Schaefft's Bargain Barge Extravaganza - Alfa 166 Thrashing

[Schaefft]

1 hour ago, paulplom said:

I could probably drive it if you need a hand. Passed my test in 1990.

Thanks for the offer, lets see what she wants to do. I have the feeling things are trending towards "it would be nice to have but maybe its too much work". If I didn't have to swap my German drivers license to a UK one to do my 7.5t test here (I assume I would have to) I wouldn't hesitate, I could then actually drive it at least.

Anyway, the XK8 is back home and now parked among an interesting mix of cars.

The Jaguar lineage is obvious with the XJ but the Lincoln Mark VIII next to it is way less of a distant relative than you'd think.

They are actually quite comparable on the surface: Both are large RWD V8 luxury 4-seat coupes* with 4.0/4.6l 32Valve DOHC all-aluminium V8s of very similar output from FoMoCo. You could even argue that the fully independent air-airsuspension front/ rear on the Lincoln is the more modern design. Unfortunately it's the very basic 4-speed auto that makes the very big difference here. That and the general feel of solidity that the Lincoln unfortunately is just missing a little. My black facelift Mark VIII even overlapped the sales start of the XK8 for the first 2 years.

Not in the picture behind the Lincoln is the R129 SL500, the main competitor of the XK8 and the car Jaguar was proud to beat in some critical categories. Still looking for the right ESP pump for that one...

[mat_the_cat]

On 11/05/2025 at 23:19, Schaefft said:

Planning indeed would be one of my bigger worries. Realistically though, with a single caravan would anyone really care? It could be a caravan for private and personal use after all...

Yes, they apparently do. Despite being sited out of view of any other houses (although visible from a public footpath) we had a letter from the National Park planning authority stating we had to stop - after only 2 months of solely weeking bookings. I don't know how they found out, as all our immediate neighbours did not have a problem with it.

We are allowed to have tents only pitching up, for a maximum of 28 days.

[hairnet]

even the base one is 3600 kgs but thats without people fuel or interior

with all that included it says the chevy is 17000lbs the ford one (cant see john deere one)

20500

17000lbs is 7.7 tons so youre gonna need a hgv whatever licence you have

you want a banana transit obvs

 

[Schaefft]

Somehow the Winnebago has already sold so that puts an end to that topic, at least for now.

Decided to do some diagnostics on the Legend since it had a few faults pop up again. Using my crappy freeware OBD II app (if anyone has any recommandations for Android diagnostics apps that are actually useful on a varierty of cars for a variety of modules/systems, let me know!) I was able to read the ECU, which came back with a P1717 error, which seems to be pointing towards the gear selector switch. Which would make sense considering many more faults seem to pop up once in a while when I put it in reverse. Crossing my fingers that this will disappear with use.

I've also wanted to tackle this permanent warning message today:

Ignore the other lights as the car wasn't running. The "bonnet open" message is always there. Fortunately removing the latch is pretty straight forward:

Also visible is the radar unit for the active cruise control. I'm still fairly sure that there was something wrong with the micro switch (I just didn't seem to get a closed circuit with it depressed) but sorting that actually made no difference. That's because the warning wasn't about the bonnet being open, but the pedestrian safety bonnet pop-up feature being faulty, which got nothing to do with the latch.

So in the end I spent 2 hours fixing nothing. I think a lot of my faults are coming down to two issues though. The gear selection switch being gummed up and the park distance control sensors seemingly not working at all. The latter I'm sure will be relevant to pedestrian detection in the front. I checked all fuses but I couldn't find any issues whatsoever. My usual test of listing to the sensors click didn't work either as none of them clicked. If anyone has any clue what could cause the entire PDC system on this to seemingly not work at all, please let me know!

[Schaefft]

The Z3 Roadster received a little more attention over the last few days/weeks. With the Legend recently incoming and XK8 available as convertible option there was no urge for me to get it ready for its MOT despite hardly needing much. One of the things bugging me were the typical cloudy headlights. As with the C6 and many other cars before, the leftovers from various headlight polishing kits came in handy, it definitely was needed:

And polished:

Spending those 45 minutes per side is probably one of the best visual improvements you can do on a car. As always, never forget to use a high quality sealer to keep the look.

