A long time ago in a Galaxie far, far away (and other shit)

[Split_Pin]

I use a shite-friendly garage in Bonnybridge, @Supernaut has used them a few times too. Not exactly on your doorstep but they are very good.  If you search for Canalbank Motors you will find them.

[Schaefft]

Would be interested in the Alfa, just for the fact I can say I owned one.

[sdkrc]

The Alfa was just about struggling to start...

 

Replaced with a nice grown up battery.

 

2 new Yokohamas for the back next week. 1 of the tyres currently on the back is salvageable so that will be my spare. 

Next up is a service as it's stuttering an awful lot in low revs when you give it the beans. Feels like 110bhp rather than 150bhp.

Had a real code reader hooked up to it, only 2 errors and both were already known wouldyoufuckingbelieveit.

 

Now for the big mystery. When I bought it I checked the oil. Bit black but spot on level. On Wednesday the dipstick was completely dry. Took 3.5 litres to get it up to the correct level. No leaks on the driveway. Burning 3litres of oil in 600miles but without smoking or stinking the place up??? 

Big shout out to FIBRESCOPE

[Split_Pin]

Stupid question, but did you check it on the level both times. My drive looks completely flat but isn't, so much so that the 75 oil level is completely different from one side of the drive to the other. I thought something was seriously amiss at first!

[sdkrc]

Not a daft question at all. Was as flat as can get when I bought it and the engine was cold. 

When it was empty it was at a slight angle sideways. I don't think it would account for that much disappearing though.

It is however parked facing uphill 99% of the time. I wonder is it pissing oil out only when warm or does the oil hide somewhere. 

Either way, I'll be keeping an eye on it over the next few weeks. 

[320touring]

I really enjoyed driving the 166.

Suspension was the quietest of any Alfa I have ever been in.

Gears are lllloooooonnnnngggg.

The 2.0 twinspark is absolute dugmeat, never driven one that felt peppy, and it's a heavy car for the lump.

Made fat stacks selling @sdkrc 5w30🤣

not really, but I remember my 156 had a thirst for oil too.

interior is ace and the wooden steering wheel is lovely.

 

14.6/10, would code read again

[sdkrc]

It's a fucking bizarre gearbox, both long and short at the same time.

30mph in 1st 

3350rpm @70mph in 5th

3200rpm @70mph in 6th

[cort16]

One of my friends bosses cut off his own finger off by slamming the boot of his 166 down on his finger. My friend helped by being sick then fainting while his boss tried to retrieve his finger from the boot so watch out for that.

[cort16]

I had a 6 speed v6 Lusso. I'm sure the quality of the paint in the picture gives away what fine * vehicle it was.

Made a great noise, had a horrible gear change, used to randomly unlock itself in the middle of the night.  The rear suspension on them is horrendously over complex.

 

[Jim Bell]

 

 

I really enjoyed driving this Alfa. I had to fold myself into it and had to kind of sit slumped because they're sleek, styled and not really MASSIVE LAD friendly. Regardless of the sub-optimal large guy concessions, it sounds awesome. The PURE WOOD steering wheel feels delicious filling up the palms.  Coming from a year of driving a Ssangyong Rexton, it actually felt quite fast to me. Or if not fast, then at least not slow.  It gets up to road speed with some great noise, if not great urgency, though it does kind of feel like they put a gear between 4th and 5th rather than putting a 6th gear after 5th. I didn't have to drive it on the motorway so could make best use of the long lower gears in the urban environment, whipping up to chip shops velocities in less than a jiffy. 

I had my arse warmed by a heated seat, had my hands filled with wood, and had my ears filled with bwaaarp. 

 

 

Money well spent I reckon. It feels like driving on the French Riviera even when you're commuting over potholes in the rain to a chip shop in Scotland.  

Just goes to show, if you have balls and will, you can still buy a continental sprots saloon for the price of an all zones annual bus pass. 

[Schaefft]

After the less flattering comments further above Mr. Bell's review reinstated my want for a fine machine like this right away. A rollercoaster of emotions, just like Alfa ownership itself.

[Supernaut]

I was a passenger in it on Wednesday and I'd say it was fine, I guess.

Not fast but not slow, but the gear ratios are really rather odd.

[Lacquer Peel]

My points of comparison are slow indirect injection diesels from 20 years ago but I thought it went ok, it feels like most 2.0 NA engines in big cars of the era. I kept selecting 5th instead of 3rd. 

It feels solid on the road and handles well. Not loads of room for a large lad but seemed fairly comfy. The xenon headlights are great and the ergonomics are ok, everything seemed to be where you would expect it. 

Would like the alloy wheels that look like hubcaps for my van as they are the same PCD. 

[SiC]

17 hours ago, sdkrc said:

It's a fucking bizarre gearbox, both long and short at the same time.

30mph in 1st 

3350rpm @70mph in 5th

3200rpm @70mph in 6th

It's revving the nuts off itself even in top gear.

Isn't that how Italians drive everywhere and it's just been catered for their tastes?

[Supernaut]

22 minutes ago, SiC said:

It's revving the nuts off itself even in top gear.

Isn't that how Italians drive everywhere and it's just been catered for their tastes?

Admittedly that 147 TS I had with the 5 speed box was very similar.

3.5krpm at 70mph was fun*

[sdkrc]

Alfa oil level hasn't moved a bit in the past 100miles/ 10 days.

How did it empty itself before???

Fresh BRAND NAME tyres for the back today. One of the back tyres was actually surprisingly good, a continental that's now my spare.

When God closes a door, he opens a window. I replaced the battery and now I have an EML and no radio code. EML is the coolant temp sensor which was a known problem.  Seems to work 60% of the time which is enough for me to ignore. If anyone knows how to cheaply crack this I'd be a happy man. 

 

Rear wheels wearing unevenly. Some crusty and Germanic looking suspension bits, might have a gander in a few months once it's serviced.

 

Other than that I'm enjoying driving it. It's pretty good around town and handles the war-torn streets of Glasgow better than I'd expected 

[SiC]

Oil consumption related to revs? I.e. are Higher revs causing it to burn more?

[Schaefft]

Google radio code Alfa, usually these services only need the serial number on the side of the radio to send you the code within minutes.

[captain_70s]

On 3/22/2023 at 11:52 AM, sdkrc said:

If anyone knows how to cheaply crack this I'd be a happy man. 

When I needed a code for my old Volvo I phoned my local dealer, gave them the reg no and they told me it over the phone.

Alfa Romeo may not offer this sort of service...

[Rocket88]

36 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

When I needed a code for my old Volvo I phoned my local dealer, gave them the reg no and they told me it over the phone.

Alfa Romeo may not offer this sort of service...

Their custom service is roughly akin to Ghengis Khan’s…..