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Somewhat of a revelation.......

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revelation
1K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  simesgt 
#1 ·
Okay, firstly, I`ll apologise in advance so that, hopefully, you`ll forgive my sheer ignorance...........:D

Now that that`s out of the way, I can begin.

If you look at my username, the clue is there straight away, in that I`ve owned quite a few really nice cars; okay, nothing too exotic, but stuff that most of the ordinary working petrol-heads (which is how I`d describe myself) would probably like to own. Don`t get me wrong, I`m certainly not bragging here, because changing my cars far too frequently has lead to me losing an absolute boat-load of cash over the years, and although I`m a little ashamed to say it......that`s how it is !!

Anyway, my latest car-change has not been for the "usual" reasons, (but that`s another story), and as such, I duly find myself now owning a Sterling Grey Alfa GT 3.2 V6.

The reason behind the "revelation" part of my thread-title is because I simply had NO idea that the Alfa was going to be this good, and this accomplished to drive, and that`s because (again, the reason for my plea for forgiveness) I was pretty ignorant of Alfa Romeos until I actually drove one.

Once driven, (another V6 elsewhere in poor condition), I knew that I wanted NOTHING else within my budget, and started to look around for one. Once I started to do that, my wanderings took me to various Alfa dealers, and subsequently some of the absolutely beautiful cars on offer, courtesy of Alfa Romeo.

Once on the hunt, it didn`t take me too long to find the one that I now own, as it was in the condition, and of course the budget, that I had been looking for.

If you`ve not fallen asleep through sheer boredom by now, here is my take on my GT:

Looks: What can I say ? It`s absolutely beautiful, (especially the front end), and automatically sits lower than most performance cars that I`ve owned previously, straight out of the box. Particularly pleasing is the aggressive-looking front grill, and the way that the car tapers backwards in a wedge-shape.

Interior: I find the dash nicely laid out, and a bit special to look at, but in all honesty, some of the plastics appear to be of a cheaper construction/feel than the German cars. The seats, however, are something of a highlight of the interior for me, as not only do they look superb, but they fit me very well, and place me just at the right height within the car, ie; so you`re sitting "in it", and not "on it". I also find the rear seats excellent, and couldn`t quite believe that, for once, a manufacturer has had the sense to include 3 rear seats in a coupe, instead of the usual, restrictive 2 (I have 3 kids, so need the seating room of course).

Okay, that`s the boring stuff out of the way.........:lol:

The performance: I was, on the test-drive, and remain so, quite astonished that this thing is "only" putting out 240bhp. It definitely feels like there`s quite a few more ponies under there, and is honestly the first naturally aspirated car, that I`ve driven, that has turbo-like characteristics in-gear. It really does fly, and I find it EXTREMELY responsive in every gear. What a total PEACH of an engine, and of course, mated to the incredible sound-track that accompanies each and every drive, it makes for a top-class driving experience. :thumbs:

The handling: Again...... superb !! Alfa have pulled off quite a remarkable act in coupling razor-sharp steering with stability and feel. The downside to this is probably a larger turning-circle than the QE2 :)D), and it can be a bit of a b*ll-ache to drive straight into an average supermarket car parking space..... It does, also, understeer towards the limit, but no more than the average front-drive performance car. The suspension, I feel, is pretty much just about right; providing a firm enough ride to keep the car planted through the bends, but not so much so that you`re on the Christmas card list of your local dentist for filling replacement...........

The braking: I have to admit, so far not the best stoppers I have experienced; not bad, you understand, and nothing that maybe some new/better pads may sort out, but they seem to "go-off" quite quickly once your driving becomes more "spirited".

So yes, all-in-all, I am absolutely over the moon with my latest steed, and it is one which I would hope to keep for some time to come.

Is there anything I would change ? Well yes, but only the colour.............:D As I say, reported to be Sterling Grey, but looks more of a silver to me. Nothing wrong with silver, of course, but I just prefer something that you can tell when you have really put in some effort with a good cleaning/polishing session, like black, or red; but hey, such is life, and you cannot always choose your colour when buying used.........

Anyway, if you`re STILL awake after all of my ramblings, then your comments are more than welcome.........:thumbs:
 
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#5 ·
So you don't like it ...... much :cheese: a Q2 diff will sort the understeer, as far as stopping goes, how old / knackered is the brake fluid ? Change that and put some DS 2500 or PF pads onto standard discs. colour wise have you thought of wrapping it ? If you are happy with the suspension keep it stock, personally I had to replace my shot shocks and discovered that the Koni FSD ( with stock springs ) has absolutely transformed the car. Wishing you many miles of :) :thumbs:
 
#6 · (Edited)
:thumbs:

Is all I can say, well done Nomad :)

As Smaky said, it's great to read a thread started not for the purposes of asking for help or making a complaint, but instead to share something interesting with us. Again, :thumbs:

Of course, my opinions don't match all of yours, but that doesn't matter :lol:
Personally I don't like the styling of the GT - it's just a bit too weird for me and that nose curving smoothly down to the road makes it look like an armadillo. And 240bhp? Wa-a-ay too much, sounds like what you'd get in a 166, and considering it's at least double the price of the 166 for a smaller car, is it good value? Well, I'm delighted you feel it is :)

It's actually quite funny how my bargain-basement 156 (about one-fifth the price of a GT here) has little in common with your GT in the desirability stakes, or the power stakes, or anything else - except, they are both Sterling Grey (694?) and I agree with you, it's a very ordinary silver really. Clashes a little with the silver of the wheels, too (I have GT wheels on mine - their spiky shape is my favourite wheel ever). BUT on the bright side, it DOES improve with a polish - there's something about the smooth sparkliness of it that really makes it look like a new car again. ;)

I guess the difference between the 156 and the much-more-desirable GT is a little like the difference between a FIAT 128 saloon and a FIAT 128 Coupe, but brought forward to the 21st century (I'm sure in real-money terms, we're paying about the same now as those little FIATs cost in the 70's and 80's). My Dad bought a 128 Coupe when it was 15 years old (I was 9 at the time) and he paid 50% more than I did for my 7-year-old 156. And as I said, my 156 is the humdrum saloon compared to your GT. But somehow, I still like it. The steering is especially nice and precise and the brakes are something I never have to think about. And 150bhp is enough. After all, it is double what a FIAT 128 Coupe made do with, and that car was my Dad's pride and joy. My Dad also liked the 128 saloon (we had one of those as well, Mum was allowed to drive that) and that only had 55bhp. I don't know how it managed to tow a fully-loaded boat trailer on holidays that involved a nine-hour drive, with several hours on gravel roads, but it did. I can still smell the heady mix of vinyl, petrol fumes, and freshly-washed clothes and sheets jammed in the back seat.

So, making do with my 156, I'm not jealous at all... :D

-Alex
 
#9 ·
Your post took me back... I had a couple of 128 saloons early in my motoring career, and what fun they were. Only 55 bhp as you say with the 1.1 engine (1100 as we called them then) but it felt spirited and unburstable. Although the top speed was under 90 mph, third gear was good for 80 and what a din it made...
 
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