[Closed] Buying an Alfa Romeo? Do I need certifying?

What you really need to ask yourself is "what sunglasses for a mass produced italian car"

What you really need to ask yourself is "what sunglasses for a mass produced italian car"

For when you need to look cool while stood at the side of the road waiting for the AA?

The JTS engines are sensitive to irregular oil changes / top ups .

Make sure the history suggests that has been kept on top of .

When were the cambelts last changed ?

And go for it , on my second Alfa now and loving it .

Before getting married & brats coming along I had 2 Alfas. Both 146s, one a 1.6 petrol & then an Orange 1.9 turbo diesel, it was magic.

Loved them, Always liked the 156 Station Wagon.

I've read about the oil and cam-belt issues Pete, so I'd be looking for one with a full service history.

I realise that getting rid of something German for something Italian should get you sectioned

I just fancy one though. Just because...

They make some jawdroppingly beautiful cars and if the company would allow this, I'd have it in a flash.
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The 156 isn't too bad either.

If you have a good independent Alfa specialist near by, then yes they are fun cars.

Front sus linkages prone to clonking. Servicing is to be rigorous but if stuck to they last well. Go crazy find a v6. I had a 155 v6 such a great car for me. Next owner not so good fuel tank leaked and engine blew up. Was used on track afair bit and tuned up though.

Just sold my 159 2.4jtdm. Sad times.
It got to the point where the mrs had to shout at me to hand the keys over.
Diesels have dpf issues that can be eased (or eliminated if you dont mind bbending the rules) and treat suspension arms as consumables.
Best handling car i've had, far better than the 156, both sportwagons.
If you factor in the cost to get cam belt water pump and pulley changenwhen you buy it, might asnwell while the belt is off. It should be fine.

It seems that go up to 3 grand and you can get some really tidy, really low mileage, one owner jobs. Hmmmmmmm....

This started this morning as looking for something to replace Mrs Binners aging Polo GTi, and (via 147's) mission creep, I-want-itis, and a degree of distraction has led me here.

I definitely deserve a new toy, don't I? 🙂

Flat 4pot bark, handling to run rings around anything in its day, 5speed where the first 4 were only ever needed...

Grin inducing awesomeness ..

Get it binners, get it and grin.

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If Full uk service history - compare service records against italian timelines - my 147 cambelt went twice in 66k miles - treated as a warranty issue each time, uk service interval was 75k miles where on the other side of the channel it was 35k. got Alfa struck off the company car list.... 🙁

and each time it did blow up, it was raining and despite my best sunnies couldn't look cool next to a burning / smoking mess of resentment.

I've had 3 Alfas now - the first 156 was a little trouble but the second was excellent, and the current GT has also been good with only the split pin that goes into the clutch pedal breaking.

Key is to find a good independant. Whereabouts are you ?

When I picked up my second 156, which had a sportspack on, I was driving it home and had to stop at the traffic lights just before home after driving for about 40 minutes (I was taking the long way home via the country roads).

I noticed that my face was aching and then I realised that it had been caused by grinning for that 40 minutes... It was like a limpet on the road that car, great fun.

When the clutch was going on it I asked a mtb mate near Birmingham (that had once sat in it and liked the cockpit) if he wanted it for free, as the cost of the clutch was approaching what it was worth and I wanted a GT to put my bike in the back of.

So he took it and did the clutch and had it resprayed (Alfa red often fades in the sun, needs a good wax) and fixed the floorpan rot (which I didn't know about and is commonish I believe) and other stuff, and then gave it to his wife to drive as he then bought a 3 litres GTV.

So the point of the story is that he eventually put it on ebay (because he moved, or something - less space) but it didn't sell, so I think he still has it.

Here is the ad, if you fancy contacting him to see what he wants for it.

My GT is geting tatty and I am almost tempted to get it back.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-156-2-0-Twin-Spark-SportPack-2-new-Cambelt-and-floorpan-/231989062461?hash=item3603a02b3d%3Ag%3Ame4AAOSwepZXTZDI&nma=true&si=GEAuN2jFQz9cHodh359ZQctt6sE%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Got one as a hire car for work once. Had ordered an estate as we had lots of kit to carry. Hugely impractical Alfa fastback arrives (can't remember the model, but it was over 10 years ago). Had to put kit onto the back seat as it wouldn't all fit into the boot.

Best hire car ever. Though I'm not sure I'd want to own one. Not sure that helps at all, just wanted to share!

Just how pretty can a car get?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C808054

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Cliche mode on///

You aren't a true petrolhead if you have never owned an Alfa

///Cliche mode off

I qualify 😳

[i]"looking for something to replace Mrs Binners"[/i] 😯
I really shouldn't skim-read these threads, should I?

