Fifty shades of pink - Alfa 145 track project
Discussion
They say you're not a true petrolhead until you own an Alfa - so had to do it, lol!!
This is a joint track project between myself and a friend. We've spoken about it many a time, and recently we decided we would get something sorted in the new year. After considering all sorts, we had pretty much decided on something like a Saxo VTS as being both cheap to buy and pretty well suited for some budget track fun. But deep down, I wanted something different, I like to go for something a little less obvious!
Browsing retro rides the other week I saw a thread about an Alfa 145 & 146 and instantly though 'Yes, I remember those!' - a little research later and a heads up to Pearcey (my track partner) found us a slightly tatty, but slightly good sounding 145 cloverleaf, just down the road. It was almost meant to be!!
A quick look around the car & paperwork and a deal was struck at £450 - we were pretty happy with that!!
Pearcey has been using it to & from work for a couple of weeks, but we want to cash the rest of the tax in so this weekend he brought it back to his parents where we are going to store the car.
Here are a few photos:
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Hopefully we won't see this pose too often, lol!!
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
We both gave the car a quick little run around the country lanes - and we were both pretty impressed!! Pulls nicely, sounds quite nice and throaty from low down, brakes seem good, steering a little light, handling felt pretty good, although a bit on the soft side. I had trouble with the driving position though, it felt like I was driving a transit van!! Turns out the seat height was almost fully up which didn't help, but some new seats will solve this issue!!
We only really had the afternoon so just set about stripping out some of the interior - once you get stuck in, it soon comes out!!
Immediate plans include repairing the passenger floor and finding out where our rattle/squeak is coming from. It sounds like it is coming from an auxilliary item (PAS, water pump, alternator, ac) - so we'll whip the belt off to see if the noise subsides. Hoping it's not the variator, but time will tell!!
Had a quick look underneath and it actually looks pretty tidy really. Haven't removed the skirts yet, but the only obvious rust is a section of the passenger floor. Drivers floor looks nice & clean.
We've pretty much that we'll keep things quite simple to begin with - seats/harnesses, suspension, brakes, tyres & service/fluids - then we can make extra upgrades as & when we fancy!! I'm sure with some sticky tyres, better seats and some firmer suspension, it will be really good fun!
We might even treat the old girl to a repsray at some point, as it's definitely a 'fifty shades of pink' finish!!
It was dark by the time we'd finished, so don't have any pics of our progress so far, but will keep the thread updated as we go!! Any advice or comments much appreciated
This is a joint track project between myself and a friend. We've spoken about it many a time, and recently we decided we would get something sorted in the new year. After considering all sorts, we had pretty much decided on something like a Saxo VTS as being both cheap to buy and pretty well suited for some budget track fun. But deep down, I wanted something different, I like to go for something a little less obvious!
Browsing retro rides the other week I saw a thread about an Alfa 145 & 146 and instantly though 'Yes, I remember those!' - a little research later and a heads up to Pearcey (my track partner) found us a slightly tatty, but slightly good sounding 145 cloverleaf, just down the road. It was almost meant to be!!
A quick look around the car & paperwork and a deal was struck at £450 - we were pretty happy with that!!
Pearcey has been using it to & from work for a couple of weeks, but we want to cash the rest of the tax in so this weekend he brought it back to his parents where we are going to store the car.
Here are a few photos:
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Hopefully we won't see this pose too often, lol!!
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf by Hallsy01, on Flickr
We both gave the car a quick little run around the country lanes - and we were both pretty impressed!! Pulls nicely, sounds quite nice and throaty from low down, brakes seem good, steering a little light, handling felt pretty good, although a bit on the soft side. I had trouble with the driving position though, it felt like I was driving a transit van!! Turns out the seat height was almost fully up which didn't help, but some new seats will solve this issue!!
We only really had the afternoon so just set about stripping out some of the interior - once you get stuck in, it soon comes out!!
Immediate plans include repairing the passenger floor and finding out where our rattle/squeak is coming from. It sounds like it is coming from an auxilliary item (PAS, water pump, alternator, ac) - so we'll whip the belt off to see if the noise subsides. Hoping it's not the variator, but time will tell!!
Had a quick look underneath and it actually looks pretty tidy really. Haven't removed the skirts yet, but the only obvious rust is a section of the passenger floor. Drivers floor looks nice & clean.
We've pretty much that we'll keep things quite simple to begin with - seats/harnesses, suspension, brakes, tyres & service/fluids - then we can make extra upgrades as & when we fancy!! I'm sure with some sticky tyres, better seats and some firmer suspension, it will be really good fun!
We might even treat the old girl to a repsray at some point, as it's definitely a 'fifty shades of pink' finish!!
