djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 Well, might as well have a mini review. APART FROM THE OBVIOUS: Great colour, cool wheels, looks great on the outside and feels special on the inside. Alfa driving position is certainly in evidence, but not so much as to make things really awkward. I love the seats, the steering wheel, the switchgear... you can see why people would have bought these instead of the usual Golf/Focus options. TWO CUP HOLDERS!!! Engine is surprisingly torquey for only a 1.6. Cruise control is bang on. Bad points: surprisingly expensive to tax, radio is not great. Surprisingly thrashy but I already knew it had a noisy wheel bearing, I think that would sort it. Broken points: gearchange is utterly woeful - assuming it's not cooked (which to be fair I don't think it is) I will have to do something about that!! Marm Toastsmith, The Moog and Split_Pin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 6 minutes ago, loserone said: Too late for that. Is there any coolant left? Plenty of coolant. Rad top hose definitely feels like it's full of air rather than coolant. I wonder if it's a big airlock... but I have no tools with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 1 minute ago, djoptix said: no tools Aaaaaaah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 I can't comment on the road vehicle bit but I'd take a 175 any day over the Green HOS that carted you from Bristol Parkway to the Massive Vagina at Newport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marm Toastsmith Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 18 minutes ago, djoptix said: @marm if I'm not back in the morning the MGF is pretty much ready for you to pick up!... You'll make it... you still waiting for the AA? Where are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 Still waiting. Stafford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marm Toastsmith Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 4 minutes ago, djoptix said: Still waiting. Stafford. Bloody hell. Oh well, it's an adventure and I reckon the Alfa overheating will be something simple. You paid the right price for it anyway... I'd better get off to bed to get up in time for my train. I'll check this thread in the morning... Good luck, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floatylight Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 17 minutes ago, djoptix said: Still waiting. Stafford. Whearabouts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 Southbound, in the Esso petrol station. Managed to limp the few miles. I've moved here because I was getting some unwelcome attention from Britain's travelling community in the corner of the car park I was in before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floatylight Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Just now, djoptix said: Southbound, in the Esso petrol station. Managed to limp the few miles. I've moved here because I was getting some unwelcome attention from Britain's travelling community in the corner of the car park I was in before. Tesco on the A449? Need anything?? Shout up.. eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 AA man diagnoses no coolant flow = water pump, or lack thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floatylight Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Excellent mpgees from here on! djoptix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 15 minutes ago, Floatylight said: Whearabouts? Ah, sorry, M6, missed that bit. But thank you. Floatylight 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 AA man Carl is a top bloke. Top hose hot, bottom hose remains stone cold. He thinks either silted rad - but probably not because coolant is clean - or water pump. AA protocol involves a relay system including three vans, a hire car, vast expense and no sleep for me. He opined that it would be much better to bung it on a truck and take me all the way. Thankfully I have AA Relay otherwise this would have cost £absolutebumrape. The Moog, dome, Coprolalia and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 Options: 1. I change the waterpump 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporty-shite Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Don't scrap it. There's good money in the trim and wherls if you don't repair it. If you do change the water pump, I have a set of timing tools you can borrow. Let me know and I'll post them down to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 These are a bit notorious for water pumps going south. Plastic impeller comes loose on the shaft and either doesn't spin fast enough or stops spinning altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 3 hours ago, djoptix said: Shot up to 130, now hovering around 110 having been rock solid at 90 until that point. Rad top hose is hot hot hot, but coolant tank is cold. Thoughts? That's the point that the impeller came off the pump shaft. Shove a new pump on, job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Truck is here, can only take me as far as Gloucester. Fuck this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Jesus , feel for you fella, this is turning into a right nightmare. Hope you get home soon, and have caught some sleep in between truck pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Urgh. Offloaded at Gloucester and awaiting next truck. Yawn RichardK, theshadow and Jim Bell 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Have they given you an ETA? And is the next journey the final leg? Hopefully yes, and within the hour.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Right. Thus concludes this far-too-epic collection thread. Alfa parked up in disgrace. I'll make a decision on what to do with it tomorrow. @sporty-shite... Don't worry, I know it's not your fault, you weren't to know. Shit happens. My kids are going to be up in 90 minutes so I'd better get some sleep 🤣 djim, The Moog, Sh'Eds and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutty2006 Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Have you learned anything from this experience ? The old saying goes, always take the basic tools with you. This then threatens the collected chod into not breaking. Better to have tools and not use them.....etc etc. But hey, who’d have thought and Alfa would break down?!? Haha. Best of luck with it. Get that pump changed then enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 2 hours ago, sutty2006 said: Have you learned anything from this experience ? The old saying goes, always take the basic tools with you. Oh, I've learned plenty. I won't bore with the details of what I have learned, but to be honest I think having tools with me would have made no difference except I would have spent more time faffing around with it before calling the AA. The only thing I actually needed with me was AA membership, and thankfully I did have that. If we take the water pump failure as a given, I think that after that point things went about as well as they could have. Just unfortunate that "as well as they could have" still equates to "fucking lame"... sutty2006 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig the Princess Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Can't understand why the AA persist with relay with loads of waiting around when autoaid/green flag seem to get you one truck for most recoveries. Good luck fixing the Alfa. Cars are ungrateful bastards. loserone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 I do still really like it though. Despite last night. Trouble is that it was going to be a quick run-around-for-a-month while I fix up the new Saab, and now I'm in the unenviable position of having spent £200 plus half a day off work to get it back here, and now I own four cars and have sales agreed on the two that are working, and work in the diary this week 🤣 I think the really important saying to remember here is "if it's got tits or an engine, it's going to be trouble". Craig the Princess, Jim Bell and louiepj 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiesouwest Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 3 hours ago, djoptix said: I do still really like it though. Despite last night. Trouble is that it was going to be a quick run-around-for-a-month while I fix up the new Saab, and now I'm in the unenviable position of having spent £200 plus half a day off work to get it back here, and now I own four cars and have sales agreed on the two that are working, and work in the diary this week 🤣 I think the really important saying to remember here is "if it's got tits or an engine, it's going to be trouble". If you need to borrow a working car, I'm local (ish) and have at least two that work. Serious offer. But I'm going on holiday Monday. Going to Fishponds Sunday, so could drop off. mercedade, sdkrc, djoptix and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 How did your Mrs get inside - and how delighted* was she when you got home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 3 hours ago, High Jetter said: How did your Mrs get inside - and how delighted* was she when you got home? Thankfully I had hidden a spare in a top secret location after the last time this happened, so no drama. She was asleep when I got home and I think "resigned" describes her mood about the whole thing... djim and Marm Toastsmith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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