Discussion
Yes, two of them 
The twisting turns of Alfa ownership started way back in 2005 when the soon to be Mrs SWH wanted something different and liked the look of a GTV.... I insisted on the V6, one test drive and the noise alone sealed the deal, she even arrived at our wedding in it.
So, Alfa 1 (on the left) has the GTV trick of being a magnet for t
ts, seagull st, white van nudges, the odd drunk and any sort of bodywork damaging minor contact you can imagine. It even had a dead Xantia dropped off a sloped drive into the side of it and the garage towing the French lump away did a runner and left no details - I think Mr. Policeman was very amused to pay them a visit and enquire which of the grease monkeys had left the scene... soon fixed (new door skin and a mirror) on the insurance, a positive insurance experience for once.
Have another... fresh from a successful MOT test a couple of years back, grr:
Cut to 2009 and the Alfa 1 has spent a year or so of on street parking in Brighton and acquired a ding or three, lots of scuffs and loads of seagull strikes, the little buggers... anyway, still went like stink and was a hoot for the odd commute trip up to London when I wasn't taking the comfortable option (850 T5 Auto). Mrs SWH took a somewhat new SWH Jnr for a trip out (yes, kiddy seat fits well in the front, airbag off) and in a queue at the lights leading up to Arundul, plonked it into the back of a 307 Estate pulling away, arse, well, st happens, no one hurt (well, the woman she hit claimed for whiplash of course, err, enough said).
So, remodeled into a Cat-C shape, parts new are pricey to say the least:
Written off and collected the remains from a bodyshop in Brighton. The main car was taken down to my Dad's in Somerset, he has the space (and more time to tinker) ready for a fleabay blitz for suitable parts. Notable mention for the excellent transport job goes to Mel Spear http://www.flyingbluedog.co.uk/
Time overtakes many a project, as do children, doing up houses, work, etc etc... hmm, anyway, two weeks ago I spotted some spares on the bay, all in one convenient car shaped package. Located in Essex, same year, same colour, same engine, cambelt gone, acquired for a snip over £500, ideal... I'd have paid that for a bonnet delivered in the right colour!
So begins the weekend just gone, well call it Alfa Saturday.
Hired this mighty bone shaker from Eastbourne:
A light cruise (rattle) round the M25 and over to Essex, sat nav did the business and onto the estate where the chap had the spare parts Alfa... turn in and I'm met with the awsome sight of a red Viper parked up on the first driveway, epic car, technical incompetence (ie: dropping the phone) prevented a photo of that fine motor.
Back to the Alfa... all seemed to be what he'd said it was, nice chap actually. Several notes handed over and V5 signed. After a little light pushing to and fro got the stricken motor lined up with the ramps for the truck. Some winch action later and it was in place, ratchet straps holding it down and the first opportunity to peek underneath.... my my, there's some pretty interesting welding on both front sills... ok, so this one really is just for spares, as I thought. Appears to have a fancy twin cat setup stainless exhaust system too, excellent, more spares.
The bone shaker was considerably slower with the fat old Alfa parked on it:
..and no, it's not over weight, just very very close to it.
Collected Dad from Reading (building step sister's kitchen) and down the M4 we trot, a quick detour via Bridgwater and up to Williton - and I thought the M4 was boring blatting along in a car, great to have some company.
Offloaded Alfa 2 in the lane and pushed it up to the gate, the photo doesn't really show the slope (it's tiny in reality):
Sod pushing it, bring in some muscle, well a diesel Range Rover anyway:
Managed to shove it on the wet grass into place, as in the first photo.
Here's what stricken Alfa No.1 looks like after a couple of years waiting for parts (feel a bit bad, but it does still start and run at least!)
And there we have it, all locked up, Dad dropped back in Reading and home to Eastbourne by 11pm; 570 miles of Transit Transporter (ear plugs would have been an idea) are enough for anyone in a day.
What's next... well, despite being Cat-C our original GTV is actually in far better condition than GTV No.2, which really is only good for parts, what a way to collect them as well. The old man is primed to strip the front of the crashed one so we can see what's really bent underneath. Nothing too major showed up at the bodyshop when first assessed, just the expensive parts effectively wrote it off, and the chassis leg is a bit tweaked.
More photos to follow, you'd guess correctly that may not be for a few months however... somewhat busy with children, work, sorting the house...
