Alfa Porn

[barrett]

Via Autopuzzles.com

 

 

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=13108.0

 

I'm not sure if non-memebers can view the pics, let me know if you can't and i'll stick a few up on here

[Guest]

YES. Is that an Alfetta?

 

You see, if Alfa did something like that but with a modern twist, I'd actually consider buying another new car. Unfortunately, they've decided to call that bloated bollock with an Alfa grille stuck on it (i.e. a badly reskinned Bravo) a Giulietta.

 

Philistines.

[Tayne]

.

[Milford Cubicle]

BRING BACK THE 90.

[Negative Creep]

That new one does look a bit shit doesn't it? Alfa seem to have badly lost their way recently in styling terms

[AnthonyG]

That new one does look a bit shit doesn't it? Alfa seem to have badly lost their way recently in styling terms

You should see the replacement for the 159*, just like the Giulietta with a boot added. I can see they were trying for a Maserati Quattroporte look but it just hasn't worked.

 

 

* please note the actual car,when released, may be a billion times better looking than the Autocar photoshop lash-up.

[Richard]

That new one does look a bit shit doesn't it? Alfa seem to have badly lost their way recently in styling terms

Is 1980 recent?

[uk_senator]

Alfa have slightly lost it, although not as badly as Lancia...

 

I thought the sexy/aggressive 6 headlight front end would last much longer than it did, I recon they`ll all be collectors items in a decade or 2...

 

You heard it here first

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

That new one does look a bit shit doesn't it? Alfa seem to have badly lost their way recently in styling/engines/bits dropping off/wanker Alfisti

Fiat have well and truly fucked Alfa over. Just confirmed is a US built, Chrysler based Alfa SUV. I kid you not.

Italians are unsurpassed in the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Even the last Rovers had more dignity than the tonced up Fiat shite Alfa keep making. Alfisti keep banging on about 'soul' and 'Alfa DNA' and such drivel.

[uk_senator]

Alfa soul & DNA went out the window when they killed off the V6 & bunged Vectra V6`s with chrome intake pipes in instead...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Yes, the 159 is the turning point. Fiat diesels, German made 2.2 GM based fours and Aussie built GM V6. That's not what Alfa are about.

 

The Alfa in the first post is a 1972 Alfetta 1800. 'That' twin cam, discs all round, De Dion rear end and rear mounted 5 speed transaxle. A serious car in 1972 and a long way ahead of the game. Basically the same car (the 75 Twin Spark) was still in production in 1992 and still a great drivers car. Proper Alfa Romeos, RIP.

[flat4alfa]

159 is a bit lumpy to drive with its SAAB cast-off chassis but the looks do get the oiks out of the way when you're behind them. The Holden V6 is nice enough. Not a Busso by any stretch, but nice enough

 

Agree, we want a Giulietta looking like that lovely old 116 Alfetta.

 

Still, at least the Italians still have a car industry of their own, eh.

[warren t claim]

How unreliable is the Alfa 156? I see loads about for under a grand and they all look very tidy for the money.

[Pete-M]

There's meant to be yet another resurgence from Alfa going on. They're talking about going back to RWD (Yay) and that kind of malarky.

 

I don't actually think modern Alfas are that bad. The new Giulietta is meant to drive really very well indeed, and I like the way it looks.

 

I keep getting the urge to replace one of the SD1s with a 166 3.0.

[Pete-M]

How unreliable is the Alfa 156? I see loads about for under a grand and they all look very tidy for the money.

Very if you're not an Alfa freak.

[warren t claim]

How unreliable is the Alfa 156? I see loads about for under a grand and they all look very tidy for the money.

Very if you're not an Alfa freak.

I can't imagine a T reg 156 being anymore unreliable that a similar vintage Vectra tbh.

[Pete-M]

How unreliable is the Alfa 156? I see loads about for under a grand and they all look very tidy for the money.

Very if you're not an Alfa freak.

I can't imagine a T reg 156 being anymore unreliable that a similar vintage Vectra tbh.

Oh, it's better than a Vectra, but it's not as reliable.

 

It's the bloody cam variator that causes 90% of the shit with the 156. If that is ok, and the belt has been replaced, then they're a nice enough car.

 

It's just Alfa, in their infinate wisdom, used to charge about £700 to replace the belt / variator / tensioner, and it needs doing every 30k or so. This meant that nobody replaced 'em and they went pop on a regular basis, filling the Loot with plenty of dead 156s and killing their residuals. It also resulted in people who can't afford to run them buying them 4 years old, ex-fleet, from auctions, not doing the belt / tensioner / variator and killing them in no time.

 

Ah, then there's the dreaded sillyspeed box. These really are shit, and it's a rare one that has done more than 15k miles without a full, ££££ rebuild.

 

I'd have a nice 156 2.0 with the Momo leather interior.

[warren t claim]

Do all the 4 pot motors use the variator system? How bad are the v6 engined cars to live with?

