Alfa 147 would you ?
Discussion
One of my friends is an Alfa fanatic, hes got a 147 2ltr manual, it drinks oil but thats a supposed characteristic of that engine, hes on over 120k miles and its still going strong, needs the usual wear and tear parts but otherwise its doing very well 
He basically said 2ltr and not a silly speed one (Selespeed) as you can go to the shops with that working and come out and have an expensive bill on your hands when it breaks starting the car again!
Some decent bargains out there if you look
He basically said 2ltr and not a silly speed one (Selespeed) as you can go to the shops with that working and come out and have an expensive bill on your hands when it breaks starting the car again!
Some decent bargains out there if you look
I actually have, bought a 2002 1.6 (105hp, no variator) last march, it has done 115K miles roughly
Weak spots are front suspension (upper wishbones, it will creak noticably if it needs replacing), and engine wise the TS engines need regular belt changes (36K or 3 years), and are vulnerable to running with low oil (and most will drink a bit, mine does somewhere near 1L on 1-1.5K roughly). Apparently the 2 litres are most sensitive to oil starvation, but i wouldnt buy a TS that doesnt look looked after. I also did an oil-swap directly after buying it, considering i had no idea when it was last done.
Personally, im really happy with mine, it does have some foibles to sort out (some minor suspension creak/groan, and some light underbody rust), but for the money i paid for it, i got a very comfortable and practical hatchback, with a nice interior and cruise and climate control. The 1.6 engine isnt super fast, but it easily keeps up with traffic, and sounds quite nice above 3K revs.
So far ive done roughly 2K in it, and from my experience so far, id happily have another. I plan on keeping mine a max of 2 years, after which itll probably be replaced by a newer 147, or a GT
Weak spots are front suspension (upper wishbones, it will creak noticably if it needs replacing), and engine wise the TS engines need regular belt changes (36K or 3 years), and are vulnerable to running with low oil (and most will drink a bit, mine does somewhere near 1L on 1-1.5K roughly). Apparently the 2 litres are most sensitive to oil starvation, but i wouldnt buy a TS that doesnt look looked after. I also did an oil-swap directly after buying it, considering i had no idea when it was last done.
Personally, im really happy with mine, it does have some foibles to sort out (some minor suspension creak/groan, and some light underbody rust), but for the money i paid for it, i got a very comfortable and practical hatchback, with a nice interior and cruise and climate control. The 1.6 engine isnt super fast, but it easily keeps up with traffic, and sounds quite nice above 3K revs.
So far ive done roughly 2K in it, and from my experience so far, id happily have another. I plan on keeping mine a max of 2 years, after which itll probably be replaced by a newer 147, or a GT
M.J.S said:
I had a 1.6 2003 147, was a lot of fun to drive. Not so suited to motorways, but on country lanes it was more fun than it should have been.
Yeah, above 130 km/h the engine starts being noisy, right around 3500-4000 RPM it suddenly pipes up, lots of fun if you are pushing on on the country lanes, but annoying on the motorway. The driving noise isolation is below that of current cars.still, excellent car, proper fun (though i wouldnt mind a 1.8 or 2.0 engine in mine)
Yep have a 2005 8v JTDM 147. Got it at 85k miles about 4 years ago now nearing 130k I think.
It has had a cambelt and a couple of rounds of front and rear suspension parts but other than that its been pretty cheap to run and very reliable. Umm well actually when I think about it apart from, in no particular order, the rear windscreen wiper doesn't work, the gear lever doesn't return to centre as shifter bushes worn, front fog lights don't work (a muntjac ripped the wiring loom out as well as most of the rest of the front of it when it decided to jump through the front bumper at 60ish so that's not really Alfa's fault), and no matter what I do the radio always turns on quietly not at the volume you left it at which still really niggles me even though I should be well used to it by now etc etc.... Would I have another one? Yes. Its a comfy place to be with really nice leather for the money I paid. It only really gets used for commuting though.
It has had a cambelt and a couple of rounds of front and rear suspension parts but other than that its been pretty cheap to run and very reliable. Umm well actually when I think about it apart from, in no particular order, the rear windscreen wiper doesn't work, the gear lever doesn't return to centre as shifter bushes worn, front fog lights don't work (a muntjac ripped the wiring loom out as well as most of the rest of the front of it when it decided to jump through the front bumper at 60ish so that's not really Alfa's fault), and no matter what I do the radio always turns on quietly not at the volume you left it at which still really niggles me even though I should be well used to it by now etc etc.... Would I have another one? Yes. Its a comfy place to be with really nice leather for the money I paid. It only really gets used for commuting though.
Here's mine.
3 door 147 JTDm 8v Lusso.
Radicofani Red, tan leather, heated seats, dual zone climate. Great car.
Has a remap & goes really well. 48 mpg on a run.
Still looks sharp, to my eyes. Great little cars.
Edit - check out the interior.
3 door 147 JTDm 8v Lusso.
Radicofani Red, tan leather, heated seats, dual zone climate. Great car.
Has a remap & goes really well. 48 mpg on a run.
Still looks sharp, to my eyes. Great little cars.
