I just love this car stunningly beautiful lines. Interior is a very nice place to be ohh and that V6 engine is melodic. Unfortunately Taylor is a self confessed spanner man and isn't really interested in the task of endless hours of polishing to get the lovely red paintwork shining. That's where I come in. Taylor visited earlier in the week and we spent a while addressing the worst of the paintwork which was the dull bonnet. After a few passes of the DA with Menzerna compound and then polish we started to get a shine. Still lots of work to be done to correct and refine it will be work in progress.

I'd get the Alfa to nice standard and sell it. Lovely cars and definitely a box I would like to tick myself one day, but I wouldn't want one as a regular track car - too nice to strip out and expensive to get the suspension/brakes up to the job.

Mmmmmmmm Kit Car......

Id love to but I need to learn to weld first haha as i will stuggle to find a car platform designed to take the Busso V6.

Pete, you did an amazing job and it still looks great but i just need the rest of the car doing haha.

it was great on track Taylor, I was with richard following you in the yeti, and you were going very quick, despite the lean! a few choice mods, and it could be really cool!

 

I'd stick with the V6 , its such an epic engine

But a V6 kit car would be better

But a V6 kit car would be better

Any mates who weld for a living able to show you the basics so then you can start to pick up more and more by practicing?

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I have to agree a V6 kit car would be awesome something that you have hand built yourself and taxed your skills to the max would be best. I think you're happiest when working on your car and correcting everything to perfection so building something from scratch would be just what the doctor ordered.

As others have said, build a Kit Car, because it will be such an achievement, and there will always be something to tinker with.

So its been a fortnight since the National meet and im still in no better mind as to what to do.

 

There is a little to do list:

 

Fit D Clips on rear brake lines just for peace at mind (was suggested by Auto Lusso when they inspected the car)

Get some rust treatment gunk and some under seal to cover a 8" or so square patch under the car

Find the source of a knock on the near side front, going over bumps or braking sometimes there is a knock. Not quite sure the cause atm

Straighten steering wheel, wasnt quite perfect when we did the tracking so its now bugging me.

 

Also at the maidstone meet last night two of our fellow briski members stated it sounded like it has an exhaust blow, me being un educated in such afairs didnt notice, and still cannot identify the noise they mean. But hopefully thats not a manifold to cylinder head gasket as removing the manifolds is a PITA.

 

I also fitted two 30mm washers on the top stabiliser poly bush mount, Power Flex dont include them in the kit so no one ever fits them properly unless you fit two 30mm washers, one either side of the bush. So i did that the other night as a 10 minute job.

 

But that said im still thinking of going down building a Kit car..... but that has its own issues as id have to build it in my Mums garage, which traveling to and from isnt such a problem, its the fact she will moan about me building it there even after giving me permission to build it. Madness! But families eh? (rant over)

 

Im in two minds what to do right now. I want both the Alfa and a Kit car but money wont permit both, and long term i would like to get myself into a house on a mortgage and if i have kit car at the time, then i some how feel it would only make life harder. So is it really sensible (ha yea as if building a kit car is ever sensible) me building one now.

 

 

As well as the million and one other things i need to do and starting Uni in September (day release from work) im doubting whether i could do it all!

Taylor I don't think their is anything you couldn't do if you put your mind to it. As long as you accept that it won't be a quick job and don't try to rush it. Both I believe, Alfa and kit car, I don't think is do-able given what you have just said. The Alfa has cost you quite a bit in time and money but it is a lovely car and sounds superb. The kit car would be a great track weapon and personally I think you'll gain the most from it both in regards to doing it yourself, learning new stuff and being able to say I've done that (personal pride and achievement goes along way in my books). As long as you have the additional transport to get around the kit car makes sense, that and being hand built you will know exactly every damn inch of it. Only you can decide what you want to do just weigh up the pros and cons from both and do it.

Well i had bit of a blast from the past, met up with an old freind from Primary school (ok so thats only 11 years ago) but he is getting into spraying cars, hes sprayed his Mk1 Golf 2.0 16V project and given the conditions he sprayed it in, its a damn good job!

 

Hes been looking over the Alfa and reckons we could have a go at giving the bonnet and rear bumper a spray.

 

 

While there i mentioned the possible exhaust blow.... i started it up jumped under one edge of the car and found it straight away hahaha

 

Ive been going to work the past few weekends so time has been tight, but maybe next friday ill get it up in the air to fix the exhaust blow, have a look at a few other bits too.

 

 

I cant help but feel like im in that position at the moment. Its going, its going, its going, its going........ or maybe not.

 

I hadnt run up the Alfa in about a month, work has been busy doing typically 12 hour days (ok long for my job) so I have been running about in the Fabia. but I had a small list of things to do, to prepare it for sale, little things just to make me happy in selling it.

 

1) Paint - Bonnet, Rear Bumper and Roof

2) Rust - slight surface rust under the rear offside floor pan

3) Wonky steering wheel

4) Exhaust blow (Found at Down pipe to manifold join)

 

Jamie, An old school freind has just restored a Mk1 Golf with a 2.0 16V Corrado lump in it and he's painted it all himself and the attention to detail and quality is very good! so much so I am trusting him with the paint job on the Alfa. Payment takes the form of fixing the EML on his 1.4 16V Polo (AUB) and a few hundred quid and he'll be starting it next week.

 

So before then I wanted to sort out the other bits while i had some spare time, got underneath and sealed the exhaust blow with light application of exhaust paste and then started treating the rust.

