heya guys
am i the only one that sees a kind of beauty in the square ruled lines of a well kept (not rusty) alfa 75?
what are these like to live with?
cheers guys
It was the last true Alfa Romeo with its rear wheel drive transaxle setup, if you can find a good one they are a good thing to have, trouble is now they are a minimum of 22 years old, and you can't buy parts for them at an Alfa Romeo /Fiat / Chrysler Dealership, you have to go to the independant Alfa Romeo Spare parts outlets, who do an excellent job of keeping these old cars going, Colin.
I had a 75 twin spark as a daily drive for a few years and loved it. They are very easy to live with, and fairly practical too
Dude, you are definitely not the only one with an appreciation for the 75.
I bought a red 1987 Twin Spark a couple of years ago and I love it.
It's very versatile - I can can take my son and a couple of his mates to football training and they fit comfortably. I can use it to get to work and it's just brilliant in heavy traffic and tight spaces because visibility out of the car is so good. You can see the corners of the car because it has that boxy body which means you can manoeuvre into tight spaces with confidence (stark contrast with my 916 GTV)!
It's functional and it's fun too! I tend to drive it fairly slowly in straight lines but throw it around corners because it feels so light and direct. The LSD makes it feel safe and controllable in the wet. The TS motor have a lovely 'I'm up for it' feeling about it, the V6 motor of course is beauty too. I have sprinted my car a few times and it it way more capable than I am!
Looks? I like it a lot, especially the views directly from front and rear. That hard edged linear look works well in a few cars in that era - Citroen made a couple that I like. I also like the 75 TS flared guards, that must be the boy racer on me :D
I think 75's are quite easy to live with as a daily driver because they work like a 'modern'. In my car heating and air con is excellent, rear demister works perfectly, wipers do a good job, the power steering is excellent at parking speeds and the seats are reasonably comfortable (probably better if you are less than 6ft).
Hope this is enlightening, Al.
Yes, you are the only one...not!
:D
Some pics...
A couple more of my car at Broadford.
Hi There, you might want to have a look at my Alfa 75 on Gumtree im selling: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/melbourne-cbd/cars-vans-utes/1989-alfa-romeo-75-3-litre-v6/1043931692
75 twin sparks are a brilliant cars to live with. Don't be put off by high ks as they will do huge ks. l have seen then getting around with 370,000 plus and still producing more power than a modern Fiat/Alfa twin spark engines.
My 75 twin spark has 290,000ks and still producing 90kw at the wheels as per the day it came out 25 years ago. Everything works as per the day it was built and it has never let me down in the 7 years of owning it and trust me l take her to some remote places, and the fuel economy will blow you away, easily 7lt per hundred hwy driving.
As for the styling yes and yes again, hard core all the way, a real Alfa Romeo with all the DNA of what the brand was in it's glory days.
Hey alfa.dude,
You're not alone here when it comes to admiring the 75. I admire them so much that I have 2 at home, both Twin Spark.
In the 6 years that I've owned my main 75, I can safely say that I have been extremely happy with it. It's the kind of car that you can daily drive to work during the week, then take it for a blast through your favourite winding roads on the weekend ... all the while you've got the rev-happy classic twin cam up front, throaty exhaust note out the rear and the awesome handling and balance provided by the transaxle set up. Always puts a smile on my dial.
Parts are getting harder to find due to age, but if you keep an open eye, you can occasionally find 75s at Pick-a-Part where you can get hard to find parts for cheap. In any case, there are the local parts suppliers and independent Alfa specialists who will look after you.
My advice would be to test drive a couple of 75s (TS, 2.5, 3.0) if you get the chance and make you're own decision on what you feel would suit you more. Whichever you go for, one thing is certain, you will be hooked :)
I've owned my 3.0 for more than 10 years and I've bought and sold many weird and wonderful cars in the meantime. However, I've vowed to keep the 75 for life... No other car i've owned ticks as many (good) boxes as this one. Also, early ones can now be put on Historic reg. Highly recommended!
Nigel
So which model and motor is the one to have?
The twin spark could be the "one to have" if u want slightly superior handling balance, better around-town gearing and cheaper running costs. Even when new, popular opinion by journalists was that the T-Spark was the "best all rounder", but, it will never perform or sound like a 3 litre V6. Costs are similar for good and rough versions of each model now so it depends on what u want. It's an individual thing. I love my 3 litre , but i have also owned and enjoyed a twin spark.
Ultimately, each model is pleasing and can satisfy as much as the other in its own ways.
Totally agree with comments by alfa75gta.
The way I see it, it's like this, if you intend on using the 75 day in-day out, best bet would be the Twin Spark. But if you only want it for a weekend special, the 3.0 might make more sense. More power/torque and sounds amazing!
As I mentioned earlier, ideally you really should test each version if you had the chance, ultimately it's the only way you can make the right decision for you. Everyone's different.
I went for the Twin Spark because it fit my purpose perfectly (ie. Daily use throughout the 7 day cycle, mostly cross-Melbourne peak hour traffic, as well as the weekend blasts for stress relief). In summary, I wanted a V6, but didn't need it.
Heya all
feel more confident now i know im not going box crazy!
Theres a white car (twinspark) in SA for 6k looks amazing
or a grey (twinspark) in Vic looks ok
for sale on carsales.
