Alfa Pages

[Matt Stolton]

Perhaps you may be able to offer me a little sympathy. On Tuesday last my P4 died (strictly speaking was murdered, but heh hoh)

I would also like to apologise to any one on the M6 Tues Lunchtime around junction 13-14 Northbound, as the closure was caused by me (well again not technically me, but you know what I mean).

Amasingly I was only doing 70 in the slow lane, rather than my usual

A lovely lady in a new style Jeep Cherokee type thing decided she needed a closer look of my O/S rear, sending me into a spin, which took me into the central reservation at about 70-60MPH, at about 45 degrees. After about 10m of armco, I bounced free back into the middle lane, where the Jeep, some how now on its roof, now wanted a look at my passenger N/s. It started munching somewhere around my filler cap, and finished by coming through my passenger door, leaving a tyre mark on the door. Which was nice.

I finished up facing the wrong way on the M6 in the middle lane.

Funnily enough, my chassis is beyond trusting ever again. Admitedly, it managed to do its job under very trying circumstances, and managed to let me walk away unscathed, but I don't think I could trust it to try and repeat the feat. However, I do now need a new P4 chassis in which to put all my good work of the last 2 1/2 years into. If anyone has a good P4 chassis (never bent and low rust) I would be very interested.

I will probably be looking for an MOT failure or something, so if anyone has one they need to shift, leave a post or PM me.

It must be P4, ideally 4 bolt front suspension, but a later 3 bolt one would be OK. Obviously, thanks to all this I am now skint (£205 for compulsory recovery off the M6, and then £460 from staffordshire back to Lloyd at Clovertech, E.London), so would be looking for a cheap deal. The joy of 3rd Party, Fire and theft!! However would consider anything to get me back on the road again.

Alancantara Recaros would be nice ......

Whilst i'm here....

For Sale: One P4 chassis, never raced (well track dayed at Dream Racers thing once). Slight modifications include air conditioning (through passenger side being absent), remodelled O/S front, and aero package with custom reshaping of most panels.
(Worth a try, perhaps I could put it on Ebay....)
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[Ben_nz]

Bloody 4WD owners.

[Ian M]

A very sad story but at least you walked away which is the most important thing.
Are you able to claim from the nice lady in the jeep??
As it seems she caused the accident.
_________________
Presntly own
Red Abarth 500c

[RFlower]

You have my sympathy.

I had my 6 day old Ro80 rammed from behind, when I had to stop for an accident on the M1, driving home after collecting it from the factory.

It should have been written off, but the Insurance company insisted on repair.

I refused to accept the repairs, and fought them over this. They eventually paid for more repairs by a garage of my choice, which cost more than the car. This took nearly a year, and it was never the same again, so I sold it.

I assume you are claiming against the 4WD lady? - for your incidental losses and personal trauma as well as repairs.

TPFT contracts usually cover costs of claims against 3rd parties.
_________________
Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

[johnboy]

Hi matt

so sorry to read about your alfa ,after all that work you have done on it.i was looking forward to seeing your car and kicking your arse .if its a help i have lots of filler and a big hammer! i hope you sue the arse off her

all the best john
_________________
WODA WE NEED? MORE POWER!!

Alfa gt jtdm blackline
1990 S2 16v veloce sleeping!
2002 ts gtv the wifes now
1997 seadoo gsx 800
1999 freestyle superjet

[LDA]

damn.. more competition for a p4 chassis
if i find one then i'll send you the link as you are in more need than me.

bad luck
dont forget to claim off her insurance company!!! she caused the crash and you want some money back! even if its jus tto cover the cost of the tow home.

glad she landed on the roof, hope it has scared here into looking where she is going next time!

hoe your ok and get the car sorted soon

L.
_________________
A good workman allways blames his sh*t tools.

[ak8]

sorry matt.
bloody 4wd drivers!!!!

why do they take those bloody beasts if they do not know how to drive.

make sure you get a p4 back on the motorway..

[tvatavuk]

Matt and GTA,
sorry to hear it.