Another MOT relevant issue was the airbag light staying on. I don't think there is a more typical BMW issue out there (to be fair, most warning lights are). This time it was the driver seatbelt tensioner. An issue so common that BMW offered a wiring repair kit. In this case a previous owner/garage opted for the used part route from the breaker. That will definitely trigger it:

I've crimped on another connector and insulated it all a bit better, hopefully that'll keep the light off from now on. The high level brakelight on the bootlid didn't work for the same reason, no previous bodge there, just good old wear and tear along where the wiring loom folds, so another quick and easy free fix:

I've also found an OEM radio that actually turns on (and works!) after the 3rd attempt. In the end it was the cheapest one I bought (15 quid incl. postage) that not only wasn't messed with before but also worked right away, albeit with some pixel issues on the screen. Even non-functional the other two should be worth a bit of money the next text time Im back in Germany, so no money lost there.

Another cosmetic upgrade happened as well. BMW offered a chrome line package for the exterior of the Z3. All parts together look pretty tacky on them but the windshield frame covers work very well on their own in my opinion (similar to what Audi did on the A4 Cabrio), especially on cars in darker shades like mine.

Taking photos in the garage probably doesn't give them the same effect as seeing the car outside but it should help make the Z3 feel a little more upmarket, something especially the pre-facelift cars desperately needed.

Installing the covers was a bit of a pain, if you don't want to take the windshield out you have to remove a tab on them towards the bottom of the A-pillar. Even then trying to get the rubber seals to actually sit on top of the chrome trim is awkward to say the least and requires quite a bit of patience. I've also decided against buying the tine center cover from BMW, the prices for them are pure extorsion and I might as well grab one from a breaker for free when the opportunity arises.

If you are wondering whats actually holding the trim on: doublesided tape, from the factory.

It got new wiper blades as well. Aside from the lack of parking brake warning light it should be all ready to go, fingers crossed it'll behave until Saturday. Immediately getting an error code from a cam position sensor (somehow without triggering a CEL) isn't a great omen!😂

[spike60]

My son who lives close to your old Newcastle house used to borrow my Z3 and it always came back with the air bag light on, his wife is very short and it used to tweak the seat belt tensioner wiring when she moved the seat forward.  No obvious damage but an easy fix until the next time.

[SmokinWaffle]

Torque is the only Android OBD2 that I would recommend. Torque Pro is well worth the cost too. 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

[horriblemercedes]

On 12/05/2025 at 20:22, Schaefft said:

If I didn't have to swap my German drivers license to a UK one to do my 7.5t test here (I assume I would have to)

Don't do a C1 test - it really is a waste of time and money as you can do C or even CE for a similar cost and a similar amount of learning time.

 

It tends to be just councils and ambulance operators that send people for C1 tests now. The reason is that if they sent them for C or CE tests, they could easily just take that licence and go to work for a haulier. The C1 limits them, so they don't have that option.

[Schaefft]

3 hours ago, SmokinWaffle said:

Torque is the only Android OBD2 that I would recommend. Torque Pro is well worth the cost too. 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

I've used torque in the past but more recent reviews seem not so positive anymore, with the app not working at all in some cases. I can't remember whether it was powerful enough to read ABS, Airbag or proprietary system module like on the Legend either?

2 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

Don't do a C1 test - it really is a waste of time and money as you can do C or even CE for a similar cost and a similar amount of learning time.

 

It tends to be just councils and ambulance operators that send people for C1 tests now. The reason is that if they sent them for C or CE tests, they could easily just take that licence and go to work for a haulier. The C1 limits them, so they don't have that option.

That's interesting to know. Not that I'm planning to become a lorry driver anytime soon 😄

3 hours ago, spike60 said:

My son who lives close to your old Newcastle house used to borrow my Z3 and it always came back with the air bag light on, his wife is very short and it used to tweak the seat belt tensioner wiring when she moved the seat forward.  No obvious damage but an easy fix until the next time.

