Alfa 155 20 years old and new MOT

[HMC]

This had been advertised for a bit and gradually the price came down until it was tempting me too much, and I added yet another alfa to the growing collection ( ok only the second but I know what I'm like) I've been thinking about 155s more and more lately. Their offbeat origami styling certainly has heritage ( Zagato man Ercole Spada penned it whilst at I.DE.A ) In many ways they've fallen victim to being in limbo- traditionalist Alfisti complain its not RWD and suffered from Fiat input whilst the crushing competence, and desirability of the 156 meant it was dropped like a hot brick once it's successor was eagerly introduced. Never a big seller, alfa managed to shift about 5,000 in the uk after a slow start in 1992. HML says about 150 are left on the road, which explains why I hadn't seen one for ages before I saw the ad!

 

I haven't had much chance to take it on a decent drive so far, so early morning Boxing Day roads over Dartmoor were its first real outing. It certainly corners flatly and makes all the right noises, this one had a sport pack fitted from new, basically lower, uprated suspension, a subtle body kit and a " quick rack" which is just over 2 turns lock to lock, so barely any steering input sees it darting around the bends. There's occasionally a part throttle low rev misfire that wants getting to the bottom of, and getting the front door handles to actually open the door is an acquired skill, but on the whole this is a well cared for, original enthusiast owned car that puts a smile on your face as it makes a journey on a quiet road just a bit more fun. Looking forward to the next excuse to go out in it. Im certain it will keep me busy in various ways, but at the mo I'm living La Dolce vita with this ageing Italian tin top.......

[155V6]

Not jealous,much   .That's lovely.

[FiatPhil]

Nice car. I guess that's the later Wide Body version being on a P reg, and I think I can make out the flared arches from the last pic.

I nearly bought a 155 when they were about 5 years old.

[srad34]

Lovely car, sharp edged styling for the win, wish I had room for one....

[Six-cylinder]

I always wanted one but settled for a 156!

[PiperCub]

I always wanted one but settled for a 156!

 

Me too! But couldn't find one that wasn't munted cosmetically &/or mechanically.

 

The gold/champagne/whateveritscalled colour is weird, it should look shite but it's one of those colours that looks good on the right car, this is such a case. I remember a place I worked in the late nineties, my senior boss had one (I think it was the V6) in this colour and we all admired it at the time. This was odd as the chap in question was actually a nice bloke (for a suit) but one of the dullest, least imaginative, soulless people you could meet yet he chose the 155 as his company car - go figure!!!

 

Amazed yours has the quick-rack, I thought they were super rare features. Lovely car, much underrated, the Alfa-anoraks love to slag it off which always attracts me to a car if they don't like it. 

[Skizzer]

Ah, the Dedra's pretty* and popular* sister!  Well done sir.

 

Looking at your pictures, it's just struck me how much the two have in common - I know they shared a floorpan (also with the Tempra) but it looks like it might actually be the same monococque under the outer panels:

 

1991 Lancia Dedra Turbo by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

2.0 means Lampredi twin cam, no?  Sweet.

[155V6]

^I think I remember the windscreens being the same so you could be right.Pretty sure they're similar to a Fiat Coupe underneath too,I remember seeing something about a Coupe being used in European Rallycross converted to 4wd using 155/Dedra parts.Also,at least one person has put the 20V Turbo engine in a 155 

[Skizzer]

Aye, the Fiat Coop has the same floorpan and running gear.  Fiat showed VAG the way in the platform-sharing game in the late 80s/early 90s.

 

Really must do something about retrieving my Dedra from the Italian car specialist who's spent the last two years not fixing it.

[holbeck]

NIce.

 

Back in 1995 I was offered a job at magneti marelli and it came with one of these. Although at the time I wasn't so keen as I thought that would probably mean regular ftp's.

 

Didn't take the job as my employers made me an offer to stay. Probably for the best as I would have ended up being right in the middle of the Ford Focus alternators on fire debacle

[RobT]

Time for a new username again Matthew! The 155 looks a cracker, well bought.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Ah, the Dedra's pretty* and popular* sister!  Well done sir.

 

Looking at your pictures, it's just struck me how much the two have in common - I know they shared a floorpan (also with the Tempra) but it looks like it might actually be the same monococque under the outer panels:

 

 

2.0 means Lampredi twin cam, no?  Sweet.

 

Both are on the Fiat Tipo floorpan, shared with numerous other Gruppo Fiat cars of the era.

 

The TS engine is not a Lampredi TC, it's one of the later "Pratola Serra" modular blocks with a fancy* twin spark head.

 

 

Brilliant cars, a much better drive than their humble running gear would suggest. I'm very jealous !

