RE: Shed of the Week: Alfa GTV

[ffhard]

I've only owned two Alfas, both 156's, a 2.0 twinspark and a 2.5 V6 with the sports suspension.
The 2.0 was fine but not really that much fun.
The 2.5 is honestly the nicest car I've ever owned (and I've had a fair few). It's fast enough, it corners well enough, it's very comfortable and it sounds magnificent when booted!
BUT, it's also the most unreliable car I've ever owned. Yes, it's an oldie but I used to run Lancia Thema turbo's which were considerably older but never, ever let me down.
So sorry, I've enjoyed it but no more Alfas for me. I love the experience but also like to get where I'm going!
Oh, I should have added that I am a self employed mechanic/garage owner so although the near constant repairs may not cost me so much they're still a pain in the arse!

Edited by ffhard on Friday 20th October 20:25

Edited by ffhard on Friday 20th October 21:18

[sunbeam alpine]

BeeJayAre said:

Sadly unless you get the 3.0ltr they feel slightly under powered.

Unless you can get your hands on the V6 2l turbo - don't think it was sold in the UK.

[ffhard]

Arese1973 said:

My daily driver is also a 156 V6. More reliable than the two forester turbos I've had. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any Alfa that has a Busso V6. My 156 has 140k and doesn't use or leak a drop of oil.

Mine has never been a daily driver, apart from anything else I'm working generally 7 days a week and as I live above my garage I don't drive much at all, except customers cars in and out of the workshop!
So my 156 2.5 has been doing around 3,000 miles a year in the four years I've owned it, just kept for long trips. But every time I think I have finally got the lady reliable she throws something else at me.
We set out from Devon to Glasgow, 23 miles we got and total failure of the MAF sensor. And I mean total, it stopped, normal cars at least have the decency to go into limp home mode, or maybe just run a bit flat. But not this girl!
Devon to Bristol, total loss of power steering. Corroded pipe you couldn't see (until it gushed!) under a clip in front of the radiator.
Rear calliper siezed, OK that happens, but it has enough power to mask it right up until the point the brake fluid (which I had changed the year before) boiled and no brakes, That one also took out the rear wheel bearing as well it got that hot.
So, I know all these thing could happen to any car but it's just getting too much.
And it's so lovely to drive (when you can!) I'm starting to feel guilty about calling an end to it.....

Edited by ffhard on Friday 20th October 21:20

[Tempest_5]

I had one of these for a year or so, an R reg Tspark. It only cost me £250 and there were many reasons for this that I gradually rectified. It was lovely to drive and made a lovely noise.

I would take my 3 children to school in it when it was in better condition. This involved a small section of the A27. As we got on the dual carriage way there would be a chorus of "make the Ferrrari noise" from them all, they were 8, 6 & 5 at the time. So I'd give it a bit of a gentle blast in second to make a nice noise, not too much mind with my precious cargo. I'd lift off at third and there would be a collective "argh, do it again, do it again". It always amused me, my children being the bad influence.

I got rid of it in the end as I calculated how much it would cost to get it in the state I wanted and realised I could buy one in the same condition for about half the restoration cost. Bits were a tad on the expensive side so I ended up getting my Ford based Westfield back on the road instead. Mind you Cortina bits are not so easy to find these days.

[anonymous-user]

Tempest_5 said:

I had one of these for a year or so, an R reg Tspark. It only cost me £250 and there were many reasons for this that I gradually rectified. It was lovely to drive and made a lovely noise.

I would take my 3 children to school in it when it was in better condition. This involved a small section of the A27. As we got on the dual carriage way there would be a chorus of "make the Ferrrari noise" from them all, they were 8, 6 & 5 at the time. So I'd give it a bit of a gentle blast in second to make a nice noise, not too much mind with my precious cargo. I'd lift off at third and there would be a collective "argh, do it again, do it again". It always amused me, my children being the bad influence.

I got rid of it in the end as I calculated how much it would cost to get it in the state I wanted and realised I could buy one in the same condition for about half the restoration cost. Bits were a tad on the expensive side so I ended up getting my Ford based Westfield back on the road instead. Mind you Cortina bits are not so easy to find these days.

That story made me smile. My kids loved it when I wound down the windows, locked my XJR-S in 1st and booted it from 40 to 60, then some howling on the overrun down to 40, then repeat. Funnily enough they don't ask to do that with the diesel family bus.

Fair enough though, it did sound fking awesome. One of the 6 year olds asked the other day why some chav stbox was making a nasty farting noise, so it's not just that they like noisy cars either

[ffhard]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Alfa designers insist ( or at least used to) that an Alfa SOUNDED like an Alfa! And I mean to the driver, not those on the streets outside. They leave that to the "modded" up Saxo brigade.
If what I read was true then they succeeded with my 156 2.5. In spades. The first time I took my eldest and my first grandchild out in it (he had only been in her Pug 206 1.4 until this day) My eldest said "Boot it Dad, you know you want to!". So I did. Grandson burst into tears with his mother saying "Sorry about that. He's not used to anything that actually accelerates!". I think I raised a good one there!
Oh, I dunno, posting on here makes me feel like giving the old girl another chance.

