Alfa 156 sportwagon - Broken already ALFISTI PLS HALP

[Dave_Q]

Some pics in the cold light of day.

 

Flaky wheel

 

Moderate crust

 

Hopefully not a sign of the state of the floors.

 

Turns out the gear linkage issue means it won't go into reverse at all.

 

My garage are testing it anyway, reverse isn't on the MOT, they will just push it out of the bay.

 

Pray for me.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Just said a few hail Marys

[stripped fred]

I bought this 2.4jtd saloon many moons ago for £600. My ex wife still drives it and it's been a cracking car. She takes it for a service every year as i trained her well and it's had minimal problems. She reversed into something so she's getting a replacement boot lid fitted and it has a few scrapes but still drives well and i preferred it to my facelift 2.4 20v tbh. Simpler and just felt nicer to drive. Must be approaching 200k now. Hope yours is just as good.

[stripped fred]

Just checked, 177k at the last mot.

[Dave_Q]

Hmmm.

 

4 tyres, a spring, some welding plus minors.

 

 

Test date 24 February 2017

Test Result Fail

Odometer reading 207,012 miles

MOT test number 6903 7553 6013

 

Reason(s) for failure

front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
offside front Headlamp aim too high (1.
nearside front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
offside front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
nearside rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
offside rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
offside front outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter damaged to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)
offside front upper coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)
offside front Tyre(s) incorrect because different size tyres are fitted on the same axle. 205 55 16 (4.1.A.1a)
offside rear Tyre(s) incorrect because a tyre fitted to a non-steerable driven axle is of a different type of structure from that fitted to another non-steerable driven axle (4.1.A.2d)
offside rear inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill holed rear (2.4.A.3)
offside rear outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill holed rear (2.4.A.3)
offside rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded floor to sill (5.2.6)
Advisory notice item(s)
offside rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)
offside front abs wires insecure chaffing
no reverse gear

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hmm, a set of tyres, coil spring, CV boot, and some welding, admittedly that could get expensive, can you do the welding yourself?

[Dave_Q]

I do have a welder but am not particularly proficient with it. Maybe its time to learn?

 

I will get the garage to quote me for the welding if I strip the interior etc, maybe it won't be too bad.

[Lacquer Peel]

What's with the failure for a tyre of a different structure? Cross ply?

[Dave_Q]

What's with the failure for a tyre of a different structure? Cross ply?

 

I think maybe it's a mistake and it's the wrong size rather than wrong construction.

 

 

Can get a spring and a CV boot off ebay for £25 or so.

 

Garage say it probably needs a full outer sill and a patch to the floor - about £150 if I strip out the interior.

[stripped fred]

Quite a bit of work then. Tough call. Does it feel like a good car generally, does it drive well? Also, will it need a timing belt soon?

[Dave_Q]

Yes it drives well, power doesn't seem to come in until 2000rpm though so there may be some sort of vacuum or turbo issue.

 

Otherwise clutch and engine seem fine, no idea on cambelt, not looked at the history yet. 

 

Not too fussed on the cambelt, it's about 60 quid for the bits, I did my wife's 147 (8v jtd) this is exactly the same, just with less skin on your knuckles.

 

I think I might just dive in and see how I get on with the welding, if anyone localish with a clue on sparkly glue wants to come and laugh/supervise that would be great.

[Dave_Q]

What size/gauge of metal do I need?

 

Is it 0.8mm zintec sheet that's the weapon of choice?

 

What about welding wire, 0.6mm?

[Rusty_Rocket]

Both of the above are fine.

[hpi_matrix]

Got a picture of said rust.

[Dave_Q]

Got a picture of said rust.

 

Not yet, I'll see if the garage will quickly show me when I go to pick it up.

[Dave_Q]

Just picked it up, no time for rust pics.

 

The tyres thing is that both nearside tyres are 195/55/16 whereas both offside tyres are 205/55/16. No crossplies.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Oof, was it pulling to one side?  I think you can match tyre sizes across an 'axle' but have different front to rear?  (cheap fix?!).

[Dave_Q]

Oof, was it pulling to one side?  I think you can match tyre sizes across an 'axle' but have different front to rear?  (cheap fix?!).

 

No it wasn't pulling, it seemed to drive fine on the motorway.

There was a noise that I thought might be a wheel bearing though, that was probably diff wind up!

I will get it in the garage and have a look at the welding, if I can DIY the welding | will chuck a set of new boots on.

All 4 are below the minimum anyway.

 

I've had multiecuscan on it just now, no major issues.

The glow plug code was the only one that came back.

 

Just been digging through the history, it had a cambelt in 2011 at 160k miles, so not due for a couple of years yet.

[twosmoke300]

Good luck doing the spring - last Alfa (147 iirc) spring I did had to be nearly coil bound to get the shock nut off and broke my spring compressors and damn near took my head off 😬

[flat4alfa]

Just put a pair of struts on it.  The main issue is getting the bottom undone after galvanic Corrosion has taken a nice hold

[Dave_Q]

I'm not too concerned about the spring, the broken one should come off pretty easily I would have thought.

 

Its the welding I'm not sure on, although the first step will actually be to sort out the gear linkage so I can get reverse to get it into the garage.

[Al Bundy]

Go to a local sheetmetal works and ask to buy some off cuts,i use 1.2,personally i think 0.8 is too light especially if your not a welder

[HillmanImp]

Go to a local sheetmetal works and ask to buy some off cuts,i use 1.2,personally i think 0.8 is too light especially if your not a welder

 

Most metal on a car is 0.6 isn't it (or possibly even thinner on some modern stuff)? If I'm doing chassis work I might use 1.0. If I was making a tank I might use 1.2.

 

Its never the metal you are grafting in that's a problem, its the stuff you are attaching it too that will blow anyhow of its a bit shit.

 

Although I made up my welding skills as I went along so could be completely wrong on this.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Hmmm.

 

4 tyres, a spring, some welding plus minors.

 

 

 

Is it actually worth doing? There's the gear change and the running fault to sort as well. No shame in thinking 'bollocks to it' and chucking it back on Ebay.

[Dave_Q]

Is it actually worth doing? There's the gear change and the running fault to sort as well. No shame in thinking 'bollocks to it' and chucking it back on Ebay.

Financially speaking, probably not.

 

I reckon it will end up being about £4-500 all in, you could get one for £500 but find it had all the same issues.

 

 

The gear linkage is a minor, had the same on my wife's 147 when we got it, just needs some plastic bushes and a clean up.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Most metal on a car is 0.6 isn't it (or possibly even thinner on some modern stuff)? If I'm doing chassis work I might use 1.0. If I was making a tank I might use 1.2.

 

Its never the metal you are grafting in that's a problem, its the stuff you are attaching it too that will blow anyhow of its a bit shit.

 

Although I made up my welding skills as I went along so could be completely wrong on this.

 

^^this

[Noel Tidybeard]

Just picked it up, no time for rust pics.

 

The tyres thing is that both nearside tyres are 195/55/16 whereas both offside tyres are 205/55/16

 

thats easy enuff then- 205 front 195 rear for grip* or 195 front 205 rear for stance yo!

many high* quality germans have different sizes front to rear

[Dave_Q]

All 4 tyres are also below the tread limit.

[Guest Hooli]

Angle grinder to cut new tread & black paint to hide the canvas.

[Dave_Q]

There's someone in Bradford on eBay selling a set of 147 wheels with "legal m8" tyres for 20quid.

 

To be honest I don't really mind buying new tyres as long as everything else can be sorted quite easily.