Autostarda to Hell?

[Partridge]

 

Right, I need about 3K set aside before I do this, and right now I'm up to £520 so it will be a load more months work before I'm in a posistion to think about this too seriously.

I need something interesting and old enough to write about, and for various reasons I won't bore you all with a Lancia Thema is on my shortlist. If I can find one.

 

May I tap into the vast expansie of Autoshite knowledge and abuse?

 

Basically, I know feck all about them other than they use the Type Four platform. Do they break down a lot, do they rust a lot, and how all-round crap are they?

 

Also, would anyone possibly have one to sell me when the time comes?

 

Ta!

[chaseracer]

Signore Testes had a Fiat Croma, which is much the same with less posh.  He should be along presently.

[Asimo]

2.8V6 auto for max shiteness, 8.32 for max cost, otherwise see Chroma

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/car-advert/lancia/thema/1994/214500/

[Ratdat]

Here you go... 5000 euros... WCPGW?

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Defo get a V6, its the flipping PRV engine!!! Impeccable shite credentials.

[Partridge]

Cheers chaps! Encouraging that nobody has told me RUN FOR YOUR LIFE yet.

[Partridge]

2.8V6 auto for max shiteness, 8.32 for max cost, otherwise see Chroma

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/car-advert/lancia/thema/1994/214500/

Shame that probably won't be around when I have the money together. Ah well, such is life

[inconsistant]

The bloke that was selling that grey mg maestro in Aberdeenshire that someone on here who lives near or on the black isle bought last year has got a thema estate. Can't be many of those about?

[Asimo]

Or this, I didn't know such a thing existed

 

http://autos.brick7.nl/tweedehands/lancia/thema/9432.html

 

2.5 Diesel (VM - ?), 90000km,  3950 Euros

[Partridge]

A Thema estate must be in Tagora territory in terms of Shite Points?

[Junkman]

I used to have a 2.0 8V long ago, bought for a typical shiter sum of something like 100 quid.

Generally it never gave any trouble and it wasn't nicked even on a trip to Poland.

The only real downsides were the ferrariesque spare parts prices, and the Italianesque parts supply,

which mainly was sending the wrong parts after 6 weeks, followed by pretending to be dead.

 

Another Italian car? I'll pass, thank you, followed by the usual buy British etc etc.

[chrisjvm]

2.8V6 auto for max shiteness, 8.32 for max cost, otherwise see Chroma

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/car-advert/lancia/thema/1994/214500/

This Thema was on EBay last year for months,the price kept changing ... I think it went as low as £850....

This Ad in CC was placed on 2nd October 2013.

The useless info dept can also confirm that the photo was taken in the car park of the New Oscott branch of Lidl in Brum.

[Partridge]

I used to have a 2.0 8V long ago, bought for a typical shiter sum of something like 100 quid.

Generally it never gave any trouble and it wasn't nicked even on a trip to Poland.

The only real downsides were the ferrariesque spare parts prices, and the Italianesque parts supply,

which mainly was sending the wrong parts after 6 weeks, followed by pretending to be dead.

 

Another Italian car? I'll pass, thank you, followed by the usual buy British etc etc.

Right. I will make a mental not to try really really hard to not crash it!

[chaseracer]

Cheers chaps! Encouraging that nobody has told me RUN FOR YOUR LIFE yet.

 

Some things in life just do not need to be said.  Buona fortuna! 

[Junkman]

Right. I will make a mental not to try really really hard to not crash it!

If you crash it, you'll bin it anyway. Better make a mental note to never need any rear shock absorbers.

[Partridge]

Better make a mental note to never need any rear shock absorbers.

Are we talking Jag bad for shocks or nom nom nom gone in  5,000 miles bad?

[Junkman]

We're talking 250 quid.

[Partridge]

Almost as much as a resin model of one, then.

[Skizzer]

Deeply unfashionable Lancias are FOR WINNERS, so do it. They're galvanised, so less rusty (other things being equal, but not necessarily no rust).

 

Lovely alcantara interiors. Mmm.

 

Mr Bickle knows about these too, I think - certainly knows his Cromas.

[mat_the_cat]

Ignore the shit music, but I do like this!

[stormee]

I once had the chance of driving a Thema estate turbo diesel, very comfy and really silent for a 90s TD. Dash was quite impressing with a lot of things to get wrong displayed. Nice cars!

[warren t claim]

Shit, the 8.32 is my favorite saloon car EVAH. It takes so much restraint not to get financed up and buy one, even if WATANDUNG burst my bubble slightly by informing me that the engines are made by Cagiva.

[Junkman]

Dash was quite impressing with a lot of things to get wrong displayed. Nice cars!

 

I had forgotten about that. Yes, the dash will permanently display things being broken which aren't, but you can adjust the seat so that the control lights are concealed by the steering wheel rim.

[Partridge]

Shit, the 8.32 is my favorite saloon car EVAH. It takes so much restraint not to get financed up and buy one, even if WATANDUNG burst my bubble slightly by informing me that the engines are made by Cagiva.

Pretty sure those engines were made by Ducati?

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

 

Long ago when I was a student, I spent part of my course in France. The big cheese over there had one of these in this exact colour - it looked identical - but with a turbo diesel engine.

 

I went in it a couple of times. It seemed quite well made, but was surprisingly dull. I had expected it to have lots of character - like an Italian 604 or perhaps an Italian Volvo, possessing something a little out of the ordinary. It didn't. I remember wondering at the time why anyone would choose to buy one. Maybe I expected too much?

 

These days I can see the appeal of them. They're rare and (I at least) think they're good looking. I still wouldn't choose one over a Jag of similar age, or even a Mercedes, both of which are much more accomplished cars.

[Junkman]

...possessing something a little out of the ordinary. It didn't.

 

It does, actually. It comes with a special key, that only works the ignition lock, nothing else, a so-called garage key.

It also has lockable rear seat backs, that can't be unlocked with the garage key. So any Godfather can have it fixed when it broke down,

without having to fear, that the three cut up dead bodies in the boot are discovered.

[dugong]

Pretty sure those engines were made by Ducati?

 

Shit, the 8.32 is my favorite saloon car EVAH. It takes so much restraint not to get financed up and buy one, even if WATANDUNG burst my bubble slightly by informing me that the engines are made by Cagiva.

No, I said some of the castings were made by Ducati and the power was knocked back a bit. 

 

A couple of estates ended up over here, and there's a breaker on eBay trying to sell bits from a 2.5-litre turbodiesel. Looks like the car in question came over as a personal important back in the day - it's a Series 1. 

[Partridge]

I don't the series ones as much, I much prefer the look of the later ones with the stripey front lights.

Stripey front lights FTW.

[urpert]

Are they not substantially a Saab 9000 from the bonnet back?

[Partridge]

Pretty much. The doors are interchanable, I know that much.