Dedra Turbo sensible everyday car?

[DavidLaver]

The alarm failed on the Merc - it was six years old but the RAC man positively enjoyed himself pulling it all out and making the car run again.  The replacement was 250 fitted one evening by the hifi shop round the corner.  He told me on any other car (ie less than 10 years old) it would be at least 500 the part and half a day at a main dealer to get it to go.  He also said a modern Jag has more than a dozen computers in it.  What do they all do?   Guessing:

1 - engine ecu,
2 - gearbox,
3 - something to get the two to talk,
4 - abs/stability
5 - locking/alarm
6 - dash
7 - satnav/hifi/phone
8 - aircon
9 - wipers
10 - lights
11 - parking sensors
12 - ...erm...

Looking at that list dad's Volvo has had about half of that in its first five years.

Someone told me their Yaris keyfob got trodden on and it was 850.  You can buy a lot of waxoil for that, or more sensibly petrol.

Lots of cars go like a rocket - a Dedra turbo goes like a guided missile.  A lovely place to spend time either as a driver or passenger.

David

[DavidLaver]

Just read the Viscodrive blurb - that could account for a lot of the remarkable all-weather any-surface stability.   At higher speeds I guess the aerodynamics count as its not a car that gets blown about or starts feeling light.

Its a bit soft in roll and a wierd rear end bounce when loaded but all forgiven for not having passengers complain when pressing on - plus I was often a passenger as well in that car.  Really hard to fault it.

I think I might have said enough and should ban myself from posting any more - as much out of a fear of getting an itchy bidding finger as anything else

David

[Angle Grinder]

Well if the door and headlamp are the only bad bits, you've no worries as the Thema Dedra Consortium can certainly supply those parts and we may even have the door in the same colour so no need for a respray! 

Go for it, just treat the car as kindly as you would your Beta.

[Lindsay]

Have to say I am biased toward the Thema as well. I have had 14 or so of them, with one solitary Dedra, a 1993 1.8LE for a week!  Compared to modern cars the Thema is tiny. With regard to the folding rear seats, the Series 1 and 2 had folding seats, only the 8.32 and S3 versions didn't. I have not driven a Dedra turbo so am not qualified to comment on it particularly.

What I would say is the 8v engine is a far better bet than the 16v, in terms of longevity. So that rules out most Themas, unless you find an S1 V6.

I thoroughly agree with the point being made regarding costs of running a Dedra. As long as you get a reasonably sound one, then it should prove less costly to run than a modern, because of the, frankly stupid and disgraceful, cost of modern car spares. And as has been said already, too many electronics.

So, although on first thoughts, running a Dedra as a daily is not for the faint hearted, there are many good arguments for doing so. And don't forget, Lancias (as with all cars) run far better if used regularly.

I would be inclined to go for it really!

[fay66]

And don't forget,  all the technical information and advice, if you need it. is only an email away.

Brian
8227

[Duncan23]

Go for it, just treat the car as kindly as you would your Beta.

That's the thing, I wouldn't put my Beta through daily duties on salted winter roads. I'm sure that the Dedra I saw is good. I'm just not sure if daily driving it through the winter would wreck it.

I'm gona advertise the Superb and see what response I get. The difference in price will pay for a fair bit of petrol...

Cheers
Duncan

[fay66]

Go for it, just treat the car as kindly as you would your Beta.

That's the thing, I wouldn't put my Beta through daily duties on salted winter roads. I'm sure that the Dedra I saw is good. I'm just not sure if daily driving it through the winter would wreck it.

I'm gona advertise the Superb and see what response I get. The difference in price will pay for a fair bit of petrol...

Cheers
Duncan

Duncan all of my 5 spent their lives outside without coming to any serious harm, don't really think you need to treat it quite as carefully as a Beta, The body was mostly galvanised and as long as you don't allow the dirt and salt to build up on it for any length of time, It is pretty capable of standing up to winter conditions, just make sure it's got a good coat of wax on it, and hose it down including the underside frequently, what ever happened to those car washes that used to have pipes on the floor and would clean the underside as well? considering it's age it would be worth giving or getting it a coat of waxoyl underneath yearly.
If it has decent original wheels keep them sprayed with WD40 during the winter to stop the wet and the salt getting under the laquer, I also forgot to say, don't worry about the headlamp wiper arms being missing, they were an absolute pain even when when new, mine packed up after 3 years, the wet gets past the spindle seal into the motor and corrodes the steel gears!, they weren't even plated.
After a while they also used to wave at me over the top of the bonnet, later Dedra's with headlamp washers had a bracket at the top fixed to the headlamp to stop them doing this.
If you can find a pair of standard headlamps you can replace the existing headlamps and the wiper motors as well as the triangular piece the wiper spindle goes through.
Besides anything else it looks much neater, then just remove the wires to the second wash pump.

brian
8227

[Angle Grinder]

Potentially cheap solution...

I see that the latest Viva Lancia magazine has a couple of Dedra's going "free to a good home". A 2.0 and a newer 1.8. Only problem is that they are in Ireland, and there is no mention of roadworthiness?

[DavidLaver]

How come this popped up in my browser???   

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C195635/

Someone PLEASE buy it so I don't have to look at it again.

David

[fay66]

How come this popped up in my browser???   

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C195635/

Someone PLEASE buy it so I don't have to look at it again.

David

I know that number but I can't think whose it is, but if it's half as good as it looks, take his hand off before he changes his mind and realises he's making a mistake in selling it.
Not sure who the dealer was but there were originally quite a few Dedra's with an SWS Registration number in the 2000 Register of mebers and their cars, but not this one.

Brian
8227

[Angle Grinder]

It appears to belong to an Anthony Fausset, do you know him? Not a TDC member. It's been on Pistonheads for a few weeks now so may have sold?

[DavidLaver]

Thankyou - yes yes MUST have sold - no point worrying myself about it.

Ooooooooooooogggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeee........

Why oh why do I let myself look at ANY adverts???

At least it shows they are still out there.

David

[Betaboy2.0]

Back in the day, Fiat Auto registered all the last remaining unsold Dedra Turbos in one batch (hence so many being SWS registrations) and put them onto their fleet as company cars for the Fiat / Lancia / Alfa Zone Service Managers to run for 6 months before being sold out to the dealer netword as secondhand cars. As these came out the Fiat storage depot at Portbury, they were Bristol registered - hence the *WS area code.

You will also find a lot of *AE,  and *OU registered Fiats / Alfas and Lancias of the period as those are also Bristol registration codes, and all the hire cars for the big companies were prepared and dispatched from Portbury.

Andy

[Duncan23]

That's the one I was looking at! Was still there on Sunday. I shall hopefully put down a deposit soon though      (need to sell the Superb to raise the full cash).
The owner has a FIAT Coupe and said he sold his Montecarlo not long ago, I believe he's been a LMC member at some point.
Cheers
Duncan

[Harvey]

My Dedra Turbo was L136 SWS. It was a lovely car, and very reliable - although the brakes glazed a little on trackdays!