Bogey Green 156 GTA
Discussion
Not only do I own the tatty old Citroen BX Estate which I wrote about last night, but I also own a 2002 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA, in a rather marmite shade of green.
Incase you are unaware, the GTA was Alfa's flagship. (this bit is lifted from Wikipedia) In September 2001, the 156 GTA and Sportwagon GTA were launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The GTA was named after the Alfa Romeo GTA from the 1960s, the letters GTA meaning Gran Turismo Alleggerita (English: lightened Grand Tourer). It was fitted with a 3.2 V6 with six-speed manual transmission or six-speed Selespeed (paddles in steering wheel, hydraulically operated clutchless manual gearbox), and aimed at the performance market. The GTA variants boasted 250bhp, had a lowered and stiffened suspension, a distinctive body kit and leather interior. The suspension was specifically made for the GTA by Fiat Research Centre and Fiat Auto Design and Development Department. Steering was also made faster, only 1.7 turns from lock to lock compared to 2.1 in normal models. The GTA had also much bigger brakes (Brembo). It went out of production in October 2005.
I initially saw the car advertised on Autotrader in May 2008, by mistake. I wasn't really looking, but just stumbled upon it, as I have had a soft spot for them ever since I first saw one. I just wondered if they had dropped into my price range yet, and although most had not, this one had.
It was the cheapest in the country by more than a grand, so I decided to go and have a look. The car was only in Portsmouth, about 20 miles away and at a small dealer. I was told the dealer was selling it on behalf of a friend, so had a little look around. The first thing I noticed was an awful sound on cold start up, which I initially diagnosed as a leaking manifold, but more seriously the radiator was leaking. The price had also jumped by more than a grand in the space of a day. I pointed out the leak to the dealer, at which point he told me he will no longer be selling it, and promtly gave it back to his friend. I guess he didnt want any comeback on it.
After a bit of chat with the dealer, and a few days "playing it cool" I managed to get the owners telephone number. I called him, and once again went down to have another look. I also managed to get a test drive. Possibly the best test drive ever too, although I was wary of the leak in the rad. Infact, I remember my friend driving it on the test drive and declaring the car "insane"..bit rich coming from a guy who owns a TVR if you ask me.
The owner was an "interesting" chap, to say the least, a plasterer, and used the GTA to move his plaster sometimes! I had kinda set my heart on this car, and all seemed well, bar the radiator and manifold issues. I am not convinced he really knew what he owned, and I remember his darling children climbing all over the car as we discussed a price.
Eventually we agreed on a price. I then drove it away, before he changed his mind!
On the way home I couldnt stop smiling, and had a play with my friend in his Chim...you will be interested to know that they are very similar in terms of speed.
The first thing the car needed was a damn good clean. It obviously was not that well looked after, and plaster and grit along with kids half eaten sweets and crisps covered the back seats. Here it is after a clean.
The next most important thing was a replacement radiator. This was fitted the following day, along with replacement manifold gaskets. Turned out there was a crack in the manifold, and it took me 2 years to source, and fit, a replacement. I also had the cambelt etc replaced in Oct 2008. Apart from that it was fairly basic maintenance (except replacing the oil cooler pipes in Sept 09) until Feb 2010 when it failed the MOT due to the exhaust system being shot. I had a custom exhaust made with a Raggazon unsilenced center section fitted, and it passed with no issue. Around the same time I also treated myself to a private GTA plate, which I think really suits the car.
The car had 75k when I brought it, and its not on 95k, but I am not that worried about mileage if I'm honest. I enjoy driving it, and have taken it to Blackpool and to Paris (getting nearly 40mpg)
Currently the front end could really do with a respray, and the upper arms need replacing, but apart from that its a very impressive car. It pulls very well, and can still get me into trouble. It recorded a time of 14.4 on a standing 1/4 mile earlier this year, which isnt bad for a 4 door saloon IMHO.
There we go. Hope I have not bored you too much. I hope to keep this car forever, but sometimes I find myself wondering what else I can get, although nothing else seems to tick all the boxes. Maybe in the future I will run it as a second car if I ever get the BX on the road again. Its pretty special to me.
Incase you are unaware, the GTA was Alfa's flagship. (this bit is lifted from Wikipedia) In September 2001, the 156 GTA and Sportwagon GTA were launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The GTA was named after the Alfa Romeo GTA from the 1960s, the letters GTA meaning Gran Turismo Alleggerita (English: lightened Grand Tourer). It was fitted with a 3.2 V6 with six-speed manual transmission or six-speed Selespeed (paddles in steering wheel, hydraulically operated clutchless manual gearbox), and aimed at the performance market. The GTA variants boasted 250bhp, had a lowered and stiffened suspension, a distinctive body kit and leather interior. The suspension was specifically made for the GTA by Fiat Research Centre and Fiat Auto Design and Development Department. Steering was also made faster, only 1.7 turns from lock to lock compared to 2.1 in normal models. The GTA had also much bigger brakes (Brembo). It went out of production in October 2005.
