147 GTA progress thread (July 2013 to present)
Discussion
Could I ask what spec these are and where did you get them ?
I have a 2005 156 in which I have HIDs on dip but the main beam are standard H1s which every Alfa owner know are poor to say the least !
Really impressed with all the work that you have done on your 147... very envious of your skills and knowledge !
If I had the facilities and time I would take my 156 JTDM 150 ( remapped) and restore it properly ( ie de-rust the underside, remove/replace/powdercoat all the suspension, re bush everything etc... These cars are so good they deserve to be kept !
I honestly don't know what I would replace mine with... maybe a 156 GTA but I need the diesel mpg for my 70 mile commute !!
Paul S4 said:
Could I ask what spec these are and where did you get them ?
I have a 2005 156 in which I have HIDs on dip but the main beam are standard H1s which every Alfa owner know are poor to say the least !
Really impressed with all the work that you have done on your 147... very envious of your skills and knowledge !
If I had the facilities and time I would take my 156 JTDM 150 ( remapped) and restore it properly ( ie de-rust the underside, remove/replace/powdercoat all the suspension, re bush everything etc... These cars are so good they deserve to be kept !
I honestly don't know what I would replace mine with... maybe a 156 GTA but I need the diesel mpg for my 70 mile commute !!
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-gta/1020081-le...
Fixed the broken pic links - Thank you photofucwit....
Not much to report since the last update though. Passed it's MOT last year and this year with no advisories. This year was a bit of a flap as I'd forgotten that I'd fitted a scorpion de-cat pipe, only remembering this an hour before the test time. Ended up burning myself several times on the (very hot) exhaust in the process of getting it out.
Oh, the engine ECU also died on it last year which was a bit of a problem as even 2nd hand they're upwards of £700 for a replacement IF you can find one.
Fortunately Autolusso where able to reprogram a 156 GTA selespeed ECU that I had going spare.
I've been following MCM's you tube channel and I'm half tempted to investigate a Haltech replacement as they'll apparently work with the canbus system.
Not much to report since the last update though. Passed it's MOT last year and this year with no advisories. This year was a bit of a flap as I'd forgotten that I'd fitted a scorpion de-cat pipe, only remembering this an hour before the test time. Ended up burning myself several times on the (very hot) exhaust in the process of getting it out.
Oh, the engine ECU also died on it last year which was a bit of a problem as even 2nd hand they're upwards of £700 for a replacement IF you can find one.
Fortunately Autolusso where able to reprogram a 156 GTA selespeed ECU that I had going spare.I've been following MCM's you tube channel and I'm half tempted to investigate a Haltech replacement as they'll apparently work with the canbus system.
Vitorio said:
Good to hear the GTA is going strong, as is the 2.4 SW!
Thanks 
The GTA isn't much of a surprise though, I'm only doing about 1k miles a year in it now. And my Dad and I have built a car port / garage down the side of my house to put it in. Just finished it off (gates across the front of it) this week in fact.
clowesy said:
I had the ECU die on mine. Typical Alfa, a totally ridiculous design oversight having it sat above the rear exhaust manifolds, cooking away. A number of people have relocated theirs, a lot of info about it on Alfa Owner, perhaps worth considering.
Yeah, I know, I'm on AO - Chris155 Nutty9000 said:
Cool vid, they already have a another pair of cats on the exhaust so removing the manifold cats is a great mod. I also wander if improving the rear bank heatshield will help as it doesnt go over the top of the manifold like the front bank one does.
davebem said:
Cool vid, they already have a another pair of cats on the exhaust so removing the manifold cats is a great mod. I also wander if improving the rear bank heatshield will help as it doesnt go over the top of the manifold like the front bank one does.
My Dad and I (re)built a CF2 156 to GTA spec - 3.2, quaife, GTA uprights, brakes, driveshafts etc a whole ago - see sig pic. I rebuilt the engine which included a complete head rebuild and then ran it on the cat-less CF2 manifolds. By the time I was finished with the engine I think it needed a rebuild again as it was showing sighs of the exhaust valves being burnt out. So I'm not 100% convinced the cats are the only culprit.Wit respect to heat build up, I have considered fitting bonnet vents, Delta Intergrale perhaps as there's two of them that could be fitted above each bank...
davebem said:
I used to track day my 2.5 156 if it was to continue as a track only car id have fitted bonnet vents. I used to remove the rear bonnet seal on td's as it builds up behind the engine so much. It has a pair of wizards now, probably the only 2.5 with them! Does your 156 still exist?
You can also lift the trailing egde of the bonnet on the hinges which allows heat to escape but rain in...I sold with a 3.0 v6 in it to a work colleague's brother who's Mum ended up with it. Last I heard it was slowing rotting away on a barn. Shame really as it handled brilliantly, one of the best driving cars I had. Used to be able to drift it through the chicanes at oulton (in the wet) on the lock stops.
MOT history check says it ended in 2013.
Guess I owe this thread an update but there's nothing to report. Another MOT pass, no advisories a few months ago. Reinsured with Chris Knott and I've not used it since August as it's stuck in the Carport cum garage - I've dug the drive up to block pave it and I can't get it out.
It's been 2 years since it's been painted and I've not had a single issue with it. How boring is that? Bloody Alfas...
I've also just realised (from the thread title) that I've had it for over 5 years. That's substantially longer than any other car I've owned.
It's been 2 years since it's been painted and I've not had a single issue with it. How boring is that? Bloody Alfas...
I've also just realised (from the thread title) that I've had it for over 5 years. That's substantially longer than any other car I've owned.