Yeah, it's definitely common enough to warrant an official repair kit. Not a problem if you got a code reader but for most owners it must be infuriating. The tape residue on my cluster from previous owners says everything.

[horriblemercedes]

2 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

 

That's interesting to know. Not that I'm planning to become a lorry driver anytime soon 😄

 

I just think that for similar cost and time invested, you might as well have the big licence!

[Bradders59]

@Schaefft  Can you recommend a good quality headlight sealer please ?

[Schaefft]

16 minutes ago, Bradders59 said:

@Schaefft  Can you recommend a good quality headlight sealer please ?

I'm not sure if it's the best but I use this one which does its job well. Sonax is usually creating top products:

https://www.mlperformance.co.uk/products/sonax-profiline-headlightcoating-50-ml?variant=43618591244509&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19456850350&gbraid=0AAAAAosiaeHQBFYY8uYpATZEiyv5XeJC7&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJvBBhDuARIsAGUgNfhBtV_pC8YTQxckstZxSCdMqm7ZfvTiIdVD1N3WFlKWiaI6wPAk1RYaAuZ2EALw_wcB

[Schaefft]

Z3 passed it's mot with exactly the advisory I expected, time to get a pair of front arms ordered from Autodoc. The rear tires are getting a little old/low on tread as well now so might have to invest in a pair soon. Looking great in the sunshine though:

In other news, the Alfa 166 is back!

After having been semi-abandoned for almost a year (mot coming up) it's time to awaken it from its slumber. By beating it down the autostrada (totally not in the UK) at triple digit speeds, just like the Italians would have intended. Surprisingly connecting the battery was the only thing it needed, no drama, no warning lights, just the sweet sound of a busso V6 (through an eBay special back box), annoying half of Newcastle and Northumberland. Not sure if it will actually need much aside from a wash.

[Schaefft]

Today was a good day to wash almost a year of bird poop and fallout off the 166. The Aurora Iridescent paint is still one of the main reasons for me liking the Alfa as much as I do:

Much better, with the sun unfortunately also highlighting all the door dings on this side...:

I've took it out on what is slowly becoming my personal high speed proving grounds. Can confirm that the Busso's timing belt is still good, if it wasn't it'd be shredded to pieces now:

Naturally its not as quick as the Maserati, neither is the 3.0 V6 close to the 4200's V8 symphony. It does pull well through the gears though, sounds great in the higher rev range and is reasonably comfortable on bumpy roads. The bugs I picked up in those few miles didn't have as much of a good time:

There are still a few cosmetic things I want to sort on this car. Eventually I'd like to book it in with Garage 21 which seem to be the only Alfa 166 specialists in the UK to have the timing belt and a few other minor things sorted. Not sure when I'd be in Bradford the next time though, getting the car to such a distant garage is always a logistical problem.

[DVee8]

Have you tried Bonello services in Newcastle?

https://bonelloautoservices.co.uk/

[Schaefft]

2 minutes ago, DVee8 said:

Have you tried Bonello services in Newcastle?

https://bonelloautoservices.co.uk/

Not yet but I've heard of them from either a mate or someone on here. Garage 21 specializes specifically in 166s, they love these things, try everything they can to safe them and therefore have the kind of mentality I'd want someone to have when working on this one. The kind of thing I'm happy to go the extra mile for.

[Schaefft]

In unrelated news, Dalton (PBG) is working on an '88 Buick Reatta with the same digital dash and CRT touchscreen I got in my '89 Riviera (very similar car really, the Reatta is rarer and has a shorter wheelbase).

Very unusual for him to work on anything this new. I really need to get the Riviera over here and start sorting out the fuel pump, it might be the only thing it needs to run again.

[gm]

7 hours ago, DVee8 said:

Have you tried Bonello services in Newcastle?

https://bonelloautoservices.co.uk/

i was about to say the same thing  

love those murals