franky
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 10:54 AM |
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Alfa 147
looking at getting one for my drive to work...
Anything in particular I should look for? anyone else got one? known problems etc?
Going to be a petrol one..... what sort of mpg do you get out of it with normal driving?
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Humbug
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 10:57 AM |
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It's an Alfa...
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eznfrank
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:05 AM |
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Which engine?
I've had both a 145 and 147 both 2.0 ts returning around 28mpg on the commute. Look for cambelt change every 36k miles. Some of the older
service books say change every 72k and this was then altered twice IIRC. I fell foul of this as my book was an old one so I'd not done the belt
on the 147 when it let go taking all 16 valves with it. Cost £500 ish to repair myself, garage wanted £2k!!
Other than that both had minor power steering problems, the 145 had a faulty pump and the 147 had corrosion on the pipes leading to a very slow
leak.
Have to say I loved both of them and the 145 is on my short list of runarounds that I'm currently looking for.
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pewe
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:14 AM |
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IIRC mookaloid on here has one but it's a diesel.
He's thinking of an extended warranty which given Alfa's reliability record is prob. not a bad idea.
However as that well-known orator and ars*h*le Clarkson says "you aren't a real petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa".
Note to self - add an 8C to the birthday list!
Cheers, Pewe 
enzfrank - ^^ your £2k garage quote sounds cheap - mate with a GTA was rushed £4k when his cambelt let go 2K miles short of the original 72k
recommended change.
[Edited on 13/11/09 by pewe]
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eznfrank
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:42 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by pewe
IIRC mookaloid on here has one but it's a diesel.
He's thinking of an extended warranty which given Alfa's reliability record is prob. not a bad idea.
However as that well-known orator and ars*h*le Clarkson says "you aren't a real petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa".
Note to self - add an 8C to the birthday list!
Cheers, Pewe
enzfrank - ^^ your £2k garage quote sounds cheap - mate with a GTA was rushed £4k when his cambelt let go 2K miles short of the original 72k
recommended change.
[Edited on 13/11/09 by pewe]
Yeah the £2k was a "starting point" from which I think they were going to work up from once they'd got the head off. The £500 I
spent included all the tools plus a general service. I reckon I could have done it for about £300.
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HomersDouble
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:48 AM |
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Have run my 156 2 litre sportwagon for 2 years now and love it! But as eznfrank says make sure it's belts have been done (inc. cam variators)
by an Alfa agent or specialist. Also avoid anything with Selespeed.
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franky
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:49 AM |
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I know its an alfa but the 147's tend to be reliable by all accounts, no worse than any other. Only looking to spend about 2k, so a 2002 ish
one.. Ideally a 1.6ts lusso with leather.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 11:57 AM |
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Really not worth the hassle ---
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 12:03 PM |
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I've got one and i love it. The selespeed's (tiptronic) are apparently a bit suspect but mine is fine. I looked at a few when i got
mine. it's definatly worth hunting around for the right one as alot of them were in a very poor condition. The 2 litre in mine isn't the
most economical 35/gallon on a run but the car is very comfortable and has loads of toys.
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franky
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 12:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Really not worth the hassle ---
Whats not?
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franky
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 12:36 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Davegtst
I've got one and i love it. The selespeed's (tiptronic) are apparently a bit suspect but mine is fine. I looked at a few when i got
mine. it's definatly worth hunting around for the right one as alot of them were in a very poor condition. The 2 litre in mine isn't the
most economical 35/gallon on a run but the car is very comfortable and has loads of toys.
So on a run it will do 35mpg? I don't want a selespeed although my friend had one for 120k with no issues.
Does the trip have a long term ave mpg on it? I only as I need it to ave 35mpg on my 80mile round trip to work. If the 2.0 will do it I can look at
some others then too.
I'm only going to get one thats been looked after, and not owned by any chavy types!
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MikeR
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 01:05 PM |
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g/f got an alfa.
09 plate, 12k miles old .....
when she got it she had to return it to have the rear wash wipe sorted. The quote from the garage was "we had to enable it in the
software" - irrespective of the problem says a lot for quality control.
Driving last weekend and cruise control stopped working. Pulled into services, stopped the engine, removed the key, put the key back, started the
engine and it was fine.
Switch gear is in ATTROCIOUS places. I'm 6'3" and things like the electric window means i have to jam my elbow in my ribs.
Seating position is 'different'. I now understand the comments about italians having short legs.
Blooming nice car to drive tho 
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zilspeed
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 01:08 PM |
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Go for it......
I sold a 156 this morning.
It was certainly an enjoyable car to both be in and to drive.
Having said that, my reason for selling was that as well as not being that grunty, I could never get comfortable - and I don't mean the driving
position. I'm talking about the feeling of trusting a car and relaxing.
I could never truly relax with the Alfa because I always got the feeling that it was going to let me down in some way.
It never happened, but I couldn't help feeling that it was going to...
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 02:29 PM |
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Yes the trip has an average mpg on it as well as instant mpg. Last time i went to gatwick (80 miles) it returned 35 mpg average.
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alfasudsprint
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 03:32 PM |
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GTA was the fabled V6  , hence the higher heads costs.
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morcus
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 06:26 PM |
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I know its just splitting hairs but selespeed isn't a type of tiptronic box, its an electrohydraulic manual box operated with a computor and its
much better than a true tiptronic which is essentially an auto with an over ride function.
I've never driven a Selespeed car but I have a simillar type of box in my Panda and it drives alot better than a tiptronic because you still
have a clutch (Just no pedal).
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 08:22 PM |
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Very true. It does drive nice but sometimes it can be a little jerky compared to a tiptronic auto and annoyingly it will change down the gears on
it's own when really i would prefer full control. You can put it in city mode though which means you don't have to change gears yourself
at all.
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franky
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 08:52 PM |
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I can get this for 2k...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2002-ALFA-ROMEO-147-T-SPARK-LUSSO-RED_W0QQitemZ180431851496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomobiles_UK?hash=item2a02938fe8
I'd prefer one with leather though, with a baby on the way it would make sense as they'll clean up easier!
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morcus
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| posted on 13/11/09 at 08:57 PM |
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When I swapped my Pug (With a normal auto) for the Panda I really felt the gear changes but now I don't so much and found out that lifting off
(Like you do in a manaul) when you want to change speeds the whole lot up.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 14/11/09 at 02:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by pewe
However as that well-known orator and ars*h*le Clarkson says "you aren't a real petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa".
Note to self - add an 8C to the birthday list!
Cheers, Pewe
enzfrank - ^^ your £2k garage quote sounds cheap - mate with a GTA was rushed £4k when his cambelt let go 2K miles short of the original 72k
recommended change
Why do you need to own an Alfa to be obsessed?
If my cambelt let go before the recommended change I'd be kicking off big time. It should last longer than they say it will!
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
Seating position is 'different'. I now understand the comments about italians having short legs.
I might have to get one, seeing as it'll suit my short(ish!) legs
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