Still need to sell the little Immense Micra that has done me so well as a first car.

Today, I won a bid on an Alfa Romeo 146. Details are...

1999 S reg Alfa Romeo 146 Junior (Rare spec, only a few hundred made)
1.6 Twin Spark
120 BHP

Limited Edition 15" Alfa Alloys
Colour Coded Side Skirts
Colour Coded Spoiler (Skirts and Spoiler are special to the "Junior" Range, being taken from the 2.0 Cloverleaf)

Ive joined the real car league, and cant wait to pick it up on Tuesday.

how much you get that for

£600, only bidder.

Its only done 41,500 Miles

Sweeeeeet!!! There was never any doubt over your credentials in a little Micra, I remember it gave Scott's 1.8 Zafira a run for its money did it??

IYe probably know, im an Alfa lover myself, owing to my dads 164 Super, my love of Ferrari's and of course the Brera lol.

Not the biggest fan of the interior in these, but they are quite well built, and the TS engines were powerful for their time. You will love the way Alfa engines develop power, and they are as solid as rock. I actually had a look at these before I got me 420 and the only reason I was put off was because a 1.6 146 was double the insurance lol.

Ill have to come and have a gander when you are back on Wirral for Xmas. Where do you have to pick it up?

It's a shame they never put the Alfa v6 in these, but I guess being loosely based on the Tipo, there would'nt have been the room.

Im still awaiting me dad to pop his cloggs so I can have his 164 lol.

You got any plans for it? Alfa wheels are the business, with the round holes in them. My dad has them on his too, albit 17 or 18". If you get bigger alloys, please stay true to Alfa style and dont go throwing non-Alfa alloys on it!! They define Alfa's imo.

Wow amazing price; at 41,500 for an Alfa engine, thats not even been broken in!!

Beware though, they can be a bit expensive to service although it should'nt be too bad on a 1.6 and the chassis being as it is.

i remeber that day quite clearly about ya lil micra givin my zafira the run of its life but a great choice in a second car dude

Congratulations Craig

My first ever driving lesson was in an Alpha Sud - I fell in love with Alpha's from that day. So easy to drive.

Enjoy honey

The Interior for this one is a weird blue colour, which I may have to get used to. Other than that, its a case of finding the interior from the Cloverleaf and swapping. That was Black Material with Alfa Romeo stitched into the back of the seats. looks the dogs bollocks that.

Im lucky to have found this, as it seems no-one ever sells the 1.6, and to have found it in South Wirral is a miracle hahaha.


Amazingly enough, Insurance comparison Sites state that fully comp on this, is EXACTLY the same as the Micra, which yes, did keep up with Scotts Zafira...and also Had off the 2.0 A3 that tried racing me on A41 (A3 Slayer??)

Ill really miss the Micra though. It wa smy first car, and I love it to bits. Couldnt fault it in any way, apart from lack of power. But for a 998cc, it doesnt half fly

Lol, you nearly broke the gearbox didnt ya?

yes lol usin the auto like a manual gear box draggin the gears out till it redlined but then compleatly fooooked the autobox in that accident i had which u seen the aftermath of

I dont mean the seats n that, not a fan of the dashboard etc. It hasnt dated very well, if you get me? But they are comfortable cars, I have seen a couple of Cloverleafs an Ti's a couple of years back when I went to Italy with me dad to an Alfa convention lol, and they were mint!!

I plan to keep these wheels on it Matty. No real Modifications, except replace the radio for something that actually plays CDs, and maybe, just maybe lower it about 30mm in the future. Ive seen one like this, lowered that much and it looks superb. Not over the top, just perfect.

First things first, have it checked over when I pick it up, see if it needs anything major repairing etc. Not looking forward to Servicing in future, and I know that around 65000 Miles, you need to have the Cambelts changed. Al expensive, but Ive got a job for next year...so here hoping all goes well

Oh yeah, the cutaway Dashboard. At the time it was hailed as a work of art, bt certainly hasnt aged well.

In saying that though, Im stepping up from a 14 year old Micra. Anything will be better Designed

Nice one mate, hope ye have many happy year's of driving it. I saw a 3.2 166 Mk2 the other day, oh how I wish lol....

Either way, it HAS to be better then that of my dad's 164, wtf, there is about 100 buttons and I av enough trouble in me rover sometimes lol.

