My Alfa 145 Cloverleaf
Discussion
So. Long story short, I wanted a modern classic. Had considered an Audi TT QS, but Mrs B rightly said I had shown little interest in Audis previously, so this led me to consider my past car history and cars from manufacturers I'd loved...
Lancia - obvious really, an Integrale. Too rich for me unfortunately.
Rover - 200 Turbo coupe. Too rocking horse poo unfortunately.
Alfa Romeo - Now, here we go. Something with a Busso? A GTV? A 156? No, a 147. Small car, silly engine. Problem, still a bit too rich for me.
I was beginning to get disheartened. Then, I remembered that I'd thought about a 145 previously. I even remember waiting for parts at the Fiat/Alfa/Lancia dealers in Lincoln in the mid-90s to dig out something from some forgotten corner in the back, so had a sit in a 147 Junior. I thought it was lovely at the time.
So, I started trawling around the internet. I found a few "projects", a few overpriced "collectors items" with "low miles" and then I happened across an advert that mentioned a car that had previously featured on Pistonheads as a Spotted/YKYWT.
I read the article. I checked the MOT history. Mostly tyres and consumables (you have to admit to upper arms and track rod ends being consumables on an Alfa). I contacted the vendor. I bought it sight unseen. I arranged delivery.
I had jokes galore from my friends when a late 90s/early 2000s Italian car turned up on the back of a car transporter.
"Does the breakdown truck come with it?"
"Get used to that sight"
"The truck is more aerodynamic than the car"
I taxed it, I insured it, I drove it.
I giggled like a loon.
I drove it some more. I giggled more.
I took my wife and children out in it. They all loved it.
Alfie II has wormed his way into my soul.
[url
|https://thumbsnap.com/5i5DwQiD[/url]
He's mostly in good nick. A few cosmetic things to sort...
And I've already replaced the faded badges front and rear...
I've also since discovered it appeared in the July/August 2016 issue of Modern Classics, and from there I've been in touch with one of the previous owners.
I thought I might feel like I'd still be hunting for a 147 GTA, but Alfie II has me feeling like a teenager again. Small car, slightly silly engine. It's great.
Lancia - obvious really, an Integrale. Too rich for me unfortunately.
Rover - 200 Turbo coupe. Too rocking horse poo unfortunately.
Alfa Romeo - Now, here we go. Something with a Busso? A GTV? A 156? No, a 147. Small car, silly engine. Problem, still a bit too rich for me.
I was beginning to get disheartened. Then, I remembered that I'd thought about a 145 previously. I even remember waiting for parts at the Fiat/Alfa/Lancia dealers in Lincoln in the mid-90s to dig out something from some forgotten corner in the back, so had a sit in a 147 Junior. I thought it was lovely at the time.
So, I started trawling around the internet. I found a few "projects", a few overpriced "collectors items" with "low miles" and then I happened across an advert that mentioned a car that had previously featured on Pistonheads as a Spotted/YKYWT.
I read the article. I checked the MOT history. Mostly tyres and consumables (you have to admit to upper arms and track rod ends being consumables on an Alfa). I contacted the vendor. I bought it sight unseen. I arranged delivery.
I had jokes galore from my friends when a late 90s/early 2000s Italian car turned up on the back of a car transporter.
"Does the breakdown truck come with it?"
"Get used to that sight"
"The truck is more aerodynamic than the car"
I taxed it, I insured it, I drove it.
I giggled like a loon.
I drove it some more. I giggled more.
I took my wife and children out in it. They all loved it.
Alfie II has wormed his way into my soul.
[url
|https://thumbsnap.com/5i5DwQiD[/url]He's mostly in good nick. A few cosmetic things to sort...
And I've already replaced the faded badges front and rear...
I've also since discovered it appeared in the July/August 2016 issue of Modern Classics, and from there I've been in touch with one of the previous owners.
I thought I might feel like I'd still be hunting for a 147 GTA, but Alfie II has me feeling like a teenager again. Small car, slightly silly engine. It's great.
I had a 156 1.8 Twinspark...that was a great engine, if a little thirsty ( both for petrol and oil !).
I fitted a secondhand Cybox stainless steel exhaust... that made it sound even better.
Sold that car for £600 only because I had bought a 156 JTDM 150...in retrospect I should have kept the TS as there was nothing wrong with it at all !!
I fitted a secondhand Cybox stainless steel exhaust... that made it sound even better.
Sold that car for £600 only because I had bought a 156 JTDM 150...in retrospect I should have kept the TS as there was nothing wrong with it at all !!
So, a bit more info. 79500 miles on the clock as delivered, and a somewhat chunky history file:
The 2nd owner traded in a red MGB GT with 64K on the clock in 2003 for this. He got £1000 for his trouble!
Almost everything has been documented, including minutiae like fog light bulbs.
It's got an OMP strut brace, Koni dampers, Eibach springs and antibroll bars, a full stainless system including manifold and boy does it sound cheeky as a result.
I've swapped out the dodgy early 2000s Kenwood stereo with a Sony DAB unit, and replaced the dead door speakers with some Alpine E series jobs. DAB aerial fitted yesterday and Bluetooth linked to phone for music and calling.
Will be getting cambelt changed, as although it's only got 16K on it, it was three years ago. I'll also ask the Alfa specialist to give it a once over to check for other jobs.
