My Plaything for the Weekend - Alfa 147

[Sonicriot13 0]

Someone traded in an Alfa Romeo 147 this morning for one of our cars and they were kind enough (not many people are these days it seems) to leave the tax disk in the window... so naturally it came home with me. :D Now, I know it's only a 147 and it's not going to set the world on fire, but it is a 2.0 16v and it certainly has some go! It's the first Alfa I've ever driven and they finally make sense to me know. What an involving little car. The engine is lovely, really lovely. The handling feels a bit woolly at times but I'm just putting that down to the kind of thing I'm more used to driving.

 

Tellingly I just got in it this evening and started driving just for the hell of it. I went to Ipswich and back on the A14 just for the fun of it, despite the fact that it's tipping it down. It's the first time I've done something like that since I had the Rado.

 

So, for any Alfa people out there I can see why you put up with the unreliability and the stupidly long wait for parts.... :lol: If the little hatchbacks are that good at being driver's cars what are the driver's cars like?

 

And I am now aching for some more. Hopefully someone will trade in some Alfa with a V6 in it at some point.... I can dream....

 

Oh, and one bad thing, the fuel consumption is terrible!

[joby 0]

Went to test drive a 147 GTA 3.0 V6 250bhp, to see how it compared to my S3, Really was a lot more involving to drive and tidy handling and a more aggresive looking car than the fat arsed S3 but you couldnt keep it in a straight line, the torque steer was unreal, A real crazy but exciting hatch to drive, Didnt feel that much quicker than the audi though and no four wheel drive or solid build quality and the plasticy interiour reminded me of an old XR3i :shock: Theres something about those Alfas though :norty:

[double-6s 0]

You mean a 3.2 V6 mate. All GTAs (147 and 156) are 3.2 V6s.

 

I bought mine after planning on getting an S3 - once I'd driven both, there really was no option though!

 

Not sure I agree on two points though......

 

Not much quicker than an S3? Christ, mine is! Way quicker, especially at the top end. I haver got a decent exhaust and carbon intake which made a bit of difference I guess.

 

And plasticy interior? One of the things I didn't like about the Audi was the interior! I thought it felt a bit unspecial next to the GTA? ...........

[double-6s 0]

Oh and the torque steer/steering thing you mention mate.....

 

It does torque steer a bit, but you have to remember the steering is ultra quick at 1.8 turns lock to lock (or thereabouts). It's a two hands on the wheel afair most of the time, at least until you get used to how quick the steering is anyway.

[joby 0]

double-6s I really liked the alfa and was thinking about getting a gtv as a toy as i like coupes and the 147 is still a bit pricey for a weekender, I still say the interiour was no where near the audi as regards quality and the 147 is going to torque steer as opossed to a four wheel drive audi but it felt a lot more involving to drive! which everyone knows the audi is dull, Performance wise never had chance to give it any top end balls at least not over 70,but within this region it felt no quicker than the S3!

[Sonicriot13 0]

I sold our 147 off our (Hyundai) forecourt. A lady came in to look at a Coupe and spotted the Alfa and said her boyfriend was looking for one. She called him up and told him about it. Literally 20 minutes later he pitched up, test drove it, and bought it. No haggling, nothing. Since buying it he's had the windows tinted, put new alloys on it and got a personal plate.

 

And to think, my sales manager was just going to auction it. If it wasn't for me saying we should try and retail it it wouldn't have even been on the forecourt. Love it! :D

[double-6s 0]

Well I liked them so much I bought another one! :)

 

Needed something to run around in while the GTA gets a new engine (oops!) so I bought a 155 2.0 sportpack for 700 quid. Bargain :)

[alex303 0]

bloody hell Will what have you done to the poor GTA now then! :roll:

 

Well I liked them so much I bought another one! :)

 

Needed something to run around in while the GTA gets a new engine (oops!) so I bought a 155 2.0 sportpack for 700 quid. Bargain :)

[double-6s 0]

bloody hell Will what have you done to the poor GTA now then! :roll:

 

Well I liked them so much I bought another one! :)

 

Needed something to run around in while the GTA gets a new engine (oops!) so I bought a 155 2.0 sportpack for 700 quid. Bargain :)

 

 

'Motor Control Failure' warning light came on mate. I thought it was probably the lambda probe - it's fairly common. Turned out to be a snapped cambelt!

 

But because I am the luckiest man alive (sometimes) it happened on the penultimate day of my warranty!! :) SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET :)

 

Tis with Alfa as we speak. Although they're busy so I was thinking of taking it to this alfa racing fella up the road for a rebuild.

 

The silver lining........... I may well get it rebuilt a bit bigger (possibly 3.6) as it won't really cost any more.

 

Will (carkiller) :)

[Sonicriot13 0]

But because I am the luckiest man alive (sometimes) it happened on the penultimate day of my warranty!!

 

What!? :shock: That is mad! :lol: But I have to ask, how many miles had that belt done before it broke?

[double-6s 0]

But because I am the luckiest man alive (sometimes) it happened on the penultimate day of my warranty!!

 

What!? :shock: That is mad! :lol: But I have to ask, how many miles had that belt done before it broke?

 

 

I know mate - they've already paid out for a gearbox because I blew the diff, which took the gearbox out with it! (£2200!) :)

 

Alfa reckon it may now need a full engine rebuild, which has gotta cost a good few grand. Luckily the (free) warranty is up to the value of the car :)

 

The belt snapped at 50k by the way. Not sure if it was the belt or a tensioner or something. It was serviced by an alfa main dealer 2k miles ago, including belt check etc.

 

There is a bit of a thing going on with alfa at the mo, as most other countries say change the belts on a GTA at 60k kilometers - 38k miles or so, but the uk service schedule says 72k miles! Alfa uk have already paid out on several out of warranty GTAs that have snapped belts.

 

Great cars though. When they work! That's why I've got 2 - one is always in the garage! :)

[Walesy 0]

:cuckoo:

[double-6s 0]

:cuckoo:

 

 

:wave: :nuts: :gag:

[skinnyman9000 0]

Bloke at work had a new Alfa last year (not sure what model), but the cambelt snapped after just 2k miles, and 6 months after that was sorted the engine seized, noiiiiice

[double-6s 0]

Probably because the bottom end was also damaged when the belt went, and they just repaired the head. Doh!

 

Any cambelt going after 2k miles is pretty obviosuly a manufacturing problem with the belt.