My daughter's 78,000 mile 1.6. It's her second one off ebay (her husband is good at that stuff, and cars too). But she crashed the first one - it may have been the van driver's fault, but we'll never know now - and immediately got this one with lower mileage and more sensible wheels and tyres, the first one having low profile big rims.
I did about 100 miles in it this lunch-time, from her house on Surrey/Sussex border to Heathrow, then back here to West Sussex. It's quite a nice little car I have to say, with black leather inside and nice blackish metallicish paint. The gear selector springs have gone so gearchanges are a bit slow and iffy until you get used to the pudding-stirrer. And it isn't of course all that quick, although it is quite low geared so starts to make an urgent sort of noise before 70mph in top gear. I didn't get it over 90 but there's obviously 15 or 20mph more to come, if you want to hear it yelling.
What a pleasure though to be riding on a driver's chassis after my Chrysler. The little Alfa is so much easier and more reassuring to wind rapidly through the twisties that it would certainly be quicker than the 2 litre, no-slouch Chrysler over mixed A-road going.
My daughter says she gets 31.5 mpg average. That could certainly be bettered, but Alfa twin cams are quite thirsty and this car is quite low geared. Cute little thing which I will have for a couple more days.
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>> The gear selector
>> springs have gone so gearchanges are a bit slow and iffy
How on earth have Alfa not managed to fix this issue? It was a problem on the two 33s I owned back in the nineties as well. Staggering.
Anyway, I'm jealous. I've always fancied one but the crash performance puts me off a bit now I have nippers - the roof tends to cave in. Nasty.
I think of all the 21st century Alfas I fancy a GT most, though. Much more elegant than a Brera.
Enjoy it, AC. You lucky little sweep.
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That phrase, "got my hands on one at last," is a wonderful phrase.
It brings up the feelings of waiting, wondering, and finally, satisfaction. It also implies that this was the particular model, out of all the hundreds of models out there, that one had a particular desire for, that one really wanted to drive.
Ironically, the closest that I ever got to the "got my hands on one at last" experience was - well, some of you will probably remember this: tinyurl.com/64vma43
:-)
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Heh heh... now I am well used to the Chrysler I have become quite fond of it. It's reliable in an American sort of way, always starts, good in snow and very cold weather, comfortable, fairly economical considering - upper thirties mpg if some restraint is exercised - and good toys, leather and suede trim, controls, door handles etc. Mine is only a 2 litre but it's manual so certainly brisker than the auto which is a renowned slug.
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Congrats Armel. I hope you enjoy plenty of miles in it.
One heads up, they changed the timing belt interval on the Twin Spark engines to 36k miles so make sure it is up to date (to include tensioners, and water pump whilst at it!)
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Dear heavens yes, PR. If I had an Alfa now, I'd change the timing belt every blooming year.
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Check the build plate Armel. It says: 'Fiat'. It's based on a Tipo. My neighbour wanted one. I tried to put him off and having driven 3 of 'em I was thoroughly put off. A nasty device compared to almost any other modern small car. That badge doesn't excuse anything. Silk purse and sow's ear comes to mind.
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It isn't anything like a Tipo to drive I have to say. Something tells me you don't like Italian cars Woodster.
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We are doing well with this thread, not getting a negative comment until post 7!
Having had a Tipo, a 147 and then 3 156's (including current GTA with 103k miles on) I can agree with Armel completely.
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You've put me in a panic about the cambelt though. Let it not lunch the engine while the car is in my hands!
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I drove a Tipo once, apart from the hideous diesel it bore, it was a fine handling/riding thing...rubbery gear change is one abiding memory.
Nice car AC - I wish I had one !
Last edited by: Pugugly on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 17:04
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Pugugly - you could buy my 156 if you want. You know you want an Alfa really.... :-)
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Where's Humph when you need him !?
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I've really nothing against Italian cars Armel. There are some lovely looking Alfas, and the 147 isn't a bad looker. I just don't get the badge thing. It's a GM product these days rather than a stand alone marque. The heritage exists in name only, so I don't understand the high regard that modern Alfa's are held in. The three 147's that I drove really weren't up to standard compared with other small hatchbacks. For me, a car's a car, not a badge, and I want the best for my money. I simply couldn't understand my neighbour's purchase after we drove those examples, but then he'd set his heart on a 147 so it was done deal.
