Interesting but full of rubbish

The Mi.To looks great, and is at long last the right size: ie, not a luxo-barge. There's an interesting read behind this link:Martinelli left F1 at the end of 2006, specifically to head up Fiat’s engine department. As such, he’s had a winning hand in Alfa Romeo’s new peach of a petrol plant, a lively lag-less little 16-valve 1.4-litre turbo that also does duty in the Fiat Grande Punto and Bravo, albeit with 4 kW less than Alfa’s 114.

Just beware, it's full of idle rubbish like: Let’s face it: Alfa is not what it used to be. With the exception of the 159, 156, Giulietta and a handful of Quadrifoglio or GTA models, the brand has sadly been scarred over the last 30 years by a long and steady decline.

Obviously not a fan of the amazing Alfasud sedan, ti and Sprint Veloce, the wolf-in-sheep's clothing Alfetta sedan, the Alfetta GT and GTV, the GTV6, the lovely Nuovo Giulietta, the 75 (AKA Milano), the 33ti or almost anything since! OK, the ARNA was a bit sad, and the 145 wasn't all that it could have been, but honestly...! ALFA Romeo must surely wonder what they have to do... isn't the latest crop, the 147, 156, 159 and Brera enough?

Apparently not. Most shocking of all was to find that Alfa had gone soft since its brief mid-’90s renaissance. Steering got dopey, gearchanges sloppy and ride mushy.. "Dopey" steering must refer to the 147's turning circle, not sure what else it could be. Sloppy gearchanges? Has this guy driven a rear-transmission Alfa? That is sloppy. And a mushy ride? Alfas soak up the bumps, and roll. Not as bad a French car, but obviously so. Only the hardened-edge of the GTAs truly eliminates the bodyroll and high-speed comfort of the classic Alfa. Yet they still run fast and corner hard. That is the essence of it.

I can remember swapping from a stiff-as-a-post Ford Escort with "Rally Pack" to a stock 1982 Giulietta and being amazed at the body roll. It put me off until I realised I was going 5-10kmh faster around sharp corners in the dry, twice that in the wet -and much faster again over bumpy roads that I had previously had to slow down on... simply a better suspension setup.

Yet most people when given a car to drive are clots and clods with no finesse and can't see or feel what they have... which is why we shouldn't trust anyone else's opinion, certainly not mine, just your own.

What things go wrong with 116 Alfas?

What doesn't go wrong with any mechanical device? Anyway, here are some tips on what I have found to be true for me... speaking only of Tipo 116 Alfettas, and especially 2.0 GTVs...

1. Rust - all steel cars will rust, but especially check near the wheelwells, lifting plastic bits, mudguards and what-not to see inside, where water, mud and gunk will accumulate.
2. Rust again - look under all plastic bits, especially under the doors, and along the firewall (pull off that long strip of plastic that protects the edge - yes, that bit, under the bonnet)
3. Rust never sleeps - if your have aircon your battery is in the boot - so look for rust around the battery box as acid can spill given the way you drive...
4. Rust in the tailgate - yes, it can happen here too
   
5. Rust under the rubber seals around all windows
6. And the floorpan, just in case, as a water leak can mean a rusty pan under the carpet
7. Now that we have rust out of the way, check the oil level. Phew.
8. Now all other fluids - those hydraulic brake and clutch seals can leak, so look for leaks, drips, stains, low levels in reservoirs...
9. And the brakes themselves... look for wear and tear, warped rotors (especially the inboard rears) and - again - leaks
10. And the "doughnuts" or "guibos". Chock it safely and get under and look for cracks in these rubber couplings in the drivetrain, or drive it and feel the vibration from an out-of-balance propshaft (it's turning at engine speed so vibration is a balance issue)
11. And at the front we have the engine... nice... but keep watching for oil leaks
12. And rattly chains in the 4 cylinder, or old belts and worn tensioners in the 6
13. And frayed wires - I had one shorting out in the rev sensor in the distributor (which took a while to figure out)
14. And blown fuses
15. And worn switchgear - clean the contacts in the multi-purpose wand if your lights are misbehaving (like your parkers disappear or come and go on a whim)
    
16. And of course the old "my hazard switch stuck on" trick - clean it or swap it for a new one, they just stick on and flatten the battery
17. And the gearbox is up the back, so look for fluid leaks there too. Yes, 2nd gear always crunches, that's why we double declutch.
18. And anything else that looks wrong, like ride height because someone has rotated the torsion bars too far...
19. And if you are keen the endless winding window winders (if you have 'em) will one day stop winding and the window will drop into the door... take the inside door handle off, then the trim panel...