possibilty did surface which surely must be my car.

now, first off the guy i bought the car from (original owner from almost new, purchased the car from walkers) kept banging on about the car being with rally history. not unsurprising with the integrale's history, i may have dismissed his comments too hastily..
the car is now as it was when he bought it, no engine transplants in his ownership and him being the first owner when it was a few months old i presumed it had the original motor

walkers however did throw a thought out there about the car which fits perfectly with what the car is and seems to be.
back in 1989 they were rallying an integrale in group N as i'm sure most of you guys are aware, i saw their car on many occasions including the rac rally of that year.
during '89 the 16V became available in europe but not scheduled here until 1990 so they tell me, which prompted them to purchase a new 16V integrale from germany during late '89 to use the engine to build up for their rally car.
the car from germany they converted to RHD, fitted the blueprinted 8V rally engine and sold the car on at a reduced price....which is no doubt why the gent i bought it off could get his hands on one at last...

it all makes so much sense it has to be true...

in which case my car is  a 16V car from germany originally but now has a blueprinted 8V ex group N rally engine that completed the 1989 mintex rally championship and competed (and finished) that years RAC rally.

so the dilemma is now, put it back to standard or keep with what may well be an interesting car for various reasons.


any thoughts?
the story just sounds about the only option that fits.


it's not like it's a 10+ owners car where the history gets the chinese whipsers treatment.

i'm going to have a chat with the guy i got it from about things now it's becoming clearer, i just wasn't listening correctly before i think!

Well done with the research.

My vote is to keep as is.

David

Another thought is to write into the magazine.

I agree with David, keep it as it is .... it has been that way for so long ...... for me it is a no-brainer!!!

                              Andy

i'm gonna chat to the previous owner about it, see if what we presume to be the case is actually the correct set of circumstances.
if it is all correct then i am inclined to keep it as is, such an interesting story of how the car emerged it has to be kept that way, i agree.

I think it all depends on what your aim for the car is.

If you aim to rally it seriously then it would not really matter I guess if you brought back to factory finish or left as is, if however you aim to keep it for normal use etc, then I am with the others, keep it as is, get it documented with previous owner etc and leave well alone. Great story which will be appreciated in years to come. Now all you need to find is the original Walkers rally car and your car's engine to complete the set......

Peter

the car will be a road car, no intensions of rallying it at all.
done that years back, although i'd love to again i've no intensions of rallying this car.

keeping it as is, or pretty near to, is my intention with it.

may look at a couple of changes, not sure if it has an 8v or 16V gearbox at the moment (or how to tell the difference?) so may change to a 16V one if it hasn't got one, may look at a brake upgrade if possible....do the brembo's fit the 16V hubs?
know i'd have to go for bigger wheels

I am with the "keep it as it is" camp but do get the documentary proof of it's provenance with statements from Walkers and the previous owner. These may be crucial to it's value in the future to demonstrate it is not just a cobbled together bitsa.

If all the past info is correct then keep it as it is, great history which is important with classic motors and also adds value to the car as a bonus ;)

sorted out the fuel leak yesterday, a broken pipe connector at the pump which luckily we had a complete spare pump to hand so simply swapped the fitting.
with that the car started up once fuel pressue was restored.

good news is it sounds great, no knocking or tapping and not a breath of blue smoke.

leads me to beileve the blueprinted engine theory even more.


so boyed with getting it going we swapped the wheels over for spares as a friend of mine is going to refurbish them for me in exchange for some parts he had, he's a pro wheel refurb guy and has done them for me before, a job i don't mind passing on!

removing the front bumper to see how far the corrosion had spread revealed a bit of rot.....new cross-member needed!!

had a poke around at the rear which also revealed plenty of welding needed but nothing we can't overcome.

let my 17 year old lad drive it the 10 yards back down the drive, he loves it far more than any car we've had here so i shouldn't be short of help!

Ah, that looks like the special light weight model..and getting lighter!

That's a fair bit of tin worm, keep the photos coming always like a good resto thread

This might be of passing interest. I think I must have copied it off e-bay some years ago. It shows a kit to convert to RHD.

i've now got hold of some replacement panels, all used of course as finding a new front cross-member was a fruitless task!
also picked up a VGC RHD top scuttle panel from an HF turbo so the wipers will at least be converted to RHD spec too. did originally look for repair panels for the corners but i've got a whole panel now in great condition so will put the lot in.


thanks for the interesting pics, always useful to see them for little details etc.

been swatting up on the manual ready for when the strip down starts, clues on short cuts for getting it down to a bare shell.

on the engine removal the suggestion is to remove the transfer box, then the gearbox and lastly the engine....wouldn't it be simpler to drop the whole lot out in one? noticed there may be some parts that are in-accesible with the transfer box in place but surely leaving the engine and gearbox attached to each other and lowering them out the bottom is the easier way of doing it rather than seperating the 2 in the engine bay?

I just saw this on e-bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LANCIA-DELTA-HF-INTEGRALE-TURBO-8V-4WD-LHD-VERY-CLEAN-ORIGINAL-EXAMPLE-/231718406055?hash=item35f37e47a7

It is advertised as 8v but has a 16v bonnet. It's an import so I wondered if it had any bearing on the question in this case?

I must say, the engine bay is a tight place on these cars!

had a little bit of time to start stripping out the running gear, it's about ready to drop out now.

I've got it up on axle stands (not as easy as it sounds as there's nothing on the front now capable of supporting the car to jack it!) and removed most bits now including the transfer 'box.
i'll then drop the engine and gearbox down to the ground as one with my crane, spate the two on the ground then crane the engine out over the top. unless I have room to slide the whole lot out the front, but by my measurement I won't have room.

i'll post some pictures of the state of it now it's all getting revealed, pretty rusted the poor old girl

A friend had his belts changed by a garage that does a lot of Ferraris who cursed the 'grale saying it was a more challenging job than any Ferrari they had done.

Frank T

You're a brave man taking that on Kevin but I'm sure the end result will make it all worth it. Paul's comments about RHD were very interesting, I fancied an Integrale a while back and like you, decided RHD was the way to go. In the end I changed my mind and went for a Fulvia . Being derived from rally cars I would have thought Integrales were set up to have two people in the front anyway and therefore from a balance point of view it would be difficult to get the perfect set up whether the car was driven from the left seat or the right seat. On a road car it probably makes very little difference

I don't think Paul's comments related to driver position and balance. I have always understood the main problem with RHD conversions is that there is no RHD steering rack available to the quattro specification. Conversions used a RHD Fiat Regatta rack which is too low geared to give the same driving experience. Having said which I always wondered why a Delta HF Turbo rack wasn't the obvious choice for a RHD Integrale.

Frank T

finally got the car down to my mate's place into the little shed we raised the roof on to use as a workshop that's self contained, means I can make as much dust and mess as I need to without spoiling his other collection.
he has my old dedra turbo in there so wouldn't want to infect that  ;D

still got to try and find time to get stuck in, finishing off the fulvia berlina about now so should be able to get some hours in soon

made a start on the car now, n/s sill is first on the list.

chopped the sill mount lip off back to the floor and replaced all along with fresh steel.
the rear end where the suspension mount is on the chassis section was too bad to save so I chopped it all out and made a new chassis rail section.

nearly ready for the outer sill to go on to close it all in

This project looked more than challenging but you seem to be the right man for the job. It would be great to see pictures of the parts you have made up before and after installation.

Frank T

here you go Frank  ;)
sorry for the poor quality phone camera pictures, must get a proper camera on the job!

the sill to floor panel I made up then repaired the central one.

the rear chassis rail above the suspension was too poor to keep so all got made up again.

today I've replaced the whole rear arch/door section on the n/s with a good used one

the n/s outer sill is just about ready to go in place now that it's all solid down that side

n/s/r arch repairs

Thanks Kevin. that's brilliant. I find is very encouraging to see what can be done. One day I may be up there with you.

Frank T

Is it really coming up to 2 years since I posted on here!

I've not been idle on the car although other projects have seen progress suffer a bit, a Fulvia Berlina has been done and gone, a Hillman Imp for my lad is complete save for a bit of rebuilding, an Alfa Sprint race car plus an Alfa 33 have been painted so although not as much has been done to the integrale as I'd have liked by now the progress had slowed.
This is after all works done as a hobby, in my spare time!

I have posted a few articles in the club mag, I will elaborate a bit more on the pictures and stuff done that's already been in the mag if there's any interest? As I have agreed to send in fairly regular updates now to the magazine I'll hold off on getting this thread up to date..

You can do both !!

Hi Kevin,

I've really enjoyed reading about your integrale restoration in Viva Lancia! & this thread too. You're obviously not fazed by major structural rust that would make others run a mile. I'm in the process of restoring my Delta HF turbo ie which wasn't quite as bad as yours but not far off! Keep up the excellent work  ;).

Cheers, Rob

I'll attempt to update the integrale progress which has been sporadically continuing amongst all the other jobs I get myself roped into, only being an amateur restoration enthusiast means that these cars are a spare time hobby so not the quickest!I have been putting a few articles together for the magazine but I'll do some more in depth pictures to show the extent of corrosion that I've encountered which may help other guys decide that theirs isn't so bad after all!

One of the previous tasks was the front lower cross member once I'd got the sills done.

There wasn't an awful lot of strength left in it after years of remedial repairs to keep the car on the road by former owners, you do what you have to do to keep the anual MoT guy happy but eventually things go too bad.

I searched far and wide to get a new cross member but alas non were to be found.
A decent used one was located from an HF turbo but that turned out to be different, then I found another on the Welsh border, a nice ride over from the East coast near Skeggy!

The old one was pretty much shot though...

Didn't take much poking around for the bottom to literally fall out!

The replacement front end had a pretty decent lower member I could use, just the ends needed repairing, the best solution I could find anywhere.