Edited by Zombie on Friday 21st September 10:00
I was seriously tempted by that 3 litre V6 that was up for sale 4-5 years ago, the one that went to Ireland then the buyer's wife had a change of jobs or something so the 3 litre 156 was no longer suitable so it came back to the UK and then it was discovered by the next buyer that the floorpan had gone and a specialist had managed to source a new floorpan pressing or something.
It's depressing they rust so. Perhaps if Alfa had done a 3 litre 156 as an official model they'd have had more of a following from the press, and therefore buyers, and they'd then have been more looked after and better protected from rust. I am confident that even more of them would have been scrapped and recycled if they were not so good looking.
It's depressing they rust so. Perhaps if Alfa had done a 3 litre 156 as an official model they'd have had more of a following from the press, and therefore buyers, and they'd then have been more looked after and better protected from rust. I am confident that even more of them would have been scrapped and recycled if they were not so good looking.
Update time. 
It's been sat in the car port for the last few months whilst my Dad and I have been digging up the drive to block pave it. We've had to dig down 250mm below the slab FFL which meant there was no way I could get it out.
I've had the battery disconnected on it to stop it going flat, connecting it and starting the car once a month or so, letting it warm up until the radiator fans kicked in.
Having dug out, by hand, 15t of clay rubble and
tree roots and then refilled the hole that was more akin to mine workings with 9t of crusher run (this is only a two car drive) by hand, I could finally get the 147 out again.
My plan was to take it to work yesterday (Wednesday) partly as it needed a wash being covered in a heavy film of dust and partly because the 159 has a puncture meaning the tyre goes flat in 4 hours. I swapped the 159 with the 147 which left it in the car port prior to 3t of MOT type 1being delivered and dumped in front of the car port locking the 159 in. It also meant the 147 was outside overnight.
Roll on Wednesday morning, I was really looking forward to driving the GTA again. Genuinely excited.
I jumped in it and.....
It wouldn't start. ae
Key code light. Oh, st
Chattering throttle body. Oh, fk FK FK!!!!
- Anyone who owns a GTA understands what that means. The engine ECU has failed. (Bosch ME7.3.1)
I spent an hour with my Dad in the rain trying to get it to fire - could've been a duff battery etc but, no joy and subsequently pinched my Dad's car to get to work.
- How is it possible to have 2 cars and for them to always, always break at the same time?!!!
Moving on to today, I did think it was odd that when we disconnected the throttle body, it still wouldn't run, just catch, firing once or twice, so I gave the fuel cut off switch a prod.
With hindsight, I should've tried to start it first to aid any kind of diagnosis, but IT STARTED! And runs normally.
However, I suspect this is a temporary state of affair and that the ECU is breaking down.
I found someone selling a new one last night. He said it's the last one he has and probably the last one available new worldwide. It's a bold statement but I don't think its far from reality. We didn't find any common ground in terms of price, he said the last one he'd sold went for 2250 euro. My impression was that he would accept 3k euro for it.
I've found others selling 2nd hand ones but they're still crazy money for something that will fail rather than might fail.
Consequently, I've been talking to Autolusso about a standalone ECU today. It makes sense to me, in terms of a long-term solution and it being a worthwhile upgrade.
It's been sat in the car port for the last few months whilst my Dad and I have been digging up the drive to block pave it. We've had to dig down 250mm below the slab FFL which meant there was no way I could get it out.
I've had the battery disconnected on it to stop it going flat, connecting it and starting the car once a month or so, letting it warm up until the radiator fans kicked in.
Having dug out, by hand, 15t of clay rubble and
tree roots and then refilled the hole that was more akin to mine workings with 9t of crusher run (this is only a two car drive) by hand, I could finally get the 147 out again. My plan was to take it to work yesterday (Wednesday) partly as it needed a wash being covered in a heavy film of dust and partly because the 159 has a puncture meaning the tyre goes flat in 4 hours. I swapped the 159 with the 147 which left it in the car port prior to 3t of MOT type 1being delivered and dumped in front of the car port locking the 159 in. It also meant the 147 was outside overnight.
Roll on Wednesday morning, I was really looking forward to driving the GTA again. Genuinely excited.
I jumped in it and.....
It wouldn't start. a
eKey code light. Oh, s
tChattering throttle body. Oh, f
k FK FK!!!!- Anyone who owns a GTA understands what that means. The engine ECU has failed. (Bosch ME7.3.1)
I spent an hour with my Dad in the rain trying to get it to fire - could've been a duff battery etc but, no joy and subsequently pinched my Dad's car to get to work.
- How is it possible to have 2 cars and for them to always, always break at the same time?!!!
Moving on to today, I did think it was odd that when we disconnected the throttle body, it still wouldn't run, just catch, firing once or twice, so I gave the fuel cut off switch a prod.
With hindsight, I should've tried to start it first to aid any kind of diagnosis, but IT STARTED! And runs normally.
However, I suspect this is a temporary state of affair and that the ECU is breaking down.
I found someone selling a new one last night. He said it's the last one he has and probably the last one available new worldwide. It's a bold statement but I don't think its far from reality. We didn't find any common ground in terms of price, he said the last one he'd sold went for 2250 euro. My impression was that he would accept 3k euro for it.
I've found others selling 2nd hand ones but they're still crazy money for something that will fail rather than might fail.
Consequently, I've been talking to Autolusso about a standalone ECU today. It makes sense to me, in terms of a long-term solution and it being a worthwhile upgrade.
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