Not Stratos - but help appreciated!

[BETANUT]

Folks,
After a year of Renault motoring (never, ever again:mad: ) I'm on the prowl for something 'interesting yet practical'.... sadly a Stratos is one but not the other and well out of my budget range:rolleyes:
The wife has banned me (I kid you not) on owning another Lancia for the forseeable future so another VX or a Delta or a Thema is out of the question..... but the thought struck me that there's a few Alfa fans here and 'her indoors' isn't entirely against an Alfa.
So what I'm looking for is feedback on the 145 Cloverleaf and anything in the 156 range (especially the 2.4 JTD)..... other practical and sensible suggestions on something in the 5k bracket which has a bit of pace and not a Renault would be welcome;)

[shaun]

other practical and sensible suggestions on something in the 5k bracket which has a bit of pace and not a Renault

Divorce + Beta

[CorseChris]

Sorry Hamish, but sensible, practical and Alfa simply cannot form a sentance without including the word NOT.

My 155 V6 has cost me a flippin' fortune, it's done less than 90k and the cams are done for, the A/C gave up long ago, it eats front tyres, front wishbones & fuel, the climate control system is full of broken bits, the interior wears too quickly, it rattles and squeeks, the parts are too expensive...

...shall I go on??

Any twinspark motor is likely to self-destruct unless ALL the idlers, pulleys and water pump are changed along with the cambelt. The cam variators seem to need changing more often than air filters.

Why are there so many V6 motors around for our Strats?? 'cos the 164s they used to live in is too expensive to keep on the road despite it being a top of the range luxury motor from just a few years ago.

Even buying at £5k, you are going to suffer terrifying depreciation.

Apart from that, they're brilliant......

[SUSIT]

Hi Hamish, hope work was not very taxing last night.
As to buying an Alfa to replace your much loved Renault a mate inthe trade stated that most lease companies have removed Alfas from there lists as they are so expensive to run. With the milage you do to work etc and your other interests I rekon you could do worse than a Audi A4 TDi estate. for fun see ebay locost for sale in Ayr £400. 1800 beta + fiat 131 gearbox + pair of weber IDF

Yon know it makes sense

regards

Stephen

[guy mayers]

I can only speak from personal experience with my 145 Cloverleaf!

I've had it since March 1996, it was one of the Dealer Demonstrators sent over for the launch but not registered as the dealer was moving showrooms. I managed to get my hands on it before the rest of the country - it's probably the oldest 145 Cloverleaf in private hands in the UK. It's now 8 years old and has just turned 102,000 miles tonight!

Here are the items replaced during that 8 year period and the rough timescales/prices where relevant!
Phillips CD player at 3 months - under warranty, "dry solder joint broke" - ok, not Alfas fault.
Front tyres at 10K - inner surfaces worn through to canvas, outer edges fine! - Tracking/geometry corrected by Alfa under warrranty. Sets replaced at about 16K since then. Rears wear evenly and last 40k.
Front lower wishbones £45 each. both sides, left at 60K, right at 96K
Usual timing chain tensioners etc at 72K service which is the expensive one! About £500.
It's had two replacement sets of pads front, one rear and all the discs replaced at 84K.
Wing mirror was removed by a careless passing sod one day. Broke the ally casting but a little epoxy resin soon put that back ok.
The exhaust finally gave up the ghost at 96K and was replaced completely bar cat. Alfa wanted £1000 fitted but genuine parts from alfastop were £460 - worth it if it lasts another 7 years.
There's been the usual wiper blades and the odd bulb now and then as well.
Services work out at £60 -£80 for interims which I have done every 6K (12K is per the book) Other services every 24k are about £200.
Dealers could always do better but I've no real complaints. The only ongoing "problem" is a weeping sump plug that drips everywhere I go. The thread was stripped and helicoiled at 60K and redone at 96K with a heavier one but this made the drip lots worse. I now have to top the oil up between services! This will probably have to be fixed by welding the sump hole and refacing/rethreading or replace the sump pan. A job for Geoff!
Of the other major components :-
Clutch - still original.
Suspension - still original.
Battery - still original.
Steering - the same!

Breakdowns - never. Not once. 100% reliable.
This has been the best car I have ever had. Bar none. The Stratos may be much more exciting to drive, faster, better looking but it's not the workhorse the Alfa is.

Insurance can be expensive,I was paying about £450 each year fully comp/business/protected NCB living in a high risk area. TPFT is £300 now that the car isn't worth more than £2k.

So, from my experience I would have to say that I have no hesitation in recommending the 145 Cloverleaf! Brilliant! Love it as much as the Stratos. Going to be heartbroken the day I have to replace it!

Guy

[chris.richard]

Welcome back Hamish - we've missed your postings.
Ooooooooooh, just popped my k!

[BETANUT]

Guy,
Cheers... at least there's some good news on the Alfa front! A JTD would make more sense but it so happens that there's a 145 2 litre Green Cloverleaf for sale locally in black with leather interior and 42k miles on the clock and in budget - I'm sorely tempted!

Chris...... errr, thanks I think... I was never really away, but being banned from all things Lancia by her indoors did limit the postings I've made here and on www.lancisti.net (http://www.lancisti.net).
Any closer to finishing the beast yet? :confused:[

[chris.richard]

Originally posted by BETANUT

Any closer to finishing the beast yet?


Yes, it's getting there!

[Swamprat33]

Hi Hamish, I am trying to sell my 2001 Alfa 147 2.0 5 door Lusso to help pay for my Stratos.
It is a very well specced UK car with less that 30k on the clock. It is very good condition and has been very reliable.
Email me if you are interested.
Open to offers around £8000.

[CorseChris]

Guy, you cetainly sound happy with your Alfa..

...to paraphrase Basil Fawlty...

"A satisfied Alfa owner, lets have him stuffed....." :) :)

[BETANUT]

Sadly the 145 was sold before I could get to it..... never mind.
147 is out of my price range I'm afraid, we Coastguards don't earn a lot - maybe in 3 years?

I've got wind of a 156 2.4JTD saloon - sportswagen would suit me better - up for grabs at a non dealer garage in Aberdeen (dreadful place Aberdeen, avoid it if you can) so hope to get a chance to see it next week.

Oddy SUSITs idea of a kit isn't out of the question, most likely a Sylva Fury with the errrr wide body option...... if I can find one cheap enough. She who must be obeyed seems keen on the idea of building something from scratch, maybe a Stratos in a few years? Mind you, this has the potential for disaster..... I'd have to let her drive it - quite intolerable
:D

[Marmott]

At a budget of £5k, and assuming you dont mind work and further expense , why not try to pick up a half built or not used Stratos, its the going rate and there have been a couple around, I know of one Litton bought for this price that was well worth it.
It may take you time but they are there.