Alfa Romeo 164 Twinspark Super

[Spinakerr]

Right - time to quit lurking and start contributing to PH! Seeing the black 166 shed and a lovely Alfa 90 here this weekend is surely the prompting I needed.

Summary - I have an Alfa 164 as a running restoration that has, against all expectations, become my favourite car. The ongoing battle for dwindling parts and evaporating knowledge will be documented here.

A picture before you get bored:

IMAG0639_zpsgiqvthlm by James Vincent

IMAG0642_zpsl8wqn9nh by James Vincent


Bit of history -

Three years ago I was at the stage in my restoration of a Rover P5B that I needed a runabout, for the winter and suchlike. Something that didn't singlehandedly contribute to oil demand for the UK, with a manual gearbox, was the starting point. I decided to look at the counterpoint to an english, classic, auto, V8 laden with chrome and wood. Fiat Coupes and Alfa GTVs were plentiful, cheap and seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I drove a few, looked at buying guides and generally ingratiated myself with online forums. While looking on a certain site for sub-1k Alfas, this black 164 showed up. A short advert listed it as long ownership, full service history and generally in sound shape, with an MOT, for the price of Rover P5B driver's seat. Interest piqued, especially after my saloon history (LS400, Mercedes 190 and Rover 600), I reread anything I could find on 164s and dialed the number. No answer. Tried later, still nothing, in fact it appeared to have been switched off. 'It must have been bought' I thought, probably by the same people that buy London gig tickets in nanoseconds and resell them.

At work that day I couldn't concentrate and studied the pictures more carefully. A partial street name guess later, I set off for Ealing Broadway in my work suit, no tools other than a screwdriver and some scavenged nitrile gloves. With darkness drawing in and phone battery dying, I found the street - of course the 164 had disappeared, likely sold. A dry outline and a few oil drips were photographed for posterity. Scowling and muttering, I resolved to at least confirm my failure. I knocked on a few doors and triangulated the owner's address. Lights on. Brand new Audi A3 in the driveway. Rang the bell and introducing myself to the lady who answered - could they confirm my suspicions? Well no actually, it was just being used to pick up the shopping and would be back in a moment. Would I like some tea? Most certainly.

The owner was a confirmed Alfa fanatic, who had a 2000 GT Veloce and the 164 as a family wagon for many years, having been bought from an Alfa dealer's son. Paperwork was substantial. We went for a test drive, which threw up a number of quirks and niggles but nothing too dangerous. 'Never buy a car in the dark' they say. Bought regardless for pennies, with the promise that I would keep it running.

Easier said than done...

Edited by Spinakerr on Sunday 6th March 19:36

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 19:44

[Spinakerr]

The next morning I was still happy with my purchase. 11 months MOT, new battery and even the sunroof worked. As it appeared:

IMAG0458_zpsrzutmnfx by James Vincent

IMAG0459_zpsd5s8o3ea by James Vincent

IMAG0460_zpsc3j70aom by James Vincent

Does that exhaust look wrong to you?

Me too.

IMAG0466_zpso2e6cvpj by James Vincent

IMAG0467_zpsrcozfl5t by James Vincent

Oil, sorry, Olio was in good order and regular servicing evident, but everything had got to that typical level of tiredness: slow electric windows, lazy speedo, squeaky belts, vague steering, erratic idle, emulsifying plastics and hints of paint problems under the tired Nero black exterior.

After a new exhaust I set about driving it regularly and decided not to lavish any real attention on it.

The trouble is, it got under my skin. The Rover was lovely but only on sunny days, and every journey had the fear of a seized caliper, exploding radiator or alternator committing seppuku. Motorway journeys were much easier in the 164, the electric sunroof worked, changing gear manually was enjoyable and the engine note a distinct change from the rumbling V8.

Fine, I thought, I'll join the owners club just to keep an eye on things. I'm sure parts are still possible to obtain and people are just worrying on the forums. A twinspark is a twinspark isn't it? Not at all - in fact quite a number of items were 164 specific, although at least it was the last version of the 8V chain driven iteration. A quick check of howmanyleft revealed 164s, and especially twinsparks, to be an endangered species. I turned Attenborough overnight. Year one was mainly taken up with thorough servicing, prodding and investigation.