I initially saw the car advertised on Autotrader in May 2008, by mistake. I wasn't really looking, but just stumbled upon it, as I have had a soft spot for them ever since I first saw one. I just wondered if they had dropped into my price range yet, and although most had not, this one had.
It was the cheapest in the country by more than a grand, so I decided to go and have a look. The car was only in Portsmouth, about 20 miles away and at a small dealer. I was told the dealer was selling it on behalf of a friend, so had a little look around. The first thing I noticed was an awful sound on cold start up, which I initially diagnosed as a leaking manifold, but more seriously the radiator was leaking. The price had also jumped by more than a grand in the space of a day. I pointed out the leak to the dealer, at which point he told me he will no longer be selling it, and promtly gave it back to his friend. I guess he didnt want any comeback on it.
After a bit of chat with the dealer, and a few days "playing it cool" I managed to get the owners telephone number. I called him, and once again went down to have another look. I also managed to get a test drive. Possibly the best test drive ever too, although I was wary of the leak in the rad. Infact, I remember my friend driving it on the test drive and declaring the car "insane"..bit rich coming from a guy who owns a TVR if you ask me.
The owner was an "interesting" chap, to say the least, a plasterer, and used the GTA to move his plaster sometimes! I had kinda set my heart on this car, and all seemed well, bar the radiator and manifold issues. I am not convinced he really knew what he owned, and I remember his darling children climbing all over the car as we discussed a price.
Eventually we agreed on a price. I then drove it away, before he changed his mind!
On the way home I couldnt stop smiling, and had a play with my friend in his Chim...you will be interested to know that they are very similar in terms of speed.
The first thing the car needed was a damn good clean. It obviously was not that well looked after, and plaster and grit along with kids half eaten sweets and crisps covered the back seats. Here it is after a clean.
The next most important thing was a replacement radiator. This was fitted the following day, along with replacement manifold gaskets. Turned out there was a crack in the manifold, and it took me 2 years to source, and fit, a replacement. I also had the cambelt etc replaced in Oct 2008. Apart from that it was fairly basic maintenance (except replacing the oil cooler pipes in Sept 09) until Feb 2010 when it failed the MOT due to the exhaust system being shot. I had a custom exhaust made with a Raggazon unsilenced center section fitted, and it passed with no issue. Around the same time I also treated myself to a private GTA plate, which I think really suits the car.
The car had 75k when I brought it, and its not on 95k, but I am not that worried about mileage if I'm honest. I enjoy driving it, and have taken it to Blackpool and to Paris (getting nearly 40mpg)
Currently the front end could really do with a respray, and the upper arms need replacing, but apart from that its a very impressive car. It pulls very well, and can still get me into trouble. It recorded a time of 14.4 on a standing 1/4 mile earlier this year, which isnt bad for a 4 door saloon IMHO.
There we go. Hope I have not bored you too much. I hope to keep this car forever, but sometimes I find myself wondering what else I can get, although nothing else seems to tick all the boxes. Maybe in the future I will run it as a second car if I ever get the BX on the road again. Its pretty special to me.
Edited by S10 GTA on Wednesday 16th May 15:07
Little update for anyone interested.
Its been a year or so since I posted this, and I have had a "tricky" time with my car. After several years of trouble free motoring, in January of 2011 my car decided to snap the main shaft inside the gearbox, resulting in the loss of 5th and 6th. Problem was, I was a week away from buying my house, and therefore had put every single penny I had into my deposit. A decision was made that it would be best to park it up, and thats what I did. I used an old Rover for the rest of the winter, and eventually sent my car off to be fixed in March.
I finally got it back at the begining of April, and it passed its MOT right away. A bit of tax later, and it was back on the road.
Until....July, when disaster struck. Driving home one night I had a MCSF warning, and the lights died. The following day the car wouldn't start, and it turned out that the battery was being over-charged by the alternator. I had a replacement fitted, which also turned out to be faulty. Eventually a new one was fitted. All was good, but it had killed the battery. One new battery and all was well, except my pocket, which was £970 lighter!
More to follow
Its been a year or so since I posted this, and I have had a "tricky" time with my car. After several years of trouble free motoring, in January of 2011 my car decided to snap the main shaft inside the gearbox, resulting in the loss of 5th and 6th. Problem was, I was a week away from buying my house, and therefore had put every single penny I had into my deposit. A decision was made that it would be best to park it up, and thats what I did. I used an old Rover for the rest of the winter, and eventually sent my car off to be fixed in March.
I finally got it back at the begining of April, and it passed its MOT right away. A bit of tax later, and it was back on the road.
Until....July, when disaster struck. Driving home one night I had a MCSF warning, and the lights died. The following day the car wouldn't start, and it turned out that the battery was being over-charged by the alternator. I had a replacement fitted, which also turned out to be faulty. Eventually a new one was fitted. All was good, but it had killed the battery. One new battery and all was well, except my pocket, which was £970 lighter!