Edit - check out the interior.
Edited by Uncle John on Friday 14th October 21:22
Edited by Uncle John on Friday 14th October 21:26
will-w said:
I am almost going to hit the 'GO' button on a 2003 147 GTA with 62,000
Am I mad??
Yes, but that's not an issue with Alfa ownership.Am I mad??
Things to watch out for. Cambelt and Diff. The cambelt needs doing every 4 years or 40K miles at the most (some say 3 years or 36K) The problem is the tensioner is an inferior design and fails, causing the cambelt to rub through the cover and snap. The water pump should be replaced at the same time as the impellor is plastic and goes brittle. The metal version from the 3.0 GTV can be fitted in its place though. The job must be done with the correct 3.2 timing belt tools. 3.0 timing belt tools fit but set the timing wrong - very slightly out.
The diff is too weak for the torque it is transmitting and can fail spectacularly. This can be replaced by a quaife torque biasing diff which will not fail and also lets you get the power down properly. It is a very desirable upgrade if it is already done. The q2 is the same thing essentially.
And watch out for the clutch. If it is on the original then it won't have much life left. you can tell when it is near the end as it gets very heavy.
Ransoman said:
Yes, but that's not an issue with Alfa ownership.
Things to watch out for. Cambelt and Diff. The cambelt needs doing every 4 years or 40K miles at the most (some say 3 years or 36K) The problem is the tensioner is an inferior design and fails, causing the cambelt to rub through the cover and snap. The water pump should be replaced at the same time as the impellor is plastic and goes brittle. The metal version from the 3.0 GTV can be fitted in its place though. The job must be done with the correct 3.2 timing belt tools. 3.0 timing belt tools fit but set the timing wrong - very slightly out.
The diff is too weak for the torque it is transmitting and can fail spectacularly. This can be replaced by a quaife torque biasing diff which will not fail and also lets you get the power down properly. It is a very desirable upgrade if it is already done. The q2 is the same thing essentially.
And watch out for the clutch. If it is on the original then it won't have much life left. you can tell when it is near the end as it gets very heavy.
Thank you for the reply, Ransoman. Things to watch out for. Cambelt and Diff. The cambelt needs doing every 4 years or 40K miles at the most (some say 3 years or 36K) The problem is the tensioner is an inferior design and fails, causing the cambelt to rub through the cover and snap. The water pump should be replaced at the same time as the impellor is plastic and goes brittle. The metal version from the 3.0 GTV can be fitted in its place though. The job must be done with the correct 3.2 timing belt tools. 3.0 timing belt tools fit but set the timing wrong - very slightly out.
The diff is too weak for the torque it is transmitting and can fail spectacularly. This can be replaced by a quaife torque biasing diff which will not fail and also lets you get the power down properly. It is a very desirable upgrade if it is already done. The q2 is the same thing essentially.
And watch out for the clutch. If it is on the original then it won't have much life left. you can tell when it is near the end as it gets very heavy.
A friend has owned it for the last 11 years and has looked after it.
Cambelt was changed 3 years ago at the same time as the water pump being upgraded to the metal item. I won't panic too much and will schedule a cambelt in for next Summer.
It's also had the Q2 fitted as well as the 330cm Brembo brakes.
will-w said:
Thank you for the reply, Ransoman.
A friend has owned it for the last 11 years and has looked after it.
Cambelt was changed 3 years ago at the same time as the water pump being upgraded to the metal item. I won't panic too much and will schedule a cambelt in for next Summer.
It's also had the Q2 fitted as well as the 330cm Brembo brakes.
Go for it!A friend has owned it for the last 11 years and has looked after it.
Cambelt was changed 3 years ago at the same time as the water pump being upgraded to the metal item. I won't panic too much and will schedule a cambelt in for next Summer.
It's also had the Q2 fitted as well as the 330cm Brembo brakes.
It might be a dear thing to maintain (although it sounds like it has been taken care off), but you will forever regret saying no.
The upper arms are chocolate, you get to roll the dice every MOT to see if one of them needs replacing.
My 147 GTA feels far better screwed together than my 156 Lusso, though, and I absolutely love it. I've even forgiven it the fact that I spent the same on fixing it up in the 6 months after I bought it as I paid for it, and that it now needs quite a bit of bodywork attention. If anyone is looking at a GTA, you MUST MUST MUST ensure it's had the diff uprated to a Q2 or Quaife unit. It makes a huge difference to the driving experience, but it also stops you being stranded in a pool of diff oil and broken cogs on a motorway junction late at night.
My 147 GTA feels far better screwed together than my 156 Lusso, though, and I absolutely love it. I've even forgiven it the fact that I spent the same on fixing it up in the 6 months after I bought it as I paid for it, and that it now needs quite a bit of bodywork attention. If anyone is looking at a GTA, you MUST MUST MUST ensure it's had the diff uprated to a Q2 or Quaife unit. It makes a huge difference to the driving experience, but it also stops you being stranded in a pool of diff oil and broken cogs on a motorway junction late at night.
Edited by masermartin on Friday 21st October 16:06
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