I drove a reasoably sport Giulietta a month or so ago and the lack of steering feel compared to my GT and the 156s beforehand was startling - might as well have been driving an Audi A3.

Something to do with the electronic steering.

So I might not be an Alfa homer for much longer - what's the point of buying an Alfa if not for the driving feel?

😥

Oh, my. You pretty baby.. you pretty pretty sweet thing..

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[quote=TurnerGuy ]So I might not be an Alfa homer for much longer - what's the point of buying an Alfa if not for the driving feel?

Because it looks pretty and sounds good? At least that's what I'm taking away from my couple of days of "owning" one.

Flat 4pot bark, handling to run rings around anything in its day, 5speed where the first 4 were only ever needed...

Grin inducing awesomeness ..

Get it binners, get it and grin.

Nostalgia hits hard....

I had three Giulia Coupes in the 80's and 90's

That one ^ is just perfect

The later 156s had the JTS engine which doesn't rev as freely as the 2.0 TS but is less annoying in the lack of torque at lower revs.

If you get the 2.0 it is worth using Shell V-Power - you get better economy as well as better torque, although the use of the later can reduce the former.

Other premium petrols don't work.

sound required, somewhat excitable driver :

Id love a Derv GT in the stable.

While I'd agree with every word of that, actually finding one might be a bit of a problem...
POSTED 10 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Sectioned? Applauded more like.

Make it happen!

Never had an alfa myself and fancy one next time, especially now the new Giulia is out 😯
proper good looking car

He's brilliant TurnerGuy.

Binners - ask yourself if a German (outside of a Downfall video) would ever describe a car in that way.

You know what to do.

2k - 3k on a 156 is a bit heavy. I'd buy the best one I could for under a grand and preferably £500/£600 and see what happens.

3k means youve got to fix the bugger

Oh and I had a 147 2.0 petrol for 3 years that I bought at 8 years old for 1k. Didn't break down or cause a problem in 60k. Great car

Ok TurnerGuy.

Thanks for making me cry. You..git.

That was more than awesome, that was poetry.

I understood about 50% of what he was saying, but I understood 100% the car.

Confession, I owned a 1600 GT Junior, I restored it from a neglected run around, that car brought me to tears on many occasions.. sheer frustration whilst rebuilding it, and once done... driving it. No other car I've owned has, nor I guess, will ever stir my beating heart and twist my soul like that car. I also owned an Alfasud 1.5ti (1st gen) which again melted my heart and drove my love for Alfas. Sadly the Sud rotted like teeth in a coke can and my neighbour tore the keys off my clenched fist one day outside my home when I opened the bonnet to find the front struts had disintegrated into powder.

Alfas, older ones, beat every 15th beat per minute of my heart.

Snif..

I think this is all confirming what I was thinking anyway, after spending the afternoon perusing them. I need to buy an Alfa, don't I?

Anyone want to buy a mk4 Golf GTi 1.8T? Re-mapped on 18" BBS Monza's with a temperamental gearbox? :

I knew this would happen!

Oh.... I'm presuming they're crap for carrying bikes?

Great cars to drive .....
Rubbish car to own ...

I bought the car I always wanted earlier this year.

Nowadays we worry so much about mpg and practical space and safety. Sometimes you got to just live a little, ok?

BTW My car does 18mpg and I spun it in the middle of town yesterday. That's something I won't forget!

Confession, I owned a 1600 GT Junior, I restored it from a neglected run around, that car brought me to tears on many occasions.. sheer frustration whilst rebuilding it, and once done... driving it. No other car I've owned has, nor I guess, will ever stir my beating heart and twist my soul like that car.

I picked one up in the summer; been sitting in a garage for the last 25 years and emerged in fine fettle but with seized brakes. I've had them replaced and an Alfaholics handling kit fitted, and rust stuff squirted wherever it can get squirted. Got it back last week. My god it's fun but with only 110HP it's crying out for another 50. Plans are afoot...

Had a Brera (loved that car) and in a giulietta now, next car roll be a giulia. Love the looks.

156 is a great car. Buy!

I miss this beauty.

[url= https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3720/12636161843_2cef5e9853_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3720/12636161843_2cef5e9853_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/kfBCFn ]image[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/parkesiemtb/ ]chris[/url], on Flickr

It's got to be a red one as well. It'd be rude not too

Oh suburb..
You are one lucky person.

Stroke and kiss it for me and say you'll love it forever 😀

I'm not jealous, no I'm absolutely made up for you.

*swoon.

Go have a look at my old 156, linked to above...

Another DC video here, a Brera 1750, watch from 3 minutes in

"It gives you satisfaction for a mile or two, after that it starts to get tired, really like a beatutiful, oversized girl, beautiful but naked she has lots of secrets and secrets you will not enjoy"...