Its not Pink Craig.

The fella was absolutely adamant that the colour hasnt faded on this like the red usually does


Im gonna be keeping it for a few years yea, dont worry. Dont want to go through hassle of selling and buying cars anytime soon. Maybe a Current shape leon next, in about 5 years?

Lmao nice one. Don't like the current shaped Leon's, gimme an Mk1 Cupra anyday though!

Not nice when someone fiddles with your posts is it Craig what goes around

What did he do??

He was a very naughty boy! Made it look like I was into things I'm not He knows what he did

Haha unlucky Craig

Actually, I was PGing something you had written, to prevent a ban from being given if you remember. Then it all went hectic.



Back on topic... ahem.... Has anyone driven a 146?
Ive heard theyve a cracking chassis, very sporty handling etc...

Actually, I have'nt driven one, but I have driven a 155 and of course a 164, both from the same generation, and they were excellent. Me dad's is immense for its size, grips the corners like its running on rails, so this should match that id expect, with it being a smaller car...

Just had a look on Piston heads, someone is selling a 1999 1.6 Junior in Silver for £1295.... with around 115,000 Miles on the clock !!!


Ive either bought myself an utter bargain, or a dud.

Find out Tomorrow when I pick it up

Where you getting it from matey?

(Take some glue / tape incase anything falls off on the way home )

Fingers crossed its a bargain, pray its not a dud. Should be okay though fella.

Its near 2 Mills at the minute. Im picking it up tomorrow, once We get insurance for a week, then run it straight to an MOt centre, to see if anything needs doing to it.

MOT runs out in January, so best to check.


Ill have plenty of Tape dont worry

...if you need a hand matey - I have a trade policy

That might be why it went for a lower price, people scared by the MOT. Even if it required a small amount of work doing for it though, it would still be a bargain.

At 56,000, one would like to think, that it should be chugging along quite nicely, and if anything needs doing, it should be minor (although maybe tedious) bits and pieces.

The mileage on thm Ive seen for sale go up to around 150,000 and theyre still going strong. As I say, just the cambelts need changing around 65,000 to 70,000. They get messed up as the car has auto tensioners etc.

Also, with the Twin Spark, they eat through oil, so Ill go from a car that needs oil say, once every 5 years, to one that needs it every 5/6 months (maybe) Might be an exaggeration...but who knows.

Looking forward though

Yeah, Alfa engines are pretty strong. Can't remember the milage on my dad's 164, but its over 100k, and still a dream to drive, no problems.

Dunno about the TS eating through oil though, will av to ask me old man about that, he will know better than me lol.

Already having problems with this, and havent even collected the car yet !!!!!


My dad is running through all the "Oh, this fella said its unreliable...walk away from it blah blah....keep the micra blah blah If your car breaks down, youll lose your job blah blah blah"

Im getting sick already. Anyone I speak to, immediately says... Oh, theyre unreliable them. Thans a fooking lot Jeremy Clarkson.



If we all followed the advice we were given, we would all be driving round in a sodding Ford Focus. Why cant people just shut up and realise that????? Honestly...driving me up the wall.

I guess time will tell matey...

For your sake, I hope the unreliablity thing doesnt effect this car..

Did you view the car before buying it?

Ive joined an Alfa Oners website, and looked through all the things that are said to go wrong etc.

There is nothing outstanding from these, than youd get from another car, except for regular oil changes due to the twin spark...and changing the cambelts at 65,000 miles.


Weve organised an MOT for wednesday...bt the fella on the phone was joking about them being unreliable (Oh what a surprise)...so I personally dont trust him. Ive got a feeling hell go out his way to find something wrong....just so he can charge a shitload to replace.



I got it on Ebay, it originally belonged to someone who was part of the Alfa Owners Club, but handed it in Part Exchange

ALfa 146

Engine Size 1598 cc
Cylinders 4
0-60 mph 10.2 s
Power Output 120 bhp
Valves 16
Torque 144 Nm
Top Speed 122 mph

Micra

Engine Size 998 cc
Cylinders 4
0-60 mph 15.9 s
Power Output 54 bhp
Valves 16
Torque 79 Nm 58 lb-ft
Top Speed 93 mph


Will feel a hell of a lot more powerful. but i'm sure your ready for it

nice one mate. looks a good one hope all is well with it

If he shafts you on the MOT mate, lemme know, I know a lad who works in an MOT centre, he won't have you off by adding jobs/fail points.

