Supernaut's Cars - 323i / Megane

[Supernaut]

Time for a new thread, for clarity.

It may also be to do with me churlishly deleting my old thread as a form of protest towards the moderation of this forum. I'm still not entirely happy with the situation here and find myself spending more time over on the other side, but that's a topic for elsewhere.

This is for car content. So car content it shall be.

 

I have recently (mid-July) moved to Stirling, after living in Aberdeen for... far too long.

Just before I moved, I sold both my E36 316i and my Saab 9000. I was sick of base-spec 90s cars that drank fuel and gave back bugger-all performance for it.

I then noticed a shiny red hatchback with a relatively large engine for a bargain price. It was located in Tamworth, but I'm used to going to the Midlands on collection missions.

 

Thus, I currently own an Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 Twinspark Lusso with 61k miles on the clock.

That photo was taken somewhere between Crianlarich and Lochearnhead when I did a lap of Loch Lomond a few days after moving to this area.

The Alfa is, in a word, brilliant. It can pootle along at low revs and also scream its head off if you want it to.

It's on rubber band tyres and is rather jittery though. I'm used to big wafters, and still find myself pining for one. Perhaps the Alfa could be swapped for something soon, as long as that something has at least as much grunt in a straight line but will keep its composure on badly patched motorways and dual carriageways while also just sitting down and shutting up at 70mph.

 

Anyway. Why a tale of two small red hatchbacks?

Since moving to the central belt I've spent a fair bit of time over at @reb's unit helping re-assemble his 205. He also has a Citroen C2 GT sitting in the unit that was offered to me for a very good price. I bought a replacement battery for it last week, and yesterday when I was over there, we fitted the battery and it fired up as if nothing had happened. It's been off the road at least a year, I think.

This is the only photo I have of it:

I reckon it could be fun if it's not too painful to get legal again, and would make a good entry level track toy for Knockhill excursions, seeing as I now live 20 miles from it!

 

Thus the desire (not sure on that) to swap the Alfa for a wafty barge... eventually. Only once the C2 is properly sorted and IF I actually get along with it.

Hell, the new job I have in Stirling leaves me with enough disposable income each month to comfortably run 3 cars so... [slaps self]

 

This thread will likely have lots of C2 repairing and cleaning and not much Alfa content as it's actually very well sorted and wants for nothing.

[HMC]

Fabulous vehicles both of them. I think I’d love the Alfa best especially its in the classic Italian sports hatch colour of choice.

[reb]

I think it was around this time last year it got moved to the unit from my house, but it'd been sat for a couple of months before that. It'll probably need some fuel before it leaves the unit as the fuel light was on before it was driven there and it wouldn't do to have it run out of fuel on the way to or during the MOT!

[Supernaut]

  

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

Fabulous vehicles both of them. I think I’d love the Alfa best especially its in the classic Italian sports hatch colour of choice.

 

 

Yes, I just couldn't bring myself to make it a track slag. The C2 is sufficiently scruffy and cheap to begin with.

The main reason for wanting a waft barge is because the rest of my family are still in Aberdeen and shire, so I still sometimes (maybe every couple of months) will be going up there. The A90 isn't the best...

The Alfa will sit on the cruise at 70 perfectly well, but it's just over 3k rpm at that point and it feels like it's doing it reluctantly rather than feeling at home. It prefers having the shit kicked out of it along a flowing A road or twisty B road.

 

I really do rather like it, but also feel that if the C2 comes along well I could justify moving on the Alfa and going completely mad and getting something like a Lexus GS300 or LS400 for wafting duties. I think I'd find myself needing something with a bit of performance though, as I've become rather used to the Alfa's turn of speed.

[JeeExEll]

Have you ever thought about buying a Corvette???

[Supernaut]

11 minutes ago, JeeExEll said:

Have you ever thought about buying a Corvette???

[JeeExEll]

Awwww.

(Just messin about). 

That Alfa looks to maybe have some of the character of 70s Alfasuds tho.  Would be more than good enough for me.  Enjoy every drive.

[cort1977]

13 hours ago, Supernaut said:

  

The main reason for wanting a waft barge is because the rest of my family are still in Aberdeen and shire, so I still sometimes (maybe every couple of months) will be going up there. The A90 isn't the best...

The Alfa will sit on the cruise at 70 perfectly well, but it's just over 3k rpm at that point and it feels like it's doing it reluctantly rather than feeling at home. It prefers having the shit kicked out of it along a flowing A road or twisty B road.

 

Wait, surely an Alfa-owning gentleman would never use the A90 preferring to go via Perth, Glenshee and the A97?

[Supernaut]

3 hours ago, cort1977 said:

Wait, surely an Alfa-owning gentleman would never use the A90 preferring to go via Perth, Glenshee and the A97?

I did that last time I went up.

4 hours to the parents' farm.

On the way back, even after stopping in Aberdeen, getting stuck in traffic, and stopping in Dundee for fuel, it was only 3 and a half hours door to door. It's a noticeable difference.

