Tips when buying an Alfa 147 GTA

[RobFord]

Hi There

Looking at buying an Alfa, I am swaying towards the 147 GTA.

Is there anything in particular to check for/avoid ? I see quite a few advertised with a Q2 sports diff upgrade, is this a good thing or a bad thing, anything else I should look for ? I cant really afford to spend more than $15k, although there seems to be quite a few on carsales.com is this enough to pick up a good one or am I dreaming and should I focus on a different model ?

I had a 156 selespeed as a company car about 10 years ago and thought it was great, it was very reliable but would like something with just a little bit more oooomfff

Any tips would be most appreciated

Rob

[tjb0274]

Hi There

Looking at buying an Alfa, I am swaying towards the 147 GTA.

Is there anything in particular to check for/avoid ? I see quite a few advertised with a Q2 sports diff upgrade, is this a good thing or a bad thing, anything else I should look for ? I cant really afford to spend more than $15k, although there seems to be quite a few on carsales.com is this enough to pick up a good one or am I dreaming and should I focus on a different model ?

I had a 156 selespeed as a company car about 10 years ago and thought it was great, it was very reliable but would like something with just a little bit more oooomfff

Any tips would be most appreciated

Rob

Hi Rob -

Went through this process recently myself. Some quick thoughts - feel free to ask follow-up questions, and I'm sure others will chime in.

Firstly, and most importantly, don't buy a car until/unless you've had it checked by a reputable independent Alfa workshop. There are several listed on the club website. They are used to dealing with these cars and know what to look for.

Otherwise...

* $15k should be plenty to get a good one. I paid a lot less than that 2 months ago for a high km (160k) example in excellent condition and with a known history.
* Q2 upgrade is a must - don't consider one without it, unless you factor the cost of upgrade into the price. The original diff is not LSD, which makes them understeer badly under hard acceleration (search for the Top Gear review video on YouTube for an idea), and they eventually seem to break.
* Look for one with service history and ensure that cam belts were done within the recommended period (can't recall off the top of my head, but the info has been repeated a few times in different threads).
* Selespeeds have a bad rep - haven't tried one myself, but the warnings from others made me go for a manual.
* Watch out for a heavy clutch pedal - can mean the clutch is on the way out.
* Check for clunks or rattles from the front end - likely to be sway bar bushes. Not a high-cost item in themselves, but expensive to fit because it involves dropping the subframe.
* Check that the undertray isn't missing - a lot of them get damaged (especially if the car is lowered) and  removed. OEM trays are very hard to come by, and the alloy replacements from Europe are available but expensive.

[RobFord]

Thanks for the advice, particularly the Q2 upgrade.

Will also look for an Alfa garage near wherever I get the car from, Im in Bright NE Vic, so the chances are I will have to go to Melbourne to look around, and will find a Melbourne based garage to check it out before I buy.

Hope your happy with yours, do you plan on going to any of the Alfa Meetings ?

[colcol]

Always a good idea to let an experienced Alfa Romeo Service Provider to look over a car you wish to purchase.
You have a good list to choose from, Maranello Pursang Motors in Brunswick, Monza Motors in Bayswater, Mauceri Motors in Clayton, Il Bolide Motors in Thornbury, Alfa Donnini Motors in Malvern, all depends how far you can travel and who can fit you in, Colin.

[tjb0274]

Thanks for the advice, particularly the Q2 upgrade.

Will also look for an Alfa garage near wherever I get the car from, Im in Bright NE Vic, so the chances are I will have to go to Melbourne to look around, and will find a Melbourne based garage to check it out before I buy.

Hope your happy with yours, do you plan on going to any of the Alfa Meetings ?

Any of the Melbourne-based workshops that Col mentioned are good. I personally used Monza because they've been looking after my track car for years, but they all know their stuff.

I'm very happy with the car. It's an excellent highway tourer, and good enough on the twisty stuff - not as chuckable as my 206gti Peugeot, but still fun.

I don't get to many club nights these days, but I'll probably be at Spetaccolo, and the remaining club sprints. I'm sure there'll be a few people with 147 GTAs at any club night, though!