Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Autowirral Mi_Craig/AlfaCraig - Alfa Romeo 146

cant you just get a second hand/scrappy engine and swap it?
i have all the tools/equip/garage to do it

How about one of these:

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=FSW&action=display&thread=62157

or even better:

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=FSW&action=display&thread=63205

That 75 is gorgeous.. but needs a lot of work unfortunately.

Ive considered getting an engine swap, however it does bring about new problems. With an engine swap.. its required that the cambelt is changed, as well as the Variator etc.. This all adds up in cost, and considering that my poor car has a few other problems as well (Needs new complete exhaust system with Cat + Gearbox is on its way out ) Its not financially viable to keep her.


Bit gutted tbh, the one I wanted is close by, but we dont have £3000 to buy it... so Im still looking around... but It will be an Alfa



If I had the money.. Id buy an 8C without a doubt

Its all just been done on your car - with both engines out of the cars, swap them over - the cambelt is only a difficult job due to access

Everyone seems very against the idea of getting a new car

Because we all know youll buy another Alfa and have all this trouble again

If your gonna get a new car, dont make it an Alfa (Did ownership of this one confirm their reputation?)

....or if you want to stay Alfa, stick with this one and fix it properly - better the devil you know...

Thats a Misconception though...

Ive had no "Alfa troubles" with this car that the Jeremy Clarkson Generation love to point and laugh at. Anything that has become a problem with this car is down to either Mistreatment in the past...or due to its age.

Also, when the headgaset went earlier in the year, if the mechanic who "Fixed" it did what he actually said he had done... he would have spotted any damaged piston rings etc...

All I can take from this experience is to
a) Not buy a car from Ebay
b) Get it serviced at a recommended Alfa Romeo Specialist, regardless of the cost.

Perhaps it wasnt the best choice of car to own considering my current situation (Graduate.. no job etc) but it would have been impossible for me to have driven a Corsa/Saxo/Focus/Escort/Polo etc etc as They are all very very dull cars with hideous handling...


End of the day.... even when it has been damaged... its still been the best car Ive ever driven. Surely thats saying somwthing

Forgot to add... considering the amount of money thats been spent for MOT... and other problems that occurred... really isnt feasible to spend around £1500 getting it back on the road


Declared as SORN yesterday

Shame Craig... next time get a real Alfa engine, instead of an Alfarised Fiat lol. OJ, the twin sparks are just fine, and in all honesty, I guess you have just been unlucky.

Any engine and car (no matter how much the fanboi's of other marques like to take the pi$$) can have problems, you ask some people and they will have the highest opinion of a car/engine, other people will have a low opinion of it. A lot of people will have a certain opinion of an engine/car based on nothing else but media speculation.

The L-Series has a rock solid reputation, and you can, if you want to, push 170BHP+ out of it without any real problems (not bad for an engine designed to pus 105BHP) - however all the reputation for being bullet proof in the world, does not stop the odd one every blue moon suffering the dreaded "tractor syndrome"... so does that mean nobody should ever buy one, because they will all get it? Of course not, because it is likely never to happen to 99.9999% of people. On the other hand, the BMW M47 engine that Rover used in the 75/ZT isnt exactly the most solid engine in the world, and is known to suffer faults and eat through DMF's every 40k or so.

My dad has had zero problems with his Alfa engine, in the 12 years he has owned the car. He has a Merc on the other hand, which sounds like it is well on its way, and has had quite a few problems. All the problems my dad has suffered in his 164 Super, is generally wear and tear.

Go for the car you want mate, don't be swayed by other peoples opinions of it, they can love their favoured marques, which can surely never build anything that ever goes wrong, but if you want another Alfa, go for it. As much as Jezza slates them for their unfair "reputation" of unreliability, I find it rather amusing how he still maintains they are a real drivers car, and given the choice between a 166 and ANYTHING German, he'd take the Milano anyday.

As for fixing the problems yourself, it could be worth a stab, unless you can find an enthusiast willing to give you decent money to buy it and fix it up (with it being a Junior, there is a chance that could happen). If you try and fix it yourself, the worst that can happen is you end up with a broken engine - no worse than the position your in now lol.

Broken engine... and a very very deep pocket

Still no update on the Alfa... Looking like shes not gonna be repaired.

As for new car front... been looking at 156s.
Not sure if my folks are too happy me looking at another Alfa again. Went to see one today that was pretty tatty have to admit. But whilst there, theirs, and mine, attention was drawn to a different make of car. Price is a bit excessive for what it is, but gonna see if we can sort out a very good deal. Itll have to be the best deal ever considering what theyre asking, and its actual worth, but watch this space. May not be AlfaCraig for much longer. Well... not for a few years anyway

Alfa was handed over to be scrapped today

She looked so pretty sitting there.. everyone commented on how rare she is and how nice she looked

Anyway, whats done is done. Ill never forget the 146, best car Ive ever had. But now onto her replacement..eagle eyed upon us may have noticed my name change already.

Say Hello to the MG ZS

Im putting other pics in her actual Car Thread, but I wont be able to take any pics of my own until I pick her up on Wednesday... but Ill be heading down to Brands Hatch On that day..so itll probably be the week after.
Cant believe Im on my 3rd Car Topic.. catching up to Stuy now