Alfa GT Cloverleaf and Car History
Discussion
Hi PHers,
After spending more hours than I care to remember, lurking on here reading all of the reader's cars, I thought i'd add my contribution.
2008 - Peugeot 106 1.1 Zest 2
My dad bought me this straight after passing my test, it was a 1 previous owner with only 30,000 miles. Really well looked after car. When we went to see it, it had the original steel wheels on. My dad without me knowing ordered a set of Fox Racing (lol) alloys and had the dealer fit them for when I came to collect it to following week. As you can imagine at 17, I was buzzing when I saw it with the big wheels.
Ended up fitting a sub woofer and 6X9s, then after a year selling it for what we (dad) paid for it and I put the difference to buy the next car.
2009 - Vauxhall Astra SXI 1.6 3dr
This only lasted me 10 months before moving on again. At 18 it looked great and with the irmsher grill and de-badged most of the girls in college thought I was a BMW of some sort, but in reality it was a pile of s
t and I should have kept the 106!
I ended up fitting a set of coilovers and Team dynamics to this, but started to develop a few problems, slipping clutch, faulty alarm, and used to slip out of gear in 2nd.
I put it back to standard and tried to sell it but had no interest, (no surprise there) so I traded in against the next one..
2010 - Renault Sport Clio 182.
I still wish I hadn't sold this, anyone who has owned or driven one of these will tell you how good they are. I'd say they are one of the last true 'raw' hot hatches made.
The trend of selling cars after a year stopped with this one as i had it for around 3.5 years. Took it from 40k to 98k during that time and only ever had to change a CV boots!! it was driven up and down the motorway 5 days a week and then usually had its head kicked in around the EVO triangle or similar at the weekend.
It ended up with a fair few mods in the way of OMP buckets & Sabelt harnesses, Sparco Steering wheel, KW coilovers, Team Dynamics, Custom exhaust with de-cat, RS tuner remap to 177BHP and 168LBFT
2014 - MK5 Golf GTI
I bought this with the intention of keeping for 3 years or so like I did the Clio, This had a few mods again such as - Eibach springs, Mishimoto FMIC, ED30 BBS CH wheels, Whiteline ARB, Custom Remap to 240BHP & 300 LBFT.
A year after owning I was in the position to purchase my first house so I decided to sell up after just 12 months to clear my loan off.
2015 - Mk6.5 Ford Fiesta ST
Bought with the money left over after selling the Golf and clearing my loan, It originally had the white stripes which I removed, but other than that i left it standard.
Bought that with being an N/A I hoped it would feel more like the Clio. It didn't and they are a little slow. Saying that the pedals are well thought out and were perfect for heel and toe, with the Mountune kit or similar I bet these would be a riot!
After only 6 months it was shifted and onto my current car..
2015 - Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf 1.9JTDM
I had started to do more miles for work and thought i'd be best buying a diesel, the thought of driving a boring diesel meant that I wanted to find something interesting to be in and look at, what better choice than an Alfa!
Bought in August 15' it has been faultless so far and i'm over the moon with it! If i'd have known back then that petrol would be below £1 / litre and that i'd be using demo cars the majority of my time, i'd have gone for the 3.2 Busso V6! but all in all its a great car with awesome kit!
I've been toying with the idea of a remap but not bit the bullet just yet, The Bose stereo is immense, with the factory sub in the boot, it reminds of driving the 106 around!
Cheers!
Chris
After spending more hours than I care to remember, lurking on here reading all of the reader's cars, I thought i'd add my contribution.
2008 - Peugeot 106 1.1 Zest 2
My dad bought me this straight after passing my test, it was a 1 previous owner with only 30,000 miles. Really well looked after car. When we went to see it, it had the original steel wheels on. My dad without me knowing ordered a set of Fox Racing (lol) alloys and had the dealer fit them for when I came to collect it to following week. As you can imagine at 17, I was buzzing when I saw it with the big wheels.
Ended up fitting a sub woofer and 6X9s, then after a year selling it for what we (dad) paid for it and I put the difference to buy the next car.
2009 - Vauxhall Astra SXI 1.6 3dr
This only lasted me 10 months before moving on again. At 18 it looked great and with the irmsher grill and de-badged most of the girls in college thought I was a BMW of some sort, but in reality it was a pile of s
t and I should have kept the 106!I ended up fitting a set of coilovers and Team dynamics to this, but started to develop a few problems, slipping clutch, faulty alarm, and used to slip out of gear in 2nd.
I put it back to standard and tried to sell it but had no interest, (no surprise there) so I traded in against the next one..
2010 - Renault Sport Clio 182.
I still wish I hadn't sold this, anyone who has owned or driven one of these will tell you how good they are. I'd say they are one of the last true 'raw' hot hatches made.
