GTV - 2.0 vs 3.0 - Alfaholics please.

[Timmy33]

Kentish said:

I was out in my 2.0TS Spider yesterday plodding along at about 65 and pulling up a long hill on a D/C sun shining, roof down and decided to go around the slower traffic and before I knew it the old speedo was reading 105 and I had to knock the old speed down again. I've found it a lot quicker than it feels.

The TS engine is not the fastest from a standing start but when you're rolling it is pretty nippy and the fuel economy is very good too.

Completely agree with all of that. You're right there not the fastest from a standing start, but once you get over 3000 rpm, the engine comes alive, it's bliss between 3500-5000rpm on a windy A-road, the hadling is of course superb which makes all the difference.

Had the hood down on mine of Sat.... I'm so looking forward to summer in that car. They are ridiculous value for money.

And with Gordon the grabber going after cars with larger engines ( christ I can't believe then intend to make people pay £400 a year road tax ) which I believe they'll apply 'by creep' to all cars soon, the 2.0l option seems more sensible.

That Alfaholics place is good! Can see myself getting one of those performance exhausts and maybe have the engine remapped.

[Timmy33]

Kentish said:

I was out in my 2.0TS Spider yesterday plodding along at about 65 and pulling up a long hill on a D/C sun shining, roof down and decided to go around the slower traffic and before I knew it the old speedo was reading 105 and I had to knock the old speed down again. I've found it a lot quicker than it feels.

The TS engine is not the fastest from a standing start but when you're rolling it is pretty nippy and the fuel economy is very good too.

Ps, how do you find it compares to the V8 S? I've been thinking of getting one of those too as a second, second car

[Kentish]

Timmy33 said:

Kentish said:

I was out in my 2.0TS Spider yesterday plodding along at about 65 and pulling up a long hill on a D/C sun shining, roof down and decided to go around the slower traffic and before I knew it the old speedo was reading 105 and I had to knock the old speed down again. I've found it a lot quicker than it feels.

The TS engine is not the fastest from a standing start but when you're rolling it is pretty nippy and the fuel economy is very good too.

Ps, how do you find it compares to the V8 S? I've been thinking of getting one of those too as a second, second car

Hi Timmy,

I had the V8S's little bro, the S2 with the 3 litre V6 Essex engine.
They are such a light weight car that the V6 gives a good performance and spares are also cheaper. The chassis is basically the only thing to be careful of ohh yes and the rear trailing arms, check those thoroughly and also for any bad body repairs and the rest of the car is pretty straight forward. However, it's not such an easy car to live with. I found mine too low to the ground and had to avoid many speed bumps and the roof is a bit of a fiddle to put up and down compared with our nice electric Spider roof plus it takes up a lot of bootspace when you put the targa panels in the boot which means a long weekend away is spent travelling there and back with the roof up

But I did love it, the noise from my stn steel straight through exhaust was simply awesome and it got looks wherever we went. I like both cars just as much for very different reasons. I love the comfort and driving position in the Alfa, I love the way it turns into sharp corners, I love the practicality of what is really not an everyday sports car and most of all I love sitting in those momo leather seats and looking at those pretty dials and round vents and those gorgeous looking sports seats. When I lock the car and walk away I can't help looking back at it and when I catch sight of it through a wondow I can't help but linger and take a slightly longer look - it's beautiful, it's stylish, it's Italian and they have the edge when it comes to great design and styling.

[Timmy33]

Kentish said:

I love the comfort and driving position in the Alfa, I love the way it turns into sharp corners, I love the practicality of what is really not an everyday sports car and most of all I love sitting in those momo leather seats and looking at those pretty dials and round vents and those gorgeous looking sports seats. When I lock the car and walk away I can't help looking back at it and when I catch sight of it through a wondow I can't help but linger and take a slightly longer look - it's beautiful, it's stylish, it's Italian and they have the edge when it comes to great design and styling.

You should be an Auto jouranlist, beautifully put, and sums up everything I would say about car. Yes that moment when you enter into a bend with the engine around 3750rpm and give it a prod.....such a responsive engine.

And the Alfa badge, something lovely about looking at the Milan symbol as you drive along. I'm sure you know already...but the Alfa badge, the symbol is the city heraldic arms of Milan, home of Alfa Romeo and my favourite Italian city. One day I'm going to take it home, via the St Bernard pass, call in at Milan, then do the coastal road along the Cinque Terre.

The design is lovely, everything from the quirky shape of the car to details like the dials and Alfa logo on the leather seats.

I've been in a few S series, agree not the most practical, the Spider is officially a side-stop on the way to getting a Chim....but I'm really starting to like car!

