This is our 164TE.
My daughter bought it from the original owner in 2003 (first photo) complete with sunshade (which I have put away for a sunny day).
By 2005 (second photo) we had sourced most of the cosmetic items we needed and had found many accessories (the rims look great but are a pain as they are steel rim with magnesium centre and are forever going out of balance).
After an exhaustive period of playing with the suspension we got it were we wanted it (whitewalls are just dirty).
I liken it to Goldy locks and the three bears, first it was too soft, then too hard and now just right.
A combination of lowered front springs and standard rear (the lowered rear was just to hard) plus bilstein front and koni rear shocks.
The other favourable mod was to go back to steel rims with higher profile tyres, sticky wide tyres kept causing axle tramp.
I drive our cars and like them to handle.
She has a good engine note, sounding like a V8 in fact most people do a double take.
Thirsty as hell
As a reference we ran the TE and my previous 144GL (now in Ireland) side by side on a number of events and the TE used exactly twice the amount of fuel as the 144 under exactly the same conditions.
This one will stay in the family a long time.