The inner parts weren't too bad, rotten pieces taken out and the rest cleaned up ready for repair sections to be made up.

Repair sections were made from thick plate using card then plywood templates before making out of the thick stuff, much easier too make alterations out of card than thick steel!

The "new" cross member was ready for fitting to the car so now I was sure how much to chop from the car it finally got rid of the rotten section, the dusty section laid on the floor shows how bad it had got!

The ends of the chassis rails were in a state also once the old metal was cut away which meant more repairs before the new member could be fitted

The rot from the chassis ends was cut away up to solid metal then readied for the repair sections, I decided the bets course of action was to attach the member which would allow simple repair pieces to be made exactly to suit.

The ends of the member I'd cap off once on the car

Fitted on the front and the spaces left ready to be filled in..

Sections being let in, again in thick steel as this is a high strength area.

This end of the chassis has the bolts for the engine mount so a sturdy repair was needed

Passenger side was much the same apart from the lack of engine mount bolt holes

At last the front of the car can be supported by the cross member again!

A lot of pictures in one go so I'll do another update if there's interest?

All a bit out of sequence though as this was all a couple of years ago now!

 :o you are doing a great job, I would have given up ages ago, in fact I probably wouldn't have started  ;)

To be able to weld/fabricate like that ........ great to watch !

Kevin,
You clearly have the patience (and perseverance) of Job!
It's an absolutely wonderful transformation.
I can't wait to see the front with it's final coat of red....!!!
 
Keep her lit!
Tim F

Thanks for the votes of praise guys, very much appreciated.
I have indeed questioned my sanity many times over this car but the simple fact is it is a car that I coveted for some time, not just integrales' but this very car with it being a local car to me. Eventually I was lucky (?) enough to be able to buy it from the owner, the only owner of it from new!
Plus of course I just don't have the funds to buy a solid one, and all this work is really only costing me my own time....

If you are all keen on more pictures I'll keep posting..

The inner wing had a couple of holes in it which rather than patch up I chopped a 4" wide strip out, as you do  :o

A new section for the inner wing made up then the lower section of the inner face to link up the two sections.

The strut top area had some fairly well established rot in it. I'd searched for another inner wing or strut repair panel but none available. I ended up getting an HF turbo shell that was in a much worse state generally than my car believe it or not, but actually had good strut tops!

Quite a drastic chop and in a really high strength area but if I was to save the shell then drastic repairs were needed. If the chassis number wasn't stamped on the corner I'd have replaced the whole section but I needed to keep the original corner with the correct number on...

I braced the area and then made up a fairly crude alignment tool that would use the passenger side holes and other key points so once in place I could sit the new section where it should be..

Once happy I could replicate the alignment then a batch of brave pills were downed and the potentially shell running moment came where I chopped a lump out. In reality it's just another piece that needed repairing, everything can be made strong again, just making sure things are in the right place is key!

The old section was just too bad to repair..

The section from the HF was cut to suit the hole size, fitting it onto various planes helps gain some strength of repair, more pieces will get added at a later date.

Starting to get it welded in

Wow, that's some serious restoration of a piece of major structure! True dedication Kevin, well done.

Where it all met the A pillar needed some repairs to make good again, the box section piece being removed to gain better access

The little box bit got fitted back in then to pretty much complete the repairs there, for now.

I'll leave it at that for pictures tonight, don't want to bombard you guys with pages of stuff!

There are worse bits to come I promise you  ;)

Thanks, it has been a trial!

Love that wide strip let in.  Epic job on the strut top.

Well done Kevin, with the amount of work that you've done on your integrale I reckon you could have your own TV series! Until then keep posting the pictures & text as it's interesting to see it gradually coming together. You definitely saved this car from the scraper & for that you deserve a big pat on the back. It's easy to buy a nice shiny integrale & keep it up together but buying one like yours & putting your heart & soul into it is certainly 'character building'. Keep up the good work fella  ;).

Any pics / brief story of the alfasuds you did?

Thanks again guys, it has been a trial as you all allude to, in fact I haven't reached the end of the welding yet as the car ends up taking a back seat all too often.

I've put some pictures of previous cars in the non Lancia section David  ;)

Brilliant work Keith and I love the reference to the 'brave pills'. Unfortunately they always seem to be needed, and in large doses, when undertaking a Lancia restoration!!!

                                      Andy

The engine bay and surrounding areas had many little bits and pieces that needed fettling, the bottom edge where the suspension arm bolts to was one such place.

From the outside it looked a bit rusty but nothing serious, I had my doubts though as the top edge hadn't been sealed properly so the potential for moisture to get in was there...

Once the spot welds were drilled out and the outer reinforcing panel peeled back I was glad to have been curious enough...

Luckily the rot was fairly localised so a thick repair panel was made up complete with holes for plug welding.

Penetration coming through nicely behind the pedals

The section above where the RHD conversion mounts for the peddle box is had signs of corrosion too so investigation needed again...

You can see that there has been enough corrosion to allow moisture into the car...

Taking it back to the reinforcing bracket for the peddles

loads of welds then another plate over the top for good luck!

A reinforcing bracket was taken from the white donor HF and welded in place to complete the suspension mount point, the wheel arch bottom across to the sill also got boxed in, sorry for the poor quality of the 'phone pictures!

There was another point at the top on that side near where the chassis rail top meets the bulkhead and inner wing/strut area.
This got cut out with my plasma cutter.

Again, thick steel for these strength repairs, not the easiest to bend and shape

With corner bracket back on

Another piece was on the opposite side chassis rail, where the gearbox mount plate goes.
Some surface rust which got chopped out and repaired..

Usual process, make a repair section and weld in..

Bits like the "chassis rail top meets the bulkhead and inner wing/strut area" are really satisfying the way they disappear.  Got the radius bang on.  Can see that "it might be ok" is NOT as assumption to make from all the places you've "been curious" and peeled back to have a look see.

Are you putting any extra structure in?  (noticed the extra plate on the RHD conversion) I think it was "Thurbs" race car build thread that listed a few mods.

Looked back and nothing definitive...but maybe it would pop out the pictures to someone more familiar with them:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/LanciaDeltaRacing/photos/?tab=albums

http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=9531.0

http://www.jjperformance.co.uk/

I'll have a look through that thanks David, always happy to follow advice from other builds.
I am planning on making extra strengthening sections for bits like the strut tops, I'll do that once I can get the car on the tilter soon.

A few more interesting bits to come on here yet though.

This is a picture of what I think Abarth added to the works cars.

Think I've seen those kits available somewhere, could have been Walkers?
Think it was about £1500 though!
I'll probably have a good look at them then make my own  ;)

Interesting that its more at the front than the back - any of that holding the engine in or all for suspension loads?   

Looking at it the pillars seem obvious places to double up, but only AFTER looking at it.

I suspect the amount of strengthening at the front is because that hits first on both take off and landing. If the back hits first your rally is probably over anyway!

I'll post a few more pictures again, seeing as it's been a while since I bombarded you all!

The drivers side rear arch had corrosion mainly inside the car!

A bit of chopping and solid metal was found...

A few plates needed as there was some degree of curvature in several directions plus a strengthening seam for the underside, as it picks up the seat belt mount strength of repair was important.

The bottom outer corner where it meets the sill had some grot to remove..

Starting to gain shape..

The outer lip was deemed unfit so I made a new one, here ready for fitting after shaping to suit the arch and importantly fitting inside the door shut!

Welded in and the edge rolled under by hand with hammer and dolly.

End of sill finally boxed in, holes will be put in for 25mm grommets so I can inject protective wax in at regular intervals!

Some shots now of the rear arches, plus the lack of any inner arches!

Passenger rear boot floor

Through the rear light tyre check  ;D

Drivers rear inner arch...

View from underneath isn't pretty  :'(

Scary - keep taking the brave-pills ....

Yes, like so many areas on this car it could so easily be enough to make you think it's not worth the effort!

But still I keep going... ;D

As the rear inner arches look likely to be extremely tricky if not downright uncomfortable to repair with the car sat upright and plans to put it on my rollover jig then the repairs to said area will be left until I can get the car upside-down.
Trouble is the jig mounts through the bumper mounting holes and seeing as the outer arches need repairing I need to be able to mount the bumper to get the alignment right.
As you can see in the picture it has at some point had some repair sections grafted onto the outers, they didn't look too bad but I spied the rivets from underneath and the alignment to the door wasn't quite at the right level.

I don't suppose for a moment that repair sections are available anymore so I set to and made my own.

Once alignment was sorted out using the door and bumper for reference then the old one could be cut away..

Welded into place, still free floating as such so more work needed to the underside to ensure it kept straight with the bumper.

Before that bit could go in though the boot floor had some rot to get rid of...

The little outrigger and central section needed to go too..

Boot floor section made up and welded in, this was made to overlap the original bumper mount points to create double thickness there, then plug welded on the flats and seamed from below and above.

New outrigger folded up and welded in

Rear panel seam I'd already dug out as it looked rusty, wasn't that bad at all once separated but at least I know it'll be OK, new section made up and let in.

I made up a section to repair the underside piece but without really knowing exactly what I needed it was difficult to say!

Handily not long after this bit was done I happened across an integrale at Cadwell Park so got to have a better idea of what went where!

That rather sums up this project - a hole so big you needed to look at another car to know what it should look like...

Keep up the good work Kevin, you're doing a cracking job  ;). Really impressed with the repair sections you've been fabricating, some of them look very complex!

Cheers guys, I'll update a few more pictures over the weekend.

Checking out other cars to see what it should look like in a few places was the only option David, fresh air doesn't give away too many clues  ;D

It seems my promise to update things "over the weekend" didn't quite pan out  ::)

So with inspiration from cars like Robs' and more progress finally being done on my own car rather then my lads Imp I thought I'd inflict a few more pictures on you guys.

