What brought you to 145 / 146 land..?, Ownership journeys Options

[dante giacosa]

Further to a chat I was having with Vroom on another thread, let's do some ownership-journeys, that people have been on, to lead them to be & owners...

[duemila]

Further to a chat I was having with Vroom on another thread, let's do some ownership-journeys, that people have been on, to lead them to be & owners...

I've always owned Alfas apart from an uno and a 126, at the time I had a GTV6 which was about to fail badly on rust, a friend of mine had a 145 and he said you need to get one you won't regret it, so I found mine in 2007 with 82000 miles and 17 shades of red, but it was a good car. 12 years later another 82000 miles and lots of fun it sadly had to go.

Further to a chat I was having with Vroom on another thread, let's do some ownership-journeys, that people have been on, to lead them to be & owners...

Also thought you guys might like this

https://youtu.be/-4J9K7gAxE8

[VROOM]

I've always owned Alfas apart from an uno and a 126, at the time I had a GTV6 which was about to fail badly on rust, a friend of mine had a 145 and he said you need to get one you won't regret it, so I found mine in 2007 with 82000 miles and 17 shades of red, but it was a good car. 12 years later another 82000 miles and lots of fun it sadly had to go.
Also thought you guys might like this

https://youtu.be/-4J9K7gAxE8

Another Uno owner! Great youtube find.

[VROOM]

I remember taking my Fiat Brava in for a service at a dealer and saw a 145 on the forecourt and thought it would be pretty cool and unusual to own an Alfa. A few months later I'd traded it in for a 145 1.6TS, I think this was in 1998. I loved it so much I placed an order for a new phase 2 1.6 in 2000 only to be told during the week of delivery that they'd ended production! Unfortunately I lost confidence in the 145 after it had a gearbox build (luckily under warranty). 17 years later I got my current one after "rediscovering" the 145 model and realising how few were left. Thought I'd better get one whilst I could.

Dante - I thought I was the bees-knees in my Uno with its sunroof, wheel trims and colour coded bumpers. Unfortunately it also came with a respray at 7yrs old which I soon found out was to hide the rust holes in the roof, windscreen frame, rear arches, side pillar and plenty of other places. Mechanically however the car was superb.

This post has been edited by VROOM: 12th February 2020 22:29

[Muskie]

Always fancied one, but never got round to getting one. Ended up with a 156, a 159 SW, GT, Brera before finally getting the 1.6 3 years ago. Like Vroom, it was a case of getting one while I still could!

This post has been edited by Muskie: 14th February 2020 10:05

[trek]

Well.....

2009 I thought I should own an Alfa at some point. Saw a 96 red 145 QV for sale online in London, travelled down from N.Wales on train, drove it home, engine siezed 6 miles from home! Spent a couple of grand having engine rebuilt. Eventually turned it into a track card, sold it on.

2012 Bought an R reg red 145 QV, kept it for a year or so, sold one (was a rough one!)

2016 Bought a 65k silver 145 QV which was mint for £900. Full Alfa service history too! Plus black leather. Was a little belter. Due to a change in circumstances I had to sell it in July 2018 (got £2300)

Feb 2020 (now!) am in the market for my fourth 145 QV.....

If anyone knows of anything for sale please get in touch.

[alfizta]

this was in mid 2006. needed a cheap option to replace my dead 1988 opel kadett. saw a forgotten 146 for over 4 years on a FIAT dealer. low mileage on odometer (not sure about real), seemed an interesting option over other small sedans. despite my father always telling me never to buy FIAT, Lancia or ALFA Romeo, bought it and, although all the issues, fell in love ever since. then, in 2012 bought a 156 to replace the 146, but opted to keep both. married for 5 years now, and with all the tiny very frequent faults, my wife (also driving a 2015 Honda Civic) doesn't want me to get rid of the car. so, here I am...

[alfizta]

Also thought you guys might like this

https://youtu.be/-4J9K7gAxE8

great video

then watched the 75 one. great too.

[dante giacosa]

Crikey-

You guys are all really die hard; my ownership story to land is 21 cars long! And only two of them are Alfa's!

Most however were indeed Italian.

I too however, realised in Autumn 2016 how few were left. There was a local 1.6 near to me, which suddenly dissapeared, and then re-appeared on Gumtree. I went to see it, but it was totally rotten.
However, I fell in love with the styling & feel of it- it was like a secret-car, the world had forgotten.

In March 2017; the perfect example appeared on eBay, as maintained by JeremyG on here. I got the train to Oxford; and it all started there!
18k later; I'm using it way too much! Need to find a Cinquecento to offset the use.

This clunky offset picture, is the first time I saw it, in the station at Oxford.



This post has been edited by dante giacosa: 19th February 2020 05:45

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[sanitary]

bought to keep it from crusher

still not near the crusher but not on the road yet either




san

[waynedear]

Had my first Alfa, a twinspark gtv, around 2007, joined AO (when it was good) went to a few meets, spotted a red car, did not know what it was, spoke to the guy, 146 junior, I liked it, when I spotted it for sale I bought it for a few hundred.
Drove it home, clutch slipping, parked it.
Needed work on the gtv, I got belts, pulleys, wp, variator and a rev raise chip from Alfatune in exchange for the 146, only drove it the twice.
Mate had a 146ti in that pale metallic green, loved it, about 5 years ago I saw one for sale, bit ratty but drove well, mate dropped me in Hertfordshire and I drove it home.

[dante giacosa]

ha!

That's a very interesting start of a much larger story, Wayne I think!

[Ganz]

I was more a bike man than cars until I saw this red Alfa hatchback with red seats outside my sister and brother in law's house. I thought: that looks cool. With red seats too - they were just plastic covers lol! I said whats that outside mate and he said its a 145 Cloverleaf. Fancy a spin in it? Yeah why not. Sat as a passenger and we darted around some country lanes. I was told it was the top of the range model of the 145 Alfa range. I asked if he was selling and the answer was yes. I brought it 5 days later on a Friday! I remember the excitement of waking up on the Saturday. I couldn't wait to wake up. Driving it around 'town'' with the red mirrors it was like a mini Ferrari - to me at least! People noticed it too. First week I pulled up at my social haunt someone spotted the car and mentioned: "..its a Coverleaf". Purchased in December 2006 and still going strong!

[dante giacosa]

That reads like a love-story, Ganz!

I love hearing about that kind of enthusiasm. I know you've still got it.


I'm just back from two weeks working away, and the is still outside under a cover in the rain- I can't get it out in the rain JUST to start it, so I've been all over the weather forecasts to try and see when it'll stop!

[JeremyG]

Crikey-

You guys are all really die hard; my ownership story to land is 21 cars long! And only two of them are Alfa's!

Most however were indeed Italian.

I too however, realised in Autumn 2016 how few were left. There was a local 1.6 near to me, which suddenly dissapeared, and then re-appeared on Gumtree. I went to see it, but it was totally rotten.
However, I fell in love with the styling & feel of it- it was like a secret-car, the world had forgotten.

In March 2017; the perfect example appeared on eBay, as maintained by JeremyG on here. I got the train to Oxford; and it all started there!
18k later; I'm using it way too much! Need to find a Cinquecento to offset the use.

This clunky offset picture, is the first time I saw it, in the station at Oxford.

Haha! That was a while back now. Can't believe you've done 18k in it - or in fact, I can - it's such a great little car!

My journey to 145/146 land - I've mostly always driven Alfas (with a brief flirtation with E-Class Mercedes during the early child-rearing years... yuk) and have owned a Sud, a 75, a 155, two Spiders, four 166es, a GT, a GTV and a 147 possibly amongst others.

The car I always wanted though was a 145 Cloverleaf - I even had a picture of one above my desk at work in the late 90s (in Proteo Red, if you're interested). However, I didn't get round to owning one until 2016 when I bought the 146 that is now Dante's - it was for sale in Bedford and was in a bit of a sorry state. Having got it roadworthy again and through its MoT (and with it proving its worth during a house move), I was seduced by an out-of-sorts Spider and so ended up at Oxford station, as per the picture above) ready to hand the car over to Dante, who has taken its restoration on to another level altogether.

Once the Spider was finished, I bought a lovely but rusty 146 and then immediately found the black 145 Cloverleaf that I posted about for a year or so. The 146 and Spider duly went whilst I settled in for 145 ownership.

Here's a picture of all of them, together with the 166 that is still the family runaround:



It's hard to say what characterises the Alfa experience - beyond looks and a cracking driving experience - all I can say is, every time I drive another car, I'm disappointed about how uninvolving it is, and always pleased to discover the reverse is the case when I get into my Alfa (any of them!)

This post has been edited by JeremyG: 3rd March 2020 18:38

[Alan B]

Haha! That was a while back now. Can't believe you've done 18k in it - or in fact, I can - it's such a great little car!

My journey to 145/146 land - I've mostly always driven Alfas (with a brief flirtation with E-Class Mercedes during the early child-rearing years... yuk) and have owned a Sud, a 75, a 155, two Spiders, four 166es, a GT, a GTV and a 147 possibly amongst others.

The car I always wanted though was a 145 Cloverleaf - I even had a picture of one above my desk at work in the late 90s (in Proteo Red, if you're interested). However, I didn't get round to owning one until 2016 when I bought the 146 that is now Dante's - it was for sale in Bedford and was in a bit of a sorry state. Having got it roadworthy again and through its MoT (and with it proving its worth during a house move), I was seduced by an out-of-sorts Spider and so ended up at Oxford station, as per the picture above) ready to hand the car over to Dante, who has taken its restoration on to another level altogether.

Once the Spider was finished, I bought a lovely but rusty 146 and then immediately found the black 145 Cloverleaf that I posted about for a year or so. The 146 and Spider duly went whilst I settled in for 145 ownership.

Here's a picture of all of them, together with the 166 that is still the family runaround:



It's hard to say what characterises the Alfa experience - beyond looks and a cracking driving experience - all I can say is, every time I drive another car, I'm disappointed about how uninvolving it is, and always pleased to discover the reverse is the case when I get into my Alfa (any of them!)

I've got to show that picture to my wife! I have 4 cars on the driveway, not one of them related to the other! And she thinks *I'm* mad...

So, what got me into Alfas...

Car history for me is...

Mini 850 I repaired with my dad
Vauxhall Chevette GL following death of Mini
Austin Maestro following death of Chevette
Lancia Y10 GTie after I got first full time job
Austin Metro after I moved back to UK and Mum had adopted my Y10!
Rover 216 Coupe
Seat Ibiza Chill
Alfa 147 Turismo SE in Gabbiano Blue 5dr JTD - my first BRAND NEW CAR!
Honda Civic Sport 2.2CTDi (Spaceship one with rocket door handles)
Ford Mondeo Titanium X Estate 2.0 TDCi (still have)
Mazda MX-5 1.8 S-VT - 2nd car
BMW 545i - 2nd car
BMW M135i - 2nd Car
MGF 1.8 - 2nd Car
BMW 123d _ 2nd Car
BMW 645Ci - 2nd Car (and 3rd when XF came along)
Ford StreetKa - 3rd Car (sold when XF came along)
Jaguar XF - 2nd Car
Mini Cooper S convertible - 3rd Car (replaced 6 series)
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf - 4th Car

I loved my 147, and would love another at some point in the future. I prefer the pre-facelift ones, particularly the lights and grille. And love, just love the aluminium front door handles (I had a 5 dr).

I remember seeing a 145 Junior in the Alfa/Fiat/Lancia dealership back in the day and having a shufti whilst parts were looking for an ignition switch barrel (I think) for my Y10.

This post has been edited by Alan B: 4th March 2020 20:37

[Ganz]

That reads like a love-story, Ganz!

I love hearing about that kind of enthusiasm. I know you've still got it.


I'm just back from two weeks working away, and the is still outside under a cover in the rain- I can't get it out in the rain JUST to start it, so I've been all over the weather forecasts to try and see when it'll stop!

Cheers Dante!

Not done too much over the last three months as other committments kicked in and the whole garage drama where I lost two Alfas.. Once I get another garage I'll be making some super mods. Hopefully you can make some of the Alfa events this year. Alfa Spring Day in Yorkshire this year.

[shpuncik]

I'm no Picasso but I can a thing or two with paint

This part of side window let to instant love and ownership of 145


And lack of it on 146 most likely is the cause I'm not so enthusiastic about later

[dante giacosa]

I'm no Picasso but I can a thing or two with paint

This part of side window let to instant love and ownership of 145


And lack of it on 146 most likely is the cause I'm not so enthusiastic about later

Hey Valdas!

Good to hear from you! Nice diagram!! 👍🏻👍🏻

[shpuncik]

Hey Valdas!

Good to hear from you! Nice diagram!! 👍🏻👍🏻

I'm always here, sometimes just "mute" mode is ON