🙂

JFDI

The 33 got me. 130bhp flat four in a body made of tin foil.

Stroke and kiss it for me and say you'll love it forever

Oh.... I'm presuming they're crap for carrying bikes?

I would have to disagree 😀

My old 166 with some bikes: [img] [/img]

My current 159 with some bikes: [img] [/img]

No reason why a 156 would be any different! I've had two 156s but I used a towbar mounted bike rack on them.

 

JTS's don't use oil like the TS's do but they do suffer with very common injector problems which causes lumpy running. Corrosion is starting to kill 156's now so check the rear floor pan very carefully. Then it's clunking suspension and all the other Alfa stuff. Oh and they often wear the inner edge of the front tyres, tracking should be set to 0 degrees.

"It gives you satisfaction for a mile or two, after that it starts to get tired, really like a beatutiful, oversized girl, beautiful but naked she has lots of secrets and secrets you will not enjoy"...

Thats how id describe my 159, although I got the wrong 1.9jtd. It smelled lovely, the interior was italian complete with oddities and everyone looked at it including me. But it was like that ^^, never did more than 44mpg average, seemed to invoke the dpf clearout every other week. It never felt quite "right" even when cleared by a specialist.

I used to get in it with a satisfied sigh in the garage, then arrive at work thinking "thank **** Ive arrived".

But, K57.. we loved your story and if your honest.. it's left a little of its belligerent character with you ain't it. ..

😀

Had a 159 with the 2.4 engine. Broke my heart to part with it but I had done 90k wonderful miles in it. Looked really hard for another but buying carefully and checking everything is vital. Keep on top of the servicing and address things before they arise and you're fine. Not cheap to run but they are an involving relationship rather than transport. Achingly beautiful if you get the right one. Go for it with open eyes! I will again.

Turn up the volume

First car when test passed was a Alfa sud 1350 , not long sold my V6 156 SP3 after 9 years ownership.

Loved them both but hope I never own another. I would make an exception for those wee Giulia GT's though , beautiful.

I had a V6 156 it was AWSOME when it worked, my advice would be go for it but you need a good warranty or deep pockets for repairs!

Did about 150k miles in a facelift 156 2.4jtd lovely motor, but by the time it had 180k on it it was tired

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Had this for around 18 months, 40k and not a peep other than servicing. Had a 147 Selespeed as well and a 156. All fine as long as you are "mechanically sympathetic" 🙂

I so wanted a GT Blackline a few years ago. But the depreciation was so large that the company lease was twice the car I eventually drove.

I don't have the need for a car like that now, but for me the GT is a lovely car. The Brera beats it for looks, but any passengers will need to remove their legs before travel! And if you do low mileage, it has to be a V6.

I'm on Alfa number three.

My 156 V6 was amazing, if only I had an infinite supply of air-mass meters (my fault, for fitting a sports air filter), wishbones (every twenty K, either front or rear, a service item apparently) and 97RON.

147 2.0 Lusso (see above - plus never, ever miss checking the oil).

And my current 150 1.9D - Vauxhall engine and a bit soulless, lovely to be in, but no Giulia.

Like the rest of the fiat group avoid looking at FARSH cars. The [s]standard of spanner wheeling otherwise unemployables[/s] dealers generally ruin things (can't tell the difference between fine and standard metric threads, plug it into a generic canbus diagnostic tool rather than a proper fiat examiner, fail to replace nylocks with new ones, that sort thing), Find one that's been looked after by a proper, enthusiastic specialist (Alfa aid in Maidenhead are superb, as are alfatech in Whitley bay) and they're amazing.

The one thing I miss about leaving the UK was saying goodbye to my 159 Sportswagon (maybe some family members and friends also). Found my 159 to be more reliable than the mk6 Gold TDi that went before it, now with Alfa's that the luck of the draw but if you have not owned one before I say go for it.
A Sportwagon model, with roof bars and leather seats is a great bike car.

For the price you can pick them up these days, why not.

For me the pick of the bunch would be the 2.0 petrol or a 2.4 5 pot diesel Sportwagons, ideally with the sports pack leather, 17in wheels and skirts. The v6, while sounding lovely doesn't handle as well as the 2.0 or go as well as a mapped 2.4 diesel.

Boot isn't great, though with a Sportwagon you can just about squeeze a couple of bikes in the back if you have to. I had a towbar mounted rack so never a problem. As already been mentioned find good independent locally and you'll be fine. Mine ate drop links and front tyres, front are bushes are a pain to do so buy one that doesn't clunk and ideally has already been poly-bushed.

Apart from snapping an AUX belt mine never let me down and was eventually killed in flood water - though with a set of new glow plugs still struggled on for another 9 months.

