GT (Type 937) 2003 - 2010

Hello All!! 

I'm Nathan, and this is Bella, my 2008 Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf Q2. 

Here is my story with Bella so far....

After selling my Alfa 159, and moving over to the dark side and buying a BMW E39 525i Sport, i immediately wanted an Alfa again. The BMW just didnt feel anywhere near as special as the 159, and the community was in no way as engaging, so i sold the BMW knowing i wanted a GT. Id always liked them but the fact it was a 2 door coupe was a hard sell to the mrs and she is a fan of 4 door cars, something about practicality apparently...

So managing to convince the mrs, the search was on. i knew i had a healthy budget and a gettting a well looked after Blackline wouldnt be an issue, however a Cloverleaf is really what i wanted, something about those alloy wheels just really set the car off beautifully. A cloverleaf Q2 or Q2 was just out of budget, or so i thought.

So i put a message out to the Alfa community informing them of my desire to rejoin with a GT, and got some really good cars offered to me, well within budget, a few Blacklines and the odd JTS, but no Cloverleafs, until a lovely chap called Mauro got in touch saying how he "might" be selling his Cloverleaf Q2 due to the impending ULEZ. we quickly arranged a date to come and view the car, and id never felt so excited. 

Jumping on the train towards North London, i couldnt wait to view what could potentially could be my new car. Walking down the road from the station, i even grew a little nervous, hoping and praying that the car would in fact be in good conditon and that i hadnt travelled all that way for nothing. 

Ill never forget seeing bella for the 1st time, as i turned the corner, a bright red alfa romeo greeted me, it really was love at 1st sight. Mauro greeted me at the door, and it wasnt long before talk turned towards the GT. As it tuns out, i didnt need to worry about a thing, Mauro walked me round the car panel by panel, engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes everything was discussed and documented. The amount of time and love Mauro had put into Bella was staggering. We even went round to this garage at the back of his house and he showed me all the spare parts he had aquired for the GT in his ownership, he even had a spare engine sat in the corner and he explained he had fitted it while he was giving the orginal engine a full rebuild, not because it needed it, but because it had covered 162,000 miles and he wanted it to last another 200k plus.

i knew that Bella must be one of the best GTs on the road, the amount of care and attention that had gone into her couldnt be overlooked. a truely rust free, damage free GT Cloverleaf Q2, i knew i wanted her instantly but Mauro was still undecided if he wanted to sell. He asked if i could give him a couple of days to think about it, i was more than happy to agree and we parted ways. i took a final look at bella, and headed towards the station.

2 days later, i get a call from Mauro. "the car, you still interested" he said, "hell yeah" my response. "Great, its all yours, come around tuesday and pick it up". Best phone interaction ive ever had!. i got off the phone and did a little dance around the house. id just got myself a GT Cloverleaf Q2. 

Waiting for Tuesday to roll around was agony. how long can a few days take to come and go, but it did give me a chance to sort out the boring stuff like insurance etc. Tuesday morning i set off bright and early and jumped on the train back to north london, that journey took an eternity, why do trains have to stop at every station?!!. finally my station rolled around, and i started the walk up the road, turned right, and there she was, sat in all her glory. My Alfa Romeo GT.  

Mauro and I went inside and the deal was done, i emerged from his house with the keys and a stack of paperwork. Said our farewells, got in my GT for the 1st time, turned the key and off i went. I had around a 2 hr journey home which seemed to fly by, the car drove beautifully, and driving past all the shop windows id catch a glympse of the refection of a bright red GT and id just smile knowing that was my car. I stopped off at a petrol station and a taxi driver commented on what a beautiful car it was, i explained id just bought it, and he told me what a fantastic car id just purchased, i was inclined to agree with him lol. 

Pulling up outside my place for the 1st time, i took a minute to myself to just take it all in. the mrs came outside and immediately commented on what a pretty car Bella was, i then asked if she was bothered by the 2 door coupe impracticality, apparently practicality does matter when youve got a car as beautiful as a GT lol. the mrs gave her seal of approval, which is very hard thing to get so Bella was already doing well. Before going inside i took a final look back, and i knew id made the right choice and me and bella was going to have alot of good times together. 

So after purchasing Bella, id had a fantastic few months getting to know her, and with all Alfisti coming up with a list of potential jobs that may or may not need doing. I contacted Laurence at Autolusso Bournemouth and asked if i could get the car checked over. He was all to happy to look over the car for me, so we booked in for a saturday. The drive down to bournemouth was gorgeous!. the sun was shining and the car was gliding down the road. on arrival, laurence greeted me and got the car on a ramp. Now i was suddenly nervous, Anytime a Alfa goes up on a ramp, all the hidden issues are suddenly plain to see. To my surprise the technican and Laurence was staggered, no rust, no oil leaks, sills where undamaged and still straight, quickly a crowd of technicans where around my car, with all of them in utter disbelief of the mileage of my car and the remarkably clean underside of my car. It was then explained to me how GTs tend to suffer with rust and damaged sills, oil leaks etc and the fact my car was so clean clearly meant that it was very much loved.