Don't worry about reliability, as I said, me dad's 164 has done 100k+, and it still runs and feels like a dream. It is important that you keep them well serviced, you can't really neglect their service schedules as much as you might get away with a Ford or I do with my 420, and parts are higher quality, so demand higher prices, but this is a price you pay when you buy a car that not every Joe Bloggs drives, and that has an engine that far outdoes its rival's performance wise.

I have to feel for my dad, if anything needs doing to his Alfa ( he ain't really able to get his hands dirty anymore as he damaged his wrist in a work accident), nobody in Hereford will touch the car for some reason, he has to take it to an Alfa specialist in Gloucester lol.

Simple rule though, keep it well serviced ans looked after, which im sure you will do, and everything should be okay. Unless you get electrical problems, which can be a pain in the arse in all Fiat cars lol.

Oh, have a good test drive of the car before you buy; any thing not listed, that you find wrong with it, mean's you have the liberty to walk away.

I aint really got much idea on problems with the 145/146 or the TS engines, but as your on an Alfa owners club now, try and get as much knowledge of things to look for before you go. Make a list if needs be, its better to be safe than sorry.

Nice looking car, hope you aren't plagued with reliability problems.

If you need jobs doin on it mate,I have worked on a few of these.I will do a Service for £20 plus the parts and I can change the cambelt if you want it doin.

Electrical items go out to lunch frequently on these and the interior is balsa-wood quality,but alot is down to the individual car...You could still end up with a good-un!

Main problem with owning one is that SOME(not service)parts can be very expensive compared to other cars:( Good luck with it mate

Cheers Guys. Might take you up on that Chris if anything needs doing

Picked it up today, dad driving as he has insurance on it for a week. First thing he said "Christ thats fast".

Cars going for its MOT tomorrow, so we had a quick look around. Rear tyres were bald, which we replaced for a set of part worn.

The exhaust looks like a bag of shit, so will definately need replacing. Hopefully itll pass the MOT as it is. Only other real thing is may possibly need new Wiper Motor. Other than that, the car is superb, just needs a thorough thorough Valet (last owner had dogs). Body is in unbeliavable condition, and no Colour Fade WHATSOEVER.


Only one real major problem tp report......

IVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH IT.

I had a drive on some private land, It cant be faltered. Absolutely adore it !!!!!!!!!


I cant stop looking out the window at it, or at the Alfa Logo on the key

Good car matey

Chris is great with cars he is the person i always give my car to when i cant do somthing or he talks me through it matey

Cheers tone..

Time for custom exhaust Craig???

I dunno tbh. Im undecided whether Im going to modify it in any way..except maybe lower it 30mm further along the line.

Its a shame to modify something so rare, and Italian

She failed her MOT today

Needs:
New Brake Lines
New Exhaust
Rear Fog light doesnt work.

This baffled me, as the fog light literally worked yesterday when we tried them, both front and rear.
Anyway, its all getting sorted now.


On a good note though, the fella said despite the repairs, its possibly the best Condition Alfa hes seen in a long long time.

Now to decide what sort of feedback to give the seller on Ebay

Pah! Nothing to really worry about there matey.

If there had been welding and suspension arms / joints, then Id have been worried, but as it is, maybe £200 work...

Not much work for its age mate..if you wanna keep it standard,do an extensive search for prices for an exhaust...

As of tonight...12.01am.. I am legally able to Drive the Alfa.. Happy Days


Cleaned it inside and out. Poor car didnt know what hit it. Its gone from smelling and looking like a farm inside....to looking like a fine piece of Italian Design....with a "subtle" hint of sweet shop


From a £600 motor, I reckon its easily doubled in Value

Had someone been keeping chickens in it?

I need a run in this car Craig - you must atempt to convert me from my negative Alfa ways!!

If we dont break down, and nothing falls off I will be impressed and on the way to conversion

Well we'll see how it goes. Theres still one or two niggling problems that need sorting out..like the Variator, and apparently theres no power around 70mph...so maybe a blockage...but all in good time

just took these tonight for craig so these are the photos iv takin hope ya all approve

Lose the "Junior" and "1.6" badges

Other than that - looks well matey - your grease from the elbow has brought it up well

If I were to lose the Junior and 1.6 Badges, the car wouldnt be standard...Its not one I think needs modifying, like a Golf GTI. Modifying a GTI is a crime...

and come on, surely you know the imprortance of the "Junior" in ALFAs History??

