Ready to dip into 'emotional' motoring...

Hello.

I've not got my Alfa yet, I'm currently looking for the perfect example (3 door, 2.0 manual, 147 Lusso, in Graphite Grey with red leather(or Red or Black with the uprated black leather seats), winter pack and Bose stereo, full history, low owners...). Might take a while, but I'm prepared to wait!

I thought it would be a good idea to get involved with a forum for help with the inevitable 'issues'!

Currently driving a supposedly reliable Celica VVTI 140, which is on it's second engine! I bought the thing over an ideal 147 and have lived with the regret ever since.

Time to make amends!

Hi, welcome to AO

Hello and Welcome :xmas:

Good luck finding your perfect 147 :xmas:

Hello and welcome to AO

Hello and welcome:xmas:

welcome to AO

Hello and welcome to AO.

Good luck with your search and welcome to AO

Hi happy hunting for your 147

Hello and Welcome !!

Hate to say this, but I much prefer the Celica over the 147...

Hi there and welcome to AO!
:xmas:



And long live Darren

Thanks!

Welcome to AO.

The single biggest thing to ensure you are not hit by is to make sure that the cambelt change isn't due. Its every 36K miles, and a major service cost. If you miss it the engine can go bang if the cambelt breaks.

Most other issues are small potatoes, and not that expensive to fix.
I didn't have anything go wrong over my first 80,000 miles of Alfa motoring except an inexpensive MAF on my t-spark (replaced under warranty)

At current prices Alfas are extremely good value, for the passion they generate

..and Darren isn't quite sure of what he likes himself, recently tending towords experimentation with strange urges

Hello and welcome

hi and welcome to AO...

all the best

mike.....:xmas:

Cheers everybody!

I finally found a 147. Unfortunately it doesn't have the Bose system, but you can't always get what you want (As The Rolling Stones once said). I have a good Alpine HU anyway. It's a good job, the standard one's rubbish!

It's a bit older than I wanted (a 51 plate), but it's in excellent condition and only 2 owners (and they were in the same family). It had it's timing belt done about 20,000 miles ago, so it'll be fine for a while yet. It had a sticky gearbox (the reason why it was so cheap, I don't think the dealer knew it was such an easy thing to fix!) which is why I it was so cheap. It's all sorted now.

I'm very happy with it. Much more fun to drive than the Celica and a LOT more torque. But the gearbox and the suspension don't have the same quality. I'm looking into changing the dampers to sort the ride out (Koni FSDs I think, I've found some at £352, unless anyone has any better/cheaper suggestions), I'll get used to the european gearbox again (I had a Bravo..)!

This is a useful forum!

Congratulations mate!