[Kentish]

Thank you for the compliment!
My Spider inspires me

Basically I really liked them before owning one but to own the car is to love the car, you can't help falling for her charms

You know that opening scene in the original Italian Job when he's driving around the mountain road before crashing in the tunnel. Well, I always feel like him when I drive the Alfa - before he crashed into the bulldozer that is

Your journey to Milan sounds a great idea, that's another feeling the Alfa gives you - you want to plan a memorable road trip!

Edited by Kentish on Monday 19th March 14:51

[_Batty_]

if you follow me you'll here the sounds of the Italian Job
i went from an S4c to a GTV.
both have sooo much charm..

[pdV6]

Kentish said:

When I lock the car and walk away I can't help looking back at it and when I catch sight of it through a wondow I can't help but linger and take a slightly longer look - it's beautiful, it's stylish, it's Italian and they have the edge when it comes to great design and styling.

The great thing is, that feeling doesn't fade with time... I've had the GTV for 6 years now and it still forces me to take a backwards glance when walking away.

[pooh]

I went from an S2 to a GTV too, via some other stuff on the way.

[Kentish]

I liked the S series because it has an Italianesque presence about it, the styling reminded me of the old Alfa Spider a little.

[strugs]

Kentish said:

I love the comfort and driving position in the Alfa, I love the way it turns into sharp corners, I love the practicality of what is really not an everyday sports car and most of all I love sitting in those momo leather seats and looking at those pretty dials and round vents and those gorgeous looking sports seats. When I lock the car and walk away I can't help looking back at it and when I catch sight of it through a wondow I can't help but linger and take a slightly longer look - it's beautiful, it's stylish, it's Italian and they have the edge when it comes to great design and styling.

Wholly agree with all of the above.. But then add tunnel, roof down, 4500+ rpm, and you'd see why you'd never get me out my V6..

[ekim]

Had my self a gtv 3.0 v6 last year, sorry to say guys worst car ever! it was a mint one with 1 owner from new and a full history and low millage but it did not excite at all with the performance, handling was always a bit iffy and poor and the car let me down 3 times in just over a year, plus having to get the windows sorted out about 3 times as they kept getting stuck so the doors did not shut corretly. would never touch alfa a gtv again!

[pdV6]

Doesn't sound much like a 'mint' example to me...

[sjn2004]

pdV6 said:

Doesn't sound much like a 'mint' example to me...

more like a half sucked "mint" discarded by some pensioner.

Joking aside, he's gone back to a Chimera, 4.0 in a fibreglass bathtub, no wonder the GTV felt slow but regarding reliability? The TVR Chim forum seems to dwell on how to repair things with superglue, I joke not.

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?f=8&h=0

[ekim]

Yea true but never had any probs with any of my chims and even if i do i know i will forgive it the second i hear that engine roar again, the alfa got a bit wearing after a while, to give it a fair trial tho it was always the same fault on the car (air meter) not a lot of things going wrong but as the the plastic bath tub remark, isnt the bonnet and fron wings of the alfa plastic? and as for the rear think that was kit kat foil wrappings as it seemed to attract marks when kind nice people who park next to it used to open doors!

[sjn2004]

ekim said:

Yea true but never had any probs with any of my chims and even if i do i know i will forgive it the second i hear that engine roar again, the alfa got a bit wearing after a while, to give it a fair trial tho it was always the same fault on the car (air meter) not a lot of things going wrong but as the the plastic bath tub remark, isnt the bonnet and fron wings of the alfa plastic? and as for the rear think that was kit kat foil wrappings as it seemed to attract marks when kind nice people who park next to it used to open doors!

(Fibreglass = lightweight) + big engine = very fast.

Think the GTV is all metal, as for parking marks, the shape and no rubbing strip don't help although I've never had any dings myself. How is the sound of the V6 "wearing"? That engine is rated as one of the best.

[pdV6]

GTV bonnet only is plastic

[_Batty_]

pdV6 said:

GTV bonnet only is plastic

really?

crumbs

i need to be educated in all things GTV, Pete, care to do the honours with any other interesting facts?
is it the only engine to have titanium valve springs outside a ferrari or something like that??

[pdV6]

I think when Pininfarina designed the clamshell, Alfa didn't have tooling to be able to make it in one piece out of steel or ali so they went down the moulded plastic route.

[ekim]

_Batty_ said:

pdV6 said:

GTV bonnet only is plastic

really?

crumbs

i need to be educated in all things GTV, Pete, care to do the honours with any other interesting facts?
is it the only engine to have titanium valve springs outside a ferrari or something like that??

Not 100 % but think fiat used them once in an engine but as alfa fiat and ferrari all share parts etc there is a good chance

[_Batty_]

see, now why did i remeber that, yet cannot remember where my keys are?!?