People have laughed at the badge...but I laugh back at them, as they have no idea what it means

It was to do with the small, base model wasnt it (That at the time Alfa where making small, cheap cars and called the entry level trim the "Junior"??) - hence why Id get shut of the badge...

Nah, it was a throwback to when they dominated Grand Prix and GT Racing in the early days of Motorsport. Some of the race cars carried the Junior name, I cant remember exactly why they carried it, I'll have to redo my research.

Anyway, the name was continued in the car lineup, as testiment and rememberence to these successful motor sport days. Junior meant that the cars came with more equipment etc, but with smaller engines than the Cloverleaf range (Another throwback to racing days, as the cars used to carry the cloverleaf emblem)

Anyway, basically, this Junior was made in rememberence to the past racing history which Alfa are very proud of, so its only a 1.6, but has all the suspension and running gear of a Cloverleaf.

Hence why I shall keep the badges on the car

It does refer to its past, the 146 Junior versions were equipped with the 1.4 and 1.6 Twin Spark engines and had body coloured side skirts, rear spoiler, door handles and mirrors, and a special design of 15" alloy wheels with low profile tyres. Inside, the interior, had specific blue seats and blue stitch black leather steering wheel and gearshift.

In a roundabout way we are both right, its the entry level engine, but with more sporting trim

One problem with removing any badges is the Alfitsi...

The Alfitsi are the group of people in the world who own and adore the Alfas, and whenever a Modified Alfa comes along, they rip it to shreds, and the owner. The odd thing is, I agree with them, I just dont think an Alfa should me modified in any way. I dont know why...its just odd. Thats the place for an Escort

But yea, cheers for the pics again Scott, I love them, and just need to decide which ones gonna be my profile pic now

nice car craig, are these front or rear drive?

Front wheel drive.. but they are apparently very good for Lift Off Oversteer in the corners...something to be weary of, as theyve caught a few people out in the past

i remember our jase had an older one of these, 1.7 litre, it was extremly quick, well impressive

ahhh...thatll be the Boxer then.

This ones the Twin Spark...whih are meant to be quicker.. unless you have a problem with the MAF which prevents me from flooring it... getting sorted as we speak

Just proves you should always enter a corner at a speed which will allow you to maintain power all the way through BTW, that Mangoletsi logo on the back is a great sign that it's been looked after, at least for part of its life. Enjoy.
Cheers, Chris.

nice mate. at least no idiots (ahem) can rip your car now!

You are not a true petrolhead until you have owned an Alfa!..so that rules me out

I have worked on a few,but never owned one...so I am gonna remedy that..

Sounds good Chris, any ideas which one??

My dad sent me a table showing the car sales for te 145 and 146 in its life...


There were only 687 146 Juniors ever made.. That makes it more exclusive than an Imprea P1 !!!!!!

Im a happy boy...Off out with Scott now to take some pics

Seen this car before, great choice craig it looks in stunning condition, well looked after by the looks of things

Cheers Matey.

As Ive probably mentioned, Ive had some trouble with accelerating, in that I cant go full throttle without the engine "Bogging Down"..


Having a play today, I disconnected the MAF, went for a drive, and the car became a rocket. Definately needs cleaning or replacing. See what tomorrow brings

Maybe its the make of the car?

Nope...the problem is with the electrics, the sensor can get dirty easily, and the actual sensor itself is very prone to damage.

The company that provide the electrics for Alfa???

Bosch...

The hundreds of thousands of known problems with the electrics on these cars, and its all the fault of Bosch. Gave Alfa itself a bad reputation...

at least u knew alfa's have bad electrics before u bought it!still good cars tho.

Yea, didnt let that bit of knowledge put me off...

If i had known about the frequent cambelt changes and lack of mpg though




Nah, jokin...its a brilliant car

Getting there....

