Alfa Romeo 147 Tspark 2 litre 3 door manual, new 2004. Colour Red. Location SA

[PhilipS]

Hi,
My wife bought this car new in 2004, it has done 187,400km, and it still goes like the clappers. I love to drive it, and she has always loved the car, but it is now starting to show its age a little, with smallish things like the escutcheon surrounds for the window and door switches on both door armrests are perishing (getting sort of tacky to the touch), the key remote is buggered, the front suspension clonks and squeaks a bit ( mainly when it is cold, oddly), the AR badge on the hatch is faded, the front passenger seat is jammed so it won't slide,etc.

The annual cost of comprehensive insurance is getting high, for what the car is currently worth. So we are contemplating whether to sell it, or spend a little money on it, and keep it into the future.

I'm not an expert on this, hence why I've joined this forum, but I have the sense that this particular car is fairly rare, so am wondering if it will eventually become something of a collectors item. If so, it might be worth keeping.

I would be interested to hear any views on this. Also where/how to get a new remote key for it, badges, switch escutcheons, etc.

Cheers