Alternator and drive belts were in a sorry state:

IMAG0498_zpsfepbbmk8 by James Vincent

One squeak down, along with some of my knuckles. Access isn't ideal!

IMAG0521_zpsof9kzqfo by James Vincent

Engine bay clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while.

Spark plugs, filters, fluids and sensors cleaned, I began driving and enjoying it even more.

IMAG0468_zpszg9lbe8k by James Vincent

Problem solving, retrofitting parts from other Type 4 platform vehicles (Saab 9000, Lancia Thema) and working out which random sensors and electrical components have the same values as the originals is definitely part of the fun. Haynes manual? Hilarious. Paper workshop manual? All those ones for sale are for the 3ltr V6, or the pre-facelift version.

Auto Italia at Brooklands has become a regular fixture, and the handful of 164 owner gather covertly to discus parts cars, uncovered caches of gaskets and generally ensure as many are still on the road as possible.

IMAG0465_zpsmy43dl6y by James Vincent

This 164 has a saving grace - it never, ever stopped. Items slowed, gave up, fell off and steamed or hissed or split or smelled, but it never stopped. I was smitten.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 19:42

[Spinakerr]

Thanks for all your kind words and feedback - good to know there are so many former/current owners of the 80s/90s Alfas. I'll endeavour to chronicle as much here for your amusement/bemusement/entertainment as possible.

beautifulbusso said:

Looks like you've got the bug pretty bad, is this your 1st Alfa?

The previous owner of my 90 bought himself a 164 Q4, hence why he sold the 90 for peanuts. Anyway, he took me out in it and I absolutely loved it, maybe I'll end up in a 164 one day...

I'll be at Brooklands this year so I'll keep an eye out for your 164.

Oh and on another note, there is an abounded 164 not that far from me which is a twinspark as well. It's in a sorry state but might come in handy for parts, and the best bit is that it's free!!!

Please send me coordinates - I have the engine running and a socket set in hand! And yes I'll be at Brooklands, fawning over the even-rarer Lancia Gamma, despite moving house that afternoon. My first Alfa, likely not the last.

General notice - if anyone has a handle on a 164 being broken or parts in their store, please let me know via PM.

crostonian said:

Oh and lose the rear spoiler

I know, I know - it has been on my list to amputate since purchase, but it really needs to be done when I get a respray, which will be the very last item on the list. For now, it is an excellent tea mug rest.


One item that failed a few months in was the definition of aggravation itself - the driver's internal door release. Whenever I needed to exit the vehicle I would would need to clamber out of the passenger side, or wind down the window to pull the handle from the outside. Dignified it was not.

After stripping the door, the cause was as expected:

(picture of snapped internal cable)

New cable pack was picked up from the depths of a forgotten parts bin somewhere and fortunately fitted.

The cause of the somewhat imbalanced music playback was also uncovered:

(picture of shredded speaker cone)

Of course, as soon as this was fitted the offside passenger internal release cable snapped. Still looking for one of those!

For every rational piece of maintenance, I will usually fix or replace about five purely cosmetic annoyances.

This couldn't persist in my driving eyeline:

IMAG0600_zpsbk7qfe7g by James Vincent

Fortunately, £4 later:

IMAG0601_zpslcrufaan by James Vincent

Pure therapy.

MOT tester in year one pointed our a sticky seatbelt holder, and not long after it disintegrated:

IMAG0626_zpshxqw4vlx by James Vincent

By then I was cross-referencing Alfa parts lists in Excel and source the right one:

IMAG0627_zpsy4s8w9bq by James Vincent

Now here's a tough ask - does anyone know how to restore red plastic to its former glory? Nail polish? T-cut? The blood of a Florentine bull perhaps?

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 19:50

[Spinakerr]

crostonian said:

When I had my last 3.0 Cloverleaf I bought a few bits from this guy, he only tends to break 164 V6s but he may have some trim parts and other bits and pieces.

http://www.gtvince.com/id4.html

Thanks - I tried to contact him a few times as he had black Super bumpers, but couldn't get a response. I will give it another go.

