I bought My Dream Lancia! | Lancia Delta Integrale EVO 1 | Ben Collins

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Ooops. I did it again. OK so i'm obsessed with the Lancia Delta Integrale. I love the styling and I love the handling. Having driven all the different variants of the fully endowed 16V machines, I’ve rounded on what I believe to the ultimate spec and decided to restore (!) a barn find dream car. And this one is a real belter!!

The Delta Integrale is fairly unique in that way that it tackles roads because it has a wheel at the extremity of each corner, there’s no overhang, making it incredibly well-planted. In its O.G. suspension configuration it also permits enough weight transfer to pitch the car in at extraordinary speed, without understeering off into the vegetation.

With my early model “16 valve” Delta, that trait of being able to point the car anywhere is really pronounced because of the narrower track suspension. It’s a proper little ASBO, ever eager to kick off – and the sound in the cabin is more raucous. And I love the seating position in the old school 90’s disco-tastic seats.

The Evo 2, which everyone raves about, has Recaro seats that sit higher in the cabin and my head rubs the ceiling, so even though the chair has more support you still feel like you’re riding on the car as opposed to sitting deep inside it (which I much prefer)

Step in the Evo 1.. it ticks all the boxes for me. It has the wider suspension and increased power of the Evo 2, with that mad boxey bodywork – but it retains the original seats. And the seats in this barn find are absolutely stunning – black leather with matching trim in the headliner. It reminds me of the Ferrari BB – an all-time classic for looks and Ferrari brawn.

So begins the journey of returning this little classic to its former glory. A lot of Evos I’ve driven have been heavily modified, especially the ones out of Japan on shortened shock absorbers with less travel and a stiffer ride. Totally unnecessary. The stiffer ride is deeply annoying on country roads and defies what makes the Delta handle so well in the first place: weight transfer. If the weight doesn’t shift around, you can’t steer the damn thing properly because you don’t get enough load on the outside wheel which is doing the work.

This Evo 1 is currently on it original shocks and springs and it glides like a bar of soap down a butter mountain. The car is well supported but it can roll. I’m at great pains to maintain that special original feeling and am hoping the shocks are salvageable. If they aren’t then I’ll be working tirelessly to find a modern version that matches the original.

Despite my moaning against over-tuning… I’m going to tune the engine a little bit. Just some extra pepper to raise the bhp to around 270bhp which is a fairly sweet spot for this 2.0 motor. And with the Evo 1 it’s easier to do because it uses a larger Garrett turbo than the one in the Evo 2, which also has to contend with a catalytic converter.

It’s going to take some time and I’m delighted to be supported on this project by Tanc Barratt who has forgotten more about these cars than I will never know. As you’ll soon discover, his team of artisans are laser-focused on restoring every detail of the Delta and it’s going to be a special process.. so long as the car behaves itself and by that I mean doesn’t turn out to be a rusted out box of frogs 😉

#lanciadelta #lancia #rally