Alfa Romeo Forums banner

What did you do Alfa related today?

1M views 16K replies 428 participants last post by  Alfisto Steve 
#1 · (Edited)
What did you do Alfa [and 164] related today?

I had a slow to go Alfa day today.

First off I worked on setting up my wife's future garden plot permiters with 4x4 eight foot posts. I tilled up part of the area yesterday with my neighbor's roto-tiller. I have to get more soil and compost trucked/trailered in before spring.

Did I mentioned we have been having a real heat wave this week. It has been tee shirt weather. Such a relief after 20-40 degree weather.

75 ° Partly CloudyFeels Like 75°
Relative Humidity 41%
Barometer 29.87(Steady)atm
Dew Point 50 °
Visibility 10.00 Miles
UV Index 1 Low
Wind Speed W 18 to 24mph

I did move two 164's today to get my truck and trailer out so I could take a load of Alfa parts to my storage unit.

With Sara wrecking her car and so much stuff already here, I got a bigger storage unit so I could move out some stuff before I start the salvage operation of it.

When part of your rear yard adjoins your neighbors front yard you have to be creative in your landscaping and be considerate.

Yes I will restore some green grass this year. There was a children's play house in the barren area that I took down but I must admit I killed the rest of side yard grass with my Alfas under the Old Oak tree project.

You can see how far in second tree dented in right side of her trunk lid.

I may use my spare Milano Verde rear wish bone to give her 164B new rear legs as it is now sitting on a wheel dolly.

I set up garden plot as a L-shaped plot so we can still get into back yard to store Alfa rescue projects behind rear gate.
 

Attachments

See less See more
5
#13,881 ·
My oldest daughter and I visited Paris in 1986 and visited the cathedral and counted the gargoyles.
 
#13,882 ·
95 LS auto.....

Put the metal line back in (between left and right hoses, fresh drain tap installed) and tightened up, filled with about 4 liters only to find a leak at the braze!! Darn. Should have checked the braze first. Drain it again, made much easier with the tap this time, cleaned up and started to braze again...ran out of Oxy...drove to the hardware store to buy more Oxy...brazed again, TESTED AND TESTED, installed cooling system, rad, all connectors, air box and started. Fired right up but the engine light stayed on. Shut engine off after it warmed to around 140 to check connections, one was loose (white and black connector, running over the brake lines). Now, cranks but no start. I checked for codes and came up with a 1255. Was idling fairly smooth and responded to gas pedal so I don't believe it is a timing issue but you never know.
I will check again tomorrow morning as I have to get my lawn tractor ready and reached my frustration level but hopefully, cleaning all connections will help.
 
#13,883 ·
Cheese-balls. Checked and cleaned all connections under and right of the airbox this morning to deal with the code 1255. Put it all back in, started the car up and it fired right up. Noticed the idle was high (just under 2k). Shut off and did a code read... 1221. Bad me, the air flow connector had not clicked into position. Tightened that up and then NO start. Removed and replaced the battery lead and tried another code search to find a 1214 (engine temp sensor). Having some trouble finding the correct connector for that. The temp sensor is off of the thermostat housing, I believe but where is that connector located along the harness AND will this cause a no start? Thanks all.
 
#13,885 ·
Yes cold no start with Bosch coolant temp sensor disconnected. It is well hidden under area where top radiator hose connects to thermostat. It is at a same 45 degree angle like hose to thermostat. It is not temp gauge sender next to timing belt cover.
 
#13,884 ·
put your fuel pressure gauge in line with the rail while you troubleshoot. Trust me, it adds a TON of information. I recall the gauge sensor is in the tstat housing easy to see but the motronic sensor is hidden underneath the rad hose on top of the tstat housing. I recall its a blue? connector? Been years since I;ve looked......
 
#13,890 ·
O.K. so temp sender is connected at t stat housing, seems to be a single connector, under the 2 connectors just above on the top of the t stat housing. I am trying to follow the line downwards to find the other (hoping that it is a dirty connector near the air breather area as that is where I had been working) but apart from a single wire connector under the alternator, cant seem to follow any further. Time to dig through the electrical diagrams. I have started twice, no problem but still code 1214.
 
#13,891 ·
It is a Bosch 2-wire connector at sensor in mid-thermo housing with brown and black wires. On 24v it should have a quick release spring clip just like the Bosch fuel injector connectors. There isn't any other connectosr in the two wires harness. They just go into the FI wiring harness under upper dog bone engine strut.

To fully see and access it it is best to have R/F wheel and front inner fender liner off.
 
