Petrol or Diesel? and insurance!

[grandespud]

Hi all
Seriously considering a 'new' Delta to replace an ageing Giulietta as my daily car. It would of course to converted to a Lancia asap!

I know it's down to personal preference somewhat, and how you use the car, but are there any particular issues with the 1.6 m-jet diesel or 1.4 m-air petrol engines used in these cars that I need to worry about, or at least check on when considering them?

Also, what are members experiences regarding insurance notification when swapping badges and effectively 're-branding' the cars? i.e. should the insurers be informed (I'm guessing yes!) and if people have done it, what does it do to the premiums?

Cheers all, Paul.

 

[neil-yaj396]

I've never informed insurers of the Lancia badges on my Ypsilon. It remains a 'Chrysler' on the V5 and I don't think insurers would ever classify a UK supplied car as anything other than what it was declared as on sale to DVLA. De-badging used to be popular and had no impact on insurance.

How old is your Giulietta? weren't the engine ranges very similar?

[A1.6HPE]

Hello Paul,
I have a 1.6 M-Jet version and that engine is used in various other cars including a Suzuki of some sort. So I think they are fairly well respected. 
Regarding the badging, I have never felt the need to change the badges, as anyone who is interested knows the story and people who are not interested probably wander away if you start explaining the situation.  However, when one opens the bonnet the headlamps have manufacturing stickers visible stating Lancia and in fact the wheels have Lancia cast into them for insurance inspectors comfort. The main setback in re-badging is that the glazing all has Chrysler branding etched onto them.

Something to be wary of is that the Deltas are not under-sealed so are prone to surface corrosion on the rear beam and the power-train subframe and the MOT people don't like that.  FIAT 500s suffer the same way and probably the Ypsilons do.

Leo

[grandespud]

I've never informed insurers of the Lancia badges on my Ypsilon. It remains a 'Chrysler' on the V5 and I don't think insurers would ever classify a UK supplied car as anything other than what it was declared as on sale to DVLA. De-badging used to be popular and had no impact on insurance.

How old is your Giulietta? weren't the engine ranges very similar?

Hi Neil
Mine's a 2011 Giulietta - a 1.4 m-air. It's the 170bhp version though, which I don't think the Delta version would be. I was wondering if it may be a little underpowered with a gigger car like the Delta. Although I do like the idea of staying with petrol now!
Then again, that Dedra on ebay has dropped in price!.......... 

[frankxhv773t]

The Dedra is an excellent car and there is great advice and parts back up through TDC, Thema Dedra Consortium.

[grandespud]

The Dedra is an excellent car and there is great advice and parts back up through TDC, Thema Dedra Consortium.

Thanks Frank. I had a Dedra 2.0ie many years ago and loved it. I bought it from my dad because I wanted a nice motorway guzzler at the time.
Have you seen the 1.8ie on ebay? What do you think to it?
Cheers, Paul

[frankxhv773t]

I've seen it on e-bay and it definitely had me twitching. It sounds like an absolute peach. If I had any space I'd be seriously tempted myself. Does the registration suggest it may have come from Ireland?

[fay66]

The Dedra is an excellent car and there is great advice and parts back up through TDC, Thema Dedra Consortium.

I've always had 2.0ie Dedras and while the 1 8 is very nice, apart from meeting regulations in some countries I believe on engine size.
You had the same servicing costs and mechanical implications of the 2.0 without the benefit of the 2 .0 specification, such as Alcantara interior that wore better than the cloth of others, no electric rear windows, no remote central locking, and many other bells and whistles.
Granted some 1.8' s did have some of these features as Lancia UK seemed to have some odd specs, my first of 5 Dedras was a 2.0iese that had a host of special features that my others didn't have.
If anyone is looking for a a long time keeper that should be easy to keep a 1.6 would fit the bit with many items also used in Fiat's such as the Tipo and Tempra, as well as the SOHC Engine, and not a lot of complicated electronics.
Brian
8227

Thanks Frank. I had a Dedra 2.0ie many years ago and loved it. I bought it from my dad because I wanted a nice motorway guzzler at the time.
Have you seen the 1.8ie on ebay? What do you think to it?
Cheers, Paul

[grandespud]

I've seen it on e-bay and it definitely had me twitching. It sounds like an absolute peach. If I had any space I'd be seriously tempted myself. Does the registration suggest it may have come from Ireland?

I've had a closer look at the pics and vid on the garage web site - wheels are shot and look completely wrong for the car. The 'supersprint' exhaust, whilst nice that's it's stainless steel, I'm guessing is quite sporty sounding so doesn't seem appropriate really. There are a couple of rust spots appearing around the rear arches and rear cill areas but not bad considering. Rear spoiler looks to have a fair bit of paint damage/chipping on the trailing edge, possibly from reversing into something. Generally, pretty clean body wise. Service history looks quite limited unfortunately - just past MOT paperwork mainly, and the last service on 2019, which included belts. Looks like it's sailed through the MOT for the last few years at least, with minor advisories relating to disc wear and exhaust gas leaks (which would explain the stainless sports exhaust!). only slight concern is the mention of an engine oil leak, but noted as 'not excessive'.

Tempting, especially if the price keeps dropping!  .....

[grandespud]

Apologies by the way, seem to have strayed into a Dedra discussion on the wrong thread!