My Delta HF turbo ie Restoration

[the.cern]

As I'm a Sheet metal worker by trade ...........

The above explains the casual way in which you describe cutting bits out, making new panels tacking them in place, seam welding them in, grinding off the surplus, a little filler and then spray to finish it all of ....... and that's without the off-hand reference to the fact that much of it has been done in stainless steel ....!!!!!!

Irrespective of your occupation, that is a truly great restoration that you have underway there and you are to be congratulated!! Please keep going with the story and the photographs.

                                            Andy

[Rob]

Thanks Andy I appreciate your kind words although I can't take all the credit. Like any restoration project I have had a bit of help, particularly on the welding side. I know a few very skilled welders where I work who's talents have come in handy on some of the more complex sections. Cheers, Rob

[Rob]

This is the picture that keeps me going when the light at the end of the tunnel starts to dim & I start to wonder if I'll ever get my Delta back on the road! As you can see this was my wedding day back in the summer of 2000 (I'm on the left) & the Delta looked in really good condition. By the autumn of 2002 it had failed it's MOT on serious corrosion to both the rear wheel arches & the near side seal as you've seen in the first set of pictures I posted, so this restoration is now into it's 15th year  . I started off with a lot of enthusiasm which lasted for a couple of years then when I started to realise how much work needed doing I began to lose interest. On two occasions I nearly gave up & bought Delta's with Tax & MOT that I could actually drive & enjoy but my wife rightly pointed out that they would probably rust out in the same areas within a few years & I'd be back to square one! (I didn't want to admit it but deep down I knew she was right  ). I haven't been working on it over the winter as I'm a fair weather restorer but as soon as spring comes I'll be back out in the garage finishing off the roof panel that I welded on last year. You wouldn't think it but that has been the most time consuming job of the whole project! Thanks for reading this & I look forward to any comments you may have  .

Cheers, Rob

[frankxhv773t]

Keep the faith, you know it will be worth it and the feeling of having restored it yourself to beautiful condition will be priceless.

[Dilambdaman]

Keep at it Rob, nothing beats the first driving and LMC showing of a restoration project.

I appreciate that it doesn't suit everyone and often there are more important things to be attended to, but for me, a deadline is essential - 1st September 2006 for the Dilambda and 25th May 2013 for the Fanalone.

Now, I must find a deadline for the Citroen Cloverleaf as there has been virtually no progress for nearly a year!

Robin.

[sparehead3]

2018 is the Delta 1600 HF Turbo ( 1983 )   35th anniversary ....

http://www.lanciamc.co.uk/anniversaries.htm

Not an i.e. but near enough - or it's the Evo2 25th ( so I get to celebrate too ! )

Delta HF integrale Evo 2 ( 1993 )   25th

[Rob]

Thanks for your words of encouragement lads & I think a deadline would be useful. I set myself a deadline to get the roof panel welded on by the end of the year & I just about managed that  . Although I did have a £10 bet with my father in law that I would finish this restoration in 3 years. So I missed that one by 12 years (& counting) & lost a tenner! Thinking of anniversaries - Delta production started in 1979 so I was hoping to have it back on the road for the Delta's 40th birthday which gives me 2 years to get him finished. Once I've tidied up the roof panel it's then onto the tailgate which needs 4 small repair sections welding in. After that there's 2 small areas under the headlights that need attention then finally I can actually start the reassembly  .

Cheers, Rob

[GialloHPEIan]

Keep up the excellent work Rob. Maybe you could have a renewing of vows ceremony for its inaugural journey!

Regards

Ian

[Andy D]

What a great choice of wedding car, by the way! 

I have total respect for your skills and commitment Rob, well done.  I have neither...

[Rob]

Thanks guys you're too kind  . Here's a few more photos of the restoration - in these pictures I was repairing the area along the bottom edge of the tailgate opening.

Cheers, Rob

[frankxhv773t]

It looks like you're going to a car boot sale but forgot the boot.

[Rob]

Yes it does doesn't it. I have one of those garages where you can only just about fit a small to medium size hatchback / saloon so I have to store cans of paint, tools & my mig welding set inside the Delta. When I was working on the rear wheel arches, seals etc I had the Delta parked outside on my hard standing which is right next to my garage. It was when I had to take the drivers side doors off so that I could work on the seal that I had to put it in the garage which meant that I had to sale my other restoration project - a 1975 Beta Coupe 1600 that had been living in there for a few years  . That was a tough decision as I loved that little Beta Coupe but I knew I would struggle to restore one of them let alone both!

Cheers, Rob

[Thurbs]

Looks great Rob, keep the updates comming..

[Rob]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for having a look at my restoration blog. I've been out in the garage over the last couple of weeks making the roof panel look presentable. I'll put some pictures up soon to show what I've been up to. I had a look at your website - lanciadeltaracing.com & was really impressed  . You've certainly gone to town on your integrale, it looks amazing. That's the standard I would have liked to achieve with my HF turbo but unfortunately I'm working on a very modest budget.

Cheers, Rob

[Rob]

Right now for the roof panel! I was hoping to be able to repair it but as I cut away the rusty areas it became clear that if I did it was going to end up looking like a patchwork quilt  . I was going to buy a new roof panel from Tanc Barratt but unfortunately that was rather expensive. I gave Steve Watts a ring as I'd heard that he was breaking a Delta HF turbo ie & sure enough he was  . So one afternoon we cut the whole roof off at the pillars & while I was there I also had the tailgate, both front doors & the rear off side door. It's fair to say that Steve gave my restoration a massive boost with the parts he sold me & at a very reasonable cost  . These first pictures show how deep the rust had gone - through the roof panel & the box section underneath!