More to follow
Whilst the alternator was being fitted, I had cam cover gaskets replaced along with a few other bits tarting up, such as wheel nuts painted, broken door handle replaced, as well as changing the snapped handbrake cable.
The following day the car hit 100k (pic to follow)
Just after all this, I managed to loose my job. Panic set in, and the car was the only thing of value I had. I thought long and hard about selling it, but as I had spend 2.5k on it this year, I really wanted to keep hold of it. I struggled for 10 weeks, and finally relented, and put it up for sale, just as the tax ran out, and the GTA market crashed. Two weeks later, I got a job, and it was no longer for sale!
During this period, I managed to swap my wheels with another GTA owner, and now have immaculate GTA teledials (pic to follow)
The car is my only car, and in use when I decide not to cycle to work. It's not perfect, it seems my manifold is leaking again, either that or a lifter is getting stuck. My bottom pulley needs replacing as it is collapsing, but its gonna have to wait till the end of the month. I plan to get the manifold gaskets replaced. Again. I did however treat it to an oil change, and replaced the Selenia with Valvoline 10w60 race oil, on the off chance it would cure the noise. It didn't.
It's not perfect, but I think its a pretty good example, even with the mileage. The guy who looks after it for me thinks its one of the cleanest examples that he sees, which is nice to know. It's not bad for a ten year old car based on a Fiat Tipo, and I can't see me parting with it anytime soon.
I also need to thank the guys at both Autolussos for helping me keep it going, even when things looked bleak.
I'll insert the pictures tomorrow
The following day the car hit 100k (pic to follow)
Just after all this, I managed to loose my job. Panic set in, and the car was the only thing of value I had. I thought long and hard about selling it, but as I had spend 2.5k on it this year, I really wanted to keep hold of it. I struggled for 10 weeks, and finally relented, and put it up for sale, just as the tax ran out, and the GTA market crashed. Two weeks later, I got a job, and it was no longer for sale!
During this period, I managed to swap my wheels with another GTA owner, and now have immaculate GTA teledials (pic to follow)
The car is my only car, and in use when I decide not to cycle to work. It's not perfect, it seems my manifold is leaking again, either that or a lifter is getting stuck. My bottom pulley needs replacing as it is collapsing, but its gonna have to wait till the end of the month. I plan to get the manifold gaskets replaced. Again. I did however treat it to an oil change, and replaced the Selenia with Valvoline 10w60 race oil, on the off chance it would cure the noise. It didn't.
It's not perfect, but I think its a pretty good example, even with the mileage. The guy who looks after it for me thinks its one of the cleanest examples that he sees, which is nice to know. It's not bad for a ten year old car based on a Fiat Tipo, and I can't see me parting with it anytime soon.
I also need to thank the guys at both Autolussos for helping me keep it going, even when things looked bleak.
I'll insert the pictures tomorrow
I forgot to add the pictures!
So here you go. My GTA now on Teledials
Since my last update, the GTA blew the spark plug out of the head towards the end of the year, costing another £500ish to rectify. This just about topped off a pretty s
tty 2011. A quick service was also done around the same time.
Its now Feb 2012, and the car is still on the road, getting used daily currently. Current milage is 103k, and I will have owned it for 4 years in June. 2 years longer than any other car I have owned.
I have just purchased some braided hoses, and will change the fluid soon. It also needs a lower engine mount, and 2 new lower arms, when funds let me. Tax and MOT run out 1st April, and I need to make a decision soon if its going to stay in daily use, or if I need to purchase another car. The Rover might even return.
Here is a picture of it clean. It was taken towards the end of the summer, pre Teledials
So here you go. My GTA now on Teledials
Since my last update, the GTA blew the spark plug out of the head towards the end of the year, costing another £500ish to rectify. This just about topped off a pretty s
tty 2011. A quick service was also done around the same time.Its now Feb 2012, and the car is still on the road, getting used daily currently. Current milage is 103k, and I will have owned it for 4 years in June. 2 years longer than any other car I have owned.
I have just purchased some braided hoses, and will change the fluid soon. It also needs a lower engine mount, and 2 new lower arms, when funds let me. Tax and MOT run out 1st April, and I need to make a decision soon if its going to stay in daily use, or if I need to purchase another car. The Rover might even return.
Here is a picture of it clean. It was taken towards the end of the summer, pre Teledials
Edited by S10 GTA on Thursday 2nd February 10:02
Edited by S10 GTA on Thursday 2nd February 10:02
The Spruce goose said:
lovely car and the Vectra in the background reminded me of that other thread..
Would you ever change the exhaust on this to something more vocal?
The Vectra has gone now, the owner split up with the woman, and she arranged for it to be removed.Would you ever change the exhaust on this to something more vocal?
I do have a slightly louder exhaust than standard. Mine was a mess so I had a stainless backbox fitted a while back. It sounds ok I think.
Only a few days left on eBay. Think I might shed a tear when this drives away 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251078572084?ssPageName=...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251078572084?ssPageName=...
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