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>> I simply couldn't understand my neighbour's purchase after we drove those examples, but then he'd set his heart on a 147 so it was done deal.
Proof of pudding Woodster... does he like it now he's got it, or does he wish he'd listened to you?
Of course a car's a car, never mind the badge... I've had many arguments with people here and in the other place, notably about Skoda Estelles which I thought were terrific, as well as remarkably cheap second hand, for what they were. And Alfas have never been the same since they went FWD. You should hear my old buddy the Bug on the subject... he used to have a 2000 convertible, not quick but very glamorous, in a special subtle pinkish off-white colour done for its original owner, a Maharajah.
Nevertheless I do quite like this 147, without imagining that it's all that special. But it has a bit of rel Alfa clinging to it I think. What I'd quite like as a daily driver is a 166 V6. I'm an old geezer now.
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Glad you're enjoying it AC.
I had a 146 (older platform I know) for a month while the main dealer rebuilt my FIAT Coupe engine. Not my cup of tea but a GTV with the V6 engine, now you're talking. Razor sharp steering.
I almost bought a GTV, hugely impressed with the handling but I only had the budget for a 2.0 16v NA which bought me a 2.0 20v turbo FIAT at the time.
Last edited by: gmac on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 18:03
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i had a gtv 3.0ltr lusso model for 10 years and it was a creat car and never went wrong and sounded glorious.
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>> i had a gtv 3.0ltr lusso model for 10 years and it was a creat
>> car and never went wrong and sounded glorious.
When I had my old Alfasud I was a member of the Alfa Romeo club, and I went round to see a fellow members Alfa GTV6. Man, that thing sounded great at idle, let alone accelerating up the road. A fantastic mass produced engine. I liked the valve timing arrangement, where the cylinder head had overhead inclined valves, but only used one cam - this operated the valve on one side directly, but operated the valve on the other side via a rocker arm from the same cam. Alfa Romeo have had some ingenious engineering over the years.
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"What I'd quite like as a daily driver is a 166 V6"
An absolutely pant-droppingly gorgeous-looking car, and I would have had one if I'd stayed in the UK.
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Sorry but what has Alfa got to do with GM? The 159 previously had 2 GM derived petrol engines, one has since been dis continued (the 3.2) and one replaced (the 2.2) by a Fiat Power Train built 1.75TBi. The 159 platform project was started with GM but they soon pulled out as the costs went up.
The MiTo, Giulitta, 159, GT, Brera and Spider have nothing to do with GM
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>>Sorry but what has Alfa got to do with GM?>>
Precisely. Fiat took over in 1986 (and nearly six years ago re-acquired Maserati).
I used to love the 164 with the three-litre V6 - the glorious noise the engine made was (almost) something to die for.....:-)
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>> Where's Humph when you need him !?
>>
Searching for Betsy :)
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Mito's based on the Punto. Gm owns 10% of Fiat. The Diesels in the 147 were the boggo 1.9 GM lump as found in Saab, Vauxhall and probably a few others. Sorry, but Mito's another old recycled Fiat.
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Sorry but again that is very wide of the mark.
Mito based on Punto - True
GM owns 10% Fiat - Utterly false, 0%
The diesels in Fiats / Alfas are Fiat power train engines that GM took for its cars. Originally in Fiats before the FAILED alliance with GM. GM then had to pay $2Bn to get out of it.
Last edited by: PR on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 20:19
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A mate at college had a wonderful Alfetta GT. It was great for impecunious students. Not.
Wonderful exhaust note, superb styling as only the Italians can manage (his was an early chrome bumper model), and a real babe magnet (after my Moggy Minor).
But the rust was so prevalent that the owner had given it a mat black paint job, so that every time he filled it more, it was easier to 'touch the paint up'. I kid you not, there was rust everywhere (windscreen surround, roof gutters, as well as the usual whelarches, door bottoms, wing tops, floor ...).
It was, until the next MOT, great fun.
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Yes, the Alfetta and the bobtailed, near-contemporary Giulietta were very rust-prone. Hardly any to be seen now.
Modern Alfas don't seem to be like that though.
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PR - I stand corrected about GM.
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Sounds like fun AC and PU should get one if only to get it out of his system. I like the 159s.
Re AWOL. Been to Berlin for a day or three. Cold there but good currywurst by way of compensation.
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Alfa 147: got my hands on one at last - Alanovich