Kenwood CD headunit fitted the other day.
Pioneer 17cm 200W Speakers to maybe go in (Undecided)

Replaced Rear Wiper
Front Fog Lights now working.
Rear Window and Heated Door Mirrors now working

Now just got to:

1. Replace MAF
2. Repair/Replace exhaust
3. Have car serviced, including Cam belt, Tensioner and Variator Replacement.


Once all thats done, car should easily be worth more than double

Before changing the MAF - have you tried cleaning it?

The thought has crossed my mind.
Ive been told that if I replace it, to replace with another Bosch unit, which are circa £100.

We found somewhere that supplies them for 55Euros though, and have 2 years warranty. Time is short atm, preparin to go back uni, so dunno if I can be bothered. They are frail though, and if it breaks when cleaning, Ill need a new part. May as well buy this cheap one, clean the old one, if it breaks..straight replacement

It has been on the car 10 years though. Jays Beemer had a problem with the MAF other day, and its nowhere near that age

Cleaning only involves spraying the hot wire with a solvent based cleaner - brake / carb cleaner.

Its a common fault on the Nissans and Ive never heard of anyone breaking a MAF cleaning it this way.

My Sisters BF even used hot soapy water to clean the one on his Scooby once - I wouldnt recommend that though

The Alfa website seems to have loads of people taking them off, and then taking them apart to clean them, which is where I think a lot of the breakages happen.

I suppose I can give it a shot today. If it breaks, its not a big deal, as the car just runs off the default setting on the ECU = ROCKET Mwuhahahahaha

C'mon, use your eternally long student holidays to get it done

Done.... Most annoying clips holding the damn thing on as well.

Car Pulls like a train, and sits perfectly at idle at 1,000rpm..
See how long that lasts though Cant blame me Stuy, Im a lazy student. When it comes to other peoples cars, things ar done doubley quick, but with mine, just cant be bothered

Only thing is, now when I put it in reverse, and accelerate, when you put the clutch in, the engine starts hunting

PAH, backwards aint as important as forwards - as long as its sorted?

The AFM may need a little time to settle back down - or try disconnecting the ECU. Over time they can slightly retune themselves to suit minor changes to sensors on the engine. Sometimes leaving the ECU over night can do it, or sometimes they need to be left disconnected for a bit to discharge any capacitors on the boards...

It started hunting at idle before, embarassing trying to go through maccies as the cars revving itself.

Ive heard a rumour that any changes you do to the engine, Im meant to :

Turn the Key for 90 seconds
Switch Off For 90 Seconds
Let it idle for 90 seconds

The perform an Italian Tune up aka Take it for a drive and use the entire rev range.
Then it should settle

Idle speed valve or a minor AIR leak can cause to

As Robbo says - prolly the Idle control valve or air leak

Try removing the Idle valve and soaking it / cleaning it with petrol and see if it makes a difference

Bad News...

Travelling this morning to the Alfa Romeo meet in Liverpool.... I suddenly lost all power, temperature gauge shot up to 130 celsius, and my injector light switched on.


I dropped to 50mph, but then suddenly smoked started pouring out from the bonnet, so had to pull onto hard shoulder. Coolant then decided to just empty itself onto the road.


RAC came, and reckoned its either the head gasket, or a cracked cylinder head

Bad times

ooooo bad news mate

hope its not too bad

...most common cause of this is seized thermostat...but worth checking water pump,blocked pipes etc.

Im going to enquire about repair tomorrow.... more info then

the joys of alfa ownership eh?

In a way yeah.

Of all the cars Ive driven, Ive never been in one that actually wants to be driven. Cornering is superb, and it puts a smile on my face every time Im in it. I honestly dont think I can ever drive another marque of car.. because theyll be substandard. I think Im willing to give up reliability if this is what theyre all like.


Sounds cheesy, but I cant park up and walk away without looking back

Forgot to say, had a mate from uni before... practically begging me to sell it, cut my losses and buy an Escort

The Alfa Curse

Hope its nothing too serious matey

gutted bud, this mate from uni - were you showing him him how good it was......Perhaps pushed it a little too far

I havent ragged the car tbh.. always keep it between 2500 and 5000 because sounds so sweet within the range.

I think hes slightly jealous, but doesnt want to let on. Basically, hes done some work to his escort, and the Alfa is faster and better handling standard.

...just no more reliable..

Escort still running?

Escort failed its MOT, and needed 2 new front Wishbones, 2 new sets of brakes....and has as many holes in it as a basket.

