Alfa 147.....

[one-lady-owner 1]

I've decided that I definitely don't want to use my 205 as a daily driver once it's fixed, given the number of miles I'm currently doing and the fact that I specifically looked and paid for a very nice low mileage example.

 

I've always wanted an alfa and love they way it look and drive. Anyone on here had any experience with them? Anything to avoid/look out for when I do start looking?

[lemmingzappa 75 1 Cars]

This is really nice even though it's been photoshopped

 

http://www.digimods.co.uk/images/Virtualca...ars/alfa147.jpg

[one-lady-owner 1]

Wow.... *dribbles*

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Try www.alfaowner.com for a good forum. 147 GTAs often have a 156 GTA diff retrofitted for them as they are an LSD for a couple of hundred quid!

[MrG 3]

what you looking at? A diesel if its a daily driver I expect as the GTA will cost you LOADS to use as a daily driver. Fantastic car though mine was just superb however I did have issues with a few items.

 

Indicators at the front of mine just fell out?? Poor part build quality mainly but parts supply from Alfa was terrible. Brakes weren't brilliant (GTA specific though) and got an upgrade from Alfa. If you had Xenon lamps then the bumper had to come off to change the bulbs (I kid you not!). Check when the services had been done and ensure there's either plenty of life in the cambelt or make sure its been done recently. Alfa recommend 75k on petrol 4 pots but in reality they need doing at 36k as they fail not long after (have a look at AO.com as above). They do have their woes, some suffer from electrics, some with build quality, just look at a few and take advice from the above forum. But they are brilliant cars, they get under your skin, and the interior is a nice place to be in if you do loads of miles.

 

Also on the GTA the lock is ridiculous, it's like turning an oil tanker in the North Sea!

 

When the GTA's have fallen through the floor, I'll get another, but as a toy mainly. That engine, those looks & the sound are just fab.

Edited March 4, 2010 by MrG

[MrG 3]

 

this was my old GTA, unfortunatley it had to be sold and went to a new home 3 years ago.

[MrG 3]

 

larger pic of the above.

[welshpug 1,657]

IIRC AndyJStone had a 147 till very revently

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I had a drive in a mates GTA, I wasn't that taken with how it went, although the interior was lovely.

 

Another mate had a 1600 petrol one, the last I had to do with it was replacing the entire wiper mechanism as they had made it from plastic cheese and it had broken in a non repairable fashion. Apparently when he picked up the new parts the Alfa dealer told him it was a common fault.

[MrG 3]

Tom

 

Thats not surprising, the indicator bits are made of butter so in the summer sun they just fell out!

 

The GTA, I felt that at the beginning, but when you start using it daily, wow, it was a superb car. Most definatley a car to lose your licence on though. Hit that sweet spot and it really moved and the noise or that arese V6 is just superb. But when you back to back it with say an M3, the BMW wins hands down. Handling is poor when going for it. But like an Alfa you can forgive some of these shortcomings. Many owners put the Q2 diff on and a set of coilovers, and bingo the transformation is complete.

[blue_haddock 2]

I had a drive in a mates GTA, I wasn't that taken with how it went, although the interior was lovely.

 

Another mate had a 1600 petrol one, the last I had to do with it was replacing the entire wiper mechanism as they had made it from plastic cheese and it had broken in a non repairable fashion. Apparently when he picked up the new parts the Alfa dealer told him it was a common fault.

 

Yep wiper linkage is a very common failure - design is similar to the mk2 punto design which is also a very common failure!

 

If you are looking at a twin spark have a good listen and make sure there are no funny noises from the engine as they suffer if not well looked after ie regular oil changes.

[one-lady-owner 1]

How easy are the cambelts to do yourself? (I'm thinking for future as hopefully the one I buy will have just had it done if I can get it) Bear in mind it won't be the GTA I go for, I'm thinking cost more than anything else! It'll most likely be the 2.0TS I end up going for as the diesel didn't come in till too late for me so out of my price-range! What's the 1.6TS like? I've just had another peek at autotrader and seen a few more pictures, it's even gorgeous under the bonnet!!