The passenger side (RHD converted, remember…..) was no better than the drivers with a few gaping holes to fill in...  ::)

Again, the road car easily be viewed through the rear light opening...

View from under the wheel arch isn't any better  :o

Forward part of the inner arch wasn't up to scratch really either so I cut it out, whilst here it makes no sense to leave stuff

New section shaped to suit keeping close profile with the rest of the arch

Inside the car the repairs continued...

Welded up, inner and outer

With the forward section made solid enough and door alignment kept in check the attention moved to the boot floor area where the fuel pipes etc go through

A new repair section first off made up out of cardboard, then in steel

With the repair patch made and aligmnet checked it was time to chop out the remaining rot that would need removing, not pretty!

The chassis rail got boxed in then the repair section followed

Starting to gain shape

Lower rear section of inner arch

Outrigger and central support braced up

Outer skin being removed after careful measurements and templates being made for its' replacement

Outer panel again hand made, rear door fitted to ensure as best alignment as I could, also the bumper used despite there being no side bracket mounting to hang it on!

And inside view, starting to lose sight of the road!

Panel behind the bumper,

Bumper side mounting bracket..

Side of the suspension turret needed chopping out

Welded up..

The fuel vapour catch tank thingy goes here...

Last job for this area before I could tackle the upper turret was to box in the front part where the sill ends...

A lot to take in for one night, I promise to try some more if there is an appetite for it?

You're making great progress Kev & I enjoy seeing how you tackle each rusty area with increasing confidence  :). Keep the updates coming on here & Viva Lancia  ;).

I'm starving! More please!
Guy

With the work to the rear 1/4 to bumper areas (for which I needed to keep mounting the bumper itself) now done I could at last get the car on the tilter frame.
This means bolting a frame front and rear to the car which then mount onto A frames each end which then allow the car to rotate through 360 degrees, full rotation so you can weld at whatever angle you need.
This frame I've used on a few AlfaSuds so thought it could easy enough be adapted to suit the Delta?

Sorry for the poor quality 'phone pictures...

Rear end awaiting lifting onto frame..

Tiltable to any angle...

Roof just clears the floor by a few inches...

The reason for turning the car upside down was to gain better access to the rear suspension turrets and make the repairs much easier.

This was what was left of the inner rear arch and strut top to fathom out...not pretty!

Majority of the strut mount was OK, just the side return section needed cutting out. This is also the piece that's inside the car towards the inner C pillar near the seat belt point, mine was the fully floating type!

A repair piece was made up from the same thickness 2mm steel as the rest of the tower.

As viewed from inside the car...

Joining section for the inner C pillar, again the access to repair was much easier on the tilter frame.

Reunited!

The inner rear arch was another item that I had little idea of what it should look like as there was nothing much to remove!

Simplest option was to start building it up in manageable sections..

The section for under the arch itself was a bit more tricky, it needed to follow the contours of the outer arch closely to be a tight fit to weld but made from strong enough steel to be usefully strong.

All welded in, not the prettiest but solid again.

At last, no view of the road through the rear light opening!

The side of the tower showed signs that it too craved attention....

No prettier from under the arch..the grot had spread quite a way up the hollow parts of the reinforcing section

No point being shy, out with the lot!

In stead of recreating the double skinned scenario where you actively promote corrosion I made a new repair piece out of single skin but as thick as the 2 pices, the ribs took an age to from in them!

Strong again

The chassis side under the bottom reinforcer wasn't up to much either..

All boxed in with more of the thick steel



That's it for now.....I'll carry on again soon with the updates

I love your cutting out of the rust no messing!!!
Clarkey

I'm wondering what you used to create the reinforcing ribs?

Only way to me mate!
I always preach to anyone that will listen, welding a plate is the same if it's 4" square or 4' square. May as well get rid of the lot whilst the grinder is at hand.
Will say though that it's not as scary to do now as it was at first, you sometimes feel there's no car left!

A tool similar to this, called a bead roller or sometimes a Jenny Wheel
Handy tool for rolling the curved wheel arch sections too.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19-BENCH-SWAGER-ROTARY-METAL-TOOL-JENNY-BEAD-ROLLER-outil-Werkzeug/253769471478?hash=item3b15d6d5f6%3Ag%3A4gsAAOxygPtS37Mw&_sacat=0&_nkw=bead+roller&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR6.TRC2.A0.H0.Xbead+roller.TRS0

That looks like it might be worth investing in. Did you have to press the swages in stages or was it one continuous slow roll?

On thinner more regular stuff like 1mm or even 1.2mm steel you can do it in one pass.
This steel was about 2.5mm thick so it had to be done in a few runs, nearly more than the tool could handle in reality, hence the wobbly lines!

The drivers side strut tower and inner wheel arch was much the same process as the other side so I won't go through all that again.

One job that I had been putting off for some time was to clean the underside of the years and years of underseal and mess that had gathered there, not a nice job.

The black underseal was scraped off using a heat gun and a wallpaper scraper, best combination I find for that job. Messy and hot, but best.


Once all that was cleaned off then we were down to the factory rubberised stuff that I use a knotted wheel on an angle grinder to take off, this flings it about a bit but cleans it efficiently and also if there are any rust spots under it then it cleans that too, just be careful not to have exposed skin as the little needles off the knotted wheel easily stick in your cheek! A full face mask is a must, not just goggles.

After a few hours and a bucket full of rubber crumb you end up with a fairly clean surface...

A few extra areas for repair surfaced under all the covering, the spare wheel well had a smallish rust hole so it was cut out to remove all traces then a new plate made up and welded in..

The captive bolts were rusted around the join with the floor so rather than leave them I cut a section of floor out on each one and welded a new plate with captive stud in place.

The rear corners of the chassis rails had been hiding further corrosion so out it went and thick fresh steel in its' place.

A crack was found near the strengthening plate that holds the seat belt buckles and hand-brake lever...

It was found that the drivers seat mounting was where the crack had formed. Handy that it had been found now rather than later when the car was up and running!

With the car tilted on its' side it was very simple to repair rather then be laid underneath it.

Time for some seam seal.

Loads of welding seam to seal up, very important incase there are any pin holes in the welds

Etch primed

The a real good layer of the stoneguard material which helps prevent stones chipping down to the metal rather than just using paint. The outer sills also got done as a smooth finish isn't necessary when they are covered by plastic sill covers!

A couple of decent layers of brush able enamel went on after the stoneguard had been allowed a week to go off properly.

The rear inner arches got particular attention so make sure for a watertight finish, having the car upside down made this task so much easier.

Finally the car could get taken off the tilter and back onto axle stands awaiting suspension.

Small steps but a hurdle had been reached

That's a milestone.  Looking good.

Car continues to tick along, has progressed some way since the last update so I'll do an update or two to catch up with the magazine a little..


One of the first jobs to get done once the car was back the right way up was to change the windscreen surround upper scuttle panel.


This one has the usual rotten corners plus the central wiper mount was gone. I'd managed to pick up a really good used panel which initially I was going to take repair sections from but the decision was changed to changing the whole thing, not only to save chopping out and welding in smaller sections but also to get the wipers parking the right side for this UK car, the replacement panel came off a UK HF Turbo that was already being broken and had little left apart from this great panel!

First job was to make a repeatable template that would sit in the windscreen opening, not just take measurements. As I had plenty of angle and box sections knocking about a simple frame was constructed that fitted snugly which would give a 3D gauge for dimensions not only width and depth but in shape/height of the 'screen aperture.

As the replacement panel had been handily removed with more material than I really needed I could make the decision to join it to the bulkhead inside the car behind the dash rather than the windscreen flange itself.
The A pillars I planned to stagger the joins rather than just jut straight through the whole pillar as that's not a very strong way to join it. The outer panel would be cut about half way up, the door section corner kept all original and the inner pillar would be cut a few inches from the bottom.

Measure, measure then measure again before cutting a big section of car away at this late stage!

Passenger side not too bad, clean up about all that was required..

Drivers side not so, but nothing too bad

Well worth removing the original panel though, far worse underneath than even appeared on top!

Repairs made to the box section underneath then a new top laid on

As you can see from this the "new" panel was in very good shape but even it had some rust around the little drain tubes from the 'screen corners

Note too how much has been remove from the donor panel, always best to use as little as you need

My own opinion on those drain tubes is they create far more problems than they solve, every car I've now done that has had them has had issues around them, be that the AlfaSuds or anything else.
So I cut the rot out, made up new sections and have welded them over.

Using the alignment frame to check things...

And using the body panels to check for bonnet and wing alignment...

Let the welding begin!

Plug welded to the bulkhead and overlapped on the inner A pillar, careful not to leave sharp edges for the sunroof drain tubes!

Repairs to the drivers side bulkhead..

Grinding off takes an age  :(

Worth the effort though, outer pillar joint came out well both sides.

Last picture for tonight and one of the reasons the integrale has taken me so long, my lads Hillman Imp that I did a similar amount of welding too and painted..we met up with a good friend of mine Keith in his lovely Sud for a drink, never thought a Sud would look so big!!

Great update Kev  ;D. I think you made the right choice by replacing the whole scuttle panel especially as you could finally have the wipers in the correct position. I liked the windscreen jig too, although not pretty it certainly did a good job of lining the scuttle panel up with the rest of the car  ;). Keep up the great work, I'll be looking forward to the next instalment.
Cheers, Rob

That pillar joint really did come out well.  Once again shows why its necessary to take the brave pills, pull a big bit off, poke all the way down to the foundations and build it back again strong.  Pleased to be rid of those drains?

Agree with all you say guys, worth the effort to get the wipers parking the right side (incidentally on corresponding with John Whalley that is also a change that he did on all his RHD converted cars, an easy way to see if it is one of his he says, no-one else went to the trouble..) plus you just can't leave any area untouched assuming there isn't rust ready to spread.
I'd rather not be doing this again in 5 years so best carry on whilst at it now!
The water drain tubes I'm glad to see the back of for sure!



