Alfa 75: The good, bad and the ugly please.

[Bob Vegana.]

Always Looking For Another.

[GTAM]

[Terribleone]

You like Datto 120Ys, your argument is invalid...

But you must be broken for sure, didnt you have a red one that went bang?

[da9jeff]

If you want a cheap project, and you don't seem to mind French cars, maybe look for a tidy 405mi16 (or 205 with mi16 engine) or a 306 gti6. Much simpler than a 75, parts are available from the UK and for the 405, and seriously the best handling (standard) car ive driven. I had a s2, only got rid of it as i had projects coming out of my ears. It was fairly reliable as well.

[Gammaboy]

But you must be broken for sure, didnt you have a red one that went bang?

That was a 164 - better than a 75 in some ways, worse in others.
Turns out I had been daily driving the thing for 3 years with an iffy head gasket - that went terminal at a time when i didn't have the time or money to fix it.

[Captiva Fan]

Isn't there a 90 Super (possibly a Series II) which is mostly a 75 with a lot of problems ironed-out?

[cheapracer]

If you have to ask, they're probably not the car for you. Retarded handbrake, retarded window switch configuration (rear switches where you'd expect the fronts to be, fronts in the roof console), slightly cunty to work on, but a lovely thing that couple of times a year when everything works...

I rate them, but I'm clearly broken.

Owned a Alfetta 4 door for 8 years or so and loved it but all of the above is true.

It is one of the greatest and most satisfying cars you could ever punt on a medium speed mountain road and fuck can they cover miles quickly and safely, you hit holes and things mid corner on the limit barely flinching - that Perth to Sydney run in the 80's (?) by Motor Magazine was in an Alfetta by choice for those reasons.

Alfa make cars to be driven but alas, not to be driven daily, nothing starts to work until you get over 80kmh but fuck, what a car when you're there..

[cheapracer]

After writing that I realise how much I still miss it, I don't miss my Japanese cars, well maybe my Datto 1000 a little.

[Gammaboy]

Yeah, I still miss my Alfetta GTV, and My dads GTV6... The 105 series are a riot, but the Alfetta chassis cars were more comfortable for doing distance at speed...

The 90 was every bit as buggy as the 75 - it was sold in the same period as the 75, but aimed at the "executive" market - hence shit like the briefcase that slotted into the dash.

[Captiva Fan]

I thought I'd read (somewhere) that by the time the 90 Super was made, a lot of the build-quality shit had been ironed-out ... obviously no Camry, but prolly the best 75 or 90 (or "80's era") Alfa you'd find ... no?

[jsmith]

V6's have a retarded t/belt tensioner that is hooked up to oil pressure, these always, not sometimes, not occasionally, ALWAYS fuck up. The racks are a cunt to get out, as mentioned the tail shaft donuts explode with regularity and are one of the most painful jobs I have ever had the displeasure of undertaking, if it has a "smart" dash display be prepared for news years eve fireworks display every time you start it, the engines are wet sleeves so a blown head gasket means an engine rebuild, the water pumps are an absolute arsehole of a thing to change, the rear inboard brakes suck requiring regular adjustment, and all that's just off the top of my head.

The good, the engine note.
That is all. I would not own one if you have it to me, paid me to drive it, and then threatened to kill me.

[irsa76]

I don't like the Alfa 90, I think they look crook and don't drive that good imho, please tell me the 75 drives better. The Mi16 twins, 405/BX 16V are also being considered. Although I must admit my unicorn is a Mk2 Jetta GLi, 16valve but I'll settle on an 8valve. I know there are a couple around, mate had one many moons ago.

[<---cop]

That makes me wet.

[Gammaboy]

V6's have a retarded t/belt tensioner that is hooked up to oil pressure, these always, not sometimes, not occasionally, ALWAYS fuck up. The racks are a cunt to get out, as mentioned the tail shaft donuts explode with regularity and are one of the most painful jobs I have ever had the displeasure of undertaking, if it has a "smart" dash display be prepared for news years eve fireworks display every time you start it, the engines are wet sleeves so a blown head gasket means an engine rebuild, the water pumps are an absolute arsehole of a thing to change, the rear inboard brakes suck requiring regular adjustment, and all that's just off the top of my head.

The good, the engine note.
That is all. I would not own one if you have it to me, paid me to drive it, and then threatened to kill me.

Actually, the oil fed *de-tensioner* is the best of the tensioners on the 12v cars - they can leak, but can be rebuilt easily - and the mechanical ones inevitably break their clock spring and let the cam skip a tooth or two if it's parked on an incline and the engine turns backwards.
Water pump is a piece of piss to change compared to anything modern where the pump is a timing belt idler - even in the 164 where it's mounted transversely and a prick to get at, it's a 2hour job.
Racks rarely fuck up - difficulty to remove is not a big issue.
Wet sleeves/Headgasket failure = engine rebuild is false - as long as the liner protrusion is with in spec, it's good to go.
The ARC is a pain in the arse, but a resolder and replace of fucked capacitors fixes it.
Rear brakes - well, if you don't reef on the handbrake, you don't have to adjust them very often.

75 and 90 are basically the same car except the 90 has an extra 4" in the wheelbase. Later 75s got the isostatic shift linkage which as great when new, but when worn they're worse than the older linkages (which incidentally are very easy to improve the shifter feel).
Stiffer front sway bars make a massive improvement to *any* alfetta chassis car - they turn in and understeer less with more front roll stiffness than they left the factory with.

[morerevsm3]

the only Alfa worth owning