Although my current car is probably better in every way I can't say I actually prefer it to the old 156...

it's left a little of its belligerent character with you ain't

Me? Beligerant? Vaffanculo!

Had a lot of cars over the years, but somehow never an Alfa. Always fancied a 147 GTA or 156 V6. Lovely looking cars and great engine. A mate had a GTV V6 which was nice to look at, but the drive wasn't much to write home about. I had a Honda S2000 at the time - and for me the Honda driving experience was a million times better.

Just ordered a company car and hoped the new Alfa would be on it (never had a company car and figured I'd like an Alfa if someone else was paying to maintain it). Sadly my company don't allow you to order an Alfa. Would have made a nice change from all the BMW / Merc / Audi's in the car park. Luckily Jaguar are on the list 🙂

If you are handy with diy car maintenance then I say go for it. Maybe go for the estate version for biking practicality.

Bought my missus a nice wee black Alfa 147 Collezione 18mths ago.

Really happy with it. Just check the oil regularly and keep topped up with quality Synthetic / semi-synthetic.

Go for it.

Do it. I've had this for 5 years now...

It's currently in the garage getting a new clutch $$$$$ but it is 13 years old so I'll let her off.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Currently on Alfa #2 after changing from the red one (156 2.0 TS) to the grey one (159 ti 1.9 JtDM). Red was much more fun to drive but did need regular oil topping up, the grey one is, IMO, a much nicer place to be when driving as the interior is much nicer.
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I test drove a 147 GTA which was very nice indeed.
Currently contemplating a Guilia to replace the 159 and hoping to get a test drive once they are available.

I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?

The E46 BMW is not exactly reliable - they're prone to rust (not many left with their arches intact these days) plus they eat suspension components for breakfast, the cooling system is made of chocolate etc. Plus the six pots can drink oil and still be within tolerance. Mine was a pain the bum.

I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?

No, they're not. I think some company (german) car drivers find them intimidating as they remind them of when they were free to choose, instead of having a grey car forced upon them.

[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vrcXdmEgYeDcdXUCgZLV0_Chul0QANN-yh600oILKluVheuUxcScbyUYgHWUo3Bjx2lGaBkCBabyQA=w2880-h1620-rw-no [/img]

It's not really Barbie pink. How overrated are Sony Ericcson cameras?

They are not bad (I've had three, a 156, a 147 and a MiTo - the MiTo was a money pit sadly) but something to bear in mind is that Ford sold 104,000 Fiestas last year in the UK, in its best selling year Alfa sold only 5000 MiTo's. To me that means the Alfa is a far less developed car than the Ford. My current Focus for example is a vastly superior car to any of my Alfas.
Where the Alfa wins big time is that used ones are usually very highly specced (my Focus is better though!!) and they are much cheaper than their competitors.

The Sunderland Nissan factory pumps out more cars every year than the whole of Italy...

Loved my 147 until some git nicked it!!

Would buy another in a heart beat. If you buy an older one just don't worry about warning lights coming on. If they do, switch the engine off and on again and see if the light comes back on.

Love, love, love

I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?

The E46 BMW is not exactly reliable - they're prone to rust (not many left with their arches intact these days) plus they eat suspension components for breakfast, the cooling system is made of chocolate etc. Plus the six pots can drink oil and still be within tolerance. Mine was a pain the bum.

I drove an E46 330i for 8 years and it never missed a beat or rusted away, whearas my 159 lasted 9 months.

*shrugs*

What about the current line up ? I hear that they are much improved?

bruceandhisbonus - Member
Do it. I've had this for 5 years now...

It's currently in the garage getting a new clutch $$$$$ but it is 13 years old so I'll let her off.

Hero.

I had a 156 TS but only a 1.8 - a bit underpowered, think it was 140bhp. Drove a 2.0 JTS as a courtesy car from Alfa Tecnico in Mansfield, could tell the difference before I was out of the gate. Bloody loved it though. Took it from 60k miles (ex-company car when I bought it) to 112k. Had it 6 years, no regrets.

The Sunderland Nissan factory pumps out more cars every year than the whole of Italy.

Yes, but one Italian car posesses more soul than the entire yearly output of the Sunderland Nissan factory.

Yes, but one Italian car posesses more soul than the entire yearly output of the Sunderland Nissan factory.

I won't argue with that!

markcurtains - Member

Hero.

I had a 156 TS but only a 1.8 - a bit underpowered, think it was 140bhp. Drove a 2.0 JTS as a courtesy car from Alfa Tecnico in Mansfield, could tell the difference before I was out of the gate. Bloody loved it though. Took it from 60k miles (ex-company car when I bought it) to 112k. Had it 6 years, no regrets.

I know Lewis up there very well.