[one-lady-owner 1]

In terms of looking after it when I get it I'm used to doing oil changes every 2 months or so so will be keeping this going (probably OTT but I always think an engine sounds and runs better with fresh oil!)

[blue_haddock 2]

When your doing the camblet you should add in a cam variator at the same time.

 

For parts get cheap gen stuff through this firm.

http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/

 

oh and if you want to look at a gorgeous engine try looking at an Alfa V6 engine bay - sex wee!

[one-lady-owner 1]

oh and if you want to look at a gorgeous engine try looking at an Alfa V6 engine bay - sex wee!

 

After a quick google search I have to agree, I am currently trying to calm myself down by watching porn!

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

When your doing the camblet you should add in a cam variator at the same time.

Not always, but it was good practice. Early Twin Spark 16vs were prone for that, however they changed the oil flow design on the 156 inlet cam and it ate the variators less quickly. I swapped the inlet cam on my 155 to a 156 one. Not sure if the newer engine suffers as much

[badj 0]

As previously mentioned, alfas are lovely to drive but need a lot of regular pampering to keep them running.

 

The cam belts on the 2.0 TS engines were, and probably still are, made up of a timing belt and a balancer belt - I know that even from eurocarparts the set of rollers and belts needed to do a worth while job is a few hundred alone - thats before labour.

My old one had receipts from an Indy for the cambelt and it was £350+, apparently main dealers are nearly double.

 

Worth it though

[andyjstone 6]

I had a 156GTA from new and have just sold a 147 JTDM which I had for 2 years.

 

The GTA was a great car, fantastic interior, superb engine, but didn't handle that well and had trouble putting all that power through the front wheels, but I still had a big grin on my face all the time from when I saw it in the distance until I got out again. It took them 3 months to get everything working on it and sort out all the little bits and pieces to get it right and I sold it after 18 months in mint condition and it lost 50% of it's value. I vowed I would never buy another Alfa.

 

I enjoyed the 147, I had the engine chipped to 185bhp and it drove great, was comfortable and very chuckable. It was a two door which I would avoid as the doors are so massive it's almost impossible to get in and out without bashing them on the nearest car/tree/wall. It had done 40000 miles when I bought it and it cost me about £1000 to put all the little problems right (I'm a stickler for having everything working properly) like sticky gear change, oil leak (which meant taking gear box out), worn handbrake cable, leaky front strut, etc. - which was a lot for a car of that mileage.

 

After two years and 55000 miles the list of things wrong with it was getting longer day by day, to name some of them:

 

1. Indicator stalk was buggered and wouldn't always indicate left

2. Turbo was buggered and needed replacing

3. Handbrake wouldn't stay on, particularly in the cold

4. One headlamp adjuster broken, light was gradually point up in the air

5. Clutch pedal would groan and creak and no amount of grease/oil/WD40 would stop it

 

That said it always started and never let me down.

 

Alfas are always a dilemna as in my experience you will love the look and the drive and being in them, but that will be countered by the fact that there is always something going wrong with it.

[blue_haddock 2]

Oh and if you fancy some real porn google autodelta GT 3.7 Super.

 

I NEED a 3.7 Supercharger V6 alfa!

[pp205 17]

I currently drive an Alfa 156 2.0 selespeed (for sale becuase I can't bear to part with my 205!) it is a 2000 car but only on 53k miles and, touch wood, I haven't had any problems! It's nice and easy to drive but the suspension is too wallowy if you go too fast round a corner! Engine makes a lovely noise but only really comes to life higher up the rev range, pretty quick though! I love it but am worried for when things start to go wrong due to parts prices. I can certainly see how people can fall for them, the same as most of us feel about peugeots! I think you'd want to go for one with a decent higher spec interior as opposed to the base version as they seem to wear quicker and don't look as nice.