Discussion
So I've really gone and done it this time.
Deposit down over the phone on a 156 2.0TS Sportwagon in veloce trim thats a 400 mile round trip away without seeing it in the flesh first.
Dealer is putting a new MOT on it plus I've given him a "pre collection" checklist of everything I want checked and confirmed working before I hand over the balance of the cash on Saturday
Spent this weekend sorting out a new car for the missus - had a wasted 160 mile round trip to Manchesters saturday morning to see a Vectra in Elite trim which turned out to be clocked and had a smack up the back end which had been repaired by a blind spastic - ended up coming home and buying one from 10 miles away. Typical.
Buying a car unseen is one thing - but buying an Alfa ? i must be losing my marbles.
It looks beautiful on the photos ( dont they all ?? ) -I've done the deposit on credit card so hopefully there is some protection there if it turns out to be hanging - but unless its a total shed I guess it will be coming home with you whether theres niggles or not.
Anyone else agree to buy cars without seeing/test driving them first ? Its a first for me - will be my 25th car since I passed my test
Deposit down over the phone on a 156 2.0TS Sportwagon in veloce trim thats a 400 mile round trip away without seeing it in the flesh first.
Dealer is putting a new MOT on it plus I've given him a "pre collection" checklist of everything I want checked and confirmed working before I hand over the balance of the cash on Saturday
Spent this weekend sorting out a new car for the missus - had a wasted 160 mile round trip to Manchesters saturday morning to see a Vectra in Elite trim which turned out to be clocked and had a smack up the back end which had been repaired by a blind spastic - ended up coming home and buying one from 10 miles away. Typical.
Buying a car unseen is one thing - but buying an Alfa ? i must be losing my marbles.
It looks beautiful on the photos ( dont they all ?? ) -I've done the deposit on credit card so hopefully there is some protection there if it turns out to be hanging - but unless its a total shed I guess it will be coming home with you whether theres niggles or not.
Anyone else agree to buy cars without seeing/test driving them first ? Its a first for me - will be my 25th car since I passed my test
I have never bought a car blind, but I have bought an Alfa 156.
A few things to check
A) brake line corrosion to front callipers
B) rust at the front of the floor pan.
C) The front suspension compnents are made from chocolate.
D) Check the last time the cambelt was done and if in any doubt get it replaced
They are lovely cars but they can need some money spending to keep them good. I had a Lusso spec and wish I had waited for a Veloce spec, so it should be great. Enjoy.......
Mike
A few things to check
A) brake line corrosion to front callipers
B) rust at the front of the floor pan.
C) The front suspension compnents are made from chocolate.
D) Check the last time the cambelt was done and if in any doubt get it replaced
They are lovely cars but they can need some money spending to keep them good. I had a Lusso spec and wish I had waited for a Veloce spec, so it should be great. Enjoy.......
Mike
Cheers Mike
2 reasons I'm prepared to travel so far for it is that it will have a new MOT so hopefully wear in the suspension, significant corrosion and brake line issues will be picked up then - the price agreed includes a new MOT so any rectifcation work will need to be done at the dealers expense - second reason was at the time I agreed the deal it was the only 2.0 Veloce Sportwagon for sale I could find !
I would have considered a Lusso spec car but my view has always been if you're going to drive old cars you may as well go for the top spec one.
Lucky enough to have an alfa specialist about 2 miles from home so it will be going there for a cambelt change pretty much as soon as I get it home.
Alfaowners forum seems quite good too
2 reasons I'm prepared to travel so far for it is that it will have a new MOT so hopefully wear in the suspension, significant corrosion and brake line issues will be picked up then - the price agreed includes a new MOT so any rectifcation work will need to be done at the dealers expense - second reason was at the time I agreed the deal it was the only 2.0 Veloce Sportwagon for sale I could find !
I would have considered a Lusso spec car but my view has always been if you're going to drive old cars you may as well go for the top spec one.
Lucky enough to have an alfa specialist about 2 miles from home so it will be going there for a cambelt change pretty much as soon as I get it home.
Alfaowners forum seems quite good too
mike9009 said:
I have never bought a car blind, but I have bought an Alfa 156.
A few things to check
A) brake line corrosion to front callipers
B) rust at the front of the floor pan.
C) The front suspension compnents are made from chocolate.
D) Check the last time the cambelt was done and if in any doubt get it replaced
They are lovely cars but they can need some money spending to keep them good. I had a Lusso spec and wish I had waited for a Veloce spec, so it should be great. Enjoy.......
Mike
To add:A few things to check
A) brake line corrosion to front callipers
B) rust at the front of the floor pan.