When you feel
Forum is right place for
_________________
Tino Vatavuk
Little black dress which replaced Alfa Romeo 33 S 16v Permanent 4 GMo

[Guest]

hi matt sorry to hear about your car,cars are not really my thing but .we have some alfa shells in our yard.you can come and look at anytime between 9-4 not at weekends , The address is 14 ivy walk ,canvey island,the alley between 2 bungalows.we are at the end of the alley ask for peter best of luck in your search

[Matt Stolton]

Is that Ivy Walk close to or off of Cedar Road?

I have just done a streetmap search and proved inconclusive, but pointed to a space between East and West Crescent, which are off of Cedar Road.


If it is I could pop along tomorrow morning to have a look. How much of a shell are they? I presume they have a V5 etc, but are part broken?[/img]
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[paulhide]

Lucky you walked away from it. Dave Peters may be about to buy a P4 shell to sell on. Will let him know about this post if he hasn't already seen it.
_________________
Owner's Club 33 Registrar. Now from P4 & S2 1.7 QV
http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5188

[paddy granger]

Matt - very sorry to hear about this. It happens surprisingly often on this forum if I may say so.

My deepest condolences for the lost 33. At least it's internal organs will be transplanted to another body.

How many mechanical components are damaged?

Best of luck,

Paddy.

[Eddie W]

Matt, I feel for you after just begining to enjoy the fruits of all that labour. To crash because of your own mistake would be bad enough but to be on the receiving end of somebody elses stupidity is doubly painful.
Condolences.
Regards Eddie
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A LITTLE FURTHER A LITTLE FASTER

[Matt Stolton]

Thank you one and all for your kind words. Eddy is right in that it is doubly painful to loose this car after so much time and effort, to some drongo in a 4x4 going too fast. Myself and the lads at Clovertech had all expected me to have some form of racing incident at a track day or similar, so to loose it on a motorway, whilst driving at legal speeds is even more depressing.

Mechanically, I cannot trust the chassis obviously. The front O/s wheel rim is slightly flat, and the tyre has a nasty looking bulge in the tyre wall, from the impact with the armco. This impact also looks like it has caught the bank 1+3 inlet cam wheel, as the belt looks like it is loose, so I presume I have lost the valves on that bank. Hopefully no more than that, but I won't know until we get the engine out for inspection.

The rest of the suspension should be OK, hopefully the springs and eibach front anti roll bar should be OK. Apart from the passenger door now resting on the passenger seat, the P4 interior is OK. Amazingly my rather nice ali fuel cap looks to have survived, but that was such a sod to fit, I may take it off and not refit to the new one.

The gearbox was a temprory one after breaking the original one at the Dream racers Track day. I have since sourced a 145/6 boxer box, and was going to play with that, and the other broken box any way to create a 33 hybrid. I also picked up a power steering rack to have reconned.

Underneath, The chassis looks straight, so little or no damage will have occured to the rest of the drivetrain. The engine still looks to be on its mountings so hopefully the exhaust isn't bent, so could be transfered to the new chassis/donor car. Equally the brakes all look to be intact, as they were protected by the rims.

Anything I do transfer will be very thoroughly inspected. I cant risk transferring anything suspect.

I just hope I can find a nice new donor car. The sad thing was that J706GMT had never been pranged, and under neath was very sound, not even the jacking points needed changing, let alone sills. I fear it will be very difficult finding anything as good, certainly for sensible money.

I don't really fancy buying anything too nice, as it would be a shame to ruin a standard mint car. I would feel rather guilty about taking a concourse 33, and doing my stuff to it. There are a couple about, from Deano, but one is very perfect and Circa £2K, and one is probably as clean as my last one and Circa £1.5K.

I'm just after an engine dead P4 with a straight chassis. Then I won't feel guilty about giving it a new life/engine etc.

I am going to Lloyd's this afternoon, and will take some photographs. I think you will be impressed with how the chassis survived so well, giving the speed and weight of the other vehichle.

Any my hunt continues.......
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[Matt Stolton]

Dear Guest,

thank you for your advice about Peter having a couple of chassis.

However, having spent three hours walking around Canvey island, and speaking to a very nice lady who lives at 12 Ivy Walk, I have established there is no 14 ivy walk. Further to this, and a chat with a constable at Canvey Island Nick, there is no other Ivy anything on Canvey Island.

