The Lancia Delta Integrale Buying Guide – A classic rallying icon for your garage

The Lancia Delta Integrale was one of the most successful rally cars of all time. The homologated road-going form allowed mere mortals a taste of what made these rally cars so special.

Homologation specials are some of the most fascinating cars out there. Born from a need to meet racing regulations, they tend to feature race-bred components and unique features. This sets homologation cars apart from their less exotic stablemates, transforming them into engaging driving machines.

The Lancia Delta Integrale undoubtedly falls into this category. Developed to satisfy the World Rally Championship homologation requirements, it was one of the first hot hatches to effectively utilise turbocharging and four-wheel-drive.

Drive one today and the age of the platform immediately becomes apparent – the Integrale’s underpinnings were first used in the standard Deltas way back in 1979. However, as soon as you learn to account for the turbo lag and get accustomed to the relatively high driving position, the Integrale’s charms soon emerge. 

The Integrale still has extraordinary grip through tight corners and produces a satisfying surge of acceleration when on boost. Today’s crop of 300bhp+ hot hatches may easily outpace it, but in its day the Integrale was as quick point-to-point as just about anything on four wheels.

Introduced in 1987 as the 163bhp Delta HF, this little turbocharged hatchback received incremental updates all the way until the end of production in 1994. The pinnacle of the Delta Integrale’s development was the 212bhp Evoluzione II models, which sported a water-cooled turbocharger, 16-valve heads and acceleration that would leave a Ferrari 348 owner in disbelief.

Lancia Delta Integrale Engine and gearbox

The basic Integrale block is solid, but many cars have been remapped and modified, which puts a lot of strain on the internals. Listen for a noisy idle as some cars develop worn cam lobes, leading to camshaft damage. Smoky exhausts and a drop in power can point to worn valve guides, tired turbos, or both.

The limited space under the bonnet means that accessing certain components like the turbo can be labour intensive, so rectifying a minor oil leak or changing a belt may cost more than you might assume. 

Synchros take a beating and crunching in any of the low gears may require a gearbox-out repair. The diffs are strong and should not be troublesome.

Lancia Delta Integrale Suspension and Brakes

The standard suspension system offers a good compromise between comfort and handling. Some owners will have uprated the springs and installed strut braces, but this can negatively affect the overall balance of the car. The chassis can also develop cracks if a very stiff suspension is installed, so it is best to avoid heavily modified examples. 

A set of fresh suspension bushes and shocks on the standard setup can make a big difference to the way a car handles. Modified brakes are common too. This is no bad thing, as the standard units are not up to the task of regular hard use.

Lancia Delta Integrale Bodywork

The Integrale may look all kinds of hardcore thanks to its aggressive bodykit (especially on later Evo models), but beneath all the plastic bravado is the shell of a late 1970s hatchback that was at its limit dealing with 200bhp+ and a grippy all-wheel-drive setup. The end result is that some cars have developed stress cracks around the A-pillars and windscreen surrounds.

Rust can also manifest itself in the usual places like the wheel arches, sills, rear subframe and floorpan. Not all panels are easy to source, but there are specialists out there that can rectify a corroded shell, for a price. Mopar and FCA Heritage have recently begun to offer parts for the Integrale, starting with genuine front and rear bumpers made using the original moulding equipment.

Lancia Delta Integrale Interior

If the steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car you are probably sitting in one of the handful of dealer converted examples, if the paperwork is not on hand to prove it, you should probably keep looking.

The basic interior shares much with the standard Lancia Deltas of the time, so there are plenty of hard plastics and budget switchgear. Despite that, most of the materials are hard wearing, although the seat bolsters tend to wear out and door cards can start looking tired. 

Check that all the electrics work, some issues can be traced back to faulty fuses or earthing but certain electronic components can be difficult to source.

Model History Of The Lancia Delta Integrale

1986:   Delta HF 4WD launched with 163bhp eight-valve 2.0-litre turbo motor, seven-years after introduction of Lancia Delta hatchback

1987:   182bhp Delta HF Integrale 8v with larger turbo and wider body kit arrives

1989:   Delta HF Integrale 16v with 16-valve engine now produces 200bhp, suspension and gearbox updated

1991:   Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione arrives with 207bhp, changes include a new exhaust system and further suspension updates

1993:   Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione II producing 212bhp is the final iteration of the platform. Water cooled turbo and new 16-inch alloys some of the detail changes

Which Lancia Delta Integrale To Buy

With so many iterations and incremental updates carried out it is easy to get lost in the details when looking for an Integrale. Values have not always been at these high levels and many cars have been modified and crashed over the years. With that in mind, your primary focus should be to find a well-kept car with a verifiable service history, rather than searching for a particular variant.

Drive more than one example, the experience from behind the wheel can be vastly different depending on the vehicle’s condition. The later Evoluzione cars are the quickest and most capable but few owners will be wringing their cars out on a regular basis, moreso now values are so high for these final models. For an equally engaging experience and a great nostalgia trip back to the ‘80s, any of the earlier HF models will do the trick.

Find the best one you can afford and take it out for regular weekend drives, if only to remind other road users that Lancia used to produce some of the world’s most desirable cars.

Lancia Delta Integrale Specifications

2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four

Power:             163-212bhp

Top speed:      129-137mph

0-60mph:         5.7-7.8-sec

Economy:        20mpg est.

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TextJohn Tallodi Photos Newspress

Author: David Lillywhite

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