Running through the photo history of ownership has been a little stroll in the memory banks. The oil filter on the car was new-ish but had salt/rust bonded to the car. Without an oil filter chain wrench, a stout screwdriver and WD40 won it over:

IMAG1251_zpsamd8bzw9 by James Vincent

The alloys that the came on were shot, and luckily a set of 4-bolt (twinspark) came up on that auction side. The were pretty grubby, and have peeled a bit on the edges but I will only refurbish them once I move to house with a driveway.

IMAG0629_zps0nzisr7y by James Vincent

Micheldever Tyres proved most helpful sorting out tracking figures and adjusting for wear. Bolt sizes on the databases were wrong, so I ended up having to have 16 'studs' and 16 screw socket ends for a few weeks as the bolts came in.

Changing a faded badge, like renewing a tired numberplate, usually means you are committed to a car. About 6 months in it was clear this car was receiving more funds than it should:

IMAG0670_zpseicipdvg by James Vincent

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 19:53

[Spinakerr]

With the 8V twinspark, the chain can stretch slightly and is audible on start-up as a slight rattle. Rather than any kind of rebuild, a single nut can be slackened for the tensioner, then the car pushed in gear to take up the slack before the nut is tightened.

Further evidence of some overbilling to the previous owner - apparently the plugs were 'changed recently':

IMG_8189_zps8watlvah by James Vincent

Note also the cable tie on the top hose - shoddy work. Since all replaced.

We now come to the most Alfa-ish issue the car has - a very slighty erratic idle when warm. Not enough to warrant concern, but enough to annoy an owner.

This issue is still present today, but I'll cover what has been done so far, all suggestion welcome!

Idle control valve de-gunked:

IMAG0473_zpsuk3fgzqm by James Vincent

IMAG0109_zpsenjbwtdq by James Vincent

Reseated and hoses/clips all tightened. No luck

Unfortunately no progress, but I did paint the top plug cover the traditional Alfa red:

IMAG1926_zpsztjgqjus by James Vincent

IMAG1953_zpsxnpy1n78 by James Vincent

HT leads tested, two had splits and infinite resistance, so duly changed:

IMAG0523_zpsocygb5uv by James Vincent

IMAG2180_zps7bk191bf by James Vincent

No luck.

Oil catch can emptied and hoses further de-gunked, along with a healthy dose of MAF cleaning and butterfly valve de-coking:

IMAG1965_zpssxixm8rk by James Vincent

IMAG1263_zpszvpkr5cz by James Vincent

IMAG1264_zpsshbz9uxx by James Vincent

IMAG1265_zpsjl7ehid6 by James Vincent

Tracing a slight fuel smell led to the discovery of a small leak, quickly fixed:

IMAG0578_zps1c9sgwr6 by James Vincent

Still no luck. I'm beginning to think the only items left are:

1. Lambda sensor
2. Inlet manifold hoses
3. Throttle position sensor, although that was checked a while ago.
4. Fuel filter, which looks original and needs to be changed in any case.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:00

[Spinakerr]

Some driver-interface relevant photos:

Steering wheel looks good but had acquired a glossy sheen which I couldn't restore and despised. Fortunately, a beautiful wooden 916 wheel, which is the same for the late 164s, came up on ebay.de (of all places), and was snapped up for a handful of EUR. Luckily this was before the exchange rate recently nosedived.

Battery disconnected and airbag gingerly removed, I found myself in a bewildering array of springs, wires and bolts. No amount of hard hitting or gentle diplomatic discussion could budge the wheel. It was utterly stuck fast. By this stage I had tracked down a local Alfa specialist, and once there he duly spent 2 hours applying an arsenal of increasingly dangerous implements to it. Finally, it budged. The thinner wood is a joy to use - always nice to improve the ergonomics of your main input mechanism!

IMAG2441_zps8xhg4ly6 by James Vincent

All I need now is the matching wooden gear knob. Even rarer, unfortunately.

