147 GTA known issues?

[Blitz R]

Hello

My wife and I are planning on replacing our aging Subaru B4 in the near future. No longer needing a car quite that large (but wanting to move to something with similar performance). I have been looking a a few different options...one of those is the 147 GTA.

How I have (not presently) worked in the auto industry for over 10 years, my only hesitation is that Alfas don't exactly have a glowing reputation for reliability. So, with that out of the way, I was hoping if anyone could enlighten me as to some of the more crucial know issues with these cars? Just so you know, I will NOT be considering a Selespeed at all, strictly manual transmission only.

Thanks in advance.

[Jekyll and Hyde]

Make sure cambelt is done at the 60,000km interval, and do a waterpump at the same time (its behind the cambelt, and has a plastic impeller that can split with age, allowing it to freespin on the shaft).  The only other thing with a GTA is that the diff has been known to break when driven hard a lot, the fix is to replace it with an aftermarket LSD.

If you could find one that has previously has the diff upgraded, and has a good history on the cambelts etc, it should give many years of faultless service - nothing else really gives much trouble on them, apart from usual wear and tear of any car (clutches/brakes etc).

[Blitz R]

Cheers for that.

So the Diff is about the only real weak point....I can live with that. Just out of curiosity, how much and how easy are the aftermarket LSDs to get?

[shiny_car]

probably the best diff is alfa's own 'Q2'. it's probably best cos it drops straight in, and is readily available. it is a Torsen style LSD. the Q2 features on a couple overseas models including the diesel 147/GT. supplied and fitted by an alfa dealer, expect to pay around $2K. the process also involves some new seals, new bearings (cannot remove originals without risk of damaging them), and of course gearbox oil. it's some 8-10 hours labour. Lance Dixon are experienced with this upgrade. they fitted mine, and many other melbourne owners.

quite a few of us in Oz have fitted these (i have a V6 GT btw). not only for the peace of mind/reliability, but also performance. it practically totally rids torque steer, and you can really corner the car by the throttle. so when you're pushing things, and sense a bit of understeer, squeeze the accelerator and the outside wheel will bite harder and pull your right through the corner.  without it, you just understeer and need to lift off.

i also drive with the ASR (antislip regulation) off; note, doing this doesn't deactivate the VDC (vehicle dynamic control, aka ESP). let the diff do its magic. with 'everyday' driving, you'll notice its benefits most in the wet.

as above, cambelt is essential. every 60K km or 3 years, whatever is sooner. leave it at your own peril.

note that the sillyspeed in the GTA is a different, more robust setup compared with the 4cyl models. it seems much more reliable. regardless, i'd go with a manual too.

you might also wish to go with a later model 147GTA. i think from '04 it was, the front brakes were upgraded to the 330mm diameter discs, instead of the 305mm. the smaller are prone to warping, though i'm unsure how likely this is, and may depend on driving style. things like leather and sunroof are niceties, but cheaper GTAs can lack them. the last-release limited Monza models had the lot: 330mm brakes, leather, sunroof, xenons, etc.

i think you'll find the GTA more 'raw' and urgent in its driving compared with the B4. and teamed with the Q2, it seems to be an awesome driving machine. i hope you make the right choice.

[lombardi]

Ciao, un amico mio has a silver gta,sorry to say its more at the mecanics than on tarmac,great car though,as long as u are patient with niggling problems,number one rule,make sure example u are buyng has been loved and cared for,if not it will bite u back,these cars need special oils and extra care.auguri and buona fortuna

[Blitz R]

Thanks for the input.

Now comes the 'fun' part of finding the 'one'.