The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:54 pm
Ok, theres not a lot on here about my 164QV but i'll try to address that when there's anything more significant to report, but, in haste, i bought it off John, the current owner/seller of the last of his Alfa's, his rare Q4.
A 1994 M reg Vintage, with the full fat 3.0 V6 24 valve, this Cloverleaf is wicked, proper Flying Luxury, with a torque steer that can only be a big engine italian FWD car!
Now its not been on the road for some months, and she has been sitting on a temporary set of little 147 alloys whilst i sourced and refurbished my choice of wheels for her. Well i couldn't just have the OE Speedlines now could i?
So whilst in the wrong order, this is the period of Ugly!
So, the new 18" x 8j and 9j wheel rims re-finished in a rich gold powder coat, new stainless studs, and polished dish, new tyres, i love them! Sitting a lot better with a small change to the springs, and she's off for a fresh MOT.
The biggest dissappointment i had thtoughout the MOT was the fact that the car arrived filthy, my wheels don't look new at all! Bugger!
A 100% clean bill of health, nothing but a spot of headlamp alignment to twiddle, probably down to the cars new ride height, so great news, mot'd, taxed, and back on the road with shiny new shoes to show off, Definitely, the GOOD period!
Wanting to put my usual stamp on the car, and having done wheels to date, exhaust had to be next, so on the ramp it went, and of course with the MOT emission test so encouraging (it really did pass as if it were never there!) that Cat had to find its flap, and get the hell off my car!
Stainless exhaust warbling and rasping on the ramps, she sounds gorgeous!
So whats the Bad bit? Well, actually, its more like bloody awful i'm very sad to report
Off the ramp, out the yard, turn left at the T junction, "clunk!"
"what the hell was that?" i ask myself, as i creep out of the industrial estate, exhaust and throttle in defcon1 silent mode, nothing, but the car steering feels a little left biased,
Mini roundabout negotiated, out the village, still only creeping though, and up to anther T junction, which encouraged another "Clunk!", followed by some clicking, tapping, and so immediately into the pub car park 20yds away, and gently pull up to investigate.
Crawling underneath as far as i could whilst only sat on a single scissor jack, revealed nothing more that some transmission oil, everything actually looked in place, but the car is not driven any further
and has to suffer the indignance of a recovery lorry, thankfully supplied at great speed from the father in laws Nottingham Breakdown and Recovery Ltd.
So this morning amongst a barrage of Alfa ownership abuse and jibes, she went up on the ramp. I was hoping to find a dislocated or even broken driveshaft, allowing the oil to find it way out the diff, but, sadly, its a lot more serious, and something has actually punched a crack/hole in the top of the gearbox casing!
Speaking with Tom pretty much confirmed that what i'd experienced, is the known achilles heel of the 164QV drivetrain, and that means that very likely its the diff that has failed rather catastrophically, and the planetary gears, crown pinion etc have let go, and something has shipped on out!
So, no sooner have i just got it something like how i want her, she's off the road again and costing me money i just don't have spare for this kind of event currently!
I never even got to enjoy the exhaust under even minor load, not once,
What a shambles, i'm proper sulking this week.....
A 1994 M reg Vintage, with the full fat 3.0 V6 24 valve, this Cloverleaf is wicked, proper Flying Luxury, with a torque steer that can only be a big engine italian FWD car!
Now its not been on the road for some months, and she has been sitting on a temporary set of little 147 alloys whilst i sourced and refurbished my choice of wheels for her. Well i couldn't just have the OE Speedlines now could i?
So whilst in the wrong order, this is the period of Ugly!
So, the new 18" x 8j and 9j wheel rims re-finished in a rich gold powder coat, new stainless studs, and polished dish, new tyres, i love them! Sitting a lot better with a small change to the springs, and she's off for a fresh MOT.
The biggest dissappointment i had thtoughout the MOT was the fact that the car arrived filthy, my wheels don't look new at all! Bugger!
A 100% clean bill of health, nothing but a spot of headlamp alignment to twiddle, probably down to the cars new ride height, so great news, mot'd, taxed, and back on the road with shiny new shoes to show off, Definitely, the GOOD period!
Wanting to put my usual stamp on the car, and having done wheels to date, exhaust had to be next, so on the ramp it went, and of course with the MOT emission test so encouraging (it really did pass as if it were never there!) that Cat had to find its flap, and get the hell off my car!
Stainless exhaust warbling and rasping on the ramps, she sounds gorgeous!
So whats the Bad bit? Well, actually, its more like bloody awful i'm very sad to report
Off the ramp, out the yard, turn left at the T junction, "clunk!"
"what the hell was that?" i ask myself, as i creep out of the industrial estate, exhaust and throttle in defcon1 silent mode, nothing, but the car steering feels a little left biased,
Mini roundabout negotiated, out the village, still only creeping though, and up to anther T junction, which encouraged another "Clunk!", followed by some clicking, tapping, and so immediately into the pub car park 20yds away, and gently pull up to investigate.
Crawling underneath as far as i could whilst only sat on a single scissor jack, revealed nothing more that some transmission oil, everything actually looked in place, but the car is not driven any further
and has to suffer the indignance of a recovery lorry, thankfully supplied at great speed from the father in laws Nottingham Breakdown and Recovery Ltd.
So this morning amongst a barrage of Alfa ownership abuse and jibes, she went up on the ramp. I was hoping to find a dislocated or even broken driveshaft, allowing the oil to find it way out the diff, but, sadly, its a lot more serious, and something has actually punched a crack/hole in the top of the gearbox casing!
Speaking with Tom pretty much confirmed that what i'd experienced, is the known achilles heel of the 164QV drivetrain, and that means that very likely its the diff that has failed rather catastrophically, and the planetary gears, crown pinion etc have let go, and something has shipped on out!
So, no sooner have i just got it something like how i want her, she's off the road again and costing me money i just don't have spare for this kind of event currently!
I never even got to enjoy the exhaust under even minor load, not once,
What a shambles, i'm proper sulking this week.....