The pedals came without rubbers, which was quite dangerous with wet shoes and an MOT failure for those testers that get particular:

IMAG2350_zpsmflgpdz3 by James Vincent

The replacement rubbers sold on the majority of European auctions sites are incorrect, or perhaps would have fitted a QV-boxed car, but not this one. Alfas tend to have distinctive pedal rubber patterns, so I checked some press photos and various image searches. It was evident a version of the old 75 pedal box was used, but couldn't find 75 rubbers anywhere. Some weeks later, a random search of Alfa parts threw up SZ/RZ rubbers, which of course used the same pedal box. Perfect fit, and much safer:

IMAG2444_zpsdmtaifvx by James Vincent

While the novelty of Clarion ('for Alfa Romeo', no less) tape player lasted a while, longer trips and the harsh light of the 21st century meant I desired something with extra connectivity. The primary requirements were:

1. Same colour green light as the rest of the dash.
2. Minimal buttons and flashing nonsense.

Luckily an easy, logical fit - put the car in reverse gear. Still with me? Good. Unscrew centre console from the rear seats, move console back, remove various fragile plastic trim:

IMAG2443_zpslc4gk7bw by James Vincent

Goad radio out:

IMAG2452_zpsvt5gmfom by James Vincent

Luckily in 1997 all multiplex plugs had been standardised, so a 2 minute connection was then followed by an hour of correctly secreting DAB wires and suchlike:

IMAG2453_zpss8epfnhc by James Vincent

Voila - matching green, and still retained the protective lid:

IMAG2456_zpsfc6x7p2t by James Vincent

Just don't mentions the missing digits on the heater/clock. One for the summer months...

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:05

[Spinakerr]

ecopia said:

Bravo to you sir duly bookmarked I just love cars of the euro barge era, it's like your an Italian state prosecuter driving round the tuscon hills to various mafia cases

Thanks! The trouble is those blasted Mafia types likely had a Maserati 3200 in the 90s. The long term goal is definitely a Euro-amble once some key components are sorted out (see below...)

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Dont know about the earlier metal top engines, but on the plastic top twinsparks a blocked / broken PCV system can be a common (but relatively unknown) cause of a hunting idle.

On the plastic engine cars at least there is a small spring that operates the PCV valve that either snaps or simply disappears(!?!) over time. Its a 20min job to replace.... worth investigating perhaps?

Unfortunately the setup is different on the 8V, and there are many, many causes for this slight annoyance. I may unplug things this Easter weekend that I can take indoors to clean (TPS, MAF potentiometer) and see how that goes.

PS. Really enjoyed your GTV thread kapitein - it is likely my similar-era black Alfa is going to go through a similar saga!



The gearbox is the primary concern now - while it never pops out of gear or has a 'real' problem, it is showing its age, and my gentleness with the clutch is just about getting me from A to B. I am researching the addition of a 166 6-speed box, as the 164 item is pretty much unobtainable, plus 70mph is a bit noisy. 166 gearbox slots in with a single custom bracket - does anyone have any experience or know of a sympathetic Alfa specialist willing to take on a challenge to be documented for future generations?

[Spinakerr]

Another recent annoyance I had to remedy - the oil filler cap 'prongs' were becoming loose in the plastic cap. I laid awake at night terrified they would drop into the engine and get lodged in the timing chain.

I soon embarked on a journey of examining oil caps that could be used, and luckily that of a Fiat X1/9 slotted was a perfect match, after swapping the rubber seal. It even has 'Olio' etched onto it. Strange to have something shiny on this engine, but I'm sure it will tarnish with use to blend into the block.

IMAG2247_zpsicfoylpl by James Vincent

The engine bay is starting to look vaguely acceptable.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:07

[Spinakerr]

Jimmy Recard said:

Great write up. Just why are parts so hard to get for a 164 rather than any other Alfa Romeo of the period? Or are they all impossible?

I don't have too much experience of the other models, but the late 80s/early 90s vehicles seem to sit in the limbo of nothing being manufactured by enthusiasts, slightly too many computers/wires to just replace with equivalent 'Lucas' components (for example) and no longer supported by Alfa themselves.

It's a shame as I think GTVs from the 90s, or 16V Twinsparks in general, are quite well served, but only the owners of V^ 164s really hoarded parts, as the most deirable model.

Not impossible though - stuff seems to crop up all the time, just not the items you need that week!

rxe said:

My experience is more V6 based (er, got 5 of them), but nearly all the idle problems have been related to air leaks in the induction system. Go round it with a stethoscope.

The main intake bellows is obvious, but really hard to spot. My current 156-GTA-Shed project had a huge split, which only became obvious when I had the thing entirely out of the car and was able to bend it in all directions.

