145, 146 & 155

[Keith Walker <100662.3423@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Willo

I have driven a relatives 145 fitted with the 1.7 16V =

flat 4, and it does the engine a total disservice. The
flat 4 is brilliant in a lightweight car like the 33, but =

with very little torque it is swamped by the weight
of the 145. Build quality is poor (speaker grilles =

fall off, stereo cover falls off, rear wiper has a mind
of its own including not switching off after heavy use
when the ignition was switched off, gear linkage fell
to pieces stranding car in 2nd gear). Later cars are
far better I believe, although I know someone with =

a 146 Cloverleaf which is just over a year old and has
already had 2 gearbox rebuilds.

I have driven 2 155's; an early 1.8 8V and a 2L 16V. The
first was an awful car, with no power and a driving =

position which for me (5'8" tall) felt as though I was
sitting on the floor with the gear nob somewhere =

above my head. The later 2L is far better.

I don't know anything specific abouty 155's, but =

on any Tipo based car (including the new 156) =

you can say goodbye to front suspension =

bushes every 2~3 years. These are bonded =

to the front wishbones which cost around
90ukp each + labor to replace (or about half
that from independent suppliers).

All the best

Keith

------------------------------