i looked around the car with the technican, he then lowered the car, and handed me over the list of things wrong with my car. before handing over the list he told me that most GTs usually get around 2 to 3 pages of issues, with that in mind i had a look. i was stunned when only 5 issues where on the page, Exhaust hangers slightly corroded, Fuel tank straps slight surface corrosion, alloy wheels need refurbishing, front brake discs slightly worn and front pads could do with changing. 

that was it. couldnt believe it!. I was so proud of Bella, she had done me proud!. I went round to reception with a massive smile on my face, was told id bought a fantastic example of a GT. I rebooked a service and MOT with them, thanked them for everything and left, with a massive grin and the reassuring knowledge of knowing id got myself a fantastic motor. 

So as of writing this Bella has been to a fair few Alfa Romeo owners club events, The 1st being Spring Alfa day in 2023 where she was very lucky to enter alongside and be parked alongside 2 Rosso red GT Cloverleafs. Other events Bella has been to include 

•  Hever Castle, Cars at the Castle 2023
• Stansted Festival 2023
• Festival Italia 2023
• National Alfa Day 2023
• Southern Alfa Day 2023
• MitCar 2023
• 20th Anniversary GT Meet
• Alfa Romeo Meet Caffeine and Machine 2024

Owning Bella has been a real joy and it has also given me the opportunity to become the GT registrar for AROC. This is a role im extremely proud off and its something i really enjoy doing. The role made it possible to plan out a GT 20th anniversary held at Cheddar Gorge. Ive written about this day in detail in our club magazine. But in summery it was a fantastic day in which 17 GTs attended for a convoy drive and meet at Cheddar Gorge. Everything about the day was perfect, and its a day that i dont think ill ever forget. especially Bella leading 17 GTs on the 10 mile journey toward the gorge, the image in my rear view mirror was something incredibly special. 

As with any Alfa, Maintenance is a never ending burden on us all. I have a strong belief that all Alfas are rolling project cars, no matter how mint they are, they always just seem to need something. So below is a list of everything that ive done to Bella in my Ownership.

• Major Service - Oil, Air, Fuel, Pollen Filters, Oil etc
• Front Drilled And Grooved Discs 
• Front Brake Pads
• Front and Rear Drop Links 
• Rear Shocks
• Alternator Replacement
• Battery Replacement
• All Engine and Gearbox mounts 
• Rear Bumper Respray
• Front Bumper/Wing Respray
• Headlight Refurbishment 
• Rear O/S Light Replaced
• ECU Replacement 
• Remapped Engine/ Autolusso
• Gearbox Service
• Minor Service
• Radiator Replacement 
• 4 Alloy Wheel Refurb
• N/S/R Tyre
• Aux Belt
• Aux Tensioner
• Idler Pulley 
• Air Con Pump Bearing Replacement
• Front and Rear Repainted Brake Calipers
• Front Wheel bearings 
• Left and right Driveshafts 
• Front Shocks 
• Timing belt kit with Water Pump

Hopefully Bella can take it easy on my wallet now, fingers crossed lol

As a detailer, im pretty handy with a good old DA machine or Rotary, so polishing and correcting Bellas paintwork was one of the 1st thing i did when i picked up the keys. I set myself 4 days aside to properly correct the paintwork, polish and then seal, at 1st with a ceramic coating by Gyeon, but ive stepped away from that now and im now using traditional carnauba based waxes as i do believe certain paints really pop with a wax, rather than a ceramic coating. Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax is my automatic go too for the winter months, however for summer i want abit of zing and as your not having to deal with the winter salts and usual slush on our roads in summer, i tend to use Chemical Guys Wet Butter Wax especially in prep for a show. 

My list of cleaning products are 

• Bilt Hamber Touchless Prewash 
• Car Gods Shampoo
• Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel 
• Meguiars Gold Class (Wheels only)
• Gyeon Wet Coat ( When feeling lazy lol)
• Bouncers Done and Dusted Detail Spray ( Great Glosser)
• Turtle Wax Tyre Shine Gel
• Koch Chemie Glass Cleaner 
• Meguiars Ultimate Interior Cleaner 
• Gyeon Quick Detailer ( Shows Only) 

Compounds and Polishes used 

• Koch Chemie P601 ( Great All in One, i use for Winter Month Prep )
• Koch Chemie H902 ( Heavy Cut for Correction)
• Chemical Guys P4 Perfection Polish ( Summer Polish )

I clean Bella twice a week usually, once on a monday and again on the friday. i use a place thats open 24hrs so midnight to about 4am im out cleaning the car, i know im bonkers. but as i live in london, space is limited, so finding a facility that enables me to use my own buckets, snowfoam or pre wash and has fantastic lighting is a absolute god send, and being open 24hrs it means its very quiet when i arrive so i can put in the headphones and have a properly good wash session without interuptions.

