Topic

Hi to you all !

I have been for a while now looking at the MGtf with growing interest...a little history..

I currently own an Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0 with aero kit 17'' teledials, with Q2, an Alfaholics handling kit, custom Wizard manifolds, and a larini exhaust..It also has an SMF and GTA clutch, 0-60 is dealt with in under 6 and it tops out at 155mph...

Its one of 3 Alfa's I currently Have, the others Being a zoe yellow 916 spider 2.0 and a Black 916 GTV 2.0..My last 3 cars were Alfa's as well, 2 GT's and a brief stint with a 156 GTA, before that I had a Fiat Coupe 20VT which was a great car too...so yes ! I like Italian cars!

I have found them all reliable ( believe it or not) but the V6 has a drinking problem, and all the cars I have at present are FWD

I now fancy something RWD amd preferably mid engined, Boxsters were on the Radar for a bit but to be honest they are a bit too ''obvious'' I have looked at Elises, and vauxhall Vx220's as well but don't think they offer something versatile or usable as a daily if required.

and to me the MGtf is more a left field choice, look extremely good value and looks gorgeous to boot ! I expect they handle extremely well too with pretty even front to back weight distribution.

so being completely green when it comes to these cars I am here looking for advice, and a general overview of what to look for /avoid and which modles offer the best value and being a bit of a spanner monkey I will likely modify a bit, for more power and improved handling so any comments would be most welcome !

My last 2 alfa's have come Via the Alfa owners forum and I have found it to be an excellent way to source a well loved and fettled car, so I also have one eye open for a potential purchase.

thank you all in advance for your advice and comments

best



Joey

Hi and to the 'Bar' from John in Pudsey Yorkshire . TF's in their basic 135 form are fine and can be improved with a remap ( although I have no experience of this ) I am more than happy with the performance of my 135 TF but as with the remap I can't say I have ever driven a 160 . There are a few more bits and bobs to go wrong with it being a vvc but I am sure there will be those on the forum that will say the 160 is better .

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I am on my second Alfa, a 159 3.2 Q4, as a daily. The first was a 33 way back at the beginning of the '90s.

They are completely different to the MGs, and I've had a few over the years.

As a petrol head you will enjoy a TF but it is different to an Alfa.

James

Seems that performance is important so a TF160 is the car to go for.

I found the ride too harsh so fitted the softer suspension kit to mine, which was a big improvement.

I've had 6 Alfas, as follow:
1974 105 series GTV 2000.
1979 Alfasud Sprint, 1.5.
1966 Guila Super, 1600.
and 3 Alfa 90 V6s
Loved them all!
Will probably get another sooner or later.

I had 12 Alfas at the same time and none of them worked - not their fault, they were being restored one by one. The best was a mk 1 1750 GTV, revved freely - you would find the same with a TF160 chipped by Z&F, wow, what a difference, like taking the brakes off, now revs beautifully all through the range, great around corners (fitted the 85th anniversary spec suspension, all German bits including huge antirollbars), terrific fun to drive, and the bits fall off less than Alfa bits used to...

Hi Joey and welcome!
I have owned first a 135 and then a 160, both similar in performance at the lower revs, but after 3500-4000 rpm the VVC comes alive and you find the accelerator pedal seems to want to push down to the floor on its own! The revs just keep on coming, coupled with a K-Maps remap and a good aftermarket exhaust and the smile gets even larger!
If you are not to used to rear wheel drive, do get the feel of the car first, as the rear ends can overtake you especially when the roads are a bit on the greasy side!
160's do go for a bit more, but are rarer and more sought after, so would make a slightly better investment, best case scenario would probably be a 160 in a limited edition, such as the 80th anniversary model, or one of the rarer Monogram paint jobs, such as Spectre, Typhoon, Celestial, Sunspot and the like...but a good example will cost more, I think the days of the cheap TF will be coming to an end soon, as they get rarer, so good luck with your car hunting...
Sundance

And on the other hand there is plenty of tidy 135s about for a lot less money and at the end of the day it depends what rev range you are going to be driving around at....the 135 has plenty of power and also can benefit from a remap..unless you are going tracking or trying to beat cars off the traffic lights then go for the 160...the 135 means.less money to payout equals less money to lose....I bought a tidy 135....Imaculate body...low mileage..spent bugger all on it..owes me nothing...underneath it has original paintwork...not hidden by sealent.been garaged throughout its life during winter...just aproaching 51000.....tfs are ..never going to be an investment....they are money pits. . So buying a mechanically sound car is the target....I think differences between 135 and 160 are trivial.....not a lot between them.....turbo charge one then I reckon that's a different matter...vvc units get noisier with age........welcome to the t bar.

Parked my 160 round the back, but the real thing - like my house... (Villa Badoer, 1556)

Yes the house my tf was parked outside was once owned by josiah wedgwood......was offerd on the market for £1...some years back.