Alfa haven

[155'Ringman]

Thanks guys, its a proper mojo boost to get it done as it means the ball is back in my court and i can move things on without waiting for anyone else to move their backsides into gear.

 

[155'Ringman]

Got the area in front of the garage and ramp up to the front door completed on Saturday. I went for tarmac to tie into the existing drive and also to lessen the visual impact of the ramp by making it dark rather than light coloured concrete.. I think it works ok.
The planks are just there to stop people driving over it before it cures.




I got the mx5 inside to do a few jobs on it before the next rally.

 

[djones1a]

Looking good .been following your build since 2012. Good job!

 

[BiTurbo228]

Very nice garage, and love the Alfas!

I've had a 156 V6 as my daily driver (with occasional interludes) for 5-6 years now and it's a phenomenal car. I've yet to find something that does everything it can do better (unless I get round to a 3.0l swap, in which case that'd do the trick).

My personal dream DD however is an Alfetta saloon with a 3.0l V6. All too rare in the UK now though :S

 

[155'Ringman]

Thanks guys appreciate the interest and kind comments.

@BiTurbo228 I have a 3.0 24V V6 from an Alfa 166 sitting under my bench to go in the 155 V6 which will be a roughly 80bhp increase over standard. That will be one of the projects that I'm hoping to get my teeth into as well as fitting out the garage.

Funily enough I have been helping a mate in work who has a Maserati 430 BiTurbo get it running again after a long body restoration recently. I guess you have had a Maser at some point?

 

[BiTurbo228]

Very nice that's exactly what I want to do with my 156, although I expect your 155 would be a mite faster as it's a little lighter...

I don't have any Biturbos personally (although I'd really really like an early SWB car with a later injected 2.8 engine), but my dad has a brace of them. A 228 that's definitely seen better days (mechanically solid, but very rusty and mid-restoration) and a 430 that he picked up with excellent bodywork but a non-runner. The 430 is very nearly on the road now, and the new garage he's building will house the 228 while the rest of the work is finished on that

 

[155'Ringman]

Hi Guys, Long time no post!!!
Been busy with all sorts, mostly work and cars of course but not really done much with the garage other than work on the cars in the house and the MX5 rally car. Did a load of events in the MX5 up until the end of 2019 and now with all the stuff happening in the last couple of years and in amongst all of that, I decided that I had to actually finish this extension and reduce the amount of cars I have so I can get on with a few that I want to keep.

This is what I started with, 6 cars and a load of associated parts along with plasterboard and insulation that I'd bought and never used.




So, the rough plan was to reduce the fleet by at least one car to give me some room to work, do the first fix lighting electrical routes and get the plasterboard up. As it tuned out, around July this year, friend from the Alfa 155 forum rang me to see if I would sell one of my cars. We agreed on one that I had done a huge amount of work on and that he could take on and complete. It was a difficult decision to move on a car that I'd had for 23 years and got it close to completion but I knew I couldn't afford to be sentimental about it if I was to get on with the garage and all the other cars. I spent a few weeks sorting out the brakes so I could get it onto and off a trailer safely.




I delivered it over to England myself and saw it installed in his unit, wished him well with it and returned to get on with my wiring and move on.

I don't have any pictures of the wiring as it really was the priority to get on with it as quickly as possible. After that, I had help from my son putting up the insulation and plasterboard before taping, skimming and painting it.

 

[155'Ringman]

Hit the pic limit on the previous post, so here are a few more to get me up to date..



Still the low part of the ceiling to sand and paint but it's a much smaller area so should be able to push on with it now that the larger area is sorted out and painted. After that, the plan is to do the socket wiring and an air main which will feed the locks on a lift. I'm already planning to revise the original garage too with new cabinets and some floor restoration / levelling so I have a fair bit to get on with!!

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Outstanding build!
Glad to see you posting again, thanks for the update.

 

[155'Ringman]

Thanks for the positive comments guys, much appreciated.

At the weekend, I got on with sanding and painting the first coat on the forward section that joins to the original garage. I had expected the sanding to throw up a few issues as this had been the first section I had filled and I had got progressively better at it as I had done the rest of the ceiling. It wasn't as bad as I feared and only needed a few very small areas touched in with filler to make it ready for paint, which was a nice surprise.



On Monday, I had the lift delivered which will be the next job after all the painting is done and some insulation for the side doors.

 

[driftpin]

Throw some drywall onto the scuttle hole, facing down, if you don't already have it. As a fire inspector, one of my friends who has been one longer than I (I'm retired) said that he saw many fires spread in houses and garages from just that not being drywalled.

I once almost-bought an Alfetta GT, but I bought a 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am, WS-6, 400 Pontiac V8, and the gold pinstriping, from the original owner, instead. It was probably much-more reliable. Yes, what's commonly-called the 'Smokey & The Bandit' edition. It was about 4 y.o. when I got it. I held-onto it for probably 10 years.

I saw a 'boattail' Duetto spyder in Miami traffic not long ago. It was in beautiful shape.

 

[155'Ringman]

Good advice, thank you! I've enough to spare to do both easily.

The old spyders and 105 coupe's are lovely things, crazy expensive now though. The Alfaholics tuned cars are eye wateringly expensive but definitely the ultimate restomod alfas now. Hoping to do a lot of work on my V6 155 to make it a hot road / track car.

 

[155'Ringman]

Front section painted and the lights hung and wired. Was trying to clean the old door which will take a bit more work but looks like it will clean up ok.

 

[155'Ringman]

A little more progress, not getting as much time at it as I started a new job this month so just chipping away at it.

The side doors only had one shoot bolt pointing up on one door and one between them. This was always a temporary solution until the rest of the ceiling was insulated and boarded etc. The doors were the last part of the 'front' garage that had no insulation and needed more and better fitting bolts to line up the doors and close up the draughty gaps between them.
Fibreglass wool in the voids, 3/8" ply over and new bolts including spring bolts into the floor.



Finished cleaning the roller door which was took a lot of elbow grease to clean the textured surface and also rubbed down the beam to clean the surface rust off it. I had mixed up a couple of old enamel paints that I had to make a dark blue shade that I like so pretty happy with how that section looks now.


Still got to put some finish on the doors and some brushes on the bottom of them. Should be able to finish that this week in amongst some minor jobs on the wife's car.
Just keeping it moving..

 

[155'Ringman]

Another break in posting, did a few more bits and pieces in Feb & March but had a freak fall in the garden on the 1st April and dislocated my shoulder, ruptured my rotator cuff and damaged tendons etc. So, been out of action completely while I waited on surgery but that's sorted now so just catching up on what I did before April.

After I had finished insulating the side doors, I had a reminder that a westerly wind with some rain, it gets driven under the door..

There was also enough of a gap under the door to let a good draft when the wind is coming from that direction. So I wanted to fit a set of brushes for the draft and a drip rail to deflect the water..
This probably ended up a bit more complicated than it should have but I like it lol.


Brushes installed.


Ripped a profile that hides the brushes and fixed it through the door with a small bead of silicone after giving them a few coats of stain to seal the drip rails.

There is a big offset to put the drips over the edge of the step that the side doors sit on. Works ok though.



Also built up the form boxes for the lift platform's and got rebar and 4" ducting for the hydraulic, air and signal lines to the base unit.
Hoping to get back to it soon once I've got a working arm again.