It was dark by the time we'd finished, so don't have any pics of our progress so far, but will keep the thread updated as we go!! Any advice or comments much appreciated
Yep - it has done around 80k, last owner was just a stop gap, but previous to him someone had owned it for 10 years, 6 months MOT & Tax, runs well and has a 'rare' Momo full leahter interior!
As I say, other than needing a small amount of welding and the minor engine noise, it's all good!! If you wanted a quick, fun, daily car - it would be good to go. Although it's an Alfa, so it will break down next week!!
They are funny little cars though, almost like a van converted to a car!!
As I say, other than needing a small amount of welding and the minor engine noise, it's all good!! If you wanted a quick, fun, daily car - it would be good to go. Although it's an Alfa, so it will break down next week!!
They are funny little cars though, almost like a van converted to a car!!
Hallsy01 said:
0a - it's just faded. I might run my PC over it, but I'm pretty sure it's clear & basecoat, so not hopeful it will cut back.
Harry - it had the belt done 2000 miles ago, although need to check the time interval.
It may have had the belt done, but can you be sure they weren't tight and didn't replace the tensioner? I'd recommend having the belt covers off to check as the tensioners are known to fail. But hopefully it will be just an issue on the aux belt!..Harry - it had the belt done 2000 miles ago, although need to check the time interval.
Looks like a great buy and it will make a fine track car
I'll be keeping an eye on this for sure!
Hallsy01 said:
0a - it's just faded. I might run my PC over it, but I'm pretty sure it's clear & basecoat, so not hopeful it will cut back.
Harry - it had the belt done 2000 miles ago, although need to check the time interval.
36k interval, have a look hereHarry - it had the belt done 2000 miles ago, although need to check the time interval.
http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa_romeo_servicing...
Also alfaowner.com site is really good.
Cheers Harry, I knew it was 36k, but wondered how many years.
I will double check, but I'm pretty sure there was an invoice for a complete belt kit. The previous (long term) owner didn't seem to scrimp, he spent £750 on the last MOT!
As for the tax, we'll cash it in for now as we won't be using the car until early next year, but once ready we had intended to keep it road legal, as neither of us have a trailer nor tow car!
I will double check, but I'm pretty sure there was an invoice for a complete belt kit. The previous (long term) owner didn't seem to scrimp, he spent £750 on the last MOT!
As for the tax, we'll cash it in for now as we won't be using the car until early next year, but once ready we had intended to keep it road legal, as neither of us have a trailer nor tow car!
So, it's been a while, but we managed to find a few hours to get some more jobs done on the Alfa.
She was looking a bit sorry, covered in dust and bird crap, also sporting a flat tyre and battery!!
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
The exterior can come later though, we wanted to carry on getting the rest of the interior stripped, so it was out with the carpet, and in with our new Corbeau Sprint drivers seat.
I bought some OMP steel side mounts, they are heavier than I expected, but a lot cheaper than alloy ones. I have modified seat rails to suit buckets before, so was glad to find that the OMP mounts almost fell in place!!
The outer drivers side runner lined up perfectly with the factory mounting points -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
The other side wasn't far out, but the rear mounting point is actually at 90 degrees to the rails, but I found that when I drilled the rail from the top, the recessed section (shown below on LH side of rail, pass side, but same on drivers) is actually quite thick, probably 3-4mm, this meant we could use the factory front hole, and drill for the rear one:
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Here is the factory rear mount -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Even though I am happy that the material in the rail is thick enough where we have drilled, I will make a right angle bracket to pick up the factory mount on this side, and weld or bolt it to the OMP mount - just to be happy that I have used the four OE mounting points.
So both mounted up quite easilly really -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
So then we mounted the seat up, and played around with the base angle, until we were happy. Luckilly we are both pretty much the same height and build (short arses at 5'8"-5'9"!). Before sitting in it, I was convinced that the seat would be too high on the factory rails, but in actual fact, it was about right for us, as was the pedal reach. If the seat was much lower we would struggle to see over the bonnet - the mounting height is deceptive once seated!
So, the new seat is in - and a snug fit it is too!! We might have to hit the track in just our pants, lol!!
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Now we need to look out for another Corbeau Sprint, and fit some harnesses and eyelets.
Other than that, we had a slight case of a 'perforated' floor on the passenger side - a common site for many Alfa owners I'm sure!! Ours didn't look to bad, although I need to have a thorough check of the other footwells also. After a bit of prodding we had a bit of a hole......
20140601_132054 by Hallsy01, on Flickr
and it's now cut out ready for a new piece of Zintec to be welded in..
