Alfa Romeo 145...
Discussion
I had one a couple of cars ago - bloody fantastic to drive! Agile, quick and very fast but very fragile. If you get one, make sure that the cambelt is less than 40k old and that the tensioner and waterpump were changed at the same time. My tensioner 'let go' idling in traffic and the bill was £1600... Also, earthing faults will cause the immobiliser to assume the car is under attack and turn it into a doorstop. Many of them have a one-piece exhaust system that will cost about £700 to replace.
My current car is a normally-aspirated Rover 220 Tomcat that makes the 145 look daft.
Half leather seats, targa top and I replaced the exhaust system (including cat), polybushed the suspension and fitted a new fuel tank for less than £300.
I bought the Tomcat for £700 with a year's ticket and it leaves the couple of 145's in my area for dead...go figure!
BT
My current car is a normally-aspirated Rover 220 Tomcat that makes the 145 look daft.
Half leather seats, targa top and I replaced the exhaust system (including cat), polybushed the suspension and fitted a new fuel tank for less than £300.
I bought the Tomcat for £700 with a year's ticket and it leaves the couple of 145's in my area for dead...go figure!
BT
Mine's been excellent. And very reliable to boot. Only hiccup was a severed power steering pipe. Great giggle to drive, and will be upgrading to a GTV soon, when I find the perfect one.
Can be a little pricey to maintain (plugs etc), but the components seems to last well. Have mine 4 years now, still on the same exhaust, brakes, etc etc. Wish I could buy one new.
My Dad drives a Rover.
Can be a little pricey to maintain (plugs etc), but the components seems to last well. Have mine 4 years now, still on the same exhaust, brakes, etc etc. Wish I could buy one new.
My Dad drives a Rover.
Dave Brand said:
Blue Tomcat said:
Many of them have a one-piece exhaust system that will cost about £700 to replace.
£700? £200 would be a more realistic figure!http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/parts/145_Exhaust.sh...
Parts are reasonable if you stay clear of the dealers..
Cambelt is major concern as mentioned previously.. I've learned the hard way
Great car though..
Blue Tomcat said:
I had one a couple of cars ago - bloody fantastic to drive! Agile, quick and very fast but very fragile. If you get one, make sure that the cambelt is less than 40k old and that the tensioner and waterpump were changed at the same time. My tensioner 'let go' idling in traffic and the bill was £1600... Also, earthing faults will cause the immobiliser to assume the car is under attack and turn it into a doorstop. Many of them have a one-piece exhaust system that will cost about £700 to replace.
My current car is a normally-aspirated Rover 220 Tomcat that makes the 145 look daft.
Half leather seats, targa top and I replaced the exhaust system (including cat), polybushed the suspension and fitted a new fuel tank for less than £300.
I bought the Tomcat for £700 with a year's ticket and it leaves the couple of 145's in my area for dead...go figure!
BT
tha cambelt is a well known problem, just needs chaging at 36K miles not the hopelessly optimistic 72K. 1 piece exhaust system can be changed for £300 fully stainless, £160 for mild steel. Never heard of the alarm problem before, I suspect you were unlucky. Not saying that the 145 is a better car than aTomcat, but it's not a bad car as a rule; just that there are bad 'uns like any car.My current car is a normally-aspirated Rover 220 Tomcat that makes the 145 look daft.
Half leather seats, targa top and I replaced the exhaust system (including cat), polybushed the suspension and fitted a new fuel tank for less than £300.
I bought the Tomcat for £700 with a year's ticket and it leaves the couple of 145's in my area for dead...go figure!
BT
Our 156 has largely the same engine - it's now on 120k miles and has given very little hassle (Needed a lambda and cat for the last MOT plus an aircon pip replacing last summer). Been as cheap to run as anything we've had.
I probably wouldn't buy a 145, though - the 146Ti is the same car, with a slightly more conventional 5-door body. The great thing about he Ti is that they're not only cheaper than a 145 Cloverleaf, they also tend to be better looked after.
Very nearly bought one for the wife, but it was just a bit too manic for her. She loves her Alfas, but the 145CL / 146Ti are very much like the Sud Ti - very stiff suspension, revvy, loud engine. Great cars, but not one I'd want to commute in at 7am.
One thing to watch on them is the 'Tipo rattle' from the front suspension - it's usually the anti-roll bar drop-links, but all the front bushes tend to wear out quite rapidly.
I probably wouldn't buy a 145, though - the 146Ti is the same car, with a slightly more conventional 5-door body. The great thing about he Ti is that they're not only cheaper than a 145 Cloverleaf, they also tend to be better looked after.
Very nearly bought one for the wife, but it was just a bit too manic for her. She loves her Alfas, but the 145CL / 146Ti are very much like the Sud Ti - very stiff suspension, revvy, loud engine. Great cars, but not one I'd want to commute in at 7am.
