My first car
Category Archives: Car
New sticker
Any excuse for a bit of a drive. Got my new Alfaowner stickers this morning so put one into the Cup. Then I had to take her for a drive and top up the tank = £80+
Rear suspension rebuild
The rear suspension rebuild is now complete and only £60 over budget!
Now that the rear end isn’t creaking all the time I can hear that there is a similar noise from the front offside when going over speed bumps etc. While the car was up on the ramps I did have a bit of a look at the front suspension and it does look like the wishbone bushes are a bit perished and the wishbones themselves probably need sand blasting and powder coating like the rear ones although the front is nowhere near as badly corroded as the rear was.
Next job is paintwork though and then I shall return to the front suspension and possibly wheel refurb – the inside of the front wheels are a bit corroded.
New parts ?
No.
These are the original parts that have been sand blasted and powder coated. Pictured is one set of powder coated spring pan and dog bone (there is another set) and two painted wishbones. They look as new.
The spring pan is £250 new from Alfa or around £120 reconditioned from Autolusso. All six pieces cost me a total of £120.
Alfasud 1.5 TI
My second car was a Series 2 Alfasud 1.5 TI in an orangey brown colour like pictured here (I have since been reminded out that the colour is called Bruno Cilento)
I loved that car but eventually she just fell to bits as holes started to appear all over her due to the dreaded rust. Bloody Russians!!
For those that don’t know the “new” Alfa plant in Turin that was building Suds had been financed by Russian money in return for Alfa using what turned out to be sub standard Russian steel for manufacturing the Sud.
Anyway why do I mention all this? Well yesterday when I took the Cup to HRG there was a self same similar Alfasud in for its annual MOT and service! Bodywork and running gear looked immaculate to me but I didn’t get to see the interior. Alfie told me it is a barely used car and was featured in Auto Italia but I have never seen it at any Alfa events.
I have asked Alfie to let me know if he ever hears it is for sale.