I had always fancied a Coupe since seeing a dark metallic green one on a very dark wet thundery day in Italy when they 1st came out.

I bought the car running, with MOT and Tax after hearing about it at a local car meeting. Nearly all the credit for the build and sourcing of the donor vehicles has to go to Ed (previous owner) and I believe Jowster on here - though we have never met.

The donor cars were an Ink Black 16v Coupe with blown engine and an imported Dedra Integrale along with the front end of a bumped yellow Coupe.

The car looked like this...



Although the car was on the road there was (and still is) a lot that needed doing.

The 1st thing I did was give it a good clean up and try and sort out the suspension as it was Dedra rear springs. As well as looking slightly strange it also felt learchy on long fast corners.







I'll keep updating this as I get chance, I've got pictures of most of the work - i just need time to get it written up.

Next thing on the list was to sort the fuel tank out.

To make the rear dif and prop fit the car the spare wheel well had to have a chunk chopped out of it and the petrol tank had to be relocated to the boot.

It had been temporarily done with a small plastic tank from a Skoda...



As the spare wheel well was now useless my plan was to get a tank made to fit what was left of it giving me back most of the boot space.

A local firm called AH Fabrications made me this foam filled tank...







This gave me back a flat boot floor and room behind the tank for tool kit and to mount a space-saver spare wheel up against the bulkhead.

Thanks to Joe I've now got everything to carpet the boot and make it look almost standard.

Next thing was to sort out this exhaust, it was a hybrid of both the Dedra and Coupe system welded together to fit.



Goose (form FCCUK now going sideways in an M3) recommendedA me a bloke in Cardiff for a replacement system.

After taking the car down and spending quite a while deciding what the best option was without loosing too much ground clearance we decided this was the best option...





A 3inch system from the turbo back, running next to the prop. One small box half way and a bigger back box stuck up behind the rear bumper. No Cat as I'm using the Dedra engine which is old enough not to have to need one.

This turned out really well, it sounds powerful without being boomy at low revs and is much freer flowing than the old system.

Coil overs and Lancia Integrale Evo2 Brembos - thanks to Alexis (Begbie)

Small bodywork update thanks to Joe...

1st was to get a grill and fog/indicators sorted.

Then a perfect Ink black bumper and slightly damaged bonnet.




Quite a few other little bits done - boot has been trimmed, just working out how to make a fake boot floor over the fuel tank.

Again, big thanks to Joe for all the bits.

After investigating the recently blown cylinder head gasket it turned out that the head was pretty much shagged and would require quite a lot of work.

Luckily I knew where there was one of these...




To strip this off...



But this had to go back to the original owner ...




Currently getting the valves cleaned up, new head double checked and skimmed if necessary and all put back together with Spesso racing gaskets.

As soon as the cars back on the road it'll be taken straight off again to fit the coil overs and brakes - though I'm unsure they'll fit under my wheels.

** exhaust pics now added further up

Right, finally got the car back on the road (briefly) refurbed head finished and fitted - some work later...

All up and running - covered in months of dirt looking a bit sorry for its self. Last shot of the reverse rake horrors of mixed Dedra/20vt/16vna suspension before coilovers are on





Got busy tarting these up ready for fitting...




Disks and pads already fitted on the rear...

Coilovers, courtesy of Alexis are now on the car.

The weird design of the Coupes' wheel arches makes it look nose up when in fact it is perfectly level. So I'll be raising the rear slightly and dropping the front as much as the local roads will allow.

waiting for gags about Coupe/skip




Brembos, wheels and seats next on the things to do list (after sorting a blowing exhaust manifold gasket)

Ride hight is sort of there now, raised the back end up about 20mm. Doesn't look like a speedboat any more! Not the best angle to tell from though.


Decided it was well over due a good clean and polish (by atleast 4 months!)



Also did this

Thanks go to the two Joe's this week...

Been a busy few days trying to get it in one piece for Mitcar on Sunday.

Late night on Wednesday picking up wheels from Joe (Country Cruising) so I could fit the Brembos...

Then last night I got in after midnight (including a pub stop)
after picking up a bonnet from another Joe.

Just need to finish exhaust gasket, fit bonnet and new head light tomorrow then we should *touch wood/pray etc* be all good for Sunday and it's 1st proper outing.

After fitting the 3rd bonnet in 3 weeks (don't even ask!) it's actually looking pretty tidy - if I may say so!

Even managed an 800 mile road trip/camping around the UK, nothing fell off the car, nothing broke, no nasty noises, was a great trip and really glad the coop made it after 8 months off the road.

Thanks to Joe I've now even got such luxuries as a stereo!

Also fitted an upper strut brace, waiting for a lower one to crop up the the for sale threads.

Tax runs out at the end of the month so the car will be coming off the road for a while. Plans are seats in, FMIC, SIP, new turbo then getting the whole lot set up properly.

Will see how we get on!

(couple of pics from the Mitcar)





Camping (sorry shakey hands + phone = naff pics)

Award for the crappiest pictures taken to date.

20vt FMIC kit mid bodge 1st trial fitting and trying to figure out extra bits will be needed.

Another crappy couple of pic from working in the peeing rain last night...

Finally got around to sorting the narrow track out - easiest thing was to get H&R Trak+ spacers



Finally finished FMIC, just waiting for a pipe to be made up to with branches for BOV and breather.

New and old...



Should have a new drivers seat in at the weekend - fingers crossed.

Well bugger me.

I'll get around to doing a proper update over the weekend but for now...

