What are Alfa Romeo 147's like?

andygb

alcot33uk wrote: »

OK, confession time here, late 80's my mate bought a GTV flat 4 Boxer and I said 'what do you want to buy that heap of s*** for, blinkin rust bucket'. He then took me out in it on the Acle straight (between Acle and Gt. Yarmouth) and we were pootling along and he said 'open the window and stick your head out' so I did. Then he dropped it from 5th to 3rd and booted it....... That was it, I was a convert........ Bloody things....

I think that would be the Sprint Veloce, not the GTV. The Sprint was a sporty version of the AlfaSud, with a boxer engine, and the GTV always had either an inline twin cam four or the lovely V6.
If I was looking for a "budget Alfa", then I would go for the following:

147, 2 litre, manual, with service history, and proven evidence of a cam belt change, along with variator. The cam belts, as said before have to be changed every three years or 36,000 miles.

156 2 litre estate (for the pooch), again manual, and with all the checks which apply to the above.

If you buy an Alfa, join the owners club, get on the forum and ask questions. Also make sure that any car you buy, has all the keys with it, including the dark red (brown??) master key.
Find a good independent garage (there are plenty out there), because the main dealer in my area was useless for servicing (he went bust -what a shame :rotfl::rotfl:).
Good luck, but be careful, because Alfas are addictive.

Andy

Exemplar

Stand corrected mate, you are right, age.......

sebdangerfield

goldspanners wrote: »

getting a car on the road and keeping it there with a limited budget doesn't scream alfa romeo to me im afraid.
if you can't afford to buy with your heart then don't. buy with your head.

I agree, I think for that budget it could be risky. I sold my 2.0 for £3700 and that had all the extras and had been looked after but, like I said I traveled a 500 mile round trip to get it!

andygb

alcot33uk wrote: »

Stand corrected mate, you are right, age.......

I scared the life out of the mother in law once. I accelerated down a slip road in third gear (2.0 Alfetta only one box on the exhaust, twin Dellorto carbs) at nearly seven thousand RPM, and the sound was like a formula three car.
You are so right, saying - "bloody things".:(:rotfl::rotfl:

pippy100

goldspanners wrote: »

getting a car on the road and keeping it there with a limited budget doesn't scream alfa romeo to me im afraid.
if you can't afford to buy with your heart then don't. buy with your head.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT, BUT MY HEART IS SAYING BUY!!! Especially when you read all the other comments( see below)

alcot33uk wrote: »

OK, confession time here, late 80's my mate bought a GTV flat 4 Boxer and I said 'what do you want to buy that heap of s*** for, blinkin rust bucket'. He then took me out in it on the Acle straight (between Acle and Gt. Yarmouth) and we were pootling along and he said 'open the window and stick your head out' so I did. Then he dropped it from 5th to 3rd and booted it....... That was it, I was a convert........ Bloody things....

alcot33uk wrote: »

Buy the 147, buy a warranty (a good one or if from a dealer insist on a 12 month full warranty). Make sure service book is fully stamped including everything!!! Then when you buy it stand and look at it next to a Mongreyo and just be pleased with yourself! you have purchased one of the most amazing looking cars on the planet!

I have the devil in 1 ear and the angel in the other, i don't want to be sensible but when i'm not i usually get burned!!!!

jaydeeuk1

I was looking at the 3 litre GTV or fiat coupe 2litre 20v turbo before the scrappage thing came along and made me buy something sensible. The GTV was gorgeous.
I will own an alfa one day!

hartcjhart

if you have ever wondered what the numbers are for on the alfa range,it gives an idea of how many days a year it will be in the garage being repaired:rotfl:

Inactive

hartcjhart wrote: »

if you have ever wondered what the numbers are for on the alfa range,it gives an idea of how many days a year it will be in the garage being repaired:rotfl:

Even that is being optimistic..

Exemplar

Actually the numbers are the hourly rate at an official Alfa Garage.....

goldspanners

pippy100 wrote: »

YOU ARE SO RIGHT, BUT MY HEART IS SAYING BUY!!! Especially when you read all the other comments( see below)




I have the devil in 1 ear and the angel in the other, i don't want to be sensible but when i'm not i usually get burned!!!!

just imagine the angel driving past you in her boring reliable focus or golf laughing at you and your broken down alfa and empty wallet on the hardshoulder.

that usually sobers me up when i get stupid ideas above my station.