 

Rubbed it back with a wire brush, then some rust treatment gunk, followed by a coating of Zinc Primer and finally a heavy dose of underseal. Job done!

 

So tomorrow we are picking up the Paint and im leaving the Alfa at Jamie's for the week while he works his magic. 

 

 

But thats where the Problems started. To test the Exhaust blow/fix and to make sure everything else works, I took her out for a drive Thursday night and then Again this evening... and I cant do it. I cant sell her! hahaha She knows i want to as well as the Airbag warning light came on (expecting it to be the common under seat connector) as i left work today.

 

So ive been totting up Mods (again)

                                                                                                                   Totals

Uprated Front and Rear ARB's + mounting kits & bushes                       -  £580 inc VAT (Alfaholics)

Koni Sport adjustable dampers (Front)  x2                                               -  £280 inc VAT (Alfist.net)

New Top Mounts  x2                                                                               -  £180 (maybe cheaper about)

Koni Sport adjustable dampers (Rear)  x2                                               -  £180 inc VAT (Alfist.net)

Eibach 20mm Lowering Springs set                                                        -  £100 inc VAT (Alfist.net)

Quaife Diff  + seals and bearings                                                             -  £590 inc VAT (Autolusso)

 

330mm Brembo Upgrade (305 std), Calipers/Carriers/

Performance Friction Pads/New Discs                                                     -  £1000 (Autolusso)

New Braided Brake Lines                                                                        -  £75 (Autolusso)

 

Ragazzon Group N Centre Silencer Delete/Straight Through Pipe          - £110inc VAT (Alfist.net) to make her a bit louder :p

 

Brake and Gearbox Fluids and other  bits                                                -  £150

 

Tracking & alignment                                                                               -  £40

 

All of that is excluding delivery (some sourced from abroad), totaling £3300 Ex delivery.....

 

haha! madness then maybe ill have a look at some Yoko AD08R tyres, and maybe fix the grumbling A/C Pump and its leak.

 

 

But the only thing putting me off doing it, is the fact that I know it will take me quite a while to save up £3300 to do all of it (even doing bits at a Time), im hoping to have a fair amount of overtime pay coming at the end of August but it still only a portion of what I need  But if I had the Cash on the hip.... 

 

 

 

Anyone want 22 year old Lungs, Kidneys? I cant sell my Arms/Legs as ill need them to drive.

Yay keeping it now, you know it's the sensible decision really as it'd only result in another a few months later

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Yay keeping it now, you know it's the sensible decision really as it'd only result in another a few months later

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I would like to strip one out and go the whole hog, but i cant do it to this one in particular as the interior is too nice. maybe get one which has been trashed inside.

 

 

 

Just wait till the next broken bit and then ill be F'ing and screaming saying i want to sell it haha!

 

this does seem interesting: 

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/honda/integra/honda-integra-type-r--price-reduced/4457565

That is all.

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I would like to strip one out and go the whole hog, but i cant do it to this one in particular as the interior is too nice. maybe get one which has been trashed inside.

 

 

 

Just wait till the next broken bit and then ill be F'ing and screaming saying i want to sell it haha!

 

this does seem interesting: 

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/honda/integra/honda-integra-type-r--price-reduced/4457565

So next week then?

 

Or this....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/alfa-romeo/156/alfa-romeo-156-2-5-v6-24v-veloce--------------2003/4471094

So next week then?

Or this....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/alfa-romeo/156/alfa-romeo-156-2-5-v6-24v-veloce--------------2003/4471094

I can go and take a peak, Taylor, as it's only round the corner from me

Oh wow! That car was for sale on the Isle of sheppy. About a year ago haha. I know because I went and had a test drive.

Only a 2.5 (the baby v6) and seems pretty sorted

Main concerns with all alfas is the cambelt. Some people push the 5 years to 6 if they have low mileage. But its not worth the risk! IIRC when i saw it, it was almost due a belt. And it's quite typical for people to sell them before the belt is due as its £1000 at most alfa specialists

glad you are keeping it

I'm glad your keeping it. The blood, sweat and tears was worth it!!!

You crazy.

You crazy.

 

Speaking from experience Mr Fox?!

Speaking from experience Mr Fox?!

Multiple craziness!

Yea i will be putting alot of cash into it....

But you cant put a price on happiness.... well certain parts of medway you can but thats another matter.

Just trying to juggle life and saving for the car parts (everyones problem)

Car is still in paint as my mates oribtal sander packed up so he had to go and get a new one which set him back a bit.

But im in no rush atm so its not a problem.

So Yesterday I collected the Alfa

 

New paint job looks great. few little niggles, one little water mark in the paint despite having double filters/water traps (bit gutted about it as its on the bonnet) but overall im very happy with the paint job given the price i paid (£300). It just looks soooo much better.

 

Just to refresh those who forgot, i had the Roof painted (lacquer peel), Bonnet (was a faded 2Pak paint) and the rear bumper (faded to purple, but it also looks like the front bumper has been painted in 2 Pak too, so i may have that painted soon as well! (bit of a faff) but really i dont have the cash for a full respray.

 

Before

 

After

 

 

But still looks soooooo gorgeous! haha

 

But the mods are starting.... it currently has a 2 piecce Ragazzon Cat back stainless steel exhaust including a Centre and Rear silencers.....

 

Well i may have just ordered a Centre pipe delete

 

I havent got a new photo but here is a cropped photo. Basically the Yellow line shows the current centre box, the red line shows where the new pipe will go, alot shorter and cuts the entire centre box out

 

 

I cant wait for it to turn up and I will make sure of having a Before/After video for sound and loudness comparisons!