I'll do a couple of updates now that continue the rust theme but which I haven't sent in to the magazine as I got the feeling people would be getting the wrong idea about how bad it was!


At this stage the car was moved from my friend Jims' place up to my rented unit so I could get it nearer to the painting stage

Full of optimism that the rust was all but gone I got the pair of wings out that I bought a couple of years back.
The passenger one needed a bit of straightening to the arch lip which went OK but the whole wing itself was quite badly twisted, not something I'd noticed until trial fitted to the car with the side skirt. As it also would need welding repairs in the same place (but admitedly not so far reaching) as the original wign I decided to ditch that one and just repair the original as the fit was so much better.

The rot started at the high point of the arch and stretched all the way down, some repairs would need careful planning..


First job was to tackle the large portion that led into the arch extension..

Quite a bit was cut away to start with, enough for me to a=manage in one repair section without going too far to start with.
The repair section can be seen on the bonnet awaiting fitting..

Tacked in place to start with.
Note the wing is still bolted to the car to try and prevent welding a plate on with the wing twisted on a stand or something!

The curve of the wing actually caused more work to shape being part of a bigger section, shaping one way affects others so you have to give it some thought..

Eventually though it all gets welded and ground back

Next job was to do the simpler section that continued down towards the side skirt.

Much more straightforward but still starting off with a flat piece of steel, folding it to create a straight angled section then shaping it to match the curvature of the wing in both directions comes easier with practice....

All welded in and smoothed off

Last job on the wing was to cut off the bottom mount...
A new section made up and let in

A lot of effort for a wing but what do you do?
It needs to last...

That long section - how did you bend and shape it?  "Just" a hammer and edge of the bench or got a shrinker/stretcher or something?

Yes, a shrinker/stretcher.
It's amazing how easy it is to create curves and control/alter them.
With the practice I've had it's become less of a challenge, that piece maybe took 10 minutes to make.
I did complete wheel arches for the front of the Imp, all the way from the front edge to the bottom near the sill, and that had multiple curves at differing sections.

What I love about this thread is proof you don't HAVE to source new-old-stock this and repair-section that.  Flat steel and time, and sometime surprisingly little time, really is enough.   That bit in ten mins is good going. Obviously that's "in the mode", and "setup to do it", and with a lot of practice. Even if someone got it wrong six times its not going to take longer than "half a morning" to make the bit and the scrap might still get used elsewhere.  Then the welding and grinding and proofing etc etc, but you're showing how far gone a car can be and still be saved on a half sensible budget and graft.

...it also show that even if you do have new-old-stock this and repair-section you do need to peel EVERYTHING back to the bottom layer and patch and proof all the layers back to the top again.

I also looked properly at the Alfasud - looks quite orange next to the Imp.  The Imp at that ride height I assume not too many road humps near you.

We want more Imp pictures! I've had 2.. great cars...shame about the heaters though.
Clarkey

The lack of repair panels shouldn't hinder any job, most stuff can be made up. OK the curved bigger sections will take more time and effort plus most likely be made from more than one piece but practice gains you confidence which makes it easier to tackle the complicated stuff. I'm no expert, still only do these jobs as a hobby but I've studied from the people that do know and picked up tips which I try out, but thanks for all the comments.


This next section didn't make it to the magazine either, I'm sure everyone's seen rusty rear roofs on the Delta before!

It actually didn't look too bad to start with...

Saying about the panels being tricky sometimes to make is very true, the rear edge curves not only down side to side on the horizontal level but also curves in across the vertical, not straight all the way across, this made making a full width repair section a pain. It did take a few goes to get right, eventually I accepted it was as near as I could get it..this was mid attempt

A lot of careful welding, you can't rush it or you'll end up with a scene from the North Sea!
The repair section was welded here to the back edge of the roof at the fold rather than further along the roof skin.

The passenger side section though had rot stretching along the roof skin which had to be removed, came out pretty good considering how easy it is to distort these sections.

The underside needed some repairs which got spot welded, this section will be getting some protection once the wiring is back in, hopefully to prevent further rust coming back...

The front roof edge needed slightly less work but still new metal needed to go in...

That's such a labour of love...

Tips to keep the distortion out?   Tacks every 6ins then cool with a bucket and cloth before going again?  Air line?

Simple things: how do you hold it all in line before you start welding? (magnets?)  Did that one go on straight enough or did the repair section move with the heat?


(...and anyone tried this stuff? https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Heat-Block-Cold-Front-Heat-Stop-Paste/562469449?iid=231543952294&chn=ps)

Keeping distortion out is an impossible task David, it's just trying to minimise it. If you notice on the pictures where I repaired the front wing it's built up slowly from a series of tacks. I have loads of different clamps, regular mole grips and clamps with flat faces, some can again be seen in the front wing pictures. Tacks are spaced out then gradually filled in, taking your time is key. I do sometimes use an airline if it's a bigger patch, I've seen that heat soak paste used before and it does seem to work. An example of how patient you need to be is when I welded the repair arches to Robs' Imp the welding itself took over an hour...that's just the welding, not the grinding or prep...


When I asked a tutor about the best way to avoid distortion when say repairing a door bottom his reply was he wouldn't ever repair a door bottom! Said he'd rather make a new door skin...This was at a course I paid for myself where they restore Jag XK150's to a ridiculously high standard...makes my work look like the local Blacksmith has been at it!

This wing was a huge amount of work to repair, but then replacement ones could be bought....at £500 a side! My lad reckoned there wasn't the budget. The arch lip I made from a length, folded shaped then the top return side bead rolled in. This arch took over an hour to weld in...

I take a deep breath every time I look at this post .....

That son of yours better be VERY pleased :)

With the roof was there access on the inside for clamps?   I suppose could always make some spacer blocks or something.  I guess its case by case matching the problem against a lifetime's collection of clamps.

Enjoy / recommend the course?  Sorry if there's already been an answer on one of the previous pages...

Found two I'd heard of and a third new to me:

http://www.contouracademy.com
http://www.mphmotorpanels.com
http://www.storik.co.uk/

I used to have to take a deep breath every time before starting but I've done a few different cars now so you get used to what you can and can't do, it really all is just a variation of the same...

This though, to continue the Imp posts if I may for a moment, was one of the trickier parts to make despite being one of the smallest!

I've seen Imps' before that have had this part smoothed over, either from new metal or just filled over, we wanted to keep the original look.

It's at the C pillar where it joins to the rear quarter panel, there should be 3 grooves in it, that proved to be the tricky bit!

I tried to make the 3 grooves using my bead roller but they were too close to each other.

The solution was a bit more agricultural!

I got a block of hardwood, cut a groove in it then laid the new panel over it using a 4" bolster chisel to make the grooves

Then the panel got shaped to replicate the pillar...

The pillar cut off to suit...note some previous repairs made to the inside, now that was a mess!

The panel finished...

And fitted.

Same area just after being painted..

He is pleased, which helps!

Must admit it's nice to see him enjoying something positive in these days...


The course I went on David was the top one on that list, contour academy. Couldn't recommend then highly enough.


Enough on the Imp for now...until I post some more integrale pics. 

A little update to get things back on the Lancia track...

The passenger front door I'd sort of dismissed as being OK, a bit scabby but basically sound.

Should have known better really!

Once the seal had been removed from the underside it was clear the welder would be needed some more. Most of the seal retaining strip came away with the seal  ;D

The door bottom itself was in no condition worthy of staying so it got cut out and a new section made up.

This section was welded into place which would then allow the outer skin to be attached plus somewhere to weld the seal retaining strip to.

Seal retaining strip made up and plug welded in

Door skin repaired with folded and sealed underside lip

Outer side  sorted

Thankfully the rear door was much more but did have a collection of small dents from all the times it's been moved from here to there and stored not too safely. Knocked out as much as possible but some couldn't be got to.
Both doors ready to be primed

Shell getting closer to being straight.

Found this picture of when the integrale arrived home, at the time I'd got this nice series 1 AlfaSud Ti that I'd done a reasonable amount of work on.
It unfortunately had to make way for the Delta..

AS my wife says of me, you seem to have an unquenchable thirst for new and more exotic ways to experience rust!

 :D Very true Frank  ;D

The car did eventually get primed, etch primer first then a few coats of this thick 2K filler primer I like to use as it goes off fairly quickly and gives plenty of depth to be flatted off to level any minor deviations or scratches.

Under bonnet got the same treatment, more awkward areas to rub down!

Important once all the primer is flatted off to spend time taking the old masking paper off and doing it again, the dust that is on this paper would blow off when you paint and make a right mess!

As painted, is more red than the 'phone camera shows...

Engine bay looking much smarter

The repairs to the rear roof have come out well.

Likewise the front windscreen scuttle top change has blended in very nicely.

The arch extensions and repairs to door openings look better than they did.

The car then got moved out so the remaining panels could be looked at.
Hatchback had the familiar rust in the corners, no big surprise!


Outer corner repaired with a new lip

Inside needed a few repairs too...

Drivers door bottom had the usual issue under the seal retaining strip...

Hole cut out, new patch made up ready to go in

Strong again.

New seal retaining strip made up and welded in.

The bonnet was in great shape, or so I thought....

With the hinge off and the scab attacked with a knotted wheel a nice hole soon formed...

Skin cut off, reinforcer cleaned, new patch waiting to go in.

Bolts fitted into the hinge mount points to make sure it doesn't move, don't want to be covering up the bolt holes!

And smoothed off

So I could paint the front wings without laying them down which I didn't want to do so I could paint around the edges etc I made up these simple stands, just some spare angle attached to a brake drum for a base then the little arms at the top are adjustable to suit differing mounting holes so I can use them again in the future.

