Alfa 156 GTA

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Will01
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Joined: November 26th, 2012, 3:50 pm
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Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Hi Guys
I just thought i would share another thread on my current daily runner. I bought the car back in 2010 when i started my new job back then. I used to run about in an old 52 reg Vauxhall Corsa that did me well for years whilst i was at University.
I originally only intended to buy a Alfa 156 2.5 V6 at the time, but after viewing a few of them i decided i really wanted to buy something that someone had taken more care of, this then lead me the GTA route.
Some may argue that it is not a true GTA but it was named so after the wins that Alfa received in the touring cars and they launched this special version.
I have now owned the car for a few years now and i can say it has been a really great car in that time.
I have added a few photos of what it looked like back then(alot better than it looks now, but nevermind)
The car is now on 110k miles and still drives really well, especially since last year it was parked on the drive for most of the year and not driven!
I will try and keep this thread as current as possible, and also give a few of you a little insight into how the car has or hasn't progressed in my ownership. There is an extensive list of work that is planned so maybe some of you will be interested e.g. Brakes, Suspension modifications.
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!Bde64ggB2k~$(KGrHqQH-DoErfcPtP64BK5J(qI7nQ~~_3.jpg
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Honza
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Honza »

I wouldn´do anything instead of intended brakes/suspension..maybe remap from reputable tuner... to this car:)

I have only 156 2.5 V6 and I plan to transform it to "like" GTA.. by GTA parts or GTA kit... and the weigth is great advantage over GTA and with the right mods on engine its even faster... but its for another project/thread...
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Hi Honza
I thought i would share a little more light on the car whilst i have owned it since i sort of ran our of time yesterday.
Luckily the brakes are now uprated the the larger 330mm diameter option that Alfa introduced in the later models, since owning the cars i also upgraded to Grooved and Drilled discs which i feel give the car a little more bite when going through a succession of corners were alot of braking effort is required. I cannot say i have ever experienced any fade with these even with the standard-ish pads that are fitted.
The rear brakes i have merely replaced the discs with standard type discs but have used Mintex pads which also work well.
When all the brakes were sorted out last time round i took the time to fit Earls Braided Hoses, which do stiffen up the brake pedal a little and give more feel when you are pushing on a bit.

As for the rest of the car, unfortunately the mild steel exhaust system had to be removed as the rear boxes had all perforated and started to blow alot. At this time i took the opportunity to fit a Stainless Steel Scorpion Exhaust system as its not something i want to have to touch again. Plus it came with a lifetime warranty and discount through an owners club. I have now got used to the change in the noise and it suits me quite well, its quite quiet on the motorway and makes a good noise when you press on up the rev range.

Unfortunately a few months back the standard flexible induction pipe gave in and some large holes started appearing which caused the car to run very badly and prevented it from idling. There is a good replacement pipe however through an Alfa specialist which i used to replace and during this time i also took the opportunity to give the induction system a good clean out. As for filtration i not really into induction systems so i have fitted a lifetime filter from K&N which just gives it a slightly better induction noise which suits the car well.

As for other modifications i am slowly building up a heap of parts which i will eventually fit in one go as the car will have to come off the road for a few days.
I have already purchased brand new suspension arms for the complete car, i have made my own adjustable droplinks for the rear of the car which i will tie up with an adjustable antiroll bar. The rear suspension will also be treated with fresh new polybushes and a lick of paint.
The front suspension will also get the same polybush treatment and i also intend to re-fit a lower strut brace which i picked up a few years back. I found the last time i fitted it that it stiffened up the front quite a bit and also helped improve steering response. I only removed as it kept hitting the ground. This will hopefully be rectified with the use of full brand new suspension set of coilovers.
As for the rest of the car i only plan really to fit a slightly better clutch and Quaife diff to help put the power down and hopefully prevent any issues of the diff exploding again!