Its a T reg, aka one year newer than mine.

I was just thinking.

If all that is required is a new headgasket, and to skim the Cylinder head..... will skimming not increase the compression rate, increasing the power, but reducing reliability??

not enough to make a difference. if the head is warped then it may take up to 8thou for the skim.

Craig you broke it alredy

Any idea whats wrong yet Craig?

The Alfa WILL LIVE AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!

Fellas been in touch.

Thermostat seized, causing engine to overheat and headgasket to go poof.

No damage to the engine whatsoever, so head is being skimmed, new parts gettin delivered...hopefully shell be breathing by end of the week

That's good news mate glad it was nothing too major.

Fact that I dropped the clutch straight away and didnt carry on down the motorway saved us from either scrapping the beast or reconditioning for about £1500.... so Im a Happy Bunny

Gonna wait for loan to come in now....and hopefully some cash from race team..and Ill be able to pay my dad back for repairs

Told ya...lol. glad your gettin it sorted mate

I know mate.. me too. All the scare stories I was given off everyone about it as well... very thankful that it was just that and wit no damage done.


Shell be back on the roads soon...after some running in

Getting beyond a fooking joke !!!!!!!!!


Car broke down 22nd February...its now the 23rd of March..and its not ready to be picked up.


Stripping head, skimming head, new headgasket, putting all back together... At the most Id guess a weeks solid work ???

I need the car for work, and have done for past 2 weeks sraight. Having to rely on fellow team mechanic on lifts all the time, and his car looks and feels like its gonna give up the fight soon.

Coupled with that...endless amounts of assignments and a Dissertation to complete, -£1600 in my account.....

Really getting stressed out at this situation...and want to end someones life. Dont piss me off anytime soon

gutted for you matey nothing worse than having to wait for your motor back.

Cars sorted... have to run it in for a couple of hundred miles...but thatll be done soon hopefully anyway.

Cambelt and Tensioner are all new, so they wont need doing for another 36,000 Miles.

New Variator so no nasty diesel sound on startup

New Headgasket, water Pump and Thermostat.

Happy

Better MPG due to less weight in the wallet!

I Wish

Still 22mpg.. but hopefully nothing will go wrong on it now

just get out on some country lanes and NAIL it. Itll remind you why you bought it and all the lost monies and time and heartbreak will be worthwhile.

Thats what i keep telling myself anyway.

One problem sorted...another one crops up
Getting a bit peeved now...

If Im on the motorway, I accelerate hard to overtake/move out of the way above 70-80..as I lift off, white smoke puffs out the exhaust. The closest I can compare the smell to is that of a train (No Jokes)..so Im guessing its burning oil...but just at high speed??


When I went to Peterborough other day, I got the oil warning light on the dash, which warns for low oil pressure. Put 2.5L in, drove back to preston and it appeared again. Hvent had the light since, but I keep topping oil up just in case. Any Ideas? Theres no Oil on the floor when the cars been standing etc

Seriously getting fed up now... if anyone can look at it for me when Im back over Easter (Preferably before members meet) then could they??

It is probably the oil pump on it's way out...that's if there is enough oil in it when the light comes on.

As Chris said, is there a problem with the oil level (this will cause low pressure) or is there enough oil, but its not getting up to pressure?

If its buring oil, the options are HG (not been done right), Rings or stem seals (mabye valve guides also)

...the joys of Alfa ownership

Dont know if this applies...
Few years back I had a firebird which had a recent top end rebuild. I was losing oil and couldn't fathom out where - no oil stains on the ground or in the engine bay. and occasional puffs on the motorway or morning startup.
Spoke to a "old hand" and he suggested it may be getting past the valve stem seals...
Fortunately there were kits available for chevy engines (sort of rubber umberellas) that fitted over the stem - no dismantling, just had to move the rocker arm over).
Any how, oil loss stopped.
In my case, the heads weren't rebuit correctly ...
These lasted until I sold the car around 20K miles later..

If its using enough oil to switch the light on-ie running itself dry of oil-there will be loads of smoke from the exhaust,as thats a hell of a lot of oil to burn...

Gonna try and get a full reading this time...filled the car with oil till it actually registers as full, now well see how many miles it does till needs topping up.