Thanks rxe - I have had everything off at one stage or another, but really need a few days of good weather, a garage/driveway of my own and some cans of compressed air/stephescope. I can see various jubilee clips and rubbers are showing their age, but ideally need a set of replacement hoses. I have a cunning plan - update to follow!

Dr G said:

Good car; the new steering wheel is lovely.

Not quite a Moto-lita, but for something with an airbag it has increased my driving enjoyment immensely.

[Spinakerr]

Back in December I was cleaning and checking fuses and relays, and came across this under the glove box:

IMAG2039_zpsht0yyjus by James Vincent

Missing relay = delve into the archives to see what it covered... "front foglights". Oh.

The facelift cars had a nice front bumper with some 'blanks' for foglights. I took of the panels and discovered all the wiring with rubber end protectors - all put in at the factory and foglights were only installed if a buyer coughed up the Carello prices.

IMAG2036_zpsppczxya2 by James Vincent

A few weeks later, a pair of used LATE model Carellos came up, and were snapped up by yours truly. Crucially, these came with the correct 'frames' to replace the blanks:

IMAG2035_zpsxurgoykv by James Vincent

Given their lower position, I wanted to protect them from stone chips and errant ceramic insects, so opted for a thick European yellow film:

IMAG2068_zpsrldb2drn by James Vincent

Not standard, so against the grain of the project, but I think subtle enough and in-period enough to be acceptable.

Wiring diagrams revealed the relay required was an SP2037, which I got from the US for pennies, including shipping. Of course, the dash switch required some coaxing into action having never been used, but it now works perfectly. Their main use is to flash all the oncoming motorists with their foglights on. I have only used them once, in darkest Somerset, at 'fog speed'.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 2nd April 18:45

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:10

[Spinakerr]

When I purchased the car the owner handed me a short white pole from behind the garage door. "You'll need this" he smirked. Of course I did:

IMAG2568_zpswafevkuc by James Vincent

After three years of unnecessarily marking the carpet / having a boot slowly close on my head, I looked into replacement gas struts. Those on the car looked relatively new, but it appears they were changed to the 'non-spoiler' part number (60591762). I therefore acquired some Magneti Marelli examples that would accommodate the extra weight of the spoiler on the Super (60566147), from Latvia:
IMAG2567_zpsu7v2o0gq by James Vincent

Pull back various carpets, ping off the circlips with a small pair of pliers and reattach new struts - 10 minutes maximum.


Should have done it years ago:

IMAG2572_zpsfcd7wiga by James Vincent

I should probably drop the pole off at the old owner's house.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:13

[Spinakerr]

A non-working gauge one the dashboard just isn't right, even if 'they all do that'.

IMAG2680_zps8hfvk4ra by James Vincent

Oil pressure on this iteration of the 8V twinspark has two sensors - one for a warning light and one for the needle itself. The needle sensor often fails as it is diaphram-based, while the warning lamp is made of sterner stuff.

Here it is, at the rear-right of the block:

IMAG2040_zpsf0uxa5gf by James Vincent

An exact Alfa unit is shared with the 75 and 155, but luckily enterprising owners have a unit with the similar characteristics, and importantly the same screw thread, from a TD4 Land Rover (OPS2152, if anyone is interested). 14mm spanner out, 17mm spanner for the new item. A renewed connector, careful short-spannering later:

IMAG2676_zpsboywaga4 by James Vincent

Nice easy fix, and correctly reading between 4bar at high revs and 0.5-1 at idle:

IMAG2681_zpscaloyw4r by James Vincent

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:15

[Spinakerr]

With the Spring Alfa day and Autoitalia looming, it's time to address the main cosmetic issues with the car. Around the time I was adding the fog lights, a delivery van driver took the opportunity to nuzzle the offside front wing and headlight a bit too affectionately. Clearly he wanted a bit of mystery in his/her life, as no note or details were left. The paint left in the gouges was pretty conclusive, but I don't know if I have the willpower to attempt redress.

I sighed before I cried - the perils of London on-street parking:

IMAG2686_zpsagyz0oas by James Vincent

I think the bumper is the 'true' shape - mounts look parallel, but I now need to investigate wings and paint costs. Does anyone know if the facelift wings are the same one the different trim is removed?

