145 (Type 930) 1994 - 2000

As I life-long lover of cars, I had for sometime been contemplating the often quoted belief of Jeremy Clarkson that to truly be a Petrolhead I must, at some point, own an Alfa.....

I didn't want to spend a fortune and thought that the 145 could be a good entry point. I've always liked the "Bread van" styling that has really grown on me over the years. I was vaguely keeping an eye open on the various auction sites but nothing really jumped out. Then one evening (31 May 2022) to be precise, I was well into a bottle of red and looking for something else on eBay R543 HNE popped up on my screen....

1998, 1.6 Twin spark 16V, only 48,000, decent MOT history. On offer for £1,200 from a fellow enthusiast in Nuneaton (an hour up the road from me). A couple of calls, photos (including the section photo above) and a shared video later it was agreed the car would be held for me to visit the next day. I then wandered through to the kitchen with the empty wine bottle and muttered the immortal words to my ever-supportive wife; "I think I just bought an Alfa Romeo......"

And so it was that on 1 June, 2022 I found myself on the train from Milton Keynes to the Nuneaton.....

The vendor had kindly offered to pick me up from Nuneaton Station and the short drive from there to his home where the car was being kept was enough to establish that the vendor was a long-term Alfa guy and had bought the 145 for his wife but she just didn't like it (I never did establish why?). Anyway, they had agreed that if they sold the 145 and he got rid of his current Skoda he could then buy an Alfa GT that he had always hankered after - so highly motivated to sell then!!

A quick inspection and test drive revealed all to be as described (if not better in many ways) to the extent that I didn't have the heart to haggle. Money transferred and paperwork exchanged, the drive home (about 50 miles) commenced.

Having been pleasantly surprised by the amount of headroom (I am 6'6" tall) I was delighted that the drive home was totally uneventful other than the onset of some soreness in the shin / ankle region of my right foot due to the driving position.....

A further inspection at home (and a much needed clean) made me even happier with the purchase and my "well it's only £1,200 if it all goes wrong" defence to my wife the night before rapidly became a thing of the past as she immediately fell in love with the car!!

Soon after purchase, I had the car inspected and paid to have the cambelt replaced, or so I thought (more of that later.....).

One immediate problem identified was that the headlights were misaligned and would not pass the upcoming MOT. The plastic adjusters then disintegrated and the lights could not be positioned properly. A hunt on the internet bought no joy. Just as i was starting to feel desperate, I put a message about the problem on the 145/146 Owners Forum (a resource I found to be very helpful and I am sorry to see that it is no-longer available for some reason?) and got an instant reply from a 146 owner in Scotland who said he had recently re-furbished his own headlights after suffering a similar issue. If I sent him the headlights along with parts parts from another source (he sent me an eBay link) then he would happily do mine for me. All sounds too good to be true, eh? Well I thought so but after a few days I decided that I had no other option so why not give it a go? This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. The guy is a genius. He not only fixed my lights but sent me photos and videos at every stage of the process, had them couriered back to the garage and spoke to them directly to share his personal experience of re-fitting and correctly adjusting them. Job done and MOT passed!! I'm still in contact with this new friend (although we've never had the chance to meet in person yet) and he was the first person I let know when I subsequently bought the 164.

Next was some cosmetic work to address some minor lacquer peel on the small roof panels above the rear side windows on each side. This was completed excellently by a local shop; Woburn Accident Repair Centre.

September 2023 I took the car to Days MK for a service and MOT. Everything came back fine with a note to say the cambelt looked very old and needed changing asap!! Imagine my confusion (see note above!!). Turns out the work (that I had paid handsomely for previously!!) had not been done!! Anyway, David Day - a real enthusiast that I can recommend to anyone with an Alfa of any age - showed me the sad evidence and we got the work done properly. I've been using David ever since for both my cars and can highly recommend Days MK; www.daysmk.co.uk

In between all the above, I was delighted to be asked by the Bicester Heritage to display the car as part of the "Thin End of the Wedge" exhibit at the April 2023 Scramble (see photo). It was a great day with many visitors asking about the car and sharing their own memories of the marque. R543 HNE got as much attention as, if not more than, many of the more exotic participants. It was my first show and really quite something to park-up my £1,200 eBay purchase alongside a Countach, a Miura, several Esprits, etc........ I really do enjoy the Scramble events. I appreciate that some find the entry cost high but from my perspective it is quite local and for a full day's entertainment with some wonderful vehicles and like-minded people I think it is pretty good value overall. I have always found the atmosphere to be most welcoming and other exhibitors generous with the time to chat and willing to let you get up close with their pride and joy.

The car will be at the Rushden Classic Car Show on 4th August as part of the South midlands Section display.

After that it will be back to the usual routine of weekly drives and attendance at the Monthly Section Meetings (rotating with the 164). I recently re-claimed our double garage from family room status after 17 years so both cars are now safely ensconced and close to hand!!

Good news!! The car has passed it's MOT with just a couple of minor advisories to monitor.

Whilst in for the MOT is has had a minor service and "health check". Days MK (who else?) reported that there is some minor corrosion to keep an eye on that may require welding in the future. The exhaust system is starting to show signs of wear (exhaustion? Lol)  but nothing to worry about in the short term.

They have also fitted the new Eibach Springs and Bilstein Dampers purchased to replace the original items that were corroding. All went well; the ride is a little lower and a little firmer but pretty negligible and better overall so very happy. Also replaced the missing toggle for the electric mirrors and wire brushed / stone chip protected the underside.

So, I think that is all of the outstanding jobs done (for now!!) and we're looking forward to another 12-months of fun.

UPDATE: I've been asked to display the 145 at the next Bicester Scramble on Sunday 6th October. The theme for the event is "Hatchbacks" and we will be on the main lawn so do come and say hello if attending. We'll be there from first thing but need to be away by about 1pm to attend another commitment. See you there?