Alfa 147

stuckinarut

one question..

are they as bad as iv been made to believe, found really nice one but afraid to put offer in

madson

i have one a year now and love driving it, just make sure it has a full service history and depending on the mileage make sure the variator and belts have being done.

SouperComputer

I suppose now is as good as time as any to link to my old sig:

http://overt.ie/files/STFF.htm

RoundyMooney

I like the way it finishes on my comment "I'm not that brave!"

prospect

If it has been well looked after, and you continue to look after it, it should be fine.

Henry Ford III

I like them. Cool little cars.

bazz26

Really depends on how the OP views motor ownership. If you just get in, turn the key and go from A to B with as little hassel as possible then maybe an Alfa is not the car for you.

On the otherhand if you are bit of a petrol head where you enjoy motoring to it's fullest, don't mind poking around under the bonnet regularly, basically if motoring is a hobbie then the Alfa will definately tick most of those boxes.

Alfas generally require a bit more TLC than most other similar cars and they can be tempermental, but most of their owners love them and see that as a small part of the overall ownership experience.

Things to watch with Alfas:

• The main thing is the timing belt, it needs to be changed every 36k miles on the button.
• Engine oil, the twin spark engines like oil so it needs to be checked and topped up regularly.
• Not sure about the 147 but the variator in the 156 is know to need replacing every so often. You will know when as it makes the engine sound like a diesel when idle.
• Suspension has been known to be weak on this cars so make sure it is fine when buying.
• Alfa Romeo main dealers are generally useless when it comes to after sales service and warranty issues. Best find a good Alfa Romeo speciallist who knows his cars inside out. If you are in Dublin then there is only one man to go to - Gerry Cambell, Ti Autos.
• Don't buy an Alfa without a full service history. Any genuine Alfa owner who is an enthusiast will have one.

Best of luck.

cantdecide

ABSOLUTELY no car is 100% reliable. If you're buying a nice example that has been well checked out you shouldn't be too bad.

That is not to say that nothing will go wrong with it but you're getting something worth being proud of.

The nay-sayers would have you buy a Corolla but that would be a fate worse than death to me.

cjt156

cantdecide wrote: »

The nay-sayers would have you buy a Corolla but that would be a fate worse than death to me.

Correction; that's a fate WORSE than a fate worse than death...