I will add photos of the work carried out so far as soon as possible
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

As i have owned the car for a good few years and live in the country i also intend to start cleaning up certain parts of the car as it is not looking as clean and fresh as it did when purchased.
Over the last summer i have already taken the time to entirely strip the underneath and re-apply a good coating of paint and underseal.
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Please see photos attached.
Attachments
Also replaced radiator with new aluminium unit as the old copper core radiator failed badly
Also replaced radiator with new aluminium unit as the old copper core radiator failed badly
35127_483730788008_3030861_n.jpg (54.09 KiB) Viewed 53410 times
Braided brake hoses
Braided brake hoses
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New drilled and grooved discs (i don't like drilled discs but grooved only were not available at the time)
New drilled and grooved discs (i don't like drilled discs but grooved only were not available at the time)
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Standard exhaust system that had failed
Standard exhaust system that had failed
254829_10150348585338009_630291_n.jpg (54.68 KiB) Viewed 53410 times
Scorpion system to replace standard unit
Scorpion system to replace standard unit
260483_10150355887593009_1480798_n.jpg (82.24 KiB) Viewed 53410 times
Looks neat on the car and not boy racer like, very similar to standard but also fits closer to bumper for a tighter fit
Looks neat on the car and not boy racer like, very similar to standard but also fits closer to bumper for a tighter fit
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Old flexible inlet pipe which failed
Old flexible inlet pipe which failed
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New flexible inlet pipe made from silicone also cheaper than standard part
New flexible inlet pipe made from silicone also cheaper than standard part
426947_10151311197363009_1689064416_n.jpg (106.65 KiB) Viewed 53410 times
Lower Strut brace fitted
Lower Strut brace fitted
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Lower strut brace helps brace lower subframe front legs
Lower strut brace helps brace lower subframe front legs
167098_10150197797008009_3790043_n.jpg (80.07 KiB) Viewed 53410 times
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

I just received my order of replacement suspension parts and some service items for the Alfa from a specialist down south.
Very good customer service as i received next day.
See photo attached
So i now have Complete Rear Suspension Arms and Front Suspension Arms, new bolts, some polybushes and some CV boots.
I also found that i made replacement adjustable front droplinks for the Antiroll bars with rose jointed spherical bearings so these will also be fitted.
Attachments
IMAG0762.jpg
IMAG0762.jpg (52.12 KiB) Viewed 53388 times
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Just raised another order for more parts, another Alfa specialist down south have just sent me some newly designed Powerflex front upper bushes for the suspension arms. This should help improve the feeling a little more as the front is a little vague with Std bushes.
Also put in an order for some new Gear stick linkage bushes as the stick goes stiff and locks if the car is left for a few days.
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Gearstick bushes and Upper Front suspension poly bushes have now arrived for the Alfa. Just need to wait till next month now so i can purchase other items in my on-going rolling restoration.

Next items i am still waiting for are the rear polybushes and some engine/gearbox mounts. I may also take the opportunity when i remove the engine to change the timing belt aswell as it will need changing in next 10-15k miles.
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Polybushes arrived
Polybushes arrived
IMAG0802.jpg (35.06 KiB) Viewed 53299 times
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Good news as the rear trailing arms to hub polybushes arrived today. Maybe I will get the chance to fit this weekend.
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Rear trailing arm to hub polybushes have been fitted and it does make a noticeable improvement since the rubber ones were shot. Has made rear feel more sensitive and got rid of a knock aswell.
Next weekend i really need to give her some fresh oil and a filter, maybe fit some other parts if accessible.
Pictures will follow
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Thought i would add a few photos as promised, even though it is not clear unless you know what your looking at.

In order to remove the bush i used a drill which cut round the bush allowing the centre to be popped out.
The soft metal outer part of the bush was a real pig to remove and i had to resort to using a punch,screwdriver, hammer and hacksaw to weaken the bush enough to push it out. This was quite frustrating as i had little room to work under the car.

