AO Car of the Year 2008: 147, 156 & GT Lounge (2)

Dear fellow AOers,

Here is the poll for the 147, 156 and GT lounge. You may vote once, for the car you prefer.

The entrants are (we've had to select 10 - apologies to the ones that didn't make it ) ....

1. shiny car, GT 3.2, http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/...3eb3cb87_o.jpg
2. Nicky,156,http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac...d=12084734 96
3. David P, 147,2008 147 Lusso - Alfa Romeo Images
4. Mr. Orange, 156,http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...zon-side01.jpg
5. Rarebear, 156, http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac...-156spring.jpg
6. Tanuki, GT, http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/aogal...m/IMG_1107.jpg
7. BigGinge, 147, http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac...ations-147.jpg
8. Sirocco, 147 TS,http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac...d=12089932 17
9. Rush, 156, http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac..._monstro_3.jpg
10. Ricey13, GT,http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/attac...d=12092211 81

Entrants may add up to five more photographs to further their cause, preferably using thumbnails rather than links to off site hosting.

Voters - remember you have nine other polls to vote in! You've got two weeks to vote

*Please do NOT abuse this poll, any suspect voting will result in removal of the vote*

Here are a few more pics

Here are some pics of my 147!

Rich

Here are 4 photos of my 156 - I might add another later on

The car is a 2.5 V6 Sport Pack 3 model, with solid black paint, side skirts, full black momo leather interior, carbon fibre effect centre console, orange/grey dials and a Zender boot lip rear spoiler. On top of this I've added 17" genuine Alfa Supersport alloys with Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD-3 tyres, GTA-style headlights, crystal/black side repeaters (to match the headlights, hehe), a GTA intake pipe and a twin-60mm CSC backbox, giving it a lovely deep rumble at low revs and a screaming rasp at the top end. It's also got an Alpine IDA-x001 head unit with full iPod control. Last week the car was fitted with a Q2 limited slip differential, and now has immense amounts of grip in the corners.

I bought my 156 in October, having been looking for the very particular spec I'd had in mind for a few months. I was in fact looking for a 2.0TS, but when this V6 came along ticking all the other boxes - including price - I couldn't really not buy it. And indeed I'm lucky to have it - having bought it blind off ebay (d'oh), the first time I went to see it it wouldn't go above 4,000rpm. I made a topic about the problem on here, just out of curiosity, and it turned out that the MAF was dead. The seller got it fixed at his own expense and then sold it to me for the same price the next week, after having some interest from our very own Darren-"I change my cars more often than my underwear"-156, who kindly didn't buy it as I'd seen it first It certainly makes a nice change from the dead silver 1.8 I had on axle stands on my drive this time last year, but the less said about that one the better!

Some of you may have seen it at Auto Italia at Brooklands on Saturday, or at Spring Alfa Day in Chatham a couple of weeks ago. Every time I drive my car it makes me smile, and hopefully some of you will like it nearly as much as I do and decide to send your one precious vote in its direction

You're just biased against us big wingers......

I didn't realise a story would help, I'll have to think of one and post again later

Rich

Originally Posted by BigGinge

I didn't realise a story would help, I'll have to think of one and post again later

Rich

We don't know yet whether it helps or not

I didn't make it through!

But neither did Roswell, so that cheers me up a bit!

Mr O's Amazon wins for me

Some pics from me

I don't see the value of this poll if almost half the nominated cars have been excluded.

Originally Posted by Roswell

I don't see the value of this poll if almost half the nominated cars have been excluded.

Looks less like a competition and more like a one horse race from here

Rich

Originally Posted by Roswell

I don't see the value of this poll if almost half the nominated cars have been excluded.

As per the rules (same as last year) we had to whittle the field down to 10. Some had to go

For next year, we'll try to figure out the software needed to run polls with more than 10 entries

Voted

Voted

thanks everyone who is voting for my car! i REALLY appreciate it.

here are some details:

car
*Australian-spec 3.2L V6 GT, build date 2004, first registered 2006; i am the first owner, bought as a 'demo' model with 1,300km; currently travelled approx 13,500km
*Kyalami Black with Red Leather interior
*standard features include: xenon headlights + washers, climate pack, winter pack, Bose stereo with CD changer, height-adjustable passenger seat, rear parking sensors

modifications
*suspension: Eibach Pro Kit springs + KONI Sport adjustable dampers; modified front damper fitment into suspension fork for lowered stance; Weicher's aluminium front strut brace
*wheels: ATP Tecnoforming 19x8.5" custom spec'd for 5x98mm PCD, +35mm offset; Toyo Proxes4 225/35 tyres
*Q2 LSD
*Mille Miglia backbox exhaust with 2x 75mm tips
*exterior cosmetic: front repeaters to 'clear', smoked side repeaters, short 156(update)-style roof antenna, 'debadged' of GT, Bertone, clear lacquer on rear brake calipers, unique 'ALFA.GT' registration plates
*interior cosmetic: MOMO Pitstop brake lever + gaitor
*ICE: in progress, full custom stereo upgrade including Optima Blue Top battery, custom underbonnet wiring + fuseholders, Alpine CDA-9885R headunit + KCE-300BT bluetooth adaptor + iPod KCE-422i cable, modified dashtop ventilation housing for 4" centre channel speaker, sound deadened + sealed doors, Dynaudio MW160GT 6.5" woofers; (pending: morel Supremo Picollo tweeters in custom mirror sail panel pods, Alpine F1 Status digital processor + amplifier, audison VRx series amplifiers, 4x CD changers, Image Dynamics IDMAX12 subwoofer, custom boot installation)

detailing products
*Metabo random orbital polisher + Lake Country CCS-series pads
*Menzerna PO85RD3.01 Intensive Polish (swirls) + Menzerna PO106FF Final Finish (high gloss polish)
*Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion (prewax) + Pinnacle Souveran Wax Paste
*Duragloss Water Spot Remover (glass), Turtlewax Tyre Black (tyres), Poorboy's Natural Look (interior plastics), Zaino Z9 (leather), Autoglym Bumper Care (exterior black plastics)

i love my car. it is the second alfa i have owned - previously had a TS 156. the GT is always garaged, hardly ever sees rain (cos i avoid it!), and repeatedly detailed. my ICE install is an ongoing project, and future mods planned for the coming months include ASSO rear suspension lower-arms, and Mille Miglia backbox exhaust

thanks for reading. attached are a selection of photos.

EDIT 15/05/08: new pics loaded: mobile phone external antenna removed from windscreen (now has internal antenna), short 156-esque radio antenna shown, new Mille Miglia backbox exhaust fitted

Originally Posted by Pud237

I didn't make it through!

But neither did Roswell, so that cheers me up a bit!