The trend of selling cars after a year stopped with this one as i had it for around 3.5 years. Took it from 40k to 98k during that time and only ever had to change a CV boots!! it was driven up and down the motorway 5 days a week and then usually had its head kicked in around the EVO triangle or similar at the weekend.
It ended up with a fair few mods in the way of OMP buckets & Sabelt harnesses, Sparco Steering wheel, KW coilovers, Team Dynamics, Custom exhaust with de-cat, RS tuner remap to 177BHP and 168LBFT
2014 - MK5 Golf GTI
I bought this with the intention of keeping for 3 years or so like I did the Clio, This had a few mods again such as - Eibach springs, Mishimoto FMIC, ED30 BBS CH wheels, Whiteline ARB, Custom Remap to 240BHP & 300 LBFT.
A year after owning I was in the position to purchase my first house so I decided to sell up after just 12 months to clear my loan off.
2015 - Mk6.5 Ford Fiesta ST
Bought with the money left over after selling the Golf and clearing my loan, It originally had the white stripes which I removed, but other than that i left it standard.
Bought that with being an N/A I hoped it would feel more like the Clio. It didn't and they are a little slow. Saying that the pedals are well thought out and were perfect for heel and toe, with the Mountune kit or similar I bet these would be a riot!
After only 6 months it was shifted and onto my current car..
2015 - Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf 1.9JTDM
I had started to do more miles for work and thought i'd be best buying a diesel, the thought of driving a boring diesel meant that I wanted to find something interesting to be in and look at, what better choice than an Alfa!
Bought in August 15' it has been faultless so far and i'm over the moon with it! If i'd have known back then that petrol would be below £1 / litre and that i'd be using demo cars the majority of my time, i'd have gone for the 3.2 Busso V6! but all in all its a great car with awesome kit!
I've been toying with the idea of a remap but not bit the bullet just yet, The Bose stereo is immense, with the factory sub in the boot, it reminds of driving the 106 around!
Cheers!
Chris
also your pattern for car ownership is the same as mine. Three years gaps :P a decent history you have
Such a gorgeous looking car ! Real shame they didn't do a proper GTA version of this or the brera, both stunning cars which deserved a halo model, the 3.2 busso just didn't give them enough punch IMO hence why i didn't buy one when looking to upgrade. Bet the 1.9 shifts after a remap though!
What kind of tuning company remaps a Clio 182 to 177bhp?.....
As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
Nigel_O said:
What kind of tuning company remaps a Clio 182 to 177bhp?.....
As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
Yeah, they are known for not making quoted power, RS tuner maps smooth out the power delivery (more power in the mid range rather than a higher top end) and increase torque more than anything. That was a fantastic little car.As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
yeah i've been toying with getting the GT mapped for a while now, but the gearbox is whats been putting me off. I'ts been up on the ramps twice since I bought it and i'm glad to report no rust
What power is your's making with the map?
Jonno56 said:
Found your thread mate! A good read, inspired me to do one of my own, although my stint of 106 ownership was faaar longer!
Nice to see a picture of my EP from back then in here
haha just a little yeah, the good old days where the tonne run was actually a challenge. I Can't believe how long ago those pics at the triangle were taken, I think we need another trip there soon. Nice to see a picture of my EP from back then in here
Chris-182 said:
Nigel_O said:
What kind of tuning company remaps a Clio 182 to 177bhp?.....
As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
Yeah, they are known for not making quoted power, RS tuner maps smooth out the power delivery (more power in the mid range rather than a higher top end) and increase torque more than anything. That was a fantastic little car.As for the GT - get it remapped ASAP - the difference is amazing - just be sensible, as the gearboxes on the 1.9 aren't known for their strength, and if its still on its original clutch, you'll probably finish it off. Also check the underneath - they are well known for rusty floorpans.
Mt 2008 GT Blackline has now done 205,000 miles, still returns 50+mph on a run due to the economy-based remap and is a lovely place to kill the time stuck in the drudgery of the daily commute. I agree about the Bose - nice extra to have. I wish mine looked as good as yours - the mileage has dulled mine a little, but it has the occasional mop & wax which brings much of the shine back
yeah i've been toying with getting the GT mapped for a while now, but the gearbox is whats been putting me off. I'ts been up on the ramps twice since I bought it and i'm glad to report no rust
What power is your's making with the map?
But my road car box has sh** itself running standard power and at (relatively) low mileage of 80k. What i'm saying is, get the map done
Well done with getting the Alfa !
I would echo the comments regarding a remap...
I have a 2005 156JTDM150 that had about 65K on when I bought it around 3 years ago. At about 95,000 I had a remap done ( it was referred to as a 'bit of both' ie increase in power to about 190BHP but without affecting the 'economy') and TBH I was a bit concerned about the drivetrain.
