Alfa 2.0 GTV's any good? / advise
Discussion
What are peoples thoughts on the alfa GTV's?
I'm looking for a relatively cheap (circa £1500) daily run around, needs to be 1/2 way economical and reliable to the point at which I still arrive at work and these have cropped up on the search.
I seam to be reading that they are reasonably reliable other than a few suspension issues (other than tales of unreliability directed at all alfa's from people who have never owned one)
other option would be to stick with a hot hatch like a mini cooper but I am a car nut who's never owned an alfa so this could be the right time to put that right.
I'm looking for a relatively cheap (circa £1500) daily run around, needs to be 1/2 way economical and reliable to the point at which I still arrive at work and these have cropped up on the search.
I seam to be reading that they are reasonably reliable other than a few suspension issues (other than tales of unreliability directed at all alfa's from people who have never owned one)
other option would be to stick with a hot hatch like a mini cooper but I am a car nut who's never owned an alfa so this could be the right time to put that right.
Suspension is a thing, and the 2.0 TS engine has its downfalls, any TS engine will need regular cam belt changes (3 years or 36K, whichever is soonest), and while the plugs last 60K, they are expensive and there is eight of them (obviously). Also, twinsparks are very sensitive to running on low oil, run it below the min mark for even a little while and itll eat its big end bearings, the 2.0 is presumably more sensitive to this then the smaller siblings. The GTV is a nice car, but they arent known for being cheap to keep maintained.
If you want an alfa, a 145 or 147 would be cheaper to run and more sensible, if you want an italian coupe, the Fiat Coupe might be a more sensible option as well
That said, Alfas are amazing, if they click for you, itll be love at first drive, ive just bought my fourth alfa, a 14 year old 147 with a measily 1.6 engine, and its great, sure it has its downfalls and imperfections, but i love the thing.
If you want an alfa, a 145 or 147 would be cheaper to run and more sensible, if you want an italian coupe, the Fiat Coupe might be a more sensible option as well
That said, Alfas are amazing, if they click for you, itll be love at first drive, ive just bought my fourth alfa, a 14 year old 147 with a measily 1.6 engine, and its great, sure it has its downfalls and imperfections, but i love the thing.
Yes, they're good, but a £1500 car (any £1500 car) that is 15 years old has the potential to be unreliable and will probably be a bit "tired" unless you are lucky. Buyers guide here:
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-gtv-andamp-916...
OK, its for a Spider, just ignore the bits about the hood....
In addition to the 147 / 145, I'd be looking at the 156. Really check for rust on these, but easy to get parts for and work on. The V6 is not much worse on petrol than the 4 pot (unless you are doing really short journeys, it is pretty catastrophic then...), and sounds amazing.
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-gtv-andamp-916...
OK, its for a Spider, just ignore the bits about the hood....
In addition to the 147 / 145, I'd be looking at the 156. Really check for rust on these, but easy to get parts for and work on. The V6 is not much worse on petrol than the 4 pot (unless you are doing really short journeys, it is pretty catastrophic then...), and sounds amazing.
rxe said:
In addition to the 147 / 145, I'd be looking at the 156. Really check for rust on these, but easy to get parts for and work on. The V6 is not much worse on petrol than the 4 pot (unless you are doing really short journeys, it is pretty catastrophic then...), and sounds amazing.
I was about to suggest a 156 as well. EDIT: A few more buyer's guides at http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa_buyers_guides.s...
Edited by Chris Type R on Tuesday 3rd May 23:45
We had a 2.0 spider, which we got rid of at 13 years old when I drove it into a flood and the engine ingested water.
Other than that issue, the car was very reliable. Over 100,000 miles broke down once in the time we had it, due to a CV joint that perhaps should have been replaced after an accident a couple of weeks previously.
Other than normal servicing, we replaced the lower wishbones on the front suspension, one top mount, a cog in the roof mechanism and both handbrake cables.
It averaged 36mpg, which is slightly better than the 1 litre Nissan it replaced, and its best ever mpg was 41.9 on a 400 mile round trip mainly keeping to the speed limits.
So, based on our experience, I would happily recommend a GTV.
Other than that issue, the car was very reliable. Over 100,000 miles broke down once in the time we had it, due to a CV joint that perhaps should have been replaced after an accident a couple of weeks previously.
Other than normal servicing, we replaced the lower wishbones on the front suspension, one top mount, a cog in the roof mechanism and both handbrake cables.
It averaged 36mpg, which is slightly better than the 1 litre Nissan it replaced, and its best ever mpg was 41.9 on a 400 mile round trip mainly keeping to the speed limits.
So, based on our experience, I would happily recommend a GTV.
SturdyHSV said:
I believe standard PH rules are to suggest you double your budget and buy the one with the bigger engine 
Interestingly the v6 TB can be had cheaply as well sometime, and is a very nice thing to drive, BUT it absolutely needs its cam/valves adjusted every 24K, or itll eat the cams, which are an expensive job to replace.Personally if i were looking for a GTV myself now i might prefer the 1.8 TS over the 2.0, the power difference is minimal, and either will make for a poky, but not properly quick drive, and AFAIK the 1.8 is a safer choice when it comes to bottom end bearings
My experience of the GTV and other older Alfas is that they get you where you are going (I have never been left stranded at the side of the road by an Alfa) but they can have niggly faults with things like electric windows, suspension bushes etc.
like any car of that age, a £1500 GTