RE: SOTW: Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6

[jamieboy]

RicksAlfas said:

Pat H said:

Do you mean that horrible high wing?

I wouldn't buy a 156 with a wing.

Even the bodykit on the GTA is too much.

I agree. I could live with the GTA bodykit because of everything else that goes with it, but the basic car is so elegant that stick on vents and wings really does it no favours.

It's like the GTV in that respect - the basic shape looks great, the aerokit spoils it a bit, the Cup kit almost completely ruins it.

[RicksAlfas]

jamieboy said:

RicksAlfas said:

Pat H said:

Do you mean that horrible high wing?

I wouldn't buy a 156 with a wing.

Even the bodykit on the GTA is too much.

I agree. I could live with the GTA bodykit because of everything else that goes with it, but the basic car is so elegant that stick on vents and wings really does it no favours.

It's like the GTV in that respect - the basic shape looks great, the aerokit spoils it a bit, the Cup kit almost completely ruins it.

I quite like the Cup wing vents though.
Is that allowed?

[Dave_ST220]

10 Pence Short said:

Another one of those misleading surveys about Alfas, this time from Which?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7903141/S...

Disgusting how all those owners and surveys are wrong. I blame the German electronics. And the past. And people who lie. Lots of them.

Look, it's called character, no faults, no problems, just love it & feed it oil/fuel & all will be fine.......forever.

[10 Pence Short]

Dave_ST220 said:

10 Pence Short said:

Another one of those misleading surveys about Alfas, this time from Which?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7903141/S...

Disgusting how all those owners and surveys are wrong. I blame the German electronics. And the past. And people who lie. Lots of them.

Look, it's called character, no faults, no problems, just love it & feed it oil/fuel & all will be fine.......forever.

C'mon, character's useful. Especially on the hard shoulder of the M6. Gives you something nice to look at when you're sat on the banking waiting for the AA.

Except Alfas never, ever break down any more. The last reported case was one Alfasud in 1986 and everything's been blown out of proportion by pub 'experts' (and repeated owner/reliability surveys) since then.

[RicksAlfas]

Dave_ST220 and 10 Pence Short earlier this morning:

[jamieboy]

RicksAlfas said:

I quite like the Cup wing vents though.
Is that allowed?

No - hand in your badge when you leave. And remember - if anyone asks, "hopelessly unreliable". OK?

[RedAlfa]

As I mentioned a few days ago, I have had my Alfa for three years, and it has never broken down. In fact, the only parts I have replaced are:

1 x sidelight bulb
1 x head light bulb
1 x boot catch

Total: £35

So much for Alfas being unreliable stboxes

Edited by RedAlfa on Thursday 22 July 09:51

[Mr E]

RedAlfa said:

So much for Alfas being unreliable stboxes

We've had ours for 3 years and it's needed 4 camshafts, 24 valves and two cylinder heads. Plus some suspension bits, brakes, other stuff I've forgotten and we've also broken at least two bits of the interior.


And I don't care.

[dylan0451]

10 Pence Short said:

Dave_ST220 said:

10 Pence Short said:

Another one of those misleading surveys about Alfas, this time from Which?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7903141/S...

Disgusting how all those owners and surveys are wrong. I blame the German electronics. And the past. And people who lie. Lots of them.

Look, it's called character, no faults, no problems, just love it & feed it oil/fuel & all will be fine.......forever.

C'mon, character's useful. Especially on the hard shoulder of the M6. Gives you something nice to look at when you're sat on the banking waiting for the AA.

Except Alfas never, ever break down any more. The last reported case was one Alfasud in 1986 and everything's been blown out of proportion by pub 'experts' (and repeated owner/reliability surveys) since then.

you must have owned a lot of alfa's over the decades, to be that damning?! sure there's some fanboyism about but at the same time i can't believe that things just break if you know what you're doing, and don't expect more than the car was designed for

surely they can't be that bad?!

gf's 2.0TS GTV - discs warped, pads fked, new fluid, TB cleaning, gear linkage needed fixing

so, rather than inform her she'd bought a pup, and that 2.5k was such a drop in the ocean we could just have a giggle and go buy another car, she got the issues fixed. lo and behold, it then became a daily driver just like every other and 100% reliable

i imagine (!) that what you may be confusing is a car's longevity, or resistance to being run into the ground. sure anything jap will last longer, both being equal - big miles, driven hard from cold, bonnet never opened, no service work ever done etc. it's like all those HG failures on k series that apparently 'just happen'

but, seeing as most of us on here aren't

[Wolands Advocate]

Mr E said:

Wolands Advocate said:

I've only had the one and it was black....

Really shows the dirt....

Splendid work. First class. I suspect the bloke in the supermarket carpark charged more than the usual to wash that one...

Nope. They're used to it over there - par for the course during winter in Moscow. It's quite possible to get a car that dirty in one day.

[robsco]

I've just bought one of these little babies from a PHer! The 147 will be sorely missed, but she just doesn't have a V6 so she's got to go. Gorgeous in white...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1871220.htm

[ZesPak]

robsco said:

I've just bought one of these little babies from a PHer! The 147 will be sorely missed, but she just doesn't have a V6 so she's got to go. Gorgeous in white...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1871220.htm

That is A LOT of car for that money

[The Black Flash]

carinaman said:

The Black Flash,

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?h=0...

What Alfa bell housing did you use, and what gearbox is that?

Sorry, bit late, only just seen this post.
It isn't an alfa bellhousing. It's a 6 speed honda 'box out of an s2000, mated to the alfa box using an adaptor plate:


At some point I really need to sort out a clutch, ho-hum.

[M0BZY]

[/quote]





Oh - has anyone got one with a fuse box cover that *doesn't* fall off?[/quote
Only takes a PK to cure that.

[carinaman]

Thanks for your reply The Black Flash. Interesting.

[vonuber]

robsco said:

I've just bought one of these little babies from a PHer! The 147 will be sorely missed, but she just doesn't have a V6 so she's got to go. Gorgeous in white...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1871220.htm

You won't regret it! Apart from getting 18mpg around town..

[robsco]

vonuber said:

robsco said:

I've just bought one of these little babies from a PHer! The 147 will be sorely missed, but she just doesn't have a V6 so she's got to go. Gorgeous in white...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1871220.htm

You won't regret it! Apart from getting 18mpg around town..

Haha, yes I'm expecting late teens through town so I'm fully prepared! In fairness, my Twin Spark only does mid 20s round town so I don't think I'll notice much difference. Love the colour combination by the way Vonuber. How is she for oil?

[philoldsmobile]

reliability? well, if alfa are s**t, where does that leave lexus? my 166 has been far more reliable than the GS300 it replaced. the busso V6 (2.5 in this case is a superb engine.

[Yazza54]

My mum drives a 166 facelift 3.2v6 6spd manual lusso, cracking car, been reliable.. Pulls like a train, looks lovely inside and out and so much more character than it's Japanese and german rivals. We had a 2.5v6 156 too, never missed a beat. They get looked after though...

Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 19th September 16:58

[Pat H]

I may be tempting fate, but in January I bought a seven year old 156 2.5 V6 with 40k on the clock.

I have since covered 10,000 miles and it has needed two tyres, a pair of front discs and pads, an oil change and air filter.

It hasn't missed a beat and everything still works.

I've owned over 50 cars and bikes over the last 25 years and the 156 V6 is one of my top three favourites.

It certainly isn't the fastest. It definitely isn't the best handling, nor is it the best built. But it is a wonderful old thing and I worry what I will do when I have worn it out.

Maybe an Alfa GT 3.2 V6?