Thinking of getting out of Alfa ownership? Read this first!

[poohbah]

Well said pseudonym. RE the 33, what's with the retro print (drawings of old cars) in the back?

[bazzbazz]

I have to be honest, I MUST be bloody lucky (with my life history, very unlikely) but with both my 156s, Ruby & Patty, I have had nary a problem with them.

Being in mind that both cars were bought second hand and had been at the varying degrees of care with previous owners.

Ruby (156 TS Selespeed) has let me down only once, and that was due to the Selespeed Pump brushes wearing out, nothing more than fair wear and tear.

Patty (156 Sportwagon JTS Selespeed) had been sitting for 18 months unused when I bought it, due to a faulty Sensor on the Selespeed and the owner being told by the dealership it would be $2500 for a new actuator unit. I bought the car for a price I am too scared to put in print for fear of being hunted down and tarred & feathered. After sorting out the sensors the only thing that has failed is the #2 Catalytic Converter has turned to dust and disappeared. Still running fine with no warning lights, just and strong diesel smell occasionally. And this is my daily work vehicle that carries a very heavy load every day over long distances.

And as for the humble little 147, I always recommend them to parents looking for a first car for teenage son/daughter as a well maintained one can't be beaten as a teens first car for the following reasons -

1/ One of the BEST handling little hatches ever built
2/ Has more airbags than most teens have ever cleaned their rooms
3/ Has all the safety tech of top end cars - ABS, dynamic breaking, ASR, ESC
4/ LOOK fantastic
5/ An absolute ball of fun to drive, they actually WANT to drive them
5/ And when in the High School car park, as everyone else is boasting, "I have a Civic, I have a Astra, I have a Lancer," our little 147 owning miss can walk up in her Italian shoes and with an air of complete contempt spout "Really! Well I drive an Alfa Romeo!", snap turn and with a flick of her ponytail walk off oozing superiority and Italian style.

 

[Pseudonym]

They are cracking fun to pedal - one of those cars that feels faster than it is thanks to the feedback.

Only thing that's gone awry on the JTS was a catalytic converter error - which I cleared and it stayed cleared so it's fixed *nods*

I think that's either an old fabric print in the wagon or an old mattress - he just collects odd old things. There's a actual size plush toy silver back gorilla somewhere, I remember seeing an old wooden backed poster print for the original Speed movie [emoji23]

The only problem with the wagon is the rear diff has to be manually coupled to the front by lever, and if driven on tarmac binds up and has to be freewheeled to relieve the tension in order to disengage [emoji23]

Sent from my HTC 2PS5200 using Tapatalk

[poohbah]

Haha, classic. I reckon it might be the only wagon (is it a Giardinetta?) on the road in Perth.

[ugame]

I do need to point out at this point......

There weren't really any "problems" with the 147. More maintenance items that would have needed attention (money) in the near future.

Was it $5000 worth? (the approx change over price i paid)

Well no.....but it was over half that easily.

The 147 never really "let us down". The only time it saw a flat bed, the little pin on the clutch pedal had snapped when my wife was coming into a shopping centre car park.

I turned up. 2 mins google. "fixed" the pedal to make it drivable (but didn't have a snap pin on me), just as the truck arrived.

So thought better safe than sorry, and let the truck take it the 3 mins journey to our house, where I DID have some snap pins

The civic adversely, having 97,000 on the clock, and a full stamped book, has just had the dealer perform the 100,000 service.  Next service is in 1 year, not before, and is a fluid change, as is the one after that.

I think perhaps I'll need to change the brakes at the front during that period as I'm feeling a very VERY slight pulse under braking leading me to suspect a very very slightly warped rotor.

I may mention it to the dealer to see if that falls under the "excessive break wear" that the warranty covers. I doubt it. The warranty covers fk all usually.

But anyway my point is this....YOU GUYS took this thread in an "unreliable alfas" direction. NOT me

And Baz, you are so right re first cars. My son is still occasionally trying on the GTV and as I said to the wife "bugger. That car really suits him!"

"Yes, yes it does. I was thinking the same thing" she replied.

Seeing him pull up on the drive in it just looks.....right.

[bazzbazz]

Seeing him pull up on the drive in it just looks.....right.

And to him, seeing his old man pull up in a Cayman probably looks sooooo wrong. 

[ugame]

Seeing him pull up on the drive in it just looks.....right.

And to him, seeing his old man pull up in a Cayman probably looks sooooo wrong. 

Look you!

I have been told that the Cayman REALLY suits me actually.

Sure it was the salesman at the dealership but still.....it was AFTER I paid.....I'm taking it.

[Citroënbender]

Was he thinking of keeping it for himself? 

[Pseudonym]

As well as keeping an Alfa in the family It'll be a good ride for a young guy as well - interesting brand, fun to drive, and fairly impractical for doing young driver shenanigans.

There is another giardinetta around WA country but haven't seen it for a while - it's actually a little nicer to drive than the standard hatch, not sure if it's the extra weight or revised suspension but goes well.

Sent from my HTC 2PS5200 using Tapatalk

[poohbah]

Good point - I'm a big believer in kids getting a 2 seater as a first car, for two reasons - less likely to be encouraged to do something stupid if there isn't a tribe of mates in the car, and secondly they aren't going to be the nominated driver on pub nights...