Wing mounts like this...

Which allows lovely access for painting

My favourite is the roof photo.  It really has come out well...   I expect you were as nervous as you were excited to see it in colour and reflected and to see how well you'd done.  Judgement day!!!

The wing stand looks as though it would be unstable but I can't imagine you making anything like that. How far can it tilt before it overbalances?

Only a small step in reality David but a huge psychological hurdle overcome, it really does feel like you're on the home straight when the paint goes on....relity is though there's stilla  huge amount to do!

Repairs have come out well yes, roof amongst them  ;)

It is a lot more stable then it looks Frank, amazingly so really. The brake disc sits flat to the floor and is quite a large diameter one with a lot of heavy mass, takes quite a bit to try and knock it over.
Only issue I found though is my use of angle steel for the stem, when you spray the wing the frame tends to oscillate!  ;D

I have to hand it to you Kev the shell was looking spot on after you'd finished all the repairs & now that you've laid down a few coats of Monza Rosso it looks factory fresh! You must be chuffed  ;D.

Yep, chuffed Rob that's for sure! Sorry for the delay in replying but I have now almost caught up with where I'm at with the car, but I'll elaborate a bit more on here from the magazine articles, make a break from the Christmas talk!

The remaining panels got painted red, a while back now it seems but was really only in October I'd guess..

Hatchback I needed to paint the inside as well as outside so hanging it form the roof seemed the best solution.

So the inside could get painted without any masking lines, along the top inside and out too.

Bonnet got painted but as I only had to do so much of the underside it got perched on a workmate so I could do it all at the same time.

The vents that were in them I'd assumed to be plastic but are actually an alloy, so they were rubbed down and painted after much cleaning of moss and debris!

This passenger wing was the one I had to do a bit of welding to, came out pretty well I think  8)

Frames I'd made up allowed the underside to be painted too.

The door painting frames also allow the door shuts and underside to be painted too, again it means no masking lines.

A few remaining metal parts and the end was in sight.
I managed to stumble across a new old stock rear hatch hinge which was great, a shame I couldn't find two though. But that did give me two semi worn out hinges to make one good one from, which was succesful using pins and bushes to make good so all the play from the old hinges is gone.

Rear hatch corners repairs came out well...

The door frames then needed to be satin black so that was next job whilst the weather was still OK

Along with the outer weather strips

I then remembered that the 1/4 light/window runners would need painting to match so the search started to find them!
Found the rears fairly easily but spent a good hour or more searching for the fronts. Checking my pictures seemed the solution to see when they were last on the car....which was when I spotted the fronts don't have any!! FOOL!!!!  ::) ;D

I did however have 3 good drivers ones but only one passenger, which had a rotten bottom few inches plus the lower mounting missing.
Solution was to use the good section from a drivers side and weld it onto the passenger one, as luck would have it I managed to make the repairs under the window line so they are inside the door but really it went well. Smoothed out and mounting points affixed and checked in a door for alignment.


Gutter trims also got the satin black treatment so that everything will match along the side.

Long sections gripped from underneath then clamped in a workmate so nothing touching to get a clean paint finish.

The little mesh grilles that fit in the front bumper completed the list of black bits...

How long were you looking before you realised they didn't exist...

That wing did look GOOD.  Really well done.  Getting close now!

The front door window guides? Far too long David  ;D

I actually searched through my loft where some parts remain, plus in all areas of my unit before resorting to pictures to see if they were on the car still when it went to Jims for me to start the welding….was only then that I noticed the windows were in place and were full windows!! Numpty! Too many cars taken apart since then, that's my excuse!

Only the wheels left to do! What condition is the interior in? I hope it doesn't need a retrim as the material in the centre of the seats is VERY expensive  ::).

 ;D bit more than that mate but progress at last

Interior is in great condition given its age. The old fella I got it off always used though seat covers you used to see, changed them every few years, original seat material has hardly seen daylight so is in great condition.

Only thing interior wise I'm still to sort out is getting a better steering wheel or getting mine retrimmed plus the rooflining needs sorting.
May have a go at the roof myself...
Looks like a decent sized piece of material stretched out and glued should do the job, same for the sunroof...then again I am crap at it!

It might be worth posting some pictures of the roof lining when you get to that stage to show what the problems are and see what ideas people have. I would suggest "stretching" the material indicates the wrong mind set as it may tend to shrink and pull away.

Good idea Frank, I'm up at the car tomorrow so I'll dig it out and take some snaps.

I had the roof lining on my Delta done by a local trimmers who made a nice job of it. You could do it yourself fairly easily - as long as you're careful but lining the sunroof panel is a bit more involved & looks like you'd have to be quite handy with a sewing machine.

Yes the main section looks fairly straightforward Rob doesn't it, but agree the sunroof panel will be the tricky bit, not least because I can't remember how it all came apart! Good job of took some pictures...


This is the roof panel, hardboard with screwed and stapled side panels.

Underside, should be fairly simple to fit new material?

 

With the car painted late on late year it got a ride across the yard in the sunshine

With the car pushed into the bigger workshop and the freshly painted panels laid on trestles it didn't take long for me to worry about knocking them off so the decision was made, the safest place for them was on the car!


For fitting them to the car by myself without damaging the paint I had to think about the best way, so came up with a method that worked very well.

First off fit the door latch mechanism to the door and door shut.

Then an extra long stud was screwed into the top hinge mnount.

This allowed the door to be lifted onto it's latch whilst sliding the top hinge over the stud. Once the door was latched it was simple to put the 3 correct hinge bolts in before removing the long stud and tightening up all 4 bolts.

With the lock mechanism then removed the door could be aligned on the hinges then the latch refitted and adjusted for a good shut.

Pleased enough with the shut lines from my arch repairs I made

Windows too were deemed safer fitted to the doors!
Freshly painted (and repaired, this side) window runner with weather strip. Most of the bits were faded so all got painted with the same satin black

Front doors went on using the same method, gutter trims were faded to grey so satin black went on those too, B pillar plastic trims looked out of place too so they got painted with plenty of plasticisor to stop them cracking and peeling.

Front windscreen went in without issue

Sits nice with the A pillar repairs where it got joined half way up...

With the dash all sorted I decided best to fit in before putting the passenger front door on so access was a bit easier..

Vents fitted into bonnet, again mainly so they have somewhere safe to be stored!

Some of these pictures make the car look pink, I promise it hasn't faded already! The camera on my mobile doesn't seem to like red...

Hatch got fitted back to the car, then the refurbished number plate surround and rear window went on.

Car was finally starting to look like a car again!

The bumpers looked too bad to fit now, and the front one had been lacquered which was now peeling so best solution was just to paint them.


Once rubbed down it was clear that both the red and black bits would need doing, no point in half measures.

Satin black bits to be done first, masked off both bumpers together for ease of painting. You can see where the black had faded through, fine line masking tape for a crisp edge.

Left for a whiule to cure as I don't have an oven for it..

A few days later I could mask out the central black section to do the red. This all good some plasticisor added so it remains flexible enough. Adhesion promotors went onto the bare plastic first to prevent any flaking...

The bumpers all done, complete with pink looking paint from the phone camera! Honest, it's the correct red shade it should be...

Fabulous work, Kev. What a achievement!

The amount of work you've put in and the quality is fantastic. When you say you've rubbed down things like the bumpers there must be a lot of dust floating around the place. How did you get the bumper absolutely clean and dust free again for painting?

Cheers guys! Yes, it's been a big effort but I'm getting there....it'll be out and about this year sometime..

For the painting and dust scenario the trick is to prepare well. If you can do the sanding outside that saves some cleaning for floors etc. I'm lucky that I have a half decent extractor in the little unit that takes away a lot of the airborne dust.

Once the piece is ready for priming then an airline gets the majority of the dust off, after that it's a case of wiping down with panel wipe which is amazing how much more dust that pulls out even when you think the piece is fairly clean. After that then tack rags are used which again pulls yet more from the surface, these are little cloths with a tacky surface (surprisingly!) so all the fine bits left over plus the marks left by the panel wipe get lifted off.
It's VITAL on these stages that gloves are worn for these processes, latex or vinyl not cotton, as the oils and dirt from your hands will contaminate the piece to be painted and possibly cause some reaction when the primer goes on.


All takes time but saves having to do it again!

Fairplay Kev it's really coming together now  ;D. You must be putting some serious hours in to be moving it along this quickly & to such an excellent standard!  ;)

You know how much effort it takes Rob, but equally it takes a huge amount of commitment if not stubbornness to see the project through. You've had just as much to do, in fact on looking back through your car it's amazing how similar the needed repairs look!


The car is a fair bit on from this though at the moment, at this point I'm hoping it'll be on the road around May this year...

When I got the car painted it was time to now fit the rear suspension that I was going to use, rather than the spare bits it was sat on whilst being painted.

Happily the rear jacking points are now strong enough to hold the car!

With it up on axle stands the old suspension got dropped off and the new, powder coated items await fitment.

The original rear subframe I'd had blasted with a view of repairing it a year or two ago but it was pretty badly holed, could have been repaired but would have been a lot of work. I'd since then found a much better one on eBay fairly local to me so I bought that and had it blasted and powder coated.
The rear diff was fitted to it and readied for fitting to the car.

The long studs you may have spotted poking out of the boot floor I'd made from a couple of spare bolts then welded some threaded bar to them to make the extra long studs...

The reason for making them was that again, working on my own I have to try and plan things so jacking up the rear subframe with diff attached and trying to stop it falling off whilst trying to line up the mounting bolts, that didn't fill me with hope of a happy outcome!

Solution was to fit the studs into the mounting holes in the car then the assembly could be very simply, and safely jacked up to the car floor.

With it jacked up against the underside of the car it was easy to remove a stud and fit the correct bolt with no fear of it falling or being out of line, worked a treat!

