Alfa Romeo Forum banner

Alfa 147 - Time to say goodbye? :(

Tags
goodbye time
1K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  Chocoboy 
#1 ·
Hi folks,

I have an 2002 Alfa 147 2.0 twin spark Lusso with 63k miles on the clock. It's the first car I've owned, I've had it 3 years and it's great!

However, I now realise I am in need of an MOT next month and the car may need work. One thing - it definitely needs a new brake light and two new tyres. I'll probably need the handbrake cable replaced as well, and the last time I was in the garage they mentioned the clutch riding high. But the big thing... I suspect I need the timing belt changed, which I think will cost around £800.

As this is my first car, I'm not entirely sure when to get rid of the car, but with the looming repair bill I'm thinking now might be the time.

webuyanycar.com (apologies if you have a tune in your head) will offer me £1500 for the car, but not sure if it's actually worth more.

Should I get rid? Sell or trade in? Can I repair the car myself (I don't have experience of repairs yet)? There's no other car I'd rather have at the moment, so I'd prefer not to retire the car just yet.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Ian
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
I think it's time for you to become friends with some Alfa Romeo specialists - a cam belt change should be about half what you said (400-ish) and is definitely going to add to the value of the car. It needs to be done with the correct tools, which most general garages won't have. See the thread here recently "To camlock or not to camlock?"

New brake light and new handbrake cable are jobs you can tackle yourself - if it's just a bulb replacement for the brake light, do it today :) New tyres - that applies to any car. New clutch - that is a bigger job that you may not feel confident enough to tackle, but again it is a job that applies to many cars and unlike the cambelt change, the procedure doesn't require special tools beyond what you would use on other cars. Ask the specialists for their opinion of whether it is necessary yet.

I would say it's definitely not time to give up the car for (no doubt) a fraction of what you paid for it. Plenty of life left yet. Maintenance is key...

-Alex
 
#3 · (Edited)
Cam belt and variator on my 1.6 147 cost me £375 at Alfatechnico, two tyres for £40 each, bulb 50p from Wilkinsons on the high street, handbrake cable - often mentioned but usually nothing wrong with them, clutch, well if it drives okay leave it till it goes!

Webyanycar will pay you nothing like what they have offered when they see the car in my experince (but as a private sale your car might be worth around £2500)
 
#4 ·
As above I don't thing you should give up. Selling up and buying something else will put you back at square one, I would rather know what has been done and needs doing with my car. If you have had it for 3 years with no problems then I think the 147 is a keeper.
 
#9 ·
I would keep the car if I was you anyway, but if you did sell, do so privately :)
...and that is also great advice - if you really, really need a change, then fix the 147 and sell privately, you'll be much better off than you would be through any part-exchange deal and you'll have the cash to buy privately too :) Though as has been said, "better the devil you know"...

-Alex
 
#6 ·
I had a similar dilema to you, 2001 2.0 tspark needing lots of work so i decided i was going to trade it in. The offers where pants and the cars i looked at never seemed to fit the bill so in the end i decided to spend half my new car budget (£1500) on doing up the alfa.

My car is now better than ever and it is like having a new car. Spend the money and fix it, trust me it is worthwhile.
 
#8 ·
Well, if you don't buy a brand new car, your possible brand new used car could give you any type problems. If you've had it for 3y you know it, how it sounds, how it drives, when something is out of the ordinary. I say, find an indie garage and fix her up.
 
#11 ·
yep i have to say i agree,dont sell it just spend a bit of time & work on it yourself fixing small probs.
and save your pennies & get the big jobs done.

i bet you will be glad you did in the end.especialy when you still have your 147 after all you did say no other car fits the bill.
in my experiance after an alfa no other car ever will:thumbs:
 
#12 ·
yeah a cambelt change is nowhere near that amount, the clutch will not fail the MOT as long as the car is still driveable my brothers focus just passes yesterday and you can't even feel the bite it's so high, the clutch isn't part of an MOT check as it's a visual inspection only apart from safety aspects i.e. brakes. brake liight bulb 50p -£1 tops and new tyres anything from about £40 upwards for budget ones, might no be very good but as a temporary measure to keep you mobile could be just the trick. But it would be a huge shame to scrap it
 
#13 ·
Hi folks,

Thank you all very much for your responses. Unanimous decision!

When you mention indy garages, what do you mean exactly? Any recommendations on finding a reliable one (in Edinburgh)? At the moment, I have a FARSH, so I guess I'd lose that.

I'll get the lights fixed myself, for sure. Tyres? I'll need to read up on that a bit first.

To be honest, I'm thinking about the Giulietta when it comes out (not certain if I like it yet, especially enough to buy new); and the Volvo C30 is the only real contender, but even then it's not an out and out star.

Thanks again folks, awesome response!

Ian
 
#19 ·
I dont look at the age & value senario Nothing built today that the average guy can afford looks as good as an alfa . If you keep on top of the maintanance i find the bills stay affordable. And as stated find a good indy i use one and im well happy at what they do and charge.
 
#21 ·
Personally, I would not bother with the C30 - sure it is the best looking Volvo around, but it isn't half as quick as it looks and it is still a Volvo - predictable. I had to remind my wife the other day that new tyres are not a reason to look for a new car! Pretty much all of what needs doing on your car is routine maintaince and not cause for alarm
 
#22 ·
try McLennan's at loanhead - labour's a wee bit pricey but you're always 100% confident your car's been done right. I for one would much rather see a McLennan's stamp and reciepts than any main dealer stamps if I was buying one, so wouldn't worry about your AFSH. I'm doing my own cambelt next week but last one was done by McLennan's and cost about £350
 
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