The next part really just involved using copper grease to lubricate all the bushes and using a void bush remover to help pull the new outer sleeve in place.

Then it was just a case of 'Fitting is the reverse of removal' i am sure most of you would have read that somewhere before. Unfortunately no manuals exist for 156's so i had to make it up as i went along.

There are many more bushes still to do but after a good drive back along the Kilmarnock road yesterday i can report the car feels more responsive and one of the noises has disappeared and the car is not wondering around as much.
Attachments
Polybush for rear hub to trailing arms
Polybush for rear hub to trailing arms
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First had to remove disc and caliper, which was not easy as i had to first remove the lower rear transverse arm bolt in order to get access to lower caliper mounting bolt.
First had to remove disc and caliper, which was not easy as i had to first remove the lower rear transverse arm bolt in order to get access to lower caliper mounting bolt.
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Removed lower trailing arm to hub bolt.
Removed lower trailing arm to hub bolt.
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New bush in place, makes everything else look very dirty and horrible
New bush in place, makes everything else look very dirty and horrible
DSC_0113.jpg (40.56 KiB) Viewed 52956 times
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TomLouwrier
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by TomLouwrier »

Hi Will,

Another job well done!
So happy to learn you now have a much more sensitive rear... :-)

regards
Tom (sorry, couldn't resist this one)
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Well i have clocked up a fair few miles now with the polybushes fitted. It has also been driven hard for quite a few miles and the car feels much more balanced and more responsive. It was very twitchy and un-controlled before hand.
I cannot wait to get the rest of the bushes fitted as they should really improve the drive.
Thanks for the kind comments Tom (I should have thought about that one before posting)

Luckily lots more parts have been sold recently so a few more parts can be purchased to help improve the ride further.
That is if i don't spend it on the Capri instead.
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

So newest update on the GTA is that the rear brake caliper is sticking at the moment, after taking the wheel off and having a look it is clear that the brakes are not in great shape.
Unfortunately the sliders look like they have not be working correctly, upon close inspection on the disc it also appears to be very warped woooops. Also the brake pad has started to disintegrate most likely due to excessive heat.
When i drove into work this morning the rear disc was cooking and stunk of burning.

The plan is now to refurb the rear calipers, but i also have a thought to upgrade at the same time.
What i plan to do is to install a vented rear disc instead of the solid rear disc to aid cooling, my thoughts are that if the disc stays cooler then the caliper will last longer between services as the grease wont be burnt off so quick. Hopefully then the disc and pads will last longer as they wont stick on.
The main problem is i want to continue to use the standard rear calipers as they are plenty good enough. I have just purchased some second hand caliper which i am going to modify to take a wider disc.
After speaking with my local Engineer Alan we are going to cut the sliding type cast caliper where the forks come down, then machine a spacer and bolt all back up again. Then i will also get Aluminium bells machined to accept the new vented disc rotor.
The caliper modification will add weight as will the vented disc, however the lighter weight 2 piece disc arrangement will go someway to even out this change in un-sprung mass. To be honest however i not to bothered about this as it is still only a road car. Specific weights will be updated as and when i know more.
Attachments
example of 2 piece disc arrangement, i will update with vented disc type in time
example of 2 piece disc arrangement, i will update with vented disc type in time
2piece rear brakes.JPG (35.95 KiB) Viewed 52739 times
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Will01
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Re: Alfa 156 GTA

Post by Will01 »

Thought i would just update with vented disc view, the disc however i believe could be mounted either way around. This really depends on the fit on the vehicle, but it gives you all an idea.
I will also try and have to re-manufacture the slider bolts to be a little longer but again i don't see this as a big problem.

Eventually when the front discs need replacing i will also do the same, however i my use a floating or semi-floating bobbin. Depends on price and how the vehicle is going to be used
Attachments
Vented disc view
Vented disc view
2piece rear brakesvented.JPG (32.33 KiB) Viewed 52737 times
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