One to do is a slow/sticking driver's door window, but reading the Alfa 145 forum, this seems to be a clean and spray with silicone lubricant type job.
It's booked in to have a leather restore as the driver's seat is a bit aged and cracked compared to the others.
Will update as stuff gets done.
Edit to change autocorrect from strut to start!
The 2nd owner traded in a red MGB GT with 64K on the clock in 2003 for this. He got £1000 for his trouble!
Almost everything has been documented, including minutiae like fog light bulbs.
It's got an OMP strut brace, Koni dampers, Eibach springs and antibroll bars, a full stainless system including manifold and boy does it sound cheeky as a result.
I've swapped out the dodgy early 2000s Kenwood stereo with a Sony DAB unit, and replaced the dead door speakers with some Alpine E series jobs. DAB aerial fitted yesterday and Bluetooth linked to phone for music and calling.
Will be getting cambelt changed, as although it's only got 16K on it, it was three years ago. I'll also ask the Alfa specialist to give it a once over to check for other jobs.
One to do is a slow/sticking driver's door window, but reading the Alfa 145 forum, this seems to be a clean and spray with silicone lubricant type job.
It's booked in to have a leather restore as the driver's seat is a bit aged and cracked compared to the others.
Will update as stuff gets done.
Edit to change autocorrect from strut to start!
Edited by Alfa145QV on Sunday 2nd February 10:36
MJK 24 said:
The early ones were the 33 1.7 16v Boxer engine? They had Cloverleaf badges on the boot and inset into the sill covers?
No. The Cloverleaf badges and model name only appeared with the 2.0 Twin Spark in 1996. You will find loads of articles about “the return of a famous badge” and such like. Edited by MJK 24 on Saturday 1st February 19:29
The earlier Boxer cars (1.6 and 1.7 in the UK) never had the Cloverleaf name or badge on them.
Alfa145QV said:
So, a bit more info. 79500 miles on the clock as delivered, and a somewhat chunky history file:
The 2nd owner traded in a red MGB GT with 64K on the clock in 2003 for this. He got £1000 for his trouble!
Almost everything has been documented, including minutiae like fog light bulbs.
It's got an OMP start brace, Koni dampers, Eibach springs and antibroll bars, a full stainless system including manifold and boy does it sound cheeky as a result.
I've swapped out the dodgy early 2000s Kenwood stereo with a Sony DAB unit, and replaced the dead door speakers with some Alpine E series jobs. DAB aerial fitted yesterday and Bluetooth linked to phone for music and calling.
Will be getting cambelt changed, as although it's only got 16K on it, it was three years ago. I'll also ask the Alfa specialist to give it a once over to check for other jobs.
One to do is a slow/sticking driver's door window, but reading the Alfa 145 forum, this seems to be a clean and spray with silicone lubricant type job.
It's booked in to have a leather restore as the driver's seat is a bit aged and cracked compared to the others.
Will update as stuff gets done.
Sounds good! Worth checking the floorpan and sills are ok, as some were better protected than others. The only other thing that can be a menace are the handbrake cables. If the outer sleeve splits they can get water in which can then freeze. It’s made worse if they are not clipped up properly and hang down so the water has somewhere to collect. I used to leave my handbrake off overnight in the winter! The 2nd owner traded in a red MGB GT with 64K on the clock in 2003 for this. He got £1000 for his trouble!
Almost everything has been documented, including minutiae like fog light bulbs.
It's got an OMP start brace, Koni dampers, Eibach springs and antibroll bars, a full stainless system including manifold and boy does it sound cheeky as a result.
I've swapped out the dodgy early 2000s Kenwood stereo with a Sony DAB unit, and replaced the dead door speakers with some Alpine E series jobs. DAB aerial fitted yesterday and Bluetooth linked to phone for music and calling.
Will be getting cambelt changed, as although it's only got 16K on it, it was three years ago. I'll also ask the Alfa specialist to give it a once over to check for other jobs.
One to do is a slow/sticking driver's door window, but reading the Alfa 145 forum, this seems to be a clean and spray with silicone lubricant type job.
It's booked in to have a leather restore as the driver's seat is a bit aged and cracked compared to the others.
Will update as stuff gets done.
It's apparently been well looked after underneath, with regular cleans and reapplication of waxoyl or similar. But, I am going to have the skirts off to have a shufti as well.
Reading the "how to rustproof a W124" article has me thinking about having that done to the Alfa. A proper clean up and deep treatment.
Reading the "how to rustproof a W124" article has me thinking about having that done to the Alfa. A proper clean up and deep treatment.
Re the window, on my 156, the rear electric windows used to stick closed due to lack of use in the winter.
I was told by a local Alfa specialist that the window motors used to get stuck, and by taking the door card off, then holding the switch on ( ignition on obviously!), gently ( or not so gently !) tapping the motor body with a hammer to free it off.
It did work for mine on more than one occasion !
Of course yours may be a different issue...
I was told by a local Alfa specialist that the window motors used to get stuck, and by taking the door card off, then holding the switch on ( ignition on obviously!), gently ( or not so gently !) tapping the motor body with a hammer to free it off.
It did work for mine on more than one occasion !
Of course yours may be a different issue...
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