Alfa Romeo 147 GTA (Round 2)
Discussion
Long time lurker here, but thought its about time I posted my own thread seeing as I've just got my new car. I'll give you a brief rundown of my history of car ownership.
My very first car was actually a Ford Ka - super basic, but a really easy drive and ideal for a new driver. I used that for 3 months before I bought my first R50 MINI Cooper. I loved this car, and over the course of the next 4 years, I added a geuine aero kit, a few different sets of wheels, coilvers, JCW sound kit (stainless steel exhaust, induction kit), custom dash lighting, Alpine stereo, and a few other JCW items. Here it is after a wash (ignore the Blitz sticker, I was 18 at the time!) :
Untitled by captain-fitch, on Flickr
After this, I had a succession of MINI's - next up was this 2008 R56 Cooper S with factory aero kit. This one didn't hang around long and shifted it after 3 or 4 months, as I was still at uni and worried about my funds.
Untitled by captain-fitch, on Flickr
Next, another Cooper S, but this time an R53 checkmate. Again, this one didn't last too either - I never liked the interior and just didn't bond with it. However, after a good machine polish it did come up really well!
Cars by captain-fitch, on Flickr
After this, it was back in to another R56 - this time without an aero kit, which I was a bit annoyed about. When I got it, it looked like this:
R56MCS by captain-fitch, on Flickr
Bog standard! I was going through a 'stance' phase at this point, so it was slammed as low as I could get it on coilovers, fitted a set of Rotiforms, and fitted an obnoxiously loud exhaust, leaving it looking more like this:
Untitled by captain-fitch, on Flickr
Cars by captain-fitch, on Flickr
It was super impractical and scraped everywhere, but it did look awesome (I thought anyway, at the time!). The fun came to an end when I sheared the top bolt off one of the rear shocks.Back to standard it went, and put it up for sale.
Next up was my last MINI - yet another R56 Cooper S. This one had the best spec yet out of all of my cars so far - JCW aero kit, Brembo 4 pots, turbo back exhaust, BBS wheels, JCW spoiler and a few other bits:
FullSizeRender by captain-fitch, on Flickr
This was by far my favourite car yet, and kept it a good while. In fact I wasn't looking to change it, but purely by chance I came across what would be my next car, for sale in the next town over - my first Alfa 147 GTA. As soon as I pulled up at the guys house and saw it on the drive it was sold! It looked glorious. And I hadn't even started it up/ opened the bonnet at this point! The owner opened his garage up to reveal a Ferarri 348 tucked away as well, so he definitely had good taste. But we took the Alfa out for a the test drive which went well, and I snapped it up.
Looking back, I wish I had done my research a bit more - I enjoyed about 6 months of trouble free driving, and then I had to spend circa £2k on various bits. I eventually got a bit fed up and moved it on, but regretted it straight away. Anyway, here's a pic:
Untitled by captain-fitch, on Flickr
I replaced the Alfa with an Abarth 500 Essesse, with a great spec. It had all the extras, including the brembo brake upgrade, Koni shocks, monza exhaust and a remap, as well has full leather interior and sunroof etc. I enjoyed a year of trouble free, pretty cheap driving in the Abarth and it never put a foot wrong. Do miss it slightly as it literally felt like a go kart to chuck around the corners. Here it is on Beachy Head:
Cars by captain-fitch, on Flickr
And that brings me to my current car. I had spent the whole year keeping track of cars that were coming up for sale and seeing what kind of prices they were going for. Safe to say the market has changed a bit since I sold my first one on! I sold that for £6700 and even then it was a hard sell. But anyway - around New Year, I was browsing various car websites/forums and came across my car, which was due to go under the hammer on January 26th at the classic auction at Anglia Car Auctions. Everything looked great - great history, low miles, good spec. I decided to make the trip up to Norfolk from Eastbourne to the auction to take a look, and seeing it in person just confirmed it for me. I had to have it! It was my first time at an auction and it was pretty intense, the place was packed. I must admit, I did get a bit carried away with the bidding but I won it! So here it is:
Cars by captain-fitch, on Flickr
Cars by captain-fitch, on Flickr
I haven't had a chance to take any good pictures yet, and I really want to give it a proper clean and detail. The car has the all the normal bits - full leather seats, Bose sound system etc and a few extras, which include:
- 330mm Brembo 4-pot brakes, painted yellow
- Koni FSD shocks with Eibach lowering springs
- Stainless steel custom cat back exhaust
- Autodelta carbon air intake
It had a full service approx 1200 miles ago, including the cambelt and water pump, so no need to worry about that for a little while yet. I do have some plans for the car, but it'll mainly be a few maintenance bits first. Here's my priority list:
- Replace expansion tank (it looks a bit grim, brings down the look of the engine bay)
- Possibly fit a new battery to eliminate a couple of electrical niggles I'm experiencing
- Possibly fit some uprated pads to try and improve pedal feel
After those bits I'll move on to modifications:
- Source a Wizard exhaust to replace the custom one currently fitted - the current one is far too muted, and the Wizard exhaust I had on my first one sounded insane
- New wheels - either 18 inch Alfa ones or something a bit more unusual. BBS LM's are the dream
- KW coilovers & thicker ARB
- When the time comes for a new clutch, a set of Wizard manifolds - cos it would be rude not to seeing as the engine will already be out
- And way down the line - a set of ITB's. Just think of the noise!