I'd actually done this before with these studs but on an Alfa 155 rear axle after I'd done some welding to it, homemade tools used twice!

Rear hubs I'd already cleaned and painted after fitting new bearings, driveshafts got new rubber boots.

Suspension arms also readily painted with new bushes where needed, new rear load compensator was sourced as old one was totally seized, I have also added the diff guard which is also said to stiffen the inner suspension mount points on the diff subframe, also powder coated. 

The brackets for the rear anti-roll bar on, new powerflex bushes not out of vanity but because they were available...

The brake compensator mechanism I may actually have fitted wrongly, seems different way up now I've looked at old pictures so may have to alter that..

The front tracking adjuster arms I have welded a large nut onto so I can adjust it much easier, you can see it here..

The pivot bushes for the compensator arm I struggled to find, at the time...since then of course I've found some..didn't fancy using the Brass bushes on offer
So I measured the holes for what I needed then found a company selling nylon bushes in the size to suit. 
All fitted well so hopefully will do another 30 years

Some cars get displayed on a turntable.  Yours I'd have at a show on a powered rotisserie.

Fantastic work and having done it myself i know the shear amount of it you will have had to put in!

Bushes are becoming increasingly difficult to locate, i think Beilstein in Germany have some sets, but they're expensive along with a few other European suppliers.
Go careful though your not on the rear jacking points, you've got the axle stands under the production line locators ( there should be 2 more on the front floorpans ), they are only there to stop the vehicles bumping into each other on the conveyor belt as you load the weight back into the shell you could damage them! I always have to tell MOT inspectors not to jack on them.

Cheers guys, it's been a load of work that's for sure!

The parts where the axle stands are under on the rear were rotten so I built them up with strong steel to use as jacking points, the original ones half way down the sills I didn't redo. So I've now got 4 good strong jacking/axle stand points at each corner near the sill end. You're right about the original location points being flimsy so I did away with them.



Don't know about it being on a rotisserie in the future, this car will get used as intended so it won't stay this clean and tidy for long  ;D

Really enjoying this thread!!

A good while ago the engine got fitted to my engine stand in my shed at home awaiting the time to be taken apart, I didn't want to have it done then sat waiting for the car.
It ran OK but as was now around 30 years old it was due a refresh at least!

The water rail along the back of the engine had rotted out so a good used one went on the list to be found, managed to get a rust free one which I got powder coated so hopefully it'll last another 30 years!

Generally everything looked tired and ready for new seals etc

Head came off without too many dramas, I took it off to have a quick look in the bores to see what the wear was like (very minimal thankfully) but also so I could slide it under my workbench where it would sit until nearer the time when I needed it, which would mean 18 months or so later!

Skip forward to the end of last year and with the car being near done the engine became priority.
The sump is kind of odd, has a large aluminium main section with a steel bottom plate, looks like it's been a bit leaky..

Crank all looked good

Bores were in great shape, hardly a mark on them and no lip you could feel

The water jacket at the rear had quite a build up of sediment behind the blanking plate, not ideal!

The crank was checked out and declared fit so once cleaned down and any potentially dubious core plugs removed it was time to hone the bores

The bores were checked using new piston rings for end gap which were within tolerance so with the pistons cleaned they all went back in

I decided against painting the block as I like the original look with it's stencilling plus it's effort that is pretty much hidden anyway, and as I've said before it's not a show car merely going to be a good one I don't mind using.

Crankshaft went back in with new big end shells, main bearing shells and thrust washers.
Plastigauge was used to check for bearing clearance so everything was checked to be within spec.

 

The cylinder head got stripped down and skimmed, valves lapped in and all built back up.

With the engine block moved up to the unit as I wouldn't be able to move the engine complete from my shed at home, it went on the engine stand for the head to be refitted..

New water pump, both timing belt and balance belt with new bearings and tensioners.

Refurbished alternator, power steering pump, sump etc back on

After a lot of thought I decided to go for a refurbishment of the standard turbo rather than a hybrid upgrade, mainly as it will be a useable car rather than looking for big power. Plus I don't plan on modifying a load of stuff to make use of extra boost!
The turbo and manifold I left off until the engine goes back in

Back down off the engine stand so the flywheel and new clutch could go on

Gearbox back on

...and transfer 'box

Excellent blog this one... can't wait for it to start up  ;D

Hi Kev,
Could you let me know the name & telephone number of the company that made your number plates?

Cheers, Rpb

Hi Rob.


My lad took an old one with him to the Newark auto jumble and they made a pair there, quite a good copy as they recreated the Mountview motors logo etc. Not sure what the company name is, I'll ask my lad when I see him next. 8)

Thanks Kev,

My number plates need replacing & I'd like to have them just like the originals (with little Lancia shields at the bottom)  ;)

Time marches on and I still need to update this thread..

With the engine and gearbox reunited the engine bay got prepped ready to accept it all.

The steering rack had already gone in of course, the brake servo went in with a new master cylinder. The gearbox support bracket got sand blasted and fitted with a new poly bush.

The wiring was loosley put where it needs to be, cables etc likewise.

Quite a jumbled mess really....

Heater box had been trial fitted so I knew what went where, drain tubes fitted.

I'd made some little wheels on brackets so I could slide the whole assembly under the car without it resting on the sump, this meant the car had to be raised pretty high as I don't have a lift at my unit. Just enough room is enough room, about half an inch clearance  ;D

I took my time to lift it all into place, leaving the turbo and exhaust manifold off helped with working space to lift it all up through the engine bay.

The car was lowered down a little then the assembly lifted up using my engine crane and trolley jacks for support and alignment.

Looks a lot of room from this angle, but there was very minimal clearance when it came up whilst trying to avoid hitting the cross-member

The repair brace I made up for the broken gearbox mounting lug thankfully has enough clearance around where I'd repaired the chassis rail...

Still time consuming to find parts you forgot you needed, like the plates for the gearbox mount. Did eventually find them of course so cleaned and painted, not for vanity but more for future protection.

I can see why it's a PITA job to do the water pump with the engine in situ!

Exhaust manifold and turbo went on, much easier without any radiators there, how the rally crews did it on a hot rally engine I'll never know.

You can see from this angle how it would have gotten in the way with raising the engine into the engine bay.

The suspension parts I'd previously refurbished, some powder coated again for protection.

All the driveshafts got new CV boots, all 8 of them!
9 if you count the one at the propshaft end...

When I cleaned up the propshaft which was covered in old underseal, grease and general grime from its' 30 years use I found what I guess to be the original date stencilling from 17th June 1989, glad I didn't get it blasted and painted.

Radiator was recored by a local company, I do like to use local smaller companies when I can rather than faceless multi outlet companies, you get a better service and it keeps them going so they are still there when you need them.

The fan cowling I'd had blasted and powder coated some time back, the fan got a clean up and some heat proof paint on the heat shield.

Intercooler cowling was in reasonable order with minimal repairs needed considering how much abuse it gets from it's vulnerable position, hopefully the paint will keep it right for a good few years to come.

Water radiator, oil cooler with cleaned and painted pipes plus intercooler in place, starting to look like a car now.

The rest of the refit went fairly easily, but got more and more cramped as the bits went in.
The power steering pipes were particularly troublesome as I replaced with new instead of using 30+ year old soft stuff for the low pressure side, the oil resistant stuff in the correct size was so resistant to going around corners I had to use some 90deg elbows instead of trying to turn tightly.

I'd found a new middle & rear exhaust online so with the front pipe in decent enough shape I used them, I have had a few cars that I've had stainless systems made up for which I may well do in the future, nothing too moisy though mainly just for length of life!

Once everything was connected up and the oil primed I set about trying to start the engine.

Couldn't initially get a spark so much checking of wiring diagrams so I could trace each wire for conductivity, somewhere within the loom the wire from the coil/ignition amplifier back to the ECU in the car had lost its' feed. I couldn't face taking the loom out as that would be a real task so simply ran a new wire.
Once done the car started pretty much instantly.

With the engine now a runner I could finally fit the wings, I'd left them off up to now to save damaging them by leaning into the engine bay.

Bumper & bonnet with lights and grille took the car onto looking much more complete, pink in the pictures from the camera 'phone isn't a realistic representation of the red!

The repaired and painted inner wings got some treatment for under the liners rather than leave bare, I need to help the car stay solid as much as possible!

Particular attention went into protection for inside the doors as they get the rainwater coming past the seals, also vital to make sure the drain holes in the door bottoms aren't blocked or the water can't get out.

When refitting the plastic liner between door and doorcard it is important to make sure the bottom edges are tucked inside the openings so any water runs back inside the door rather than against the doorcard.

Nice to finally get the door cards back onto the car

The carpet is back in too, as you've no doubt spotted!

Seats are in great shape despite the age and mileage, being protected for all their life under thick seat covers has stopped the side bolsters from wearing thin.

The horrible roof lining was about the last task that I wasn't looking forward to, trimming is far from my speciality!

But there was no way this could go back in the car...

Sunroof panel itself didn't look any more appealing!

I got hold of some new material designed for roof linings that had a foam backing on it but still only 2mm thick, colour wasn't so important as it will all be replaced. The grey was just about right though.

The black side panels are actually screwed to the main section from underneath, trapping the material which is stapled in place.

Thankfully it all came apart well.

New material was stretched over the whole lining using contact adhesive so glue it down, would have been so much easier with an extra pair of hands, this contact adhesive does what it says on the tin!

Second attempt went OK, first one resulted in me having to rip it all off and start again...

The hole for the sunroof was cut out a few days later so it all had time to cure nicely.

For the sunroof panel I had to enlist the help of the Mrs and her sewing machine.

The new panel needed to be clipped to the sunroof using metal rods stitched into itself and pulled taut in all directions.

She did a great job really, better than I could have done, don't tell her though!

