Description
Very reluctant sale of my Lancia Delta HPE 1. 9 Turbo Diesel. An extremely rare car in any form but, as far as I’m aware, this is the only one in the UK with the diesel engine.
I bought the car early last year and it’s been my main vehicle since. It’s been very reliable but sadly the MOT has just expired and it’ll need some work to pass another.
It will require welding to the sills and rear floor/ jacking point area on both sides. I’ve tried to capture this in the photos but would encourage viewing. It has also developed a coolant leak. I’m unsure where this is coming from but it is around the front of the engine. It’s a slow leak at the moment but for this reason, and the lack of MOT, I’d recommend getting it transported.
I haven’t taken it for an MOT and can’t guarantee it won’t need anything else, but there was nothing too concerning highlighted on the last one (advisories were for slightly worn/ pitted front brake discs and corroded rear springs). A lot of the mechanical parts are shared with the Fiat Tipo and Coupe, and Alfa Romeo 145, so are readily available.
The condition of the bodywork and paint is excellent for its age, with no visible rust or dents. The panels, wheel arches and all the usual problem areas appear to be rust free. The underside is less good, with various dents and damage from careless jacking prior to my ownership. The front suspension wishbones and ball joints were replaced a couple of years ago.
The car has been fitted with very comfortable black leather seats that I believe are from an Alfa Romeo 145. They are in excellent condition. The wheels are rare 15” Zender 5-spokes and look very good in my opinion, although they would benefit from being repainted. One centre cap is missing, but they are Alfa Romeo caps that I had planned to change in any case.
The speedometer and odometer have been recalibrated to read in miles rather than kilometres. The odometer currently reads 181, 000 which is likely to be a mixture of miles and km; I don’t know what the reading was when it was converted.
Other points to note:
* It’s an old diesel; it’s noisy and there is quite a bit of black smoke on startup from cold and at higher revs. This may be improved by adjusting the fuelling but I’ve not touched that in my ownership. I believe this engine is capable of being run on various alternative fuels, and a previous owner has reportedly done so, but I have run it only on diesel and it has returned around 45mpg consistently. It’s been very reliable, never failing to start in any weather.
* The clutch release bearing is noisy in neutral, the noise stops when the clutch is depressed.
* The interior fan has been rewired onto a discreet separate switch. This works okay but has only one speed and does not turn off with the ignition.
* The parcel shelf supports are damaged, so it falls down into the boot.
* The handbrake is high so requires adjustment, but it works fine.
* The front bumper is slightly loose on the driver’s side.
* It has a pull to the left so the tracking/ alignment needs adjusting.
* It’s due a service.
It originally would have worn a body-coloured grille, which I have and will include, but the paint on it is poor. I preferred the chrome one so haven’t had it painted. I also have a few hard-to-find spares including mirror cases and some other bits and pieces, along with a very rare English-language owners handbook.
I like this car very much and will be sad to see it go, especially as I know I’ll never find another, but I’m unable to do the welding myself so think it’s time to find it a better home.