...although, I am really feeling the need for the flat out gear shift, perfectly slotting from 2nd to 3rd, just missing the rev limiter and the V6 howl as I go for 4th... then check my, err, speed officer
The twisting turns of Alfa ownership started way back in 2005 when the soon to be Mrs SWH wanted something different and liked the look of a GTV.... I insisted on the V6, one test drive and the noise alone sealed the deal, she even arrived at our wedding in it.
So, Alfa 1 (on the left) has the GTV trick of being a magnet for t
ts, seagull st, white van nudges, the odd drunk and any sort of bodywork damaging minor contact you can imagine. It even had a dead Xantia dropped off a sloped drive into the side of it and the garage towing the French lump away did a runner and left no details - I think Mr. Policeman was very amused to pay them a visit and enquire which of the grease monkeys had left the scene... soon fixed (new door skin and a mirror) on the insurance, a positive insurance experience for once.Have another... fresh from a successful MOT test a couple of years back, grr:
Cut to 2009 and the Alfa 1 has spent a year or so of on street parking in Brighton and acquired a ding or three, lots of scuffs and loads of seagull strikes, the little buggers... anyway, still went like stink and was a hoot for the odd commute trip up to London when I wasn't taking the comfortable option (850 T5 Auto
). Mrs SWH took a somewhat new SWH Jnr for a trip out (yes, kiddy seat fits well in the front, airbag off) and in a queue at the lights leading up to Arundul, plonked it into the back of a 307 Estate pulling away, arse, well, st happens, no one hurt (well, the woman she hit claimed for whiplash of course, err, enough said).So, remodeled into a Cat-C shape, parts new are pricey to say the least:
Written off and collected the remains from a bodyshop in Brighton. The main car was taken down to my Dad's in Somerset, he has the space (and more time to tinker) ready for a fleabay blitz for suitable parts. Notable mention for the excellent transport job goes to Mel Spear http://www.flyingbluedog.co.uk/
Time overtakes many a project, as do children, doing up houses, work, etc etc... hmm, anyway, two weeks ago I spotted some spares on the bay, all in one convenient car shaped package. Located in Essex, same year, same colour, same engine, cambelt gone, acquired for a snip over £500, ideal... I'd have paid that for a bonnet delivered in the right colour!
So begins the weekend just gone, well call it Alfa Saturday.
Hired this mighty bone shaker from Eastbourne:
A light cruise (rattle) round the M25 and over to Essex, sat nav did the business and onto the estate where the chap had the spare parts Alfa... turn in and I'm met with the awsome sight of a red Viper parked up on the first driveway, epic car, technical incompetence (ie: dropping the phone) prevented a photo of that fine motor.
Back to the Alfa... all seemed to be what he'd said it was, nice chap actually. Several notes handed over and V5 signed. After a little light pushing to and fro got the stricken motor lined up with the ramps for the truck. Some winch action later and it was in place, ratchet straps holding it down and the first opportunity to peek underneath.... my my, there's some pretty interesting welding on both front sills... ok, so this one really is just for spares, as I thought. Appears to have a fancy twin cat setup stainless exhaust system too, excellent, more spares.
The bone shaker was considerably slower with the fat old Alfa parked on it:
..and no, it's not over weight, just very very close to it.
Collected Dad from Reading (building step sister's kitchen) and down the M4 we trot, a quick detour via Bridgwater and up to Williton - and I thought the M4 was boring blatting along in a car, great to have some company.
Offloaded Alfa 2 in the lane and pushed it up to the gate, the photo doesn't really show the slope (it's tiny in reality):
Sod pushing it, bring in some muscle, well a diesel Range Rover anyway:
Managed to shove it on the wet grass into place, as in the first photo.
Here's what stricken Alfa No.1 looks like after a couple of years waiting for parts (feel a bit bad, but it does still start and run at least!)
And there we have it, all locked up, Dad dropped back in Reading and home to Eastbourne by 11pm; 570 miles of Transit Transporter (ear plugs would have been an idea) are enough for anyone in a day.
What's next... well, despite being Cat-C our original GTV is actually in far better condition than GTV No.2, which really is only good for parts, what a way to collect them as well. The old man is primed to strip the front of the crashed one so we can see what's really bent underneath. Nothing too major showed up at the bodyshop when first assessed, just the expensive parts effectively wrote it off, and the chassis leg is a bit tweaked.
