Alfa 147 arrives

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 Small sportyish car is here, after a swapover in a remote Midlands truck stop.  Ride up there was very comfy in the Vel Satis, but the threat of breakdown was never far away.
It is really quite small, almost Mini size.  Firm ride but not unacceptable, certainly better than a Cooper S.  Gearchange is comedy-bad, like a spoon in a bucket of gravel. Airbag light on, rear tyres are toast, fairly mucky. 
17" wheels with tiny brakes.  This is the 1.6 Twinspark, only 120 BHP but it's very eager.  Gearing is quite low, turning over at 4000 RPM at 80mph.  Apart from the gearchange, it feels pretty tight and rattle-free. 
And here is the cause of the gear issues, this shaft seizes and the plastic bushes wear out.  It's taken me about 6 sessions to remove this due to awkward access and my bad back stopping progress.

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