[petersuper]

Had a 1982 Alfasud 1.7 Cloverleaf in the 1980s. Cost me two grand, and in the first year spent double that on gearbox, electrics and other things I can't or choose not to remember. The worst car I have ever owned for reliability bar none. But I loved the few months it was on the road. Going sideways in the wet on the M1 was scary but also awesome! And then I nearly bought a 159 2.4JTD afew years ago but EVERYONE told me not to, so I didn't. But I want another Alfa! Why? No idea. Maybe I should save the money I was going to spend on one and put it towards therapy!

[FrenchSpider]

petersuper said:

Had a 1982 Alfasud 1.7 Cloverleaf in the 1980s. Cost me two grand, and in the first year spent double that on gearbox, electrics and other things I can't or choose not to remember. The worst car I have ever owned for reliability bar none. But I loved the few months it was on the road. Going sideways in the wet on the M1 was scary but also awesome! And then I nearly bought a 159 2.4JTD afew years ago but EVERYONE told me not to, so I didn't. But I want another Alfa! Why? No idea. Maybe I should save the money I was going to spend on one and put it towards therapy!

I also had an Alfasud back in the day. Great little cars and reasonably reliable (at least no worse that cars of a similar vintage) but rust killed it. Fantastic cars to drive as the above poster has said. After a long search I managed to find a 1983 Sprint in amazingly good condition recently and it is such fun to drive.

[jackpe]

GUYS, JOYOUS AND SAD NEWS... SHE'S SOLD!!!

Went on Sunday. Fab little car. Just had time to make a last film 'Battle of the Sheds' comparing it to an MG ZS, both £1500 cars.

Thanks all for your comments and discussions on my now departed SHED. It was epic, I was sooo excited to be featured on shed of the week!!

Moderator edit: no promoting your own channel please.

Edited by jeremyc on Thursday 26th October 12:56

[jackpe]

jackpe said:

Moderator edit: no promoting your own channel please.

Edited by jeremyc on Thursday 26th October 12:56

Seriously??!!?? this is becoming beyond ridiculous, I have been on Pistonheads for years, first you stopped any direct links to the videos going on which I have adhered to, but now even saying that there is a video on a car and saying it can be found on youtube and you're not allowing that either? Totally unreasonable, you're not helping or safeguarding PH this way.

This thread was not started by me, but by PH as I advertised my car on your site. The video is of interest as it updates the story of the car on which the thread is based. I put no link to the video, merely said the title and that it could be found on youtube, this is now against the rules too??? Totally draconian.

Edited by jackpe on Thursday 26th October 13:57

[carinaman]

kellydk said:

Yawn - the usual rubbish dished out about Italian cars:

Dodgy electrics - check
Rust - check
Regular break down - check

What complete and utter crap and the worst kind of journalism. Alfa's of this period are no better or worse than their contemporaries. I've seen BMW's and VW's amongst others with worse rust and electric issues. Try doing some research rather than re-hashing crap from the internet based on cars from the 60's and 70's.

Great car though, although I'd have a phase 2.

Don't these GTVs need a relay mod in the boot to carry current to the rear window demister element to reduce the risks of the fuse panel in the NS passenger footwell melting?

I suppose the 166 heater matrix leaking risking the Automatic transmission ECU is more of a design fault than a electrical issue.

The information is there online to help owners get the most from their cars. If you look at the Internet you'll see these GTVs can rust in places, I considered a Twin Spark near me on the back of this SoTW but the MoT history showing a failure due to corrosion within X mm of the seatbelt mounting points on both sides put me off. Trying to find a 156 with a sound floorpan isn't easy.

[carinaman]

FrenchSpider said:

petersuper said:

Had a 1982 Alfasud 1.7 Cloverleaf in the 1980s. Cost me two grand, and in the first year spent double that on gearbox, electrics and other things I can't or choose not to remember. The worst car I have ever owned for reliability bar none. But I loved the few months it was on the road. Going sideways in the wet on the M1 was scary but also awesome! And then I nearly bought a 159 2.4JTD afew years ago but EVERYONE told me not to, so I didn't. But I want another Alfa! Why? No idea. Maybe I should save the money I was going to spend on one and put it towards therapy!

I also had an Alfasud back in the day. Great little cars and reasonably reliable (at least no worse that cars of a similar vintage) but rust killed it. Fantastic cars to drive as the above poster has said. After a long search I managed to find a 1983 Sprint in amazingly good condition recently and it is such fun to drive.

Very nice looking car. I bet that's a lot of fun to drive.

[acealfa]

I've got a Cup as a forever car but I'll admit compared to most over cars it's not as good to drive but I'd still choose it.