Would like to only have to do some minor cosmetic fixes to get it to proud alfa owner status!
What do u guys think?
Thankyou all for your replies!
The support from other alfa owners is amazing!
Cheers
it's not a car it's an Alfa 75 ;)
good luck with your hunt for the red October :)
also liking the 33 boxer :-D
Quote from: alfa.dude on April 14, 2014, 08:17:31 PM
also liking the 33 boxer :-D
With respect, they're not quite the car the 75 is. Build quality is not to the same standard, and they're not as simple to work on. They are sweet to look at, and the boxer engine is rorty. Finding a good one is difficult though. Remember, when new they were a cheaper car..
We love our 1991 75 Twinspark. It's great fun to drive, incredibly practical, I think it looks awesome, and very reliable too. The car has done 300,000+ kms and still a great drive. Nothing really falls off the car, although the interior is a bit weak and tends to fall apart (door trims particularly). Very comfortable and quite modern to drive, but with the bonus of no driver aids and rear wheel drive. A bit of body roll with standard springs but they just hang on so well - that de dion rear end is awesome.
Here's a pic of ours on tour in outback NSW (Grawin opal fields) last year. 4000+ kilometres including a couple of days of awesome dirt roads and corrugations, never missed a beat.
Quote from: alfa.dude on April 14, 2014, 08:17:31 PM
also liking the 33 boxer :-D
Quote from: alfa75gta on April 14, 2014, 08:36:51 PM
With respect, they're not quite the car the 75 is. Build quality is not to the same standard, and they're not as simple to work on. They are sweet to look at, and the boxer engine is rorty. Finding a good one is difficult though. Remember, when new they were a cheaper car..
I'm a great fan of the boxer Alfas (particularly the early Suds of course) but I have to agree that the 75 is much better screwed together and has a much more solid feel to it. I'd probably say the 75 is more fun to drive. I've owned a couple of 33s including a 16v, and I never really felt any permanent attachment. Comparatively I think I'll always own a 75, they're just such a good thing.
Awesome, Evan!
Reminds me, there is a guy in the club who drove his T'spark to London via Asia and Russia. He still has the car but has since transplanted the engine into a GTV. I forget his name, but i know where he lives :P
En route to London tho, if i remember correctly, the only complication was when he hit a cow in south east Asia - cracking headlights which he had posted to a destination a few thousand kays ahead.
The more this thread progresses..the more i find myself wanting a 75 Twin Spark.... 8)
Mostly accurate, except the car still has the engine. The TS I put into the GTV was from a different car.
When choosing which car to take for the journey, we had many stipulations;
- it had to be a cheap car
- it had to be frugal
- it had to be comfortable
- it had to have AC (set-up properly the 75 AC can work ok)
- it had to be suitable for high speed cruising
- it had to be dynamic so when we got to the Nurburgring we could enjoy ourselves!
We could not come up with another car that came close. Adding to the decision was the fact it had LSD (which we used a lot in India!) and I knew how to work on them.
For me, I think they are a great car and the best practical car Alfa has made in the post war era. Albeit not the prettiest but I too have grown to like the shape and with the evolution body kit they are fantastic!
haha, GTVeloce, i just wondered if u may appear out of no-where.. I guess u know who I am too? The guy who stopped outside your house for a chat ;)
Cheers!
Nigel
Did they all have LSD?
Which model/year is the pick?
was the 1990 a good year?
Next time you are driving past bring your 3.0 75! Or any of the Mazers...
LSD available on all 2 litres and I believe all 3 litres. 2.5 litre engines did not have LSD.
Not sure there is a particular pick of year or model - depends on what you want. I drove my TS for 2 years as a daily and it was superb. Obviously the 3 litre has more power/torque but it is not as balanced, not as light and I don't think it is quite as strong as the TS, which many can keep going well over 300k+ without losing any performance. It sounds nice though.
They did a small facelift around 89 I believe and changed from red to green dash lighting. Personally I prefer the look of the green but that's just personal preference.
Also, in Vic anyway, 89 and before is about to become eligible for club permit...
Hi guys
Great topic alfa.dude. I have had heaps of 75s and still have. Daily driven and track. Pick of the bunch is definitely the ts. If I had to really be picky id say only downers are small tank and ac on hotter days. best allrounder car out there. For some reason earlier cars before the facelift were better. Does anyone else think this.
Joe
Forgot to mention, whilst not recommended, they can be driven during naps
(hence photo)
heya guys
does anyone live in the melbournes east (noble park area) that i could check out their 75 so i can have a bit of a look?\
cheers guys
Quote from: Joe Falcone on April 16, 2014, 04:34:14 PM
Forgot to mention, whilst not recommended, they can be driven during naps
Joe. That is NOT a good place for the narcolepsy to kick in.
Alfadude, you should come along to the transaxle night at Mauceri's on May 9th(details on club home page) there will definitely be 75s there of at least two types and maybe even all three.
done! im so there :D cheers
Quote from: Evan Bottcher on April 17, 2014, 06:06:39 PM
Quote from: Joe Falcone on April 16, 2014, 04:34:14 PM
Forgot to mention, whilst not recommended, they can be driven during naps
Joe. That is NOT a good place for the narcolepsy to kick in.
Thanks Evan, always wondered what nap was short for.