Handle and trim fitted a treat.

Actually quite pleased with the results, considering what it did look like!

Sill covers and bits of trim back in, getting better each visit at this stage of the refit.

I got hold of a bonnet vent deflector to divert the rainwater coming in from the front vents in the bonnet, without it the water can drown the distributor cap and plug leads.

It also has the benefit of diverting hot air from the radiator away out through the bonnet rather than into the engine bay which can only help with cooling. The felt bonnet lining needed cutting around the alloy vent.

Car was very much starting to look more complete with the light at the end of the tunnel shining bright....

Fantastic job, Kev!
I just hopped back to page 1 of your project - and what a transformation  :)
 
Hats off to you!
 
Tim

Hi Tim.

Yes, it's often a reminder of where the car was to look back at the original pictures, once you get going with the work it is easy to forget where it all started!

Hi Kev,

I've just read your latest article on your integrale restoration in Viva Lancia & wanted to congratulate you on completing it & to such a high standard. You've obviously picked up a lot of skills over the years as you seemed to have done nearly every job yourself, from fabrication, welding, spraying & engine rebuilding, pretty impressive stuff. You must be really chuffed to finally be able to drive your dream car after all those years & I'll be interested to hear of any work / mods that you may do in the future  ;).

Cheers, Rob

Cheers guys, it's been a journey that's for sure.
As those reading the magazine will know, it's now on the road, I've let the updates on here lapse a bit so I'll try and catch up.

When I originally had the wheels stripped and powder coated we intended to polish the lip and the 16 little spokes. The reality of how to do that without chipping the edges and afterwards keeping it from corroding on the bare aluminium changed my mind, the car will be used not a garage queen so ease of use without having to be constantly keeping on top of the cleaning is more important.

However, the look of fairly dark wheels with the tyres on just looked too much to me.
Seemed the simplest solution would be to paint the edges silver.
I tried to hand paint the extra one I'd had coated but that just looked terrible.
The painstaking process of keying the parts to be painted began, but that was the easy bit! Masking out took me about 3 hours!!

They came out OK, from a distance. Despite the time taken for masking the lines aren't overly crisp but it's made them look close enough to the original design.

You will notice that the side skirts are now on, sounds simple but needed some work.
The drivers side one had a couple of cracks in it which needed repairing.

The method I've used before on plastics is to melt some aluminium mesh into the back of the split. To do this I've a flattened screwdriver that I heat up red hot with the acetylene torch then use that to press the mesh into the plastic, this melts the plastic and forces the mesh into the plastic itself. Do this in a series of times and it melts the mesh fully into the plastic bridging the crack, reinforcing the break.

Once repaired they needed to match the rest of the black parts so they got sprayed with the same satin black as the door parts etc.
A pair of new badges completed the job.

New badges made all the difference  8)

The time had finally come to get the car booked in for an MoT.
It'd seemed an age to wait but all at once we were ready, seems to happen like that with such a long list of jobs, you think it'll never happen..
The day it went in for the test was the wettest it'd been for ages, so much for one last polish the night before!

Thanks to Chris for being the first to really give an opinion on the car, seems it was good enough to get a pass!
His first drive of an integrale was on the same day as mine  ;D
Taxed online so able to do a few miles straight away.

Impressed with the side skirt repair - a new one on me.  Mrs did a lovely job on the sunroof.  Wheels look great, hopefully one of those jobs where you'll soon stop looking and forget both the time and the edges not as crisp as you hoped.

BIG milestone getting the MOT, and well done on first time pass.

What's it like to drive? 

I've used the repair method on a few bits and it seems to work well, the mesh bridges the crack to reinforce it whilst becoming part of it being melted into it. I once used some mesh with fibreglass resin but that was laid on, not such a strong repair.

This was one my first attempts on my Alfa sud Ti.

Congratulations Kevin! What an inspiration to those still plodding on with restorations.

Having been through a similar scenario with both Modestine and the Fanalone I can promise you that the heightened sense of achievement and satisfaction at having completed the work almost entirely by yourself won't leave you for years to come. I still catch sight of myself in the rear view mirror with a stupid grin on my face! :o

Look forward to seeing you and the car soon. Will you be at the AGM?

Robin.

Hi Robin. Thanks for kind words.
It has been a trial at times but as it sits on my driveway now then it all seems worth it, as you say there's a huge amount of satisfaction at doing the cars yourself.
I will indeed be at the AGM on the Sunday in the integrale if anyone is interested to see the car I'd be happy to see all, and hopefully see if the reality lives up to the thread..

Truly epic Kevin, we take our collective hats off to you, a great thread and a wonderful outcome, a great credit to you, enjoy for years and years!


P

For those who didn't read the magazine I'd always promised to take the car back to the original owner, a promise that spurred me on at times, not wanting to let anyone down. Part of the deal in me getting the car was that I'd repair it and take it back to show him.
Thankfully I was able to do that, on the same day as I got it tested.
He seemed genuinely pleased to see it done, despite me keeping him updated and him following progress in the magazine.

It's been a month or two now since the car was deemed done, to be honest though I've not been able to drive it much.
A niggling but very hard to find fault meant that anything much above half throttle and boost starting to build up saw the car completely cutting out. Not the sort of drive I was looking forward to trying!

After lengthy stays at my local guy to try and  find the fault he had to just set the boost low to allow me to go to the AGM. Issue my chap was having is the car seems to not want to talk to any of his equipment and his memory of stuff from 30 years ago mixed in with modern stuff in his workshop just went on to confuse. Things having to be checked manually without and fault code readings.

At last though a glimmer. I managed to get a fault read with a bosch tester, crankshaft position sensor. We had suspected it would be a sensor, but there's loads of suspects. Guessing could get expensive. In the back of my mind I had thoughts about the whole loom needing changing... That wouldn't be easy, or cheap!

Yesterday I fitted the new cps and tried the car, hoping it would be cured but knowing I'm never that lucky, but £25 for a valeo sensor was worth a try.

At last!!!

Could finally use full throttle and see the boost ride up to 1.2b boost without me headbutting the dash!

I've been out today in the pouring rain to finally get to try the car properly for the first time.
I can now see what all the fuss is about.
The road holding in the wet is astounding, corners that would be a visit to the scenery in anything else I've got, or had before, were just taken without drama. I found that punching it through the corner on boost loaded up the outside wheel so you could feel the car dig in and power out, this on wet roads. I can't imagine how stupid you'd have to be in the dry on the road to be in trouble, way beyond what is deemed sensible.
Acceleration is great, in a wait for the boost kind of way that modern turbo diesels just don't suffer from, or more accurately they don't give the feeling of the boost building with the grins!

I always said it wouldn't be a pampered car, not that it will see road salt again but a bit of rain and mud? Why not. A rain soaked cadwell park just for starters, only the grass viewing areas this time though.  ;)

What a relief - and joy.  WELL DONE !!!

Well done Kevin you did well to fix that fault. A problem like that can be so difficult to solve as it could be any number of reasons. Sometimes a bit of luck is what you need  ;).

Nice result...had a similar problem on my Dedra Turbo as the loom from the cps had frayed and would short on the body when you gave it full throttle cutting the engine off as the engine moved on it's mountings as the torque built up.
Clarkey

Brilliant job Kevin, truly a man of many talents!
Jaydub

Cheers guys, yes a huge relief to have it running right now, just a shame it's so late in the year!
Interesting that you seemed to have had an identical issue Clarkey, same symptoms too, mine was OK driven gently. Now I don't have to though! Just hope to get a few more days out in it before the road salt goes down..

Car is now safely tucked away for the winter next to another of my old cars, the Dedra turbo that my friend Jim bought off me probably 10 years ago..

It's been a while since I posted but like most of us, not much happened last year!
I have been busy restoring a Y10 which I have now finished, and with the prospect of going anywhere much in the Delta not looking likely for a while I decided to attend to a rather annoying issue that the car has had for some time now, pretty much since the rebuild.
An oil leak from the upper reaches of the engine which gave that horrible burning oil smell as it was mainly on the exhaust manifold!

I have been putting it off for some time now, not relishing taking it all apart again. Told myself that I will tackle it next winter.

An unexpected week off meant I could bring it forward in an effort to stop the embarrassing smell and smoke from under the bonnet. A lady actually came up to me at a petrol station last summer, not that she was interested in the car (or me!) but she asked quite innocently "do you know your car is smoking". Yes I said, it's like me, old and leaky.
But embarrassing.

The leak was making the exhaust manifold wet with oil, no wonder it smelled. Didn't seem to be the cambox gasket, or the top cover gasket. Distributor was a bit damp inside but not enough to be the source.
My mind said it could only be the head gasket, isn't it always the worst?

So I set to and took the head off.

Stripped it all down, found an issue or two, wrong cambox base gaskets for one thing. I also changed the oil seal inside the distributor as I'd only done the outer O ring last time.
All pointed to the cambox wrong gasket which had a circular seal where it needed a slot to match the underside of the cambox.

A chance conversation with my friend Chris though alerted me to a phenomenon that I have never heard of, so not that I didn't consider it to be a possible cause it just didn't occur to me to consider it.

I'm sharing this for those who do take their cars apart and miss this vital step, so if you already know then don't condemn me too much!

The exhaust manifold has two studs that go into the head which are not in blind holes, as in they continue into the head internals, or more specifically they end up in the oil gallery exactly where the oil return is...

Now what happens is that the hot oil can work its way down the threads of the stud and out onto the manifold. I was a little bit sceptical, must be an old wives tale surely but no, Google confirmed its quite common especially it seems on turbocharged cars.
On the Delta of course the manifold studs are angled down at over 45 degrees which aids oil flow.

When I removed the stud a trickle of oil ran out just to confirm things, the stud threads were  wet too so definetly my leak source.... confirmed when I looked closer at the oil staining on the manifold...

