Quote: redmond wrote in post #75Rare for a reason (rust) av always fancied the s2 coupe, had the 20v Quattro and wished I had kept it, needed an estate so bought the v6 then an s4 back to a diesel quattro, 170 good car but not a fun car
Rust, a lot of pre Fiat ownership Lancia's still survive today, but you have to bear in mind they where the italian Bentley and price as so, very expensive and extremely high quality. My integrale is rare due to the reason of it conception. They only had to build so many to compete in the new Grp A WRC class, in fact they weren't expecting to sell as many as they did. A brief history is in 1987 after the banning of Grp. B, Lancia / Abarth competed in the new Grp A class with the HF4WD Delta and triumphed. Abarth had identified early on that the HF4WD had 2 major problems to be a long term serious contender, 1 the car had limited suspension travel and 2 they couldn't get enough air through the front of the vehicle for cooling and induction purposes. The integrale solved this by widening the track ( box arches ) which meant the suspension could run at an angle therefore increasing travel, it also gave a slightly increased frontal area, which coupled with perforated headlamp surrounds and various other perforated bits allowed for more cooling. At the end of the first season Lancia the Motor company where not impressed or interested as the Delta was already an old model and a new model was waiting in the wings, however the head of Fiat was impressed and due to a sales spike gave Abarth the run of the company, cancelling / delaying Lancia's plans for the new model. Which is why each year the integrale evolved as the Abarth rallying program did, the production car had to keep pace. If you went to buy an integrale new back in the 80's / 90's, you would have been buying a very raw car, front fog lights...extra, why? because if they where fitted Abarth would have had to use them in the rally's, they didn't need them as they fitted light pods as and when required, and the 2 holes in the front bumper where very handy for running cooling ducts....ABS...extra...again not required for GrpA, where weight saving was required.....etc, etc, but is also the reason why the car was never offered on RHD, simple Abarth didn't want or need it for Grp.A. This yearly development continued all the way to the end in 1992, when finally the head of Fiat had changed and the program was cancelled, the very last of the GrpA Abarth cars where then shipped off to Alfa Corse , Abarth was disbanded and Alfa Corse then re bodied the cars as Alfa 155's and entered the world of Touring Car racing. The final integrale victory therefore being the BTCC...albeit as a re bodied Alfa 155....and breathe
Quote: redmond wrote in post #77Fuck me, m you need to get out more 😆
I know, but the trouble was S, when you start the car throws up so many confusing details and it's only when you understand and learn about the history do you then begin to understand why things where done the way they where.
One last fact though that i found interesting, as the 16V was coming to the end of its competition life and just before it was superseded by the EVO, they competed in the Corsican rally, Kankkunen and Auriol both bombed out on the same corner due to sudden tyre deflation. After the event with the help of Michelin ( who where supplying the tyres, much to the disgust of Fiat who wanted Pirelli an Italian company ), it was found that Abarth had developed the car to such a degree that the traction they where now experiencing from the car was enough around certain corners to actually rip the tyres from there rims
Nothing much happening T, have now finally managed to clear the conservatory and loaded the garage into it, so work can now begin on taking the engine & box out so the shell can go away for the final time to have the inner wings and strut tops done. Part of the interior has gone away to the restorers.
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Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:49 am
, a lot of pre Fiat ownership Lancia's still survive today, but you have to bear in mind they where the italian Bentley and price as so, very expensive and extremely high quality.
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, but the trouble was S, when you start the car throws up so many confusing details and it's only when you understand and learn about the history do you then begin to understand why things where done the way they where