#13,893 ·
Code 1214 solved. Yes, it was that connector under the rad line at the thermostat housing. The connector must have loosened while I was holding the line upwards to pour in coolant. The connector is not in the greatest of shape so perhaps a new one is in order. Carelessness on my part has cost me hours of frustration (interspersed with putting my mower deck back together, bagging leaves, work texts and such so maybe more "minutes" than hours). Thank you all for your help and have a good weekend.
 
#13,895 ·
Drove three red ones today

The 500X too hard to enter/exit.
The 500L too pedestrian
BUT the Stelvio pretty nice.

They wanted to give us $6k off Stelvio's sticker today.

The white Q out of our means.
 

Attachments

#13,899 ·
Yep, I believe he is.
 
#13,901 ·
John, I would like to visit about the challenges of finding, inspecting and buying my Alfa from out here in the netherlands. Also the learning curve of working on these cars. My goal is to buy a 105-115 gtv and most likely would end up with a spica engine. I remember the agony of trying to balance carbs on an early 4 cylinder Honda and hope spica maintenance would be less daunting. Would love to get together and chat. Weekends work best.
 
#13,902 ·
Had a great drive in the 91S today, zipping around, shifting gears. Great fun, except some yoyo in a big pickup tried to squeeze me out when I had to merge onto a freeway. He tried to pull right up as I was merging in, nowhere else to go. What is it with these drivers of big pickups and SUVs and their macho driving, blocking other drivers in such situations. I don't understand it, except I guess they are trying to prove their manhood? Idiots. Won't mention the one bumper sticker most of them seem to have on their cars.

All in all, though, otherwise great drive in nice weather. Car ran well, sounded great, and I'm sure it was getting good vibes as I was, lol.
 
#13,904 · (Edited)
Don't think it's restricted to any political demographic. Try driving among NYC's liberal "elite." I've been literally run off the freeways there three times (at least once by a woman) by the "get-out-of-my-way" speeders, lane-weavers, and road-shoulder-passers in their Lincolns, Caddies, and BMWs. And the NY police do nothing. It felt so good to retire, get on an airplane and out of there . . . never to return.

IMO, big cities infect people with that mob mentality, and unfortunately, when they move out of those cities to get away from the taxes and declining standards of living, they take their poor manners with them. If you like F-250 freeway truck racing, try driving in Dallas! In general, too, I've found that the courtesy of the long-haul 18 wheeler drivers have deteriorated markedly.
 
#13,903 ·
trucks are getting bigger...the grand caravan was the big boy on the block, SUVs are now as big if not bigger...trucks are bigger still....by comparison 164s are getting smaller and smaller...…..perhaps he did not see you...or just wanted to make sure you saw the sticker :)
 
#13,905 · (Edited)
"Lincolns, Caddies, and BMWs" Add to that the Audis and Teslas.

Funny, but out here, usually I find that drivers of those sorts of cars are more into "the other side", lol. Pretty darn conservative, with their dreams of more money, the worst example are the conservative hedge fund managers raking in an average $815,000,000 a year each!!, so I've just read. But never mind.

When I had to visit one of the Boeing assembly plants, I marveled at how fast and wild the assembly line workers in their pickups (not many SUVs in those days) left the parking lot at quitting time. Just about got run over in my little Alfa several times. Trust me, those guys were not of the progressive or forward looking set. We engineers always figured that they drove that way to get to the bars sooner, lol, as usually we worked a little longer to avoid the mad rush, sauntering out to our cars.

Yes, ever since Reagan loosened up, deregulated, many occupations, such as the long haul truck driving, as the skilled drivers of those days have died off and their places taken up by the younger unregulated set, their driving habits have gotten worse. MY wife and I note that ever time we go on highways where the long haul truck are traveling.

Having driven in NYC, Boston, DC, and other East Coast cities, I tended to think that their driving habits were just the way the East Coast and New England all thought, in comparison. Very competitive and aggressive. Whereas, we always used to laugh, saying that So Cal drivers were esp skilled in doing four wheel drifts across all lanes to finally take the exit they wanted.

Whatever, yesterday was a good Alfa run. Great fun revving up and down through the gears, listening to the engine do it's thing. I certainly think I would miss that with a new Giulia, regardless of how well it may handle in comparison.
 
#13,906 ·
I started prepping myself and BB2 for a roadtrip on Saturday for a RON (remain over night) at Neville's for his annual Alfas under the Mighty Live Oaks in JAX FL. His event is from 2-5pm but he and I will play with cars longer than that I am sure.

I will drove back to Lakeland on Sunday.
 