Having been issued with a map by Her Majesty's Finest Essex Constabulary, I found an Ivy Road in South Benfleet. Despite having houses 1 through 48, there was no No.14 even on that road.

Where the duck where you talking about? I don't know of any other Canvey Island, so am a bit puzzled. If this was some sort of joke I am particularly ducked off.
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[Horizontally Opposed]

Hey there Matt!

Glad to hear you are ok!
I am so sorry about the poor P4

I hate to see crashed or neglected 33s
It's a shame.

Wish I could help with the chassis but I don't think I've ever even seen a P4 here in Greece...
Guess it was never even imported...

I hope you get a new P4 and be back on the road soon!!

[paddy granger (N/L)]

Matt,


I will ask around to see if there are any engine dead P4 chassis you can have.

Paddy.

[Guest]

Hi MATT,Im sorry you couldnt find us,we are just off jones,s corner the end off ivy walk right behind the bungolows,just by the lake.As you walk up the alley you will see the ducks in the lake.we will be on the phone in a few days.sorry you couldnt find us better luck next time or wait till we are on the phone.sorry peter

[dave]

hi matt again sorry to hear about your sad loss
im about to pick up a red p4 shell would you be interested im near gatwick thanks dave
01293 565036
07860 861898
give us a call

alfa 33 registrar
_________________
alfadave1@btinternet.com
VW TOURAN 59 PLATE WHITE WITH TINTED WINDOWS AND ALLOYS MR BLING
CHEVY MATIZ

[Matt Stolton]

Dear Guest/Peter,

Sorry for my arseholish post, but I had just spent 3 hours wandering around trying to find it, including walking to the lake and surrounding area.

Dear Dave,

Many thanks for your 'find' could be very useful.

In case you loose my number from your phone: 020 8527 1081 or my mobile 07930 917 680

Dear All,

Thanks for your continuing support in my quest for a new chassis. At this rate I may be driving it by Christams! Or perhaps not......
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[Matt Stolton]

Right, here are the photos I have been promising. Do not look if you are squeamish.....

1) the first knock, very small really.


2) Hitting the central reservation at 70ish. Quite impressively strong really.


3) Engine compartment, apart from the creases and gaps in the very front, from the bulkhead back has not moved.


4) The real blow. Having survived the rear tap, hitting the armco, and all that, the car was probably rescuable, until she hit me again.



5) My point of view of the door with the tyre tread on it.


6) The real gutter. Close up of the inlet cam wheel, serving pistons 1+3. notice the slackness on the belts.......


All in all, not my best day of my life.
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[tvatavuk]

You might not think of it now because of financial blow, but you could start celebrating your 2nd? birthday on that date.
That redish strip on left wing of co-drivers recaro isn't your blood?
Those gauges just above ash tray, what are they for, oil press/temp?
Cambelt look like in one piece but did that head migh have taken hit.

Good luck with finding new chasis?
_________________
Tino Vatavuk
Little black dress which replaced Alfa Romeo 33 S 16v Permanent 4 GMo

[gritsop]

Hi,



I 'm still wondering how the bloody Jeep driver has escaped from your hands...

The damage is big enough and I would agree that the chassis must have taken a lot of tension...

By the way, is th motor from a 145/6 car?

Good luck for the transplant you have in mind and all that matters is that you are OK after all.

Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

[Matt Stolton]

Tino - The red thing is one of my air horns that was dislodged during the armco hit. The gauges are Oil Temperature, Voltage and Oil Pressure. The belt is intact, but it is loose on the pulley, so I presume the valves have collided with pistons, at least on that bank.

Gritsop - The engine is a 33 16V, but does use a 145/6 boxer plenum to get a little torque back.

Dave - I got your message on the answer machine about the P4, but I wont ring you tonight as it is past sociable hours. I will ring tomorrow, with a view to having a look on Tuesday perhaps?

Cheers All.
_________________
Regards

Matt

Ex Alfa 33 'GTA' (P4 with Knobs On)
Now cruising in a 166 3.2 Ti!!

[Marcin]

Hi,

from my "continental" point of view you are lucky that the steering wheel was installed on the "wrong" side.

Good (or: better ) luck!

Marcin