On checking with the makers of Loctite threadlock they confirmed that the one I had to hand will do the job so I was able to get them refitted with the Loctite threadlock/sealer. Loctite 243 from memory but I will check that.

So if this prevents one person from overlooking an unknown, to me fault then I can put up with the embarrsement, just I hope to avoid the embarrassing looks at filling stations now! Or once I have reshimmed the valve clearances and put everything back together!

It must be good to have that sorted. Having done so much work n the car it must have been mighty frustrating to have an embarrassing oil leak. You should have told the lady in the petrol station that the car was over 18 so it was perfectly legal for it to smoke.

Yes, very frustrating Frank you're right, and very embarrassing.
Every day is a school day though as they say, never occurred to me to seal the studs.
Car is almost back together now, been re-shimming it today so next Saturday I should be able to start it up, and hope it's no longer an 18+ smoker  ;D

You are not alone - my son who owned an Integrale 15 or or years ago had exactly the same problem with the same cause. Must be a design fault. He fixed it the same way. He also had problems with the alloy wheels going pears shaped due to potholes - this we once fixed with the aid of a lead sash weight to beat the rim back into shape.

Mike

Hmmmm...my Dedra Turbo leaked oil from around the exhaust manifold area but I think the man at Walkers near Northallerton was mumbling something about an oil breather/trap gizmo that needed cleaning out at vast expense. It too was embarrassing as it would gout engine oil onto the exhaust manifold on the first start up of a morning and reek of burnt oil all day...I had always thought constant loss lubrication systems were the domain of self-loveel engines. Still went like stink though  :) :) :)
Clarkey

My last Dedra, a 2.0ie auto had the same problem that I though was a leak from the cambox gasket, but turned out to be from the same source.
Stud was put back with a thread sealer, no more problems, but stank until all th oil burnt off.
Brian
8227 8)

I'm amazed at how common a problem it seems to be yet I've never heard about it! Del Amitri, Always the last to know  ;D

It does make sense when you think about it though, the studs in question face downhill at over 45 degrees so as the oil is designed to flow it tight spaces like crankshaft journals and cam bearings it seems logical that aided by gravity it will eventually find a way past the threads without any sealant to stop it.
Being honest I'm just happy, and confident that I've found the issue....time will tell, this Saturday hopefully as long as the shims arrive in time..

A bullet has been dodged though in the oil supply pipe to the turbo. The original was a bit pitted but cleaned up OK when done a few years back. I had painted it with high temperature aerosol paint in an effort to protect it but the signs were there that the rust was coming back as I hadn't dare blast it back originally. But on reflection I should have done, if it is weak enough to get holed from blasting then it isn't fit for purpose. Now it's off I am less keen on taking the risk so gave it some vigorous cleaning with the knotted wheel, which produced a small hole near the mounting bracket. OK the knotted wheel is very harsh and can cause holes where they wouldn't necessarily be a weak point but if it was solid enough then it would have been able to withstand the cleaning.

Doesn't warrant contemplating what would happen should a hole develop while driving and a jet of hot engine oil spray over the turbo and manifold! A new pipe arrived today.  8)

I just did the same knotted wheel destruction on a Beta top water pipe. I may try brazing a patch over it but thankfully I think I've sourced another replacement.

You big rough so and so's

guilty as charged  ;D

Well the rough tactics in cleaning the oil feed pipe meant I had to buy a new one, the OE design is available but at near £200 once VAT and shipping are factored in that seemed to be a bit excessive.
A E Car Lancia parts came to the rescue again. I've used them a good few times and Eddie is always quick at sending parts and answering enquiries.
They do an aftermarket kit that has a braided flexible outer and comes with all the fittings to be a direct replacement, screwing straight into the turbo rather than using the bolted flange.
Tight for space so pleased I changed this now with access OK before refitting the radiator etc.
But as you can see in the pictures, a fracture or pinhole in the old one would have been a real disaster!

Car is back together now, well enough to have had it running. Bumper, bonnet and grille I left off so I can see what's going on easier. All looking good so far but to see if the stud leak fix has worked it'll need a few miles under its belt.
I'll also do an oil and filter change too now it's had a run up to temperature and flushed any debris out.

In memory of the previous owner, Tony Young who sadly died last year I have vowed to use the car more, even for just a ride out.
Last year between tests I only did around 100miles!
Tony loved the car and took an age to sell it to me, to just leave it under cover in my rented workshop is not what he would have wanted.
A planned run up to Kielder forest next month for a rally is just that start.
RIP Tony.

As the car is freshly taxed and tested it's now at home so no excuses not to use it..
As I have a season pass for my local Cadwell Park racetrack then that's an easy excuse for a ride out.

On the way home I called in at the former Mountview motors garage that were the Lancia dealership in Horncastle who sold it new to Tony, only him and me being the owners.
The garage is owned by a friend of a friend now and I've heard it may be going through some changed soon, hopefully not to housing!
So with the "I'll do that sometime" thoughts of pulling up to take a fresh picture of the car outside looming large in my mind it dawned on me that I ought to call in on the way home from Cadwell, just in case the place dissappears!

Great to see you're getting out & about in your Delta Kev  ;D. After all your hard work it would be a shame for it to just sit in the garage gathering dust. Sometimes I drive my Delta to work or even just to the shops as I love being out in it  :D.

Hi Rob, nice to hear from you again.
It is indeed all too easy to let time pass and not use the cars after all the effort we've put in, glad to hear you're using yours too.

I've heard it can be a right pain with the photographer - but would you consider doing an article with one of the monthlies in memory of Tony?  (Am sure Tim Heath would help...)  It might be "another day out", and sharing his memory, and its a great story and brilliant restoration of a wonderful car.

I can't see why not David, if they consider it worthy.
It was a struggle at times to get the car done but never in doubt that it would eventually be back on the road, too good a story to give up on.

The wind noise had always disappointed me on the Delta since getting it finished, I know cars have moved on a lot in the last 30 years in that regard but it was hard to hold a conversation at anything above 60mph.
The standard seal on the doorway is little more than a trim to cover the sharp metal flange, which on mine it left a gap around the door window frames.
There is a seal that is on the door itself which keeps the rain out but I thought if I could fill that gap then that may help.
I came across this seal on the Woolies trim website, a small lip flange that protrudes out but can easily be crushed so shouldn't hinder any where the door would fit tighter.

The original is just a strip with no real seal on it.

I fitted it to all 4 door openings, down to the seat on the rears as I figured the seat itself would block any noises.

On the fronts I went all the way around.

Down besides the dash.

It's nicely flexible and easy to fit.
You need 8.5M to do the 4 doors, I bought a 1M test piece first to see how it fitted then once happy ordered another 8M which was just a few inches short enough, so ordering 8.5M will be enough if anyone wants to try it.
I can say it has improved things, not up to modern car standards by any means, the big square door mirrors don't help that any plus the roof gutters, but now at 60mph a conversation is much simpler, even at 70 the noise isn't anywhere near as intrusive as it was.
The doors require a slightly more firmer push to close but as ever with new seals that should ease slightly as they settle.
So for around £50 I consider it money well spent.

The website if anyone is interested, I know there are cheaper places to buy but Woolies are a good outfit and always helpful so I'm happy to use them.

https://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1285-door-seal

Part number 265A if the link hasn't worked!

Yes I have the same issue with my HF turbo, conversations at over 60 MPH are best avoided. Thanks for the tip Kev, I might treat my Delta to some new Woolies door seals  ;).

It does seem to have made a difference Rob, as I say not up to modern standards but at 60 it's very good and even at 70 it's still acceptable for an old girl  ;D

Well, last year went very poorly really.
I only did about 650kms in the car between MoT's so that's a very poor effort.
One of the reasons for such a lacklustre effort was my distractions with other cars like the Dedra and GTV but also for the last year or so there has been a knocking noise on the drivers front suspension which I couldn't trace despite multiple checks and even two MoT tests showing nothing untoward!
This last test though did point out that the OSF outer CV boot had a bit of damage that needed sorting before it split.
So I decided that the whole corner would be stripped out, suspension and hub plus the wheel arch liner to make sure a crack weasn't appearibng somewhere, I was getting that paranoid!
With the car up on axle stands I used the wheel to lever myself up off my knees, as I seem to have to now in my mid 50's, and to mu surprise there was a loud "clonk" from the suspension as the wheel dropped slightly! Aha I thought, there's my noise!
It turns out that the strut top mounts which are aluminium ones with spehrical, rose joint type bearings rather than rubber bonded ones had some wear in them which only became apparent when the wheel pulled down. No hint of any play when doing the usual checks in lifting the strut up with a lever, there must be enough tension in the lower arms to hold the suspension up even with the weight off the wheels so no play was detected at the top mount.

This afternoon I fitted new mounts both sides and the knock has gone at last!
This year I will now have no excuse to not use the car, if I don't then I may as well let somone else have it!
But after all the work that's gone into it I would be hard pushed to let it go. Can't really see that happening.

Shame that you haven't put many miles on your integrale over the last year Kev but now you've sorted out the clonking suspension there will be no stopping you  ;D. It's funny how sometimes you can spend hours, days or even months trying to rectify an issue then other days you end up finding it in 5 minutes purely by accident!

Well, all those good intentions came to nothing. The poor car has sat in the workshop gathering dust whilst the Dedra and latterly the Flavia took my time up.
Determined to make good I've brought it home now so this morning the dust was washed off and brought out in the autumn sunshine. It will be on SORN at the month end so I will do my best to use it, starting with a ride out this afternoon.
The Dedra will get a ride up to The Motorist near Leeds next Sunday as Richard is semi interested in it and it's a place that I want to have a look at, from the TV show Bangers and Cash restoring classics so a good excuse for a Sunday morning ride out for a bacon roll and a cuppa with some chat thrown in.