More photos to follow, you'd guess correctly that may not be for a few months however... somewhat busy with children, work, sorting the house...
...although, I am really feeling the need for the flat out gear shift, perfectly slotting from 2nd to 3rd, just missing the rev limiter and the V6 howl as I go for 4th... then check my, err, speed officer
After a short delay... also known as the old man getting fed up with two GTVs clogging up his yard.... it's back:
(It has moved since the sorry state photos above... clearly the hound was impressed too)
I can claim no credit at all for the work, just movement of the scrap/spare GTV which donated all the straight parts and a front chassis section; neatly grafted on with some highly skilled mig-welding, allignment and reassembly skills from the old man there... he's somewhat chuffed it passed the MOT test today too, couple of failed attempts, rear caliper strip down, clean up and reassembly did the trick.
Now for the VIC check to get the identity confirmed (it's Cat-C) and I can apply for a tax disc again.... and away
As for the somewhat suspect donor car.... many a usable part still on it; so, trailer hired, Shogun fueled (£125 to fill it...!) and one very dead GTV extracted from the old man's yard on its starter motor, all the way to the waiting trailer in the road (very popular), and back to my Mother's place:
..and on to its final resting place:
Yes... it's a caravan full of logs behind it, and yes, I had to remove the side of the shed to get the car through to that point, I'd forgotten how loud nailing up sheets of tin on the side of a shed was!
Seats are heading for my MGB in theory (if they fit...!) and there's many a spare to extract at some stage... be interesting to see what's bent inside the engine, given the cambelt has gone, still cranks over though, figured it was already dead and that was the easiest way of shifting it; although the slope down to where it's parked/dumped above was a little exciting without brakes....!
More pictures once properly back on the road
(It has moved since the sorry state photos above... clearly the hound was impressed too)
I can claim no credit at all for the work, just movement of the scrap/spare GTV which donated all the straight parts and a front chassis section; neatly grafted on with some highly skilled mig-welding, allignment and reassembly skills from the old man there... he's somewhat chuffed it passed the MOT test today too, couple of failed attempts, rear caliper strip down, clean up and reassembly did the trick.
Now for the VIC check to get the identity confirmed (it's Cat-C) and I can apply for a tax disc again.... and away
As for the somewhat suspect donor car.... many a usable part still on it; so, trailer hired, Shogun fueled (£125 to fill it...!) and one very dead GTV extracted from the old man's yard on its starter motor, all the way to the waiting trailer in the road (very popular), and back to my Mother's place:
..and on to its final resting place:
Yes... it's a caravan full of logs behind it, and yes, I had to remove the side of the shed to get the car through to that point, I'd forgotten how loud nailing up sheets of tin on the side of a shed was!
Seats are heading for my MGB in theory (if they fit...!) and there's many a spare to extract at some stage... be interesting to see what's bent inside the engine, given the cambelt has gone, still cranks over though, figured it was already dead and that was the easiest way of shifting it; although the slope down to where it's parked/dumped above was a little exciting without brakes....!
More pictures once properly back on the road
Thank you
Yep, a little work left to do. All MOT'd now, which is good, should get the VIC done shortly, then it really needs a service and a cambelt (just to be sure!) - Service I can do, although the oil filter is a sod to get to; cambelt I think I'll just pay up TBH!
Then there's a Brighton acquired dent in the passenger side - needs a skilled pull from someone who's used to doing it, rather than me just putting a kink in the bodywork!
More to follow....
ETA: I also need to weld/reattach the side step back on my mother's Shogun... still attached in the picture above, however it was only attached with six plastic tie wraps and lots of rust... "It just came off in my hand.." was a popular comment at the time!
Yep, a little work left to do. All MOT'd now, which is good, should get the VIC done shortly, then it really needs a service and a cambelt (just to be sure!) - Service I can do, although the oil filter is a sod to get to; cambelt I think I'll just pay up TBH!
Then there's a Brighton acquired dent in the passenger side - needs a skilled pull from someone who's used to doing it, rather than me just putting a kink in the bodywork!
More to follow....
ETA: I also need to weld/reattach the side step back on my mother's Shogun... still attached in the picture above, however it was only attached with six plastic tie wraps and lots of rust... "It just came off in my hand.." was a popular comment at the time!
Edited by SWH on Thursday 25th August 13:10
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