C) The front suspension compnents are made from chocolate.
D) Check the last time the cambelt was done and if in any doubt get it replaced
They are lovely cars but they can need some money spending to keep them good. I had a Lusso spec and wish I had waited for a Veloce spec, so it should be great. Enjoy.......
Mike
e) If the front suspension makes a noise over bumps, then a new wishbone is needed. However some Silicone Spray on the bush will keep it quiet for a week or two. Near side tends to go first due to drain-covers etc
f) Fit the GTA Air Intake pipe, makes the TS sound awesome, at the expense of loosing a little low end torque.
Picked up the car yesterday - didnt go totally according to plan thanks to the dealer but still bought the car
7am Start - nearly 180 miles and 4 hours later we arrived in Norwich
Car looked good from the outside as it did on the pictures - dealer seemed friendly enough and gave us the keys which is when the problems started.
Bearing in mind the deal had been done and deposit paid over the phone around 10 days ago on the basis that the list of things I'd asked him to check would have been checked and confirmed working before I made the trip.
He emailed me on Friday and confirmed that apart from the a/c not being very cold everything else on my lsi was A1
So we get there to find :
Radiator fan starts as soon as Ignition on - so car is overcooling massively and temp gauge barely gets off the bottom
Wipers only work on fastest setting or manual sweep of the screen
o/s/r window goes down but then wont go back up without 1 person pressing the switch and another pulling the glass
rear wiper doesnt work
Air filter box broken - top has come away from the bottom so unfiltered air is getting in
Everything apart from the airbox was on my list of stuff he was supposed to check and confirm working
Needless to say me and my good mate who drove me there were more than a bit annoyed
However it drove very nicely and otherwise seemed very good.
Dealer was apologetic making out that his "mechanic" had checked everything, then pleaded poverty when I said that I wasnt prepared to go ahead at the agreed price becuase he hadnt held up his part of the deal.
Ended up agreeing a £150 reduction and buying it anyway
Some research on Alfaowners.com would suggest that figure was fair as the niggles are relatively minor and fixable.
What p1$$ed me royally off was having to be put in that position in the first place - if he had taken the time to properly prep the car I would have paid the price we agreed - I'm just glad I was there with someone else as If I'd gone on my own on the train as planned it might have been a different story
7am Start - nearly 180 miles and 4 hours later we arrived in Norwich
Car looked good from the outside as it did on the pictures - dealer seemed friendly enough and gave us the keys which is when the problems started.
Bearing in mind the deal had been done and deposit paid over the phone around 10 days ago on the basis that the list of things I'd asked him to check would have been checked and confirmed working before I made the trip.
He emailed me on Friday and confirmed that apart from the a/c not being very cold everything else on my lsi was A1
So we get there to find :
Radiator fan starts as soon as Ignition on - so car is overcooling massively and temp gauge barely gets off the bottom
Wipers only work on fastest setting or manual sweep of the screen
o/s/r window goes down but then wont go back up without 1 person pressing the switch and another pulling the glass
rear wiper doesnt work
Air filter box broken - top has come away from the bottom so unfiltered air is getting in
Everything apart from the airbox was on my list of stuff he was supposed to check and confirm working
Needless to say me and my good mate who drove me there were more than a bit annoyed
However it drove very nicely and otherwise seemed very good.
Dealer was apologetic making out that his "mechanic" had checked everything, then pleaded poverty when I said that I wasnt prepared to go ahead at the agreed price becuase he hadnt held up his part of the deal.
Ended up agreeing a £150 reduction and buying it anyway
Some research on Alfaowners.com would suggest that figure was fair as the niggles are relatively minor and fixable.
What p1$$ed me royally off was having to be put in that position in the first place - if he had taken the time to properly prep the car I would have paid the price we agreed - I'm just glad I was there with someone else as If I'd gone on my own on the train as planned it might have been a different story
I bought a few cars unseen. My luck had been fantastic until the last one. It was for my brother. Similar distance.
Looked mint but only fired on three. After the faulty plug was sorted out it had a severe lack of power and black smoke coming from the exhuast. It was pumped.
Dealer assured us three times it had been fully checked out before coming down. Had no come back.
I wouldnt do it again. .... I hope.
Good luck anyhow op!!
Looked mint but only fired on three. After the faulty plug was sorted out it had a severe lack of power and black smoke coming from the exhuast. It was pumped.
Dealer assured us three times it had been fully checked out before coming down. Had no come back.
I wouldnt do it again. .... I hope.
Good luck anyhow op!!
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