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:16

[Spinakerr]

Right, off to Auto Italia this Sunday at the New Forest, so despite the weather tomorrow I'm hoping to source and fit a few bits on the same day - the new wing, a headlight and various cosmetic bits.

The gearbox is starting to be a chore on downshifts, signalling time for a rebuild or an alternative Hopefully the 166 twinspark 6 speedy can bolt on with careful planning - all suggestions for alternatives (Fiat C503 original) welcome!

Last weekend the rear heatshield worked itself loose - age has taken its toll on the material around the fixing washers:

IMAG2609_zpswbjqlmv4 by James Vincent, on Flickr

I have found small jam jar lids to be excellent oversize repair washers, with curved edges to mitigate future damage to fragile shield. I know everyone will say 'just throw the heatshield away', but I'm trying to preserve items where possible.

IMAG2690_zpselqck1rv by James Vincent, on Flickr

I managed to (finally) find some half decent rubber mounts and replaced them all - this car got through a fair number of cheap ones since purchase.

I forgot to add that the integrated thermostat had stuck open last year and was replaced with a 'known good' unit. A pricey item now new, but still available from Alfa if required. Drain coolant a bit, noting jubilee clips and various hoses for future replacement, unplug sensors, unbolt carefully (sensitive bolts!), re-gasket and hylomar and... 'refitting is the reverse of removal'. Plus careful refilling.

IMAG2685_zpsvvcoujtu by James Vincent

Having been neglected all year (other than rushed pressure washes to get rid of salt), hopefully I'll be able to layer on some polish tomorrow. It is definitely unhappy - look at it, moping about in the rain:

IMAG2574_zpsjgc37cvh by James Vincent, on Flickr

Hopefully more to follow tomorrow and from Beaulieu!

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:53

[Spinakerr]

Hereward said:

Really enjoying this thread, keep up the good work.

Every car enthusiast needs to own an Alfa at some point. I love the 164 and have had a weak spot for the 33 ever since my Dad had one as a company car in the mid-90's. Haven't seen one for years.

My mechanic has a champagne 33 with around 40k on the clock. Worth finding one now if you can! This haphazard purchase has definitely become a keeper, and I like to think all Alfas, at some stage in their life, have an enthusiast owner.

Today went largely to plan - finally met a contact in person from whom I had been buying various bits. The donor:

IMAG2708_zps7qiscpgm by James Vincent, on Flickr

Facelift in the right colour. Much penetrating spray, socket setting and careful haggling later, a bootful of booty. Note the factory fresh slam panel:

IMAG2714_zps7bay74jt by James Vincent

Unfortunately all the really rare items have gone or 'gone'- rear crossmember, fuel filler tongue, boot floor, headlining, sunroof motor, front bumper etc.

As you can probably tell from this thread the tiny cosmetic improvements bring me great joy, so it was a wonder to find the eggshell wiper nut covers:

IMAG2715_zps3zfpilcf by James Vincent

Unfortunately came home to find my significant other had taken the car for the day. Should have briefed her on my plans. Looks like tomorrow won't have all the new additions, but on track for Brooklands Auto Italia on the 30th.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 20:55

[Spinakerr]

Made it!

IMAG2742_zpsfovjsbb2 by James Vincent, on Flickr

Fantastic turnout and the usual diverse crowd. Great to see three other 164s (all 3ltr) and interesting beasts such as 33 1.7 boxer Sportwagons in the sun.

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 21:06

[Spinakerr]

Madjoiner said:

Great story, keep it coming.
I've been so enthralled I bought one too!
Nice cars, shame that there are so few left.
Steve.

Excellent! Do start a topic here and/or send me a PM - happy to help out where I can. Do ensure you check in with the AROC 164 register too, great network similarly-salooned individuals.

davamer23 said:

I know a chap whose garden is an Alfa graveyard and he has (amongst others) a 164 sitting on axle stands largely complete. I'll contact him tomorrow and if he agrees I could put you in touch with him?

Yes please do! All contacts and parts welcome - thanks for the thought.

rxe said:

How do you reconcile your impeccable taste in cars with those trainers? :-)

Onitsuka Tigers are my favourite trainers, no matter the retina-splitting colour scheme. These were a charity shop find and have been excellent, grippy work shoes since. Plus, if I ever chance it in East London to see an obscure French electronica collective, they pretty much guarantee entry


Quite a few parts have come up of late, and there is the possibility of a house move that will include a garage. I'm feeling positive about being able to get a (small) lift in it too - hopefully some proper mechanical work can commence!

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 23 April 12:14

Edited by Spinakerr on Sunday 24th April 10:30

[Spinakerr]

Yesterday I completed the first of several planned bodywork improvements - rear bumper replacement.

You can see from the photos when purchased the offside had taken quite a knock, and for three years I have endured its wonkiness, complete with ripple effect paintwork and perpetually-falling-out towing cover:

IMAG0460_zpsc3j70aom by James Vincent


So, having learned where all the bolts were on the donor car (see above), I set to work. Of course, my car is actually full of such useless clutter as a battery, alarm, trim, relays and wires:

IMAG2755_zps7qacvkvo by James Vincent, on Flickr

IMAG2756_zpsf1ruwmrb by James Vincent, on Flickr

The alarm cover (with the red 'danger button') had to come off, but I really didn't want to have to remove the battery and its tray. Luckily some loosening meant it could shift to and fro in its tray. With a thin flexible light and enough 1/4 inch socket extensions, I just managed to remove the nuts and white plastic washers on both sides:

IMAG2757_zpsgef747dd by James Vincent, on Flickr

Two small screws also hold the bumper to the wheel arch liner. These bear the full brunt of debris and are often rusted to oblivion. Careful teasing with penetrating spray (on both sides) removed them without breakage. The rear lower quarters were now loose (Shoe reflection included for rxe):

IMAG2760_zpsezjkz9le by James Vincent, on Flickr

Now the big bolts - I had coated these in penetrating spray a few days earlier. Four a side - three in the boot and one 'Alfa special' outside. The outside bolts were in a dreadful state, and exhaust-side located behind the heat shield I had recently re-affixed. Patience and wire-brushing the thread beforehand helped.

IMAG2761_zpsmmjzel3o by James Vincent

As I was working alone and this is a heavy item, I kept two 'in boot' nuts finger tight - you wouldn't want to be under this when it slips off. Success!

IMAG2763_zpsbra2rlh6 by James Vincent

You can see the extent of the damage, but luckily the impact hadn't bent the fixing panel, only the mountings.

IMAG2764_zps3oe34arl by James Vincent, on Flickr

New bumper was rinsed of spiders and muck, and I salvaged the best nuts and washers from both to reattach. Relatively straightforward other than avoiding scratches to the rest of the bodywork when locating bolt holes. Also managed to renew the lower trim screws:

IMAG2768_zps2nm9qook by James Vincent, on Flickr

A straight bumper in the right colour. Finally, no more re-screwing of the towing cover!

IMAG2784_zpshhape57j by James Vincent, on Flickr

I also renewed the o-rings on the dipstick, which had the pliability of of a prolonged mint Polo:

IMAG2771_zps2emmmrgm by James Vincent, on Flickr

Didn't cure the idle, of course. I suspect nothing ever will.

Now on the front wing and it's dents. Would that it t'were so simple...

Edited by Spinakerr on Saturday 15th July 21:04

[Spinakerr]

waynedear said:

Excellent work, thanks for the tip on oil gauge sender...
Have a picture of an ultra rare 8v METAL intake plenum that is going on my car..

Awesome - what year is yours? The 8V twinspark seems to have so many iterations, I would be afraid to change the plastic intake on mine for fear of disturbing some arcane Alfa spell keeping it running. Please let me know how you get on and if you encounter any differences.

Also I have a tin of high temperature red paint if required...

[Spinakerr]

After the relatively straightforward bumper replacement on Saturday, I tackled the wing and headlight replacement on Sunday. Post van encounter, note the chipped and sharp headlight glass.

IMAG2773_zpsdkwn7j9b by James Vincent, on Flickr

Luckily there are no welds, but several awkward bolts and faith is required in bending plastic trim and fittings. A good quality socket set and 10mm ratchet spanner are essential.

Firstly, the replacement panel was cleaned and prepped.

IMAG2746_zpstgfvsgoo by James Vincent, on Flickr

Some paint chips on the arch and surface rust were treated. Luckily all covered up when back on the car.

IMAG2749_zpsg7cqwsdq by James Vincent, on Flickr



Firstly, penetrating spray to all bolts and screws. Similar to the bumper, bottom trim screws were ruined from exposure. Carefully pulled the signature indicators out, unplugged it, removed two screws and pulled off the lower trim:

IMAG2773_zpsdkwn7j9b by James Vincent, on Flickr

Opening the door revealed two bolts in the jam, one with a socket set and the other with a ratchet spanner.

IMAG2775_zps05wjxnmo by James Vincent, on Flickr

Pull away the inner arch trim and remove two bolts on the support behind the indicator. These are most annoying. Next I loosen the top painted bolts, and teased out the clip on the hydraulic strut:

IMAG2776_zpsxe9md3k4 by James Vincent, on Flickr

IMAG2777_zpsplatatmc by James Vincent, on Flickr

Find a suitable prop for the bonnet. I took this literally and used an old stage sword:

IMAG2778_zpsrdyw0zap by James Vincent, on Flickr

Gently pulled out the strut, ensuring the bonnet is stable and supported.

The front trim on the arch also needed to be loosened, then (by feel) I removed a vertical bolt attaching the edge of the front bumper. This gives the bumper enough give to pull off the aluminium trim (screwdriver wrapped in a cloth, push it down):

IMAG2781_zpsejuslrm4 by James Vincent, on Flickr

This exposes two final bolts.

I masked off any edges that are likely to be knocked as I wrestled it free, take out the top bolts.

Finally, the top edge is sealed/bonded at the top and bottom, so a scalpel later and screwdriver prising freed the panel:

IMAG2782_zpseu5hfqvw by James Vincent, on Flickr

Next piece of the puzzle - the donor light. On closer inspection the blinkin' glass is chipped on the same edge. Ugh.

IMAG2785_zpsd8t7pd6u by James Vincent, on Flickr

As the donor black trim was in worse condition than mine, I de-allened the four bolts. Then I took off six glass retaining clips, and gently pulled out the glass and its seal. The glass needed a good scrub:

IMAG2789_zpsp293taxn by James Vincent, on Flickr

On the car, there are two 8mm bolts behind the indicator, and a plug to disconnect.

IMAG2790_zpsvxbxx3h3 by James Vincent, on Flickr

On the other edge, remove some trim by the radiator secured by a single, lonely screw. Ideally the two larger screws should just come out, but of course one didn't. There are some bolts on the bracket, but unfortunately this time the captive nuts snapped off. Ugh.

IMAG2791_zpsfou38zxw by James Vincent, on Flickr

Headlight out:

IMAG2792_zpszqvbluom by James Vincent, on Flickr

Clips off, glass out (cut finger on glass, bandage), glass and gasket back in, clips on:

IMAG2793_zpsjhsdliab by James Vincent, on Flickr

I luckily had bolts with square thread ends and a domed top that fitted back in:

IMAG2795_zps0tqou2vc by James Vincent, on Flickr

Fitting the wing back was much quicker of course, although the front supports needed to be gently bent back in line.

IMAG2799_zpsgwpng3yc by James Vincent, on Flickr

I had to insert some washers and use a longer bolt at the front to line items up correctly:

IMAG2800_zpsc96tcpoi by James Vincent, on Flickr

Further adjustment require to line up panel gaps and fold the plastic trim back in place. A three-dimensional jigsaw.

IMAG2801_zpsf7tl2kt5 by James Vincent, on Flickr

Bolts tightened, trim clipped back and indicator plug reconnected:

IMAG2802_zps3oqkxiwh by James Vincent, on Flickr

The wing came with a replacement piece of aluminium but unfortunately it was silver and not champagne. Luckily it proved useful as a reference for rebending the original to the correct shape.

IMAG2804_zpshirai0yi by James Vincent, on Flickr

IMAG2803_zpsxsrrbp01 by James Vincent, on Flickr

Reattach strut and remove sword.

I think that worked out pretty well.

IMAG2805_zpsyur9i1o9 by James Vincent, on Flickr

Hopefully a bit more respectable for Brooklands on the 30th!

Edited by Spinakerr on Sunday 16th July 15:01