I can honestly say that it was the best £200 I have ever spent an any car... The increase in torque is amazing, particularly in 3rd,4th 5th and 6th (!)
I am not sure where Alfa folk say they get 50plus mpg with these engines though ...!
I record and calculate every fill up ie brim it every time ) and I have never achieved 50mpg ! It averages 41-43 day in day out no matter how I drive it ( mainly decent A roads/motorways) on a 70 mile commute)
It has to be said that I drive it 'like a petrol car' in that I use the revs so as not to put too much stress on the drivetrain, and it is still on the original the clutch/DM flywheel. ( Touch wood )
I nearly sold the Alfa last year after having to replace the rear suspension ( beware of the rear lower damper mountings....they fill with water and rust away ) but then thought that I would never get anything that would compare with the performance, handling ( when set up correctly) , interior comfort and timeless looks for the money...! But then again I am a bit biased !!
Couple of things to mention, although you seem to know your cars anyway....!
Get a decent 4 wheel alignment done to make it handle as it should; I had it done on this one and my previous 156 1.8TS, and it makes so much difference to the handling.
I recently got an EGR blanking plate fitted which improved both emissions ( surprisingly) and economy. ( ie nowhere near as much smoke when you floor it ) About £15 delivered from Poland ! ( Have to get the one with holes to stop the management light coming on )
By the way, as you will now have realised, the standard brakes on these cars are not brilliant ( the 156/GT share the same platform as I am sure you know!) .
After trying many different pads over the years ( and after 2 track days on Croft Race Circuit) I have recently fitted Brembo standard pads from Eurocarparts, and they have improved the brakes remarkably. ( Standard Delphi discs as well).
I took the Alfa down to Monaco earlier this year for the Historic F1 Weekend and the car was brilliant on the Autoroutes...effortless and so comfortable in those nice Italian leather seats !
Anyway, well done in getting the Alfa GT....which will probably be my next car if I ever change my 156 !
I would echo the comments regarding a remap...
I have a 2005 156JTDM150 that had about 65K on when I bought it around 3 years ago. At about 95,000 I had a remap done ( it was referred to as a 'bit of both' ie increase in power to about 190BHP but without affecting the 'economy') and TBH I was a bit concerned about the drivetrain.
I can honestly say that it was the best £200 I have ever spent an any car... The increase in torque is amazing, particularly in 3rd,4th 5th and 6th (!)
I am not sure where Alfa folk say they get 50plus mpg with these engines though ...!
I record and calculate every fill up ie brim it every time ) and I have never achieved 50mpg ! It averages 41-43 day in day out no matter how I drive it ( mainly decent A roads/motorways) on a 70 mile commute)
It has to be said that I drive it 'like a petrol car' in that I use the revs so as not to put too much stress on the drivetrain, and it is still on the original the clutch/DM flywheel. ( Touch wood )
I nearly sold the Alfa last year after having to replace the rear suspension ( beware of the rear lower damper mountings....they fill with water and rust away ) but then thought that I would never get anything that would compare with the performance, handling ( when set up correctly) , interior comfort and timeless looks for the money...! But then again I am a bit biased !!
Couple of things to mention, although you seem to know your cars anyway....!
Get a decent 4 wheel alignment done to make it handle as it should; I had it done on this one and my previous 156 1.8TS, and it makes so much difference to the handling.
I recently got an EGR blanking plate fitted which improved both emissions ( surprisingly) and economy. ( ie nowhere near as much smoke when you floor it ) About £15 delivered from Poland ! ( Have to get the one with holes to stop the management light coming on )
By the way, as you will now have realised, the standard brakes on these cars are not brilliant ( the 156/GT share the same platform as I am sure you know!) .
After trying many different pads over the years ( and after 2 track days on Croft Race Circuit) I have recently fitted Brembo standard pads from Eurocarparts, and they have improved the brakes remarkably. ( Standard Delphi discs as well).
I took the Alfa down to Monaco earlier this year for the Historic F1 Weekend and the car was brilliant on the Autoroutes...effortless and so comfortable in those nice Italian leather seats !
Anyway, well done in getting the Alfa GT....which will probably be my next car if I ever change my 156 !
Paul S4 said:
By the way, as you will now have realised, the standard brakes on these cars are not brilliant ( the 156/GT share the same platform as I am sure you know!) .
After trying many different pads over the years ( and after 2 track days on Croft Race Circuit) I have recently fitted Brembo standard pads from Eurocarparts, and they have improved the brakes remarkably. ( Standard Delphi discs as well).
Ive just received a set of standard brembos (pads + discs) for the rear of my 147 After trying many different pads over the years ( and after 2 track days on Croft Race Circuit) I have recently fitted Brembo standard pads from Eurocarparts, and they have improved the brakes remarkably. ( Standard Delphi discs as well).
Fronts will probably be done next year.
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