And that's where I am now, just enjoying being back behind a Busso V6! Even if that does mean mid teens MPG
My very first car was actually a Ford Ka - super basic, but a really easy drive and ideal for a new driver. I used that for 3 months before I bought my first R50 MINI Cooper. I loved this car, and over the course of the next 4 years, I added a geuine aero kit, a few different sets of wheels, coilvers, JCW sound kit (stainless steel exhaust, induction kit), custom dash lighting, Alpine stereo, and a few other JCW items. Here it is after a wash (ignore the Blitz sticker, I was 18 at the time!) :
Untitled by captain-fitch, on FlickrAfter this, I had a succession of MINI's - next up was this 2008 R56 Cooper S with factory aero kit. This one didn't hang around long and shifted it after 3 or 4 months, as I was still at uni and worried about my funds.
Untitled by captain-fitch, on FlickrNext, another Cooper S, but this time an R53 checkmate. Again, this one didn't last too either - I never liked the interior and just didn't bond with it. However, after a good machine polish it did come up really well!
Cars by captain-fitch, on FlickrAfter this, it was back in to another R56 - this time without an aero kit, which I was a bit annoyed about. When I got it, it looked like this:
R56MCS by captain-fitch, on FlickrBog standard! I was going through a 'stance' phase at this point, so it was slammed as low as I could get it on coilovers, fitted a set of Rotiforms, and fitted an obnoxiously loud exhaust, leaving it looking more like this:
Untitled by captain-fitch, on FlickrCars by captain-fitch, on FlickrIt was super impractical and scraped everywhere, but it did look awesome (I thought anyway, at the time!). The fun came to an end when I sheared the top bolt off one of the rear shocks.Back to standard it went, and put it up for sale.
Next up was my last MINI - yet another R56 Cooper S. This one had the best spec yet out of all of my cars so far - JCW aero kit, Brembo 4 pots, turbo back exhaust, BBS wheels, JCW spoiler and a few other bits:
FullSizeRender by captain-fitch, on FlickrThis was by far my favourite car yet, and kept it a good while. In fact I wasn't looking to change it, but purely by chance I came across what would be my next car, for sale in the next town over - my first Alfa 147 GTA. As soon as I pulled up at the guys house and saw it on the drive it was sold! It looked glorious. And I hadn't even started it up/ opened the bonnet at this point! The owner opened his garage up to reveal a Ferarri 348 tucked away as well, so he definitely had good taste. But we took the Alfa out for a the test drive which went well, and I snapped it up.
Looking back, I wish I had done my research a bit more - I enjoyed about 6 months of trouble free driving, and then I had to spend circa £2k on various bits. I eventually got a bit fed up and moved it on, but regretted it straight away. Anyway, here's a pic:
Untitled by captain-fitch, on FlickrI replaced the Alfa with an Abarth 500 Essesse, with a great spec. It had all the extras, including the brembo brake upgrade, Koni shocks, monza exhaust and a remap, as well has full leather interior and sunroof etc. I enjoyed a year of trouble free, pretty cheap driving in the Abarth and it never put a foot wrong. Do miss it slightly as it literally felt like a go kart to chuck around the corners. Here it is on Beachy Head:
Cars by captain-fitch, on FlickrAnd that brings me to my current car. I had spent the whole year keeping track of cars that were coming up for sale and seeing what kind of prices they were going for. Safe to say the market has changed a bit since I sold my first one on! I sold that for £6700 and even then it was a hard sell. But anyway - around New Year, I was browsing various car websites/forums and came across my car, which was due to go under the hammer on January 26th at the classic auction at Anglia Car Auctions. Everything looked great - great history, low miles, good spec. I decided to make the trip up to Norfolk from Eastbourne to the auction to take a look, and seeing it in person just confirmed it for me. I had to have it! It was my first time at an auction and it was pretty intense, the place was packed. I must admit, I did get a bit carried away with the bidding but I won it! So here it is:
Cars by captain-fitch, on FlickrCars by captain-fitch, on FlickrI haven't had a chance to take any good pictures yet, and I really want to give it a proper clean and detail. The car has the all the normal bits - full leather seats, Bose sound system etc and a few extras, which include:
- 330mm Brembo 4-pot brakes, painted yellow
- Koni FSD shocks with Eibach lowering springs
- Stainless steel custom cat back exhaust
- Autodelta carbon air intake
It had a full service approx 1200 miles ago, including the cambelt and water pump, so no need to worry about that for a little while yet. I do have some plans for the car, but it'll mainly be a few maintenance bits first. Here's my priority list:
- Replace expansion tank (it looks a bit grim, brings down the look of the engine bay)
- Possibly fit a new battery to eliminate a couple of electrical niggles I'm experiencing
- Possibly fit some uprated pads to try and improve pedal feel
After those bits I'll move on to modifications:
- Source a Wizard exhaust to replace the custom one currently fitted - the current one is far too muted, and the Wizard exhaust I had on my first one sounded insane
- New wheels - either 18 inch Alfa ones or something a bit more unusual. BBS LM's are the dream
- KW coilovers & thicker ARB
- When the time comes for a new clutch, a set of Wizard manifolds - cos it would be rude not to seeing as the engine will already be out
- And way down the line - a set of ITB's. Just think of the noise!