[Pete-M]

The V6 is a gorgeous old lump, but the 156 had the 2.5 which is sweet as a nut, but a lot heavier than the 2.0.

 

Still need expensive belt changes, otherwise not so bad.

[The Liberator]

On balance I'm pleased that Alfa may have lost their way, styling-wise. I'll be even more pleased if the Giulietta turns out to be very good: then they will have something other than styling to sell, and they might even be bought as something other than a boutique label by those Alfisti who revel in the 'they're really shit but that's why they're great' attitude, and go on about soul, DNA and all that stuff because there's not much else to brag about.

[sporty-shite]

Back to the porn....

 

I'm not greedy, I'll be happy with this:

 

 

If I want to look at a modern Alfa, I'll just look out of my front window

[flat4alfa]

How unreliable is the Alfa 156? I see loads about for under a grand and they all look very tidy for the money.

No worse than something Opel or French or British, in my experience.

 

I run 156 as my daily: 40 miles a day. Have done so (between two examples) for ooooh over 36 months now. No trouble apart from one diesel injector packing-up (at 127k) ....but that's a German part and the Bosch agent sorted that, so it doesn't count

 

My missus punts 40 miles a day too in her 12-year-old petrol model, which was built like an Escort (shoddy) but goes on and on reliably between oil changes and squeaks. Everythnig apart from one rear leccy winder works. It's on just its second variator - it's at 124k now.

 

If they were that unreliable we wouldn't be using them to get to work!

 

 

Some more pr0nnage:

 

[Spiny Norman]

I had a 156 2.0TS for 4 years.

One morning it wouldn't start because the battery had died, that was it's unreliability.

 

Fabulous car that I was mad to sell, I'm after another one.

[wuvvum]

I keep getting the urge to replace one of the SD1s with a 166 3.0.

3-litre 166s are great cars. Get a manual rather than a Sportronic though - the Sportronic only has four gears and is also more prone to going wrong, although nowhere near as bad as the Sillyspeed on the 156. A nice dark metallic 166 3.0 with a six-speed manual and embossed leather interior is one of my dream cars.

[outlaw118]

Don't know if it's ebay tat, or ebay bargains, but I'm putting it here first....

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ultra-Ultra-Rare- ... 35ab442b1d

[eddyramrod]

A friend of mine over here has a 1968 Alfa 1750 Berlina that he wants to sell. I really fancy it as I've never owned an Alfa. He says if he still has it if/when I sell my Capri, it's mine. I said, if you still have it if/when I sell my Capri, it's mine. I do like it when we agree on stuff! 1779cc, DOHC, twin Webers, 4 doors, comfy seats, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[Guest]

Argh, the 156 two five V6. One of the few FWD cars I would have as a toy.

There was quite a nice one with 120k that went through a rough-as-fuck auction in St Helens for £650.

 

Yeah, I wanted it quite a lot. It had a woodrimmed steering wheel, those telephone dial alloys and a black leather interior.

 

One for the list.

 

Wat's List of Dreggy Cars to buy:

 

1. Citroen GS 1220

2. Volvo 480 Turbo

3. Alfa Romeo 156 Two Five

4. Saab 900 Turbo 16

5. Citroen BX 16 Valve.

 

Hmm, shit - they're all FWD. And despite the best efforts of my C4, I still haven't lost the urge for a pre '98 Cit.

 

RWD is still the king for a bit of idiotic hooning mind.

[meggersdog]

156 2.5 that I owned for a few days.Lady owner plus one previous,68k with history.Bought from BCA Peterboghorror for £650 including fees.Sounded nice,looked good and went well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50807622@N03/4863224094/

 

Oops,linky not working properly

[Tayne]

.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Back to the porn....

 

I'm not greedy, I'll be happy with this:

 

 

If I want to look at a modern Alfa, I'll just look out of my front window

Fuck, I've just lost my mess - a '76-7 1300 Sprint.

 

156's are sort of okayish. The Variators aren't what causes the engines to go pop - they just rattle like buggery. These TwinSpark engines need a belt and tensioners every 30k without fail. Alfa GB decided to alter this to 70'000 miles with 'a visual inspection' at 36'000. "yes, I've taken the belt cover off and there's definitely a cam belt under there".

When the belt breaks, as a great number have, the valve to piston impact will squash the top ring land and trap the top ring. very often it also fractures the top bearing shell. That's why so many 156's are on Egay with fucked engines - after a belt break you MUST drop the sump and pull the affected pistons and rods out but no bugger ever does.

 

156's also rot underneath (sills at the back, front floors and front chassis legs), shag wishbones and bushes for a pastime and if the clutch slave cylinder goes, it's a gearbox out job because the cylinder is inside the box........

 

But a tidy one with a sweet engine for £5-600 is worth a punt I guess.

 

But I'm thinking a Cavalier 111 SRi or an early 2.0Si Mondeo would be a better bet, only because they've all gone now.