#13,907 ·
Here in LA, we have Tahoe's, Yukon's, Escalade's, F150's, 250's, 350's and 450's along with Silverado's, Sierra's and Dodge Ram trucks just pushing their way in and out of traffic. Watching their smart phone screens vs paying attention to the road. Motorcycles splitting lanes and blipping the throttle to let others know they're straddling the line. So, I only drive my little Alfa Spider on the weekend, when things aren't as crazy, yet I often wonder when one of those big SUV's or pick ups will run into me. I have to drive defensively or I'll get squashed! That is, until I get into the open road and let that twin cam sing!

I can't imagine driving a small roadster as a daily driver here in LA. The traffic is horrendous and the drivers simply don't pay attention. In fact, just yesterday, we were turning left off the red light at the end of a long exit ramp/street. Two left turn lanes, where the right one must turn into the far right lane and the left can turn into one of the left turn lanes or the lane going straight ahead. We were in our RX350 (not a small car and sits up pretty high) and the guy to our right made his left turn into our lane. We swerved to avoid him and then fell back behind him, not fun, but no big deal. If we wouldn't have done so, it would've been our right fender - we lost an RX 350 a few years ago to a similar accident (was totalled due to the cost of the repair - mainly the headlight which moves with the steering wheel $2700 for the part alone). So maybe a total loss again or maybe a repair - something I don't want, because the value of the car drops when repaired, especially when it's a front end hit. So, lucky for us, there was nobody to our left and we were able to avoid an accident.

Then I think about what would've happened if I was in my Spider. Probably easier to avoid him, since it handles better than the Lexus - but there's a chance I could've looked away and was hit by that Grand Caravan. I'm pretty sure his car would win the battle! And my insurance would probably declare my Spider a total loss and I'd have to search to find another, which I don't want to do. Or worse, what if I was in my '74 or '71 Spider. I don't want to worry about replacing either of them.
 
#13,908 ·
For those old enough to remember the group Rush, here's something interesting to think about. We're not there today, but there's a similarity and the future of autonomous cars and EV's is coming nearer and nearer, while the days of twin cam 4 cylinder, 5 speed mechanical wonders is dying out.

The Red Barchetta = Alfa Spider or something fun and exciting from a distant time.

Gleaming Alloy Air Car (two lanes wide) = Ford Explorer CHP cruiser.

Here's the words. Enjoy!

My uncle has a country place
That no one knows about
He says it used to be a farm
Before the Motor Law
And on Sundays I elude the eyes
And hop the Turbine Freight
To far outside the Wire
Where my white-haired uncle waits
Jump to the ground
As the Turbo slows to cross the borderline
Run like the wind
As excitement shivers up and down my spine
Down in his barn
My uncle preserved for me an old machine
For fifty odd years
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream
I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car
A brilliant red Barchetta
From a better vanished time
I fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime
Wind
In my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge...
Well-weathered leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
Suddenly ahead of me
Across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air car
Shoots towards me, two lanes wide
I spin around with shrieking tires
To run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley
As another joins the chase
Drive like the wind
Straining the limits of machine and man
Laughing out loud with fear and hope
I've got a desperate plan
At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded at the riverside
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle at the fireside
 
#13,909 ·
New Jersey drivers are just as bad if not worse than their West Coast counterparts. Three weeks ago my LS was t-boned by a woman in a Subaru who "didn't see me". Here's the result.
 

Attachments

#13,911 · (Edited)
John hope that can be "buffed" out with a good door and some matching paint.
 
#13,910 ·
Well it was a few days ago but finally got my uncles 1971 GTV up on BaT

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-alfa-romeo-gtv-14/

Once that sells we hopefully have a buyer for the house and thats the end of it, my cousin can finally move on. I'm just happy I can help her in some small way.

Next shes taking the proceeds from the cars to buy herself a Stelvio.
 
#13,914 ·
getting my '81 gtv6 back on the road...

During a compression test a few days back (compression checked out okay) I found that the main air accordion hose was cracked, a likely culprit in causing erratic idle and power loss. It now holds idle after I duct-taped the hose, so I'll be getting a new hose soon. With that, gonna keep checking for fluid leaks. Had oil leaking, seeing if front main seal replacement resolved that or if further work needed. Had water leaking into the Valley which seems to have been due to rusted fittings on the head port fittings (I don't know what the real name is, sorry) that lead to the short hoses to the thermostat so I filed and sanded them, then coated them with POR-15; we'll see how that goes. If those leaks are fixed just need to remount cooling fans, track down clutch fluid leak, and swap left rear caliper, then back on the road!
 
Top