And that's where I am now, just enjoying being back behind a Busso V6! Even if that does mean mid teens MPG
Great thread and nice selection of Mini's; i desperately wanted a tidy R53 JCW back in early 2014 but got bored and impatient trying to find a well cared for example, ended up with a Clio 197 instead before selling and buying an R56 GP.
GTA is lovely, real real soft spot for these and the noise from that engine is stunning, its a work of art that Busso unit. Prices seem strong now for a nice example, definitive future classic. Very nice choice of upgrades you have planned.
GTA is lovely, real real soft spot for these and the noise from that engine is stunning, its a work of art that Busso unit. Prices seem strong now for a nice example, definitive future classic. Very nice choice of upgrades you have planned.
MelvGP2 said:
Great thread and nice selection of Mini's; i desperately wanted a tidy R53 JCW back in early 2014 but got bored and impatient trying to find a well cared for example, ended up with a Clio 197 instead before selling and buying an R56 GP.
GTA is lovely, real real soft spot for these and the noise from that engine is stunning, its a work of art that Busso unit. Prices seem strong now for a nice example, definitive future classic. Very nice choice of upgrades you have planned.
Thanks; yes I was tempted by another R53 for sure, but I felt a bit like I've been there and done that with MINI's. Great choice on the GP though, really would've loved one of those but they've held their value well and were way out of my budget. GTA is lovely, real real soft spot for these and the noise from that engine is stunning, its a work of art that Busso unit. Prices seem strong now for a nice example, definitive future classic. Very nice choice of upgrades you have planned.
I certainly paid good money for my GTA - I'm planning on keeping it for a good few years so hopefully values will continue to climb. I did quite fancy something RWD, but couldn't find anything to fit the bill. An e46 M3 was at the top of my list, but they're £10k+ for a good example. Also considered a 3.0si Z4 coupe but read lots of mixed reviews and wasn't convinced it would be a great daily driver with that long bonnet!
You're a brave man, OP - as much as I adored my GTA I could never do it again. I occasionally look at my costs total for my last one and have a little cry about it
scottos said:
I love these things, never had the balls to daily drive one though 
Used mine daily for 3 years - was brilliant. Perfectly usable as a daily, if you can stomach the fuel consumption. Oh, for the days of 85p/litre when I used to own mine....MattyB_ said:
You're a brave man, OP - as much as I adored my GTA I could never do it again. I occasionally look at my costs total for my last one and have a little cry about it
scottos said:
I love these things, never had the balls to daily drive one though
Used mine daily for 3 years - was brilliant. Perfectly usable as a daily, if you can stomach the fuel consumption. Oh, for the days of 85p/litre when I used to own mine....
Same here. 4 years with mine. Fuel hit 1.30 iirc too (2008-2012)
I'd have it back tomorrow if it wasn't a bean can now.
Nice, although I can’t say I’m a fan of the yellow callipers.
Had mine nearly 6 years now, it’s always been my daily driver, although I have only been doing 5-6k a year. Really nice to run about in even if just bumbling about.
Expensive to run as we all know, but offset by increasing value, overall mine has probably only cost about £50/month taking into account purchase price plus maintenance and current value. Bargain!
Had mine nearly 6 years now, it’s always been my daily driver, although I have only been doing 5-6k a year. Really nice to run about in even if just bumbling about.
Expensive to run as we all know, but offset by increasing value, overall mine has probably only cost about £50/month taking into account purchase price plus maintenance and current value. Bargain!
Great car, but I love Alfas anyway...! I would have a 156 GTA but the running costs would be too much: I already have a 156JTDM150 with a remap, and that is amazing.
Some Alfa folk say that the power delivery of a remapped diesel in real life driving is similar to the GTA V6 ( mine has about 190 BHP so nowhere near the GTAs 250BHP !), but the sound is just...well a diesel but with a nice stainless steel Cybox exhaust.
I would like to drive a GTA just to see what that Busso engine sounds like !
I am very envious to be honest !
It's just my opinion, but I would change the wheel colour back to the OEM colour, the contrast with the dark colour body paint would look good....but that's just a personal thing !
Some Alfa folk say that the power delivery of a remapped diesel in real life driving is similar to the GTA V6 ( mine has about 190 BHP so nowhere near the GTAs 250BHP !), but the sound is just...well a diesel but with a nice stainless steel Cybox exhaust.
I would like to drive a GTA just to see what that Busso engine sounds like !
I am very envious to be honest !
It's just my opinion, but I would change the wheel colour back to the OEM colour, the contrast with the dark colour body paint would look good....but that's just a personal thing !
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