IMG-20140601-WA0003 by Hallsy01, on Flickr
While I was faffing about with the rust, Pearcey was chipping away at the tar soundproofing - bless him, he loved it.......he really did!!
IMG-20140601-WA0001 by Hallsy01, on Flickr
Where the floor pan had rusted, I hadn't accounted for it being rotten into the folded section that is spot welded to the sill, so I bent my repair panel as best I could with what I had (the car is not at my home), but it needs a tighter fold that I could manage with a borrowed work mate and a hammer!! So we retired for the day, and have set aside a full weekend to get some more done at the end of the month.
Hopefully we will have some more bits to bolt on by then as well, currently have some Eibach springs (Thanks Nathan ) but really need some uprated shocks to go with them. Then we will be fitting some new OE discs, with uprated pads - need to decide between Tarox .116 & .112 or Ferrodo DS3000 & DS2500 - I think the latter are a bit cheaper and have had good recommendations (I have run DS2500's on a previous car with good results) so will probably end up going with those. Fluid will get replaced while we're at it.
Once we have finished removing the rest of the tar inside the car, we will look to tidy it up a bit as it looks a total mess at the mo. Tidy the wiring, remove anything redundant, make some lightweight doorcards and mounts for switches that have lost their original trims - I know it's a track car, but we want it to look neat.
Still plenty more to do as yet!
She was looking a bit sorry, covered in dust and bird crap, also sporting a flat tyre and battery!!
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrThe exterior can come later though, we wanted to carry on getting the rest of the interior stripped, so it was out with the carpet, and in with our new Corbeau Sprint drivers seat.
I bought some OMP steel side mounts, they are heavier than I expected, but a lot cheaper than alloy ones. I have modified seat rails to suit buckets before, so was glad to find that the OMP mounts almost fell in place!!
The outer drivers side runner lined up perfectly with the factory mounting points -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrThe other side wasn't far out, but the rear mounting point is actually at 90 degrees to the rails, but I found that when I drilled the rail from the top, the recessed section (shown below on LH side of rail, pass side, but same on drivers) is actually quite thick, probably 3-4mm, this meant we could use the factory front hole, and drill for the rear one:
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrHere is the factory rear mount -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrEven though I am happy that the material in the rail is thick enough where we have drilled, I will make a right angle bracket to pick up the factory mount on this side, and weld or bolt it to the OMP mount - just to be happy that I have used the four OE mounting points.
So both mounted up quite easilly really -
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrSo then we mounted the seat up, and played around with the base angle, until we were happy. Luckilly we are both pretty much the same height and build (short arses at 5'8"-5'9"!). Before sitting in it, I was convinced that the seat would be too high on the factory rails, but in actual fact, it was about right for us, as was the pedal reach. If the seat was much lower we would struggle to see over the bonnet - the mounting height is deceptive once seated!
So, the new seat is in - and a snug fit it is too!! We might have to hit the track in just our pants, lol!!
Alfa 145 QV by Hallsy01, on FlickrNow we need to look out for another Corbeau Sprint, and fit some harnesses and eyelets.
Other than that, we had a slight case of a 'perforated' floor on the passenger side - a common site for many Alfa owners I'm sure!! Ours didn't look to bad, although I need to have a thorough check of the other footwells also. After a bit of prodding we had a bit of a hole......
20140601_132054 by Hallsy01, on Flickrand it's now cut out ready for a new piece of Zintec to be welded in..
IMG-20140601-WA0003 by Hallsy01, on FlickrWhile I was faffing about with the rust, Pearcey was chipping away at the tar soundproofing - bless him, he loved it.......he really did!!
IMG-20140601-WA0001 by Hallsy01, on FlickrWhere the floor pan had rusted, I hadn't accounted for it being rotten into the folded section that is spot welded to the sill, so I bent my repair panel as best I could with what I had (the car is not at my home), but it needs a tighter fold that I could manage with a borrowed work mate and a hammer!! So we retired for the day, and have set aside a full weekend to get some more done at the end of the month.
Hopefully we will have some more bits to bolt on by then as well, currently have some Eibach springs (Thanks Nathan
) but really need some uprated shocks to go with them. Then we will be fitting some new OE discs, with uprated pads - need to decide between Tarox .116 & .112 or Ferrodo DS3000 & DS2500 - I think the latter are a bit cheaper and have had good recommendations (I have run DS2500's on a previous car with good results) so will probably end up going with those. Fluid will get replaced while we're at it.Once we have finished removing the rest of the tar inside the car, we will look to tidy it up a bit as it looks a total mess at the mo. Tidy the wiring, remove anything redundant, make some lightweight doorcards and mounts for switches that have lost their original trims - I know it's a track car, but we want it to look neat.
Still plenty more to do as yet!
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