Alfa Romeo Forum banner

147 door trim/strip?

3K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  jesamel 
#1 ·
So my search continues for my first 147. Went to view and testdrive this one today, though too many things didn't seem quite right for the price the guys asking (plus turns out its at 80,500 miles not 79,000 advertised)...


2002 ALFA ROMEO 147 - BELFAST - ARDS - Belfast - Cars for Sale - 58924434


Main issue was severe veering to the left when driving and a large amount of corrosion on the back box. But one thing I thought odd was the door trim/strips along the doors and rear quarter panel.

Did any models of the 147 come with this strip? I believe it's been added to cover up some damage to the front of the drivers door where it appears the door has been opened too far and the wing edge has pushed it in.

It's quite professionally fitted but looks terrible. I think if i removed it there could be a nasty surprise lurking underneath.

Also its worth mentioning the paintwork on the sides of the car was quite dimply/ripply/orange-peel like, is this common for Alfas or could this be a dodgy respray?

Any help would be much appreciated
 
See less See more
#4 ·
"Lovely car throughout" - but you have already identified three dodgy areas. It's fairly safe to say that more would come to light within a few days of owning it. And black is always going to show paint and panel defects most. I've never seen rub strips on 147s, 156s, or GTs.

So keep looking for other 147s :)

-Alex
 
#9 ·
The rubbing strips may not be hiding anything sinister, but maybe the owner was fed with banging the doors into parked cars or vice-versa. 147 doors are very heavy and swing with quite a force, and with that stylish crease running down the side of the body work as well it makes the car quite vulnerable to parking dents. Personally I'd rather keep the good looks and hope for the best rather than stick black rubber strips on it - even if they are genuine Alfa accessories.
As stated before, if you've got any doubts forget it and keep looking........:thumbs:
 
#8 ·
Door mouldings are an Alfa accessory, but very few 147's are fitted with them as they tend to ruin the look of the car. The ones in that photo do look like the genuine article. Rusty back box is very common on most 147's - the outer skin rusts very quickly but the boxes tend to last for years, if youre prepared to ignore the look. Paintwork should not be very orange peely - black does tend to show any paint imperfections more than any other colour, but it might suggest a respray. If the car has got a full history and had cambelt changes every 36k miles (that can all be verified), I would not dismiss it at that price - if not, I would walk away. Might also be worth verifying MOTs, mileage and insurance history.
 
#10 ·
Guys seriously thanks for all this feedback. Really apreciate it. Noticing the dent under the strip Def makes me think they're there to hide an imperfection in the door plus the hinges creaked pretty loud and really felt quite loose. In all it just didn't feel quite right. Saying all that I'm quite glad Im going with my gut feeling and didn't make the purchase today as this potential gem has come up with looks mileage and quality that ticks all my boxes:

ALFA ROMEO 1.6 T SPARK 147 - SAINTFIELD - Belfast - Cars for Sale - 59118766
 
#11 ·
Hey - that's my car! Seriously, that's exactly like mine so I'm obviously going to be a bit biased. The silver and red leather are such a great combination, also it's a 3 door which looks better than the five door and it's got 16" Sport alloys....the minus is the towbar though. Would want to know what they've been towing as a 147 is not an obvious towing car especially in 1.6 form. :tut:
 
#13 ·
Success story!! The guy with the silver 147 agreed to sell at 1700 :) I'll be picking it up on Thursday! So chuffed and over the moon. Truely is a great car. You guys were right to hold off and go with what feels right. Instantly felt excited and giddy and still do! Stunning example of a well kept 147. Was worth the 5month search! Turns out the tow bar was added a few months back for a cycle rack. Only concern really was the reg plate attachment at the front and a matchstick sized circle of rust on the roof.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top