The car hasn't moved since being taken off the road a good 4 months ago (around the time the group buy for FMICs went ahead) I finally after a whole lot of trial and error, swearing and repeated threats to set the thing on fire (mostly seat fitment), finally got to the stage last night where I could fire her up.

Unbelievably, considering the lack of battery charge and amount of time left standing, the car fired 1st time! Coughed and spluttered for a minute then... fine.

Chuffed would be an understatement.

Apart from the headlights cutting out on the test drive, luckily at about 5 mph, all seemsfine.

Theres still a long list of things to finish before MOT time but at least the thing starts. I'll get some pics up as soon as I've given it a clean!

Had a few hours to spare last night so cleaned the plugs and set about swapping the turbo actuator in an attempt to solve the boost creeping up.

When finished the car wouldn't start, figured a jump start would get it going. No.

Turned out to be the wire to the started had come adrift, sorted that. Moved the car, suddenly rev counter goes bonkers, car starts to cough and bank, clouds of smoke and running on all of 2 cylinders. For a minute I thought the worst but I'm pretty sure it's an earthing problem connected to the original issue of it not starting.

Hopefully in between moving house I'll sort it over the weekend.

Couple of sneaky pics for entertainments sake...

Just need to get the bugger started, off to see Joe tonight to see if he can shed any light on the problem...

NEWS!!

Car now starts, had a play withe the crank sensor and one or two other little bits last night. Tidied up some vacuum hose joins that looked well passed their best and hey presto.

Now need to sort some last few bits for MOT time.

- Fixing the battery securely to the boot floor.
- Seat belt mounting points
- fit another turbo, at the moment I don't think the tester would be able to see the car let alone test anything!

Bring on Saturday.

Got slightly carried away when putting the stress plates for the eye bolts...





Figured while everything was out it would be a good time to refurb the centre console & dash, fit the AVCR control box and replace the b pillar trims.

Will be fitting a spare turbo tomorrow to see if I can sort the smoking out, fingers crossed.

Decided it was worth a shot putting my spare turbo on the car, see if it had any life left in it so I can get the car on the road whilst sorting out a new one.

2nd turbo now attached to the car, got to finish connecting up all the various fittings. What a job! Getting the last (bottom right) manifold bolt on was pain to get back in as the stud came out rather than the bolt off the stud. Should hopefully have chance to get it all back together on Saturday, fingers crossed everyone!

Also anyone know where to get a t34 from please let me know.

ITS GOING!

Seeing a stunning 20vt in ink black yesterday gave me enough of a kick up the to get working on it today in the peeing rain.

Results so far (just popped in for a brew)
- car now running
- smoking a lot less but still a bit, just glad its different fingers crossed it is the turbo!
- refitting interior - seat and harness in, rest to do.

Got a list of bits to find this afternoon, wish me luck...

Not much of an update but some pics from the weekends activity. Booked in on Wednesday for a pre MOT check and for a couple of bits to be sorted out. Sorry about cr@p camera phone pics!

Battery to boot finished.


Seat and harnesses in, just waiting for passenger seat.




Intercooler & piping all done.


Quick clean.




The help.


All for now. Have some bits away being painted so fingers crossed will have another small update shortly.

Hand brake cable snapped the night before MOT... too much fun.

Anyone know a place that can make up custom cables? After a lot of rining round, they're impossible to get hold of, even in Italy!

Well after missing Bristol AND Brooklands the car is finally ready for an MOT!

Another big thanks to Joe for sorting me out everything I needed to convert from Lancia Dedra 'spaghetti edition' handbrake to a new system from a mixture of Coupes.

Also have to thank Kenneth for sending me over some pictures of how he had done the same job on his car.

Luckily centre console was already out so that saved a bit of time got everything lined up and noticed that where the bracket for the cable stops is supposed to be I had a prop shaft.

This meant that the prop and exhaust had to be dropped and a trip to the local garage to get the bracket cut up and welded off to one side. Now it's all back together and has been tested, 160 on one side and 80 on the other. Not fantastic but with a bit of fiddling will hopefully get through an MOT.

Fingers crossed it'll be on the road in the next couple of days.

Ok, so as some of you might know - the car never made it back on the road. Got everything back together and down to be MOTd.

During the MOT it cut out, had the fuel light on so assumed it had run out. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

No power to fuel pump and no spark combined with a busy few weeks/month looking for a new house/moving has meant the car has been sat since then.

Everything now sorted for the move (1st Aug!) I've had chance this week to start investigating the problem and booked the car into Joe's next month.

Did someone say wing mirror spiders?
Having been sat for around a month the car looked like something out of an Indiana Jones film...





On a more positive note I picked these up...









... also been playing about with this, pics of the finished product shortly - any guesses?

Finally after at least 15 months off the road the car is finally up and running!

Huge thanks to Joe for all his work over the last few weeks, without that it would still be sat unloved blocking up the drive.

Car will be taxed from the start of next month, I'm under strict instructions to run it every day until then and once back on the road use it regularly.

Moral of the story, don't leave your car sat outside unloved for over a year!

Pleased to say the car has started on the button every day since getting it back. Itching for the start of December and the tax to come through.

Been pottering at minor bits, oil and plugs and getting the dash back together.

Repainted centre console contrast with tatty rubbery dash - will get the rest masked up and painted soon. Also test fit of AVCR, plinth also needs a priming and painting.



Smoothed and painted B post trims fitted, not sure about putting the Integrale badges back on, quite like the plain look...


and finally - just because it's nice to have it back, even if its already dirty.

She's alive.

photo??