Now as Bella is coated in the stunning Rosso Alfa paint, she isnt immune from the common laquer peel issues that is so common on this paint type. As mentioned in my previous heading i have had the front and rear bumpers sprayed and as writing this, shes absolutely mint and in no way is showing her 193,000 mile age. however i do find the occasional stone chip, in which case ive got a mixed paint coded pot of rosso alfa at home and i just fill them in as and when. Shes not a garage queen at all, shes parked outside, on the street opposite my house, shes used daily and is my only car so i think all things considered, she looks amazing. keeping ontop of it is key i think, however these alfas do find new ways to keep you on your toes lol. 

Bella - Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf Q2

Mileage : 193,200 

Reg: EX58 HVH

Performance 

• Power: Standard 170bhp ( Bella has Stage 1 Remap which takes this to 205bhp)
• Torque Standard 330Nm ( Bella is pushing 440nm of torque) 
• Top Speed: 134mph 
• 0-60MPH: 7.9 Secs
• MPG : 700mile range 
• Engine : 1.9 Diesel 
• Transmission : Manual
• Gearbox : 6 Speed Q2 ( Limited Slip Diff )
• Drivetrain : FWD
• Cylinders : 4
• Valves : 16

Im also very proud that Bella has never failed a MOT in her lifetime, and its something that im looking to keep going. 

So the 1st official event for Bella in 2024 was the collaboration event between the GT Register and the 159 Register, headed by myself and Debbie Lindsey. We had a great turnout for the event, and Bella was an absolute dream all day. 

Of course at the end of the day, it would have been rude not to have a impromptu photo shoot, so Bella joined fellow AROC member and all round Nice guy Ben Soulby and his immaculate Alfa 159 TI for a few snaps. 

Link to his page is below:  

http://aroc-uk.com/guardian/2161/

So on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, I decided to take Bella on a mini blast down to beachy head. I woke up at 5.30am and was in the car by 6am. Set sat nav to avoid motorways, and proceeded on my way. I must say the drive was absolutely spectacular. No traffic at all, sunshine the entire way, and the twisty winding roads just complimenting the GTs chassis the entire way. The drive through Edenbridge was especially special as it took me through forest roads with the sunlight peering through the leaves, absolutely gorgeous. The drive took about 2hrs, however it was definitely the best 2hrs I've had in Bella to date. The the perfect blend of everything that makes driving special. 

When I arrived at Beachy head, I had the entire area to myself, an absolutely stunning part of the UK, and it was all mine. So of course I did the customery photo session, which was incredibly fun, as the light was really complimenting Bellas shiny paintwork. 

I spent around an hour in all at beachy head, as I enjoy the quiet, and the normal bank holiday mob was turning up, So thought it best head home. The drive back was equally incredible, however traffic had definitely increased, but the memories of that morning drive, will stay with me for a very long time. I think that morning was the very thing all Alfisti dream off, open roads, beautiful weather, and a Alfa Romeo to enjoy it in! 

So for my 6th Wedding anniversary, me and the Mrs decided to head to Plymouth to check out the aquarium. And of course being so close to Dartmoor it would have been criminal not to check that out also.

The drive to Plymouth was brilliant, if not extremely wet and windy. But Bella handled it all extremely well, from the motorway to the A303 the miles flew by. With the only glitch on the journey being getting stuck behind caravans and HGVs with little to no overtaking points, but such is life sometimes. In an Alfa traffic is no hardship, just means you get to spend a little more time in your special little car. 

The Aquarium was epic, and we spent hours just relaxing next to all the sealife they had on show, the top gallery area was particularly spectacular!. 

The next day we headed towards Dartmoor. Now the day before we had seen the snow on the moors, so didn't really know what to expect, conditions wise. However thought it would be an opportunity missed if we didn't check it out. The 20min drive to Dartmoor confirmed what I thought, very wet, slushy and muddy roads. Not fantastic conditions but knew that Bella would still be great fun to take over the moors. So getting on the road, I noticed straight away how much the Q2 diff was working to keep Bella planted on the road. It felt amazing! The grip was insane! Putting the power down was absolutely no issue and sticking the car into the various bends was a absolute thrill. Of course with the added jepordy of sheep and cows roaming, I was sticking very strictly to the speed limits, but even so, Bella was amazing. Pulled over the the customary photo shoot and the heavens decided to open, with a downpour of epic proportions, and as we had a 4hr 30min journey back, decided to call it a day and head home.

Over the 2 day drive of 490miles, Bella averaged 55.8mpg, which i thought was very impressive given the mixed conditions she had to put up with!. Best of both worlds I say!! 

So i hope youve enjoyed reading about my pride and joy. this page will be gettiing updated as my journey with this amazing car continues. Take care and until next time. 

Forza Alfisti

Forza Alfa Romeo!