One thing to watch on them is the 'Tipo rattle' from the front suspension - it's usually the anti-roll bar drop-links, but all the front bushes tend to wear out quite rapidly.
twinspark said:
One thing to watch on them is the 'Tipo rattle' from the front suspension - it's usually the anti-roll bar drop-links, but all the front bushes tend to wear out quite rapidly.
Agreed that some of the bushes wear. I think I paid about £15 each for the ARB bushes at 90K miles. The wishbone bushes were just on their way out at 110K, £45 each.Our cloverleaf has done 60000 miles (on the original cambelt) over its 11 year life, just had a new exhaust (£500 fitted!! there are different types fitted to the early cars the 'slip-on version mentioned above is not the same was originally quoted about £250 fitted for one of those)
Other problems are clock sometimes doesn't light up, rear hatch gas struts are getting tired and that's it!
Intend to get the car overhauled as for the money we will not get anything else as reliable or as much fun (the engine is lovely). Full service, overhaul suspension etc.
Other Alfa quirk to consider is the unique windscreen wipers on early cars, alfa charge a fortune for these but you make the halfords refills fit. You can also convert them to standard fit ones (as used on later cars)
If you get a good one they're great, but take care there's alot of rubbish out there too. Just be prepared to put up with the foibles (exhaust, wipers etc.)
Final tip, personally I never, ever, ever take our care to an Alfa dealership, use an independant specialist for specialist work, and a decent garage for routine stuff.
Regards, Neil
Other problems are clock sometimes doesn't light up, rear hatch gas struts are getting tired and that's it!
Intend to get the car overhauled as for the money we will not get anything else as reliable or as much fun (the engine is lovely). Full service, overhaul suspension etc.
Other Alfa quirk to consider is the unique windscreen wipers on early cars, alfa charge a fortune for these but you make the halfords refills fit. You can also convert them to standard fit ones (as used on later cars)
If you get a good one they're great, but take care there's alot of rubbish out there too. Just be prepared to put up with the foibles (exhaust, wipers etc.)
Final tip, personally I never, ever, ever take our care to an Alfa dealership, use an independant specialist for specialist work, and a decent garage for routine stuff.
Regards, Neil
Bloody hell, you're living on borrowed time with that cambelt.
I'd get it done *now* - in fact, I wouldn't drive it anywhere other than very carefully to the place where you can get the belt done......
Not only is it 24k miles overdue, it's also *8 years* overdue.
Believe me, it's better to pay for it to be done now rather than pay for a recon. head when it breaks.
I'd get it done *now* - in fact, I wouldn't drive it anywhere other than very carefully to the place where you can get the belt done......
Not only is it 24k miles overdue, it's also *8 years* overdue.
Believe me, it's better to pay for it to be done now rather than pay for a recon. head when it breaks.
You're not wrong twinspark. 60k is a bit like Russian Roulette. That said, some cars did make it to 72k- but not many. Besides, everyone now knows that Alfa ammended the belt change 36k and also specifically to include the tensioner and guide pulley, right?
Personally, I service my car every 10k and do the belt service at 40k. Variator appears good for 80k.
BTW, my sister's 1.8 16v 155 is now over 160k and going very strongly.
Personally, I service my car every 10k and do the belt service at 40k. Variator appears good for 80k.
BTW, my sister's 1.8 16v 155 is now over 160k and going very strongly.
I thought everyone knew - but I still see lots of 156s on eBay with broken belts. Not as many as those that have knocking big ends because some idiot who didn't know how to check oil levels have owned them.....
Our 156 is on 121k miles and going strong, but it's all a bit too complicated for my liking, which is why I can't bear to part with my 75.
Alfa really should have updated their own twin-spark lumps with a 16v head rather than put an Alfa head on the Fiat lump. But that would have been expensive - the all-alloy twin-cams were never the cheapest engine to produce.
Our 156 is on 121k miles and going strong, but it's all a bit too complicated for my liking, which is why I can't bear to part with my 75.
Alfa really should have updated their own twin-spark lumps with a 16v head rather than put an Alfa head on the Fiat lump. But that would have been expensive - the all-alloy twin-cams were never the cheapest engine to produce.
Thanks for the advise, I am aware of the risks just couldn't justify £600 service on an £800 car?! and no decent specialist for 150 miles!!! (There is alot of misinformation around cambelts in general, but 11 years is taking the michael I'll admit)
Attitude was if it broke, it broke. Now decided she's staying, hence the complete overhaul.
As an additional note there are a large number of these cars still in service in europe, a testamnet to their underlying reliability, I also doubt if many of them have had their cambelts changed in line with the manufacturers recommendations.
Regards, Neil
Attitude was if it broke, it broke. Now decided she's staying, hence the complete overhaul.
As an additional note there are a large number of these cars still in service in europe, a testamnet to their underlying reliability, I also doubt if many of them have had their cambelts changed in line with the manufacturers recommendations.
Regards, Neil
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