[brownnova]

I always wanted one but settled for a 156!

That makes... Erm... at least three of us!!

 

A 155 is high up on my want last!! Well bought sir!!

[Ghosty]

Eeeee, that's nice. Used to be one at the bottom of my street but it's disappeared.

 

Had a Matchbox model of the DTM one when I was a kid

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I sold a couple of those new back in 1995. You can unbolt and reverse the seat mounts to give extra front legroom iirc.

[tooSavvy]

I'm sure a 'father & son' got a rear arb/handling solution for their own car (circuit racing) and had a kit for sale.

 

TS

[fordperv]

Oooh that's pretty, lucky boy

 

I always liked these in motorsport, they look so right

 

[HillmanImp]

These never did owt for me. Whilst I can appreciate them now due to their rarity and age, I still can't warm to the styling which looks dated for the age of the car. Everyone else was going for rounded lines and Alfa went all angular.

 

This undoubtedly means I will own one in due course so that I have to eat my words.

[spike60]

I had a 2.0 widebodied twin spark 155 for a couple of years, 2003-5. It was a frisky thing, up on its toes and I loved it so the 2.4 JTD 156 i had later was a major disappointment. Metallic beige, though I think was called Champagne. The lady friend loved it too, a surprise as, or perhaps because, she had a diet of Pug/VAG/ Vauxhall company cars.

 Cam belt 3 years/36k whichever comes first, Ebay used to be full of broken TS's whose owners hadn't bothered.

If the boot floor and rear inner arches are still there she'll be a good 'un. I'd love another!

[PiperCub]

Saw the 155's racing in BTCC at Brands in 1994. Tarquini & Simoni bashing doors in fire-spitting 155's occasionally on two wheels too if IIRC!

 

That was a time when touring cars was real, unsanitised motorsport, exciting and close racing - unlike now sadly.

[155V6]

Saw the 155's racing in BTCC at Brands in 1994. Tarquini & Simoni bashing doors in fire-spitting 155's occasionally on two wheels too if IIRC!

 

That was a time when touring cars was real, unsanitised motorsport, exciting and close racing - unlike now sadly.

I'd have to disagree,the racing is still brilliant,that & the V8 Supercars are the best racing out there now.Plus look at the cars,where else would you see a Proton racing a Chevy Cruze?,& as many MG6's as you'd see all year on the road 

I was at Brands & Thruxton in 1994 as well,that's what started me wanting a 155,along with watching the DTM on TV.

[HMC]

I must admit to not having used this much lately. After having a local specialist do the various belts, tensioners and variator, I had a good few weeks of regular, faultless use. To redress this paradox within 24hours both the driver door handle snapped and the throttle cable jammed stuck.

 

Initially I was going to swap the drivers side handles over, so the offside rear would have the dodgy/ bodged handle.

 

 

Looking at the dodgy handle more, the alloy had split due to presumably 20 years of fatigue, and a sticky/ worn internal door mechanism that meant people had been yanking on the handle to open the door. I got a replacement handle via e bay ( in white - cosmetics come second to having a functioning door at the mo)

 

Once the door card was off I gave the mechanism a good dousing in grease and it freed up a fair bit.

A few torx bolts had the handles swapped, the sealing gasket on the original handle giving away the fact that this rolled out of the old alfasud plant nigh on 20 years ago...

Once all back together and the door is easy to open for the first time in my ownership.

I had 'help' from Italianjob-jr...

And although a small job, it was fun doing it in the spring sunshine and has given my enthusiasm for it a bit of a boost after the endless run of crappy weather.

[RobT]

And although a small job, it was fun doing it in the spring sunshine and has given my enthusiasm for it a bit of a boost after the endless run of crappy weather.

Amen to that. I've had a day fettling and it was nice to spend time out in the sun taking my time rather than rushing it cos of the flippin cold!

[HMC]

This remained fun to drive but was progressively developing a big mid range flat spot. After doing a bit of reading and making an educated guess I got hold of a known working used MAF ( airflow sensor) which are notorious for giving up the ghost, and it now pulls cleanly and rasps up to the red line. I also stripped and reassembled the stupidly designed throttle linkages and cables (2- because alfa) and at last it was running and driving perfectly. All that stood between it and today's MOT was a little work on the rear brakes....

So I have a freshly sorted alfa ready for shitefest!

[Bren]

I must admit - it is a chunky looking thing which I like very much.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I must admit - it is a chunky looking thing which I like very much.

 

I prefer them to the 156 tbh. They did a Sport version with black wheels and in the medium metallic blue they looked amazing. I had the use of a 1.8TS demo in 1995, cracking car.