Im not gonna pay £20 extra for oil everytime I go for a drive...and I certainly dont wanna be doin a James Bond smokescreen every time I accelerate

Looking at symptoms now though, Im thinking Piston Rings
New Car Possibly??
Think thats what my folks want me to do anyway

Alfas' reputation is for a reason maybe...

I dunno... I may have been a bit too hasty...tired nd things fromprevious week.Shes been absolutlely faultless past few days, barely smoky on startup, and Im avoiding motorways for a bit. Oil level hasnt even dropped, and sitting at the meet last night made me realise how much I like it


Screw it, shes staying. Next car I have will be an Alfa as well, and the next, and maybe the next after that. Ill be damned if I buy anything else

If its all running on now matey - not smoking or using oil, then dont worry about it

Could have been something bedding in following the HG replacement, but if all seems well now, its cant be too bad

Small Update...

Today the Electric wing mirror switch was fixed (Finally)

New wing mirror attached so I can finally see whats on the outside of me

Had a go at trying to fix my heater matrix.. so I can change the blower temperature. I ended up seperating the cable from the dial to the matrix itself.. not before setting the blowers to something quite cool... which is a kind of bonus I suppose. In the process, got the AirCon working... so overall a happy bunny

Anyway, unfortunately I think its gonna have to be a Dashboard removal job to get that sorted... which Im not looking forward to... but meh... what can ya do.


Ive also bought some T-Cut finally... so gonna have a go at trying to match the spoiler's color with the rest of the car

It's great when all the "niggles" & "not so niggles" come together.
After all, she's worth it.

I've been to the point of nearly throwing in the towel!!!

But as you said earlier, when you stand back and look - you think "she stays" and you pay her even more attention.

Hells yea. I realised other day theres 350 more Lotus Carltons in the world than there are of these... cant just give up on her like that.


Its little jobs like these that I enjoy though, seem like a pain.... but huge satisfaction when its sorted.

Unlike this Head Gasket/Oil Leak/Blown Piston Ring/Valv stem seals problem... just aint got the money to fix... or resources to do myself

They might have made 350 more Carltons, but they have prolly all rotted away now

Just received possibly the worst news I could get atm...

Been quoted £1500 to fix Piston rings etc etc and all the problems that have come about since the headgasket went.

Dont have the resources, space or experience on the Twin Spark to do it myself.

Not financially viable to keep the car

Sorry to hear the bad news.

Cheers matey.

Dont think Ive ever been this gutted tbh.

Gonna have to try and flog it for as much as I can, and possibly sell my Race Kart Project as well, to try nd make some money to buy a new one

take it off the road, buy some new piston rings and headgasket and I'll give you a hand

Tbh man... theres a lot that needs doin to it, and I dont have the money to sort all the problems out.

State its currently in, wont pass MOT.. I think best bet is to try nd sell it to someone who will do the bits required.. cos theyll get a good car..

Or sell it to an idiot and plead innocence on everything thats wrong.

Cheers anyway

Thats not the spirit

Thought you had a degree in motorsport?

Perfect learning curve - sort out your own engine.

Provided it doesnt cost more than the car does (like mine did) and the body work is in good nick, then its worth doing as you know the engine will last

Thats the problem though... Will cost more than the car did.
If this gets sorted out... £600 will have been spent buying the thing.. and another £2400 to fix it up when things go wrong..

In good nick, these cars ar worth about 2K. Throwing money into a bottomless pit. The damage has been done, and whose to say once sorted.. something else wont go wrong cos of the headgasketness.

I need another Alfa though. I cant just go out and buy an Escort, Astra or Corsa etc..





Try and find a job... get a loan and buy a brand new 147 or something.. before the 149 is released ??

Come over to the DARK SIDE.

Tiny V6 motor £1500 @ last look

Well... having driven back from Peterborough the other day.. Car needed topping up with oil Twice.

A lot more smokey than usual, very down on power.. and sounds rough as a badgers arse... so I think the poor alfa is about to die.

I hate being in this situation...knowing whats wrong..but being unable to do anything about it. May have to be a new Car jobby, too much damage to the engine now to have it repaired I think.



Already got my eye on one... but I will let you guess and talk amongst yourselves with that one

i did spot an alfa in the scrappie in buckley, jrn model like urs but in blue, worth a try if the motor is any good?

I reckon............THIS!

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