Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

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Lightfoot
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Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Lightfoot »

Getting closer to some paint going on...
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KevJTD
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by KevJTD »

nice to see a 164 featured here, nice big cars.


just a heads up though, no need to start a new thread each time, just click the "reply" tab, keeps everything in one place ;)
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Lightfoot
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Lightfoot »

Good point - been off the site for a while and was concentrating on the 5-photo upload limit so didn't spot I was creating new threads each time! Thanks for the heads-up.

Incidentally, you described the 164 as a 'big' car - yes, at the time it was the largest car Alfa were making.

Here's a couple of photos (taken last year) of the 164 parked alongside a 'small' Citroen DS3...!!
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KevJTD
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by KevJTD »

it is a very good point about the 164 being a big car by contemporary comparisons but compared to todays monsters they aren't.

having said that though they make much better use of space, as big as that DS3 is there still won't be half as much space as in the 164, all that side impact crash protection etc putting occupants nearer the cars middle.

my friend John used to love the 164's, had a few, sold shrew a QV a year or two back.

his Q4 was actually a very quick and agile car, apart from being a passenger in a LHD car watching the traffic coming at you as he pulled out!
Giulietta JTD 170
Lancia Delta integrale
Lancia Flavia coupe 1.8 1963
Lancia Dedra turbo
Renault Clio 197 RS

I'm bad with people things
But I should have tried more

Lightfoot
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:07 pm

Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Lightfoot »

Hey, we have got paint on the car - fantastic!

Now being carefully put back together with the relevant undersealing etc. Looks as though we're now on the home straight - quite excited actually!

Well, as I said earlier, the first makeover since this particular 'Leaf rolled off the Arese production line back in the early 90's so feeling very pleased for 'her' - if I can say that!

Looking forward to seeing the job completed now.
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Lightfoot
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Lightfoot »

Home again, home again, jiggity jig...

Relief! Glad to have the 'Leaf home once more. The work has made a vast difference (the whole point, obviously!) and now, of course, there's the inevitable anxiety of taking the car out on the road for fear of "that first chip" on an otherwise unblemished car. I'll get over that but it's surprising how it kicks in after years of zero concern in that respect - well, almost!

Really pleased with the result and the 164 certainly deserved a good 'going over'. That's the trouble with old(er) Alfas - they become a responsibility and even if I knew that I were to be selling her in the near future I'd still have gone ahead with this work. There's somehow this intangible 'duty' that you owe it to the car (if push comes to shove) to pass it on to its next keeper in as good a shape as possible.

All told, the work amounted to £1.9k which, in view of the result, seems like money very well spent.

Never had a car machine-polished before - the whole of the paint now feels like glass to touch (now I really CAN'T take it out on the road!) in spite of the fact that the only areas to receive new paint were, as I may have mentioned before, the rear wings and rear door shuts, the bonnet and the panel below the rear tail lights.

I can certainly recommend JC Auto Finishers down at Cranleigh in Surrey. They'd never tackled a 164 before but, to their credit, they managed to divest the car of all the exterior and interior trim and embellishments in order to get to the roots of the problem areas (and put it all back together) without a single mishap or snag. Ok, they're professionals who do this all the time but even so it was reassuring to me as an owner that they achieved the above. There are a lot of electrics on the 164 and, to their credit, it all works exactly as before. I might post a few pics of the other types of cars constantly passing through their hands - an eclectic variety for sure!


Good luck to all other forum members currently involved in restorations and do have faith - there IS light at the end of the tunnel!
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Kegsti66
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Kegsti66 »

Great thread, nice to know there are people who let their heart rule their head. It is such a shame when people just say "it's not worth doing" and let things get worse.
I am a firm believer in "a stitch in time ........... "
Top man and thanks for the posts. :D

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KevJTD
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by KevJTD »

looks lovely, really nice.
haven't owned a white car for many years, one of my favourites was a Lancia dedra 1.8 many many years ago which was a great car and despite what folks assume it wasn't difficult to keep a white car clean, far easier than a black one!

know what you mean about getting it too good to use, but be brave :D
Giulietta JTD 170
Lancia Delta integrale
Lancia Flavia coupe 1.8 1963
Lancia Dedra turbo
Renault Clio 197 RS

I'm bad with people things
But I should have tried more

Lightfoot
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Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:07 pm

Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Lightfoot »

Thank you for the encouraging comments, Gents.

Did take her out yesterday evening for a bit of a fast blast to try and 'break myself in again'. Obviously, being mid-June the car came back all facially 'splodged' with dead flies. This morning, in the garage, with said insects having been nicely 'cooked' overnight onto the 164's facade I tackled them with nothing more than a finger wrapped in a dry handkerchief and couldn't quite believe how effortlessly they came off. Testimony to machine-polishing, I guess - they almost just fell off leaving no trace!

Anyway, looking at the figures again - £1.9k divided by 15 years' ownership works out at around £126 per annum on bodywork maintenance - put that way I have to say it doesn't sound unreasonable over long-term ownership.

Ok, onto the next project and the next dent in the finances - the A-reg Lancia Montecarlo S2 sitting at the rear of my garage (since 2011) and currently staring enviously (face-to-face) at the makeover bestowed on its Italian cousin, the 164.

Deep breath - I fear this 'makeover' might not be cheap...
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KevJTD
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by KevJTD »

I've always wanted a monetcarlo, almost got my hands on one a few years back but they are getting beyond my budget now with all the others I've got lined up.
Giulietta JTD 170
Lancia Delta integrale
Lancia Flavia coupe 1.8 1963
Lancia Dedra turbo
Renault Clio 197 RS

I'm bad with people things
But I should have tried more

Crank
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Re: Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Makeover 4

Post by Crank »

It will cost a few bob to get it on the road, but they don't make cars like that anymore. So its well worth it.
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