Rewe

Tom from T?

Gry! Welcome aboard. I've got a feeling this place could have been made for you.

Nope, give up but welcome anyway!

I've done a couple of sets and you can get a much better finish than you think with patience and good preparation. I've actually used body filler in small scuffs on one set that still looked good five years later, no cracks, nothing fell out and they survived a trip to the tyre fitting bay. I've got to do my teles soon - I'll do a photoguide (and not post it if they turn out rubbish! )

I can't say for sure, but I seem to remember someone said it was under the dash somewhere close to the back of the filler cap switch.

Good to have you here Tim, catch you later.

Hey bud, welcome aboard. Now get posting!

Hi Sammie and welcome. Don't worry about the techie questions. The site is very new but we have the best Alfa tech on the internet in Smaky. He is not fully house trained, but search for his name in any Alfa site and you will see for yourself how respected he is. You are in safe hands here (or in trembling hands in Morgan's case )

Hi bud, welcome. (Edit: slightly deranged looking smiley, but it is supposed to be friendly, honest!)

Fiats are OK as a sensible choice, but the cotton reel wheels just look silly.

I love SAABs and have had several. My last one was a black 3 door 900 turbo (GM but I've also had exactly the same but pre GM ) I'm sure the 9000 is the last of the really well made SAABs.

Welcome aboard. I reckon you've probably got a few good work tales to share?

What's the consensus on the size of some of signatures being used? I'm finding them a bit big and they are slightly distracting. Happy to wind my neck in if I'm the only one who thinks this though.

There is a decent guide here: http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa_GTV_ ... uide.shtml I'd add the following though. Don't ignore any knocking noises from the rear suspension. Wear in the spring pan bushes (particularly in a TS) could well result in the spring pan wearing into the soft aluminium subframe flanges, making them unsafe and resulting in you having to replace the whole subframe. (£££). You have three options: 1. Powerflex bushes. Lots of people swear by these but others complain about squeaks and a slightly harsher ride - do you really need that in a GTV? 2. New spring pan arms from Alfa. This is what mine had. They cost a fortune, but come with new "rose joints" (actually spherical bushes)that were standard for a V6 and a good upgrade for a TS. Spring pans are often rusty anyway and it can be a false economy and dangerous to rebush a seriously weakened pan. 3. You could use the original spherical bushes that Alfa workshop have been able to source (rumour has it that they are a MB part). It can be difficult to get the spring pan back against the resistance of the spring. There are plenty of stories of people who have broken a flange off their subframe by trying to force the pan home (new subframe time £££). If you line it up perfectly, it should just slip in. I found the easiest way was to use a jack gently under the hub and use a ratchet strap across the arm to a loop on the other side of the car to tweak it gently back and forth until it is in the right position. A press is useful for getting old bushes in and out, but it is also possible to force bushes home using a length of threaded bar, a suitable spacer, nuts and a spanner. All in all a job which is eminently achievable from home.

Hi Mate - fantastic to see you again. I hope you eventually contribute as much as you used to - we will be in for a treat if you do. PS - couldn't agree more with your second sentence.

Sorry Tess, didn't spot you earlier. Hi.

Congrats to all four! Have any of you got any pet hates you'd use against us? e.g. if I posted crap jokes every night or chatted up all the ladies would I get banned for muscling in on your turf?

Good to have another GTVer Starkers.

Good to see you marko

A quick guide which I'll edit when I get more time... I changed the battery on my GTV and somehow triggered the alarm. I never had any fobs with my keys and couldn't disarm it. The alarm in a GTV has nothing to do with the immobiliser; they are completely different systems. There is a company called Abacus (I think) that can fix most problems with the Meta alarm that should be installed, but as I didn't use the alarm, I went for a DIY approach: 1. Remove the carpeted panel from the side of the passenger foot well (three screws) 2. Locate the control module. It is about the size of a box of fags and should be located somewhere behind the radio that you have now exposed. 3. Unplug all the wires 4. (Optional) smash it up with a hammer 5. Put the carpeted panel back. Job done. Note - I've never owned a phase 1 but believe the module is located somewhere else. Up behind the dash rings a bell. If you know, would you mind finishing this guide?

Good to see you Deadfred.

I started that thread! Good to have you on board.

And can "IBTL" go in the swear filter please???

Very well, thanks.

Trolled in my first post! So you are the forum bully eh lurch?