Model: Alfa Romeo 75
Year: 1990
Mileage: 68000
Tax: No
MOT: February 2013
Location: Norfolk
Price: 750
Additional Information:
This car came up for sale in January in a village not far from me - it had been sitting for a year or so as the owner had bought a new car. I'd been wanting to try a 75 for a while, so I bought it and got a local garage to recommission it and get it through an MoT. So it's now tested until the end of next February, but it does still need some TLC which I don't have the time or the skills to carry out.
It's a very solid, genuine car overall. It needed a very small patch of welding on the passenger front floorpan for its MoT, and there is a bit of grot in one of the rear arches, but this is not particularly serious and is behind the arch extensions so isn't unsightly. The interior is in good condition for its age, and most of it seems to work, including the roof-mounted electric window switches. The rev counter doesn't work though.
Mechanically it seems in fine fettle - the V6 starts easily and sounds gorgeous. It had a new cambelt about 18 months ago before it was taken off the road. The gearbox seems fine, changing up and down smoothly, although kickdown is not always as responsive as I would hope. The car still has its hydraulic self-levelling rear suspension, which pumps the rear of the car up Citroën-style when the engine is started.
Overall the bodywork is pretty good for its age - there are a few odd scratches and the paintwork has faded slightly on the lower part of a couple of the doors and on the lip of the bonnet, but it's still a very presentable car.
The main issue with the car is the fuel pump. This is currently wired to an ignition live, so the pump is running all the time the ignition is on, rather than being cut in and out by the relay. The wiring to the pump itself and to the relay under the bonnet looks fine as far as I can see - it's the connections under the dash by the fuse box which need looking at, and unfortunately wiring is not something I've ever been any good at so I haven't attempted a repair and don't intend to. The car starts up fine and runs perfectly well on the open road (I drove it 20 miles the weekend before last and it was fine), but in traffic or when idling it does eventually overfuel and either idle too fast or start spluttering and eventually stall. It's possible to keep it running by giving it a rev now and then, but this is not ideal and obviously doesn't do the fuel consumption any favours.
Other than that it seems fine - it's not stupidly fast but it's quite adequately quick, and the noise it makes more than compensates. As with the manual cars, the automatic gearbox is mounted at the rear of the car to improve weight distribution, and it does feel a very well-balanced car to drive.
I'm after £750 for it. Here's a couple of mediocre photos - better ones to follow as soon as I get around to it.
I await a barrage of "if only it was a manual" comments...
Year: 1990
Mileage: 68000
Tax: No
MOT: February 2013
Location: Norfolk
Price: 750
Additional Information:
This car came up for sale in January in a village not far from me - it had been sitting for a year or so as the owner had bought a new car. I'd been wanting to try a 75 for a while, so I bought it and got a local garage to recommission it and get it through an MoT. So it's now tested until the end of next February, but it does still need some TLC which I don't have the time or the skills to carry out.
It's a very solid, genuine car overall. It needed a very small patch of welding on the passenger front floorpan for its MoT, and there is a bit of grot in one of the rear arches, but this is not particularly serious and is behind the arch extensions so isn't unsightly. The interior is in good condition for its age, and most of it seems to work, including the roof-mounted electric window switches. The rev counter doesn't work though.
Mechanically it seems in fine fettle - the V6 starts easily and sounds gorgeous. It had a new cambelt about 18 months ago before it was taken off the road. The gearbox seems fine, changing up and down smoothly, although kickdown is not always as responsive as I would hope. The car still has its hydraulic self-levelling rear suspension, which pumps the rear of the car up Citroën-style when the engine is started.
Overall the bodywork is pretty good for its age - there are a few odd scratches and the paintwork has faded slightly on the lower part of a couple of the doors and on the lip of the bonnet, but it's still a very presentable car.
The main issue with the car is the fuel pump. This is currently wired to an ignition live, so the pump is running all the time the ignition is on, rather than being cut in and out by the relay. The wiring to the pump itself and to the relay under the bonnet looks fine as far as I can see - it's the connections under the dash by the fuse box which need looking at, and unfortunately wiring is not something I've ever been any good at so I haven't attempted a repair and don't intend to. The car starts up fine and runs perfectly well on the open road (I drove it 20 miles the weekend before last and it was fine), but in traffic or when idling it does eventually overfuel and either idle too fast or start spluttering and eventually stall. It's possible to keep it running by giving it a rev now and then, but this is not ideal and obviously doesn't do the fuel consumption any favours.
Other than that it seems fine - it's not stupidly fast but it's quite adequately quick, and the noise it makes more than compensates. As with the manual cars, the automatic gearbox is mounted at the rear of the car to improve weight distribution, and it does feel a very well-balanced car to drive.
I'm after £750 for it. Here's a couple of mediocre photos - better ones to follow as soon as I get around to it.
I await a barrage of "if only it was a manual" comments...