[HMC]

I don’t know about you but I just love to hang onto the revs with these twin spark engines. I miss them. I used to cane mine so I was guilted into early cambelt changes on them. I found it a bit confusing as they revised the interval IIRC.

[loserone]

Does anyone one here have a GS300, or even GS400? I like the idea but wonder if you're going that far one may as well have an LS.

[Supernaut]

Ah, they appear to be multiplying.

So much for getting a huge luxobarge.

It's a 2.2 diesel, with 108k miles. The clutch was done at 94k, the battery is almost new, it came with two keys, a Haynes manual, new rear discs and pads in the boot (plus an entire rear caliper).

The only downside is it has a very short MOT. The end of this month. The seller was an older gentleman who'd recently had a stroke, so was selling it off cheap. It's a wee bit scruffy but no worse than the Alfa. It's evidently been well looked after.

With the assistance of @320touring I collected it a few minutes ago.

I didn't even haggle on the price as it was £500.

Also, @Split_Pin will be glad* to hear that it has a fully present and correct boot lock.

[hairnet]

disnae sound bad

 

[320touring]

Cheers for a good wee nicht oot!

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, 320touring said:

Cheers for a good wee nicht oot!

Cheers for the assistance and encouragement!

 

 

After getting home, I decided to go for a quick blat along the motorway.

My observations:

- 70mph at 2,000rpm is spooky

- The sheer grunt of that 2.2 CDTi is hilarious

- The radio works

- The climate control freaked me out at first, as I blipped it up from LO to 16c and the vents went full-on oven heat. For about a minute, then calmed down. I assume its logic is "get interior of car to 16 Celsius now."

- I can see why they're referred to as spaceships. Not just the styling but the visibility. I might as well be sitting in a full-canopy fighter jet with the sheer amount of glass. Absolutely ace.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

You practically stole it at that price.

[320touring]

Only negatives I could find in them in general:

Rear visibility is pish out the rear window

Not available as an estate

[juular]

Aye as I said these 2.2s are stonking even in base map. Its hilarious how well they rev for a diesel. You could get it remapped (180bhp) for a right laugh and still break 50mpg.

You really stole it for that price.

[Supernaut]

While an MOT is priority number one, I may look into doing something about this wheel arch trim afterwards:

Also the HAPPYLAND tyre on the left rear.

[Kiltox]

That’s a proper bargain, well played. 

[Supernaut]

Insurance on this is proving a right bastard.

Anybody got any pointers before I spend more than I paid for the car to insure it? Last time I was upside down like this was 11 years ago!

 

The Alfa is oddly cheap, meanwhile a diesel Civic seems to be a MASSIVE RISK.

[Liggle]

All of my Honda's have been expensive to insure, parts prices perhaps? 

Could it be cheaper to insure the Alfa on a new policy with no NCB and change the Alfa policy to the Civic?

[Supernaut]

4 minutes ago, Liggle said:

All of my Honda's have been expensive to insure, parts prices perhaps? 

Could it be cheaper to insure the Alfa on a new policy with no NCB and change the Alfa policy to the Civic?

At first glance that seems marginally cheaper. Like £25 per year.

[Liggle]

Assume you've tried the standard stuff - add your mum/sister/other low risk driver as an additional driver, upped the excess, get creative with your job title and industry. 

If you are patient enough starting a policy in 2-3 weeks is often much cheaper than starting one today or tomorrow

[Supernaut]

33 minutes ago, Liggle said:

Assume you've tried the standard stuff - add your mum/sister/other low risk driver as an additional driver, upped the excess, get creative with your job title and industry. 

If you are patient enough starting a policy in 2-3 weeks is often much cheaper than starting one today or tomorrow

Well, the issue is the short MOT. I'll need to book it in somewhere sharp, and drive it there!

 

I've just managed to insure it with Adrian Flux, effective right now. They quoted less than other companies wanted for cover starting next week, and offer far more cover.

It's still not mega mega cheap, but I suppose my savings in road tax and fuel bills will counteract that.

[Noel Tidybeard]

just stick climate into auto at 18-20* and she'll be right

as for the grunt of the diseasel there is alot of bants baiting of the type-r boys by the 2.2 owners about how the diesel will kick their arses 🤣

...and who needs an estate with magic seats😎

[Supernaut]

The boot is indeed pretty large. I was rooting around in it earlier and nearly fell in. I'm a short-arse though.

 

It's definitely big compared to the Alfa 147's boot anyway. I reckon if I fold the seats down it could swallow my bicycle fairly easily.

[Noel Tidybeard]

fold the seats UP and your bike should go in behind the front seats and leave the boot free!

[Supernaut]

The Civic is now booked into the shiters' favourite MOT station (at least in the central belt) for 11am on Saturday.

The sum total of my preparation thus far has been; fuck all.

Cross your fingers, toes, etc.

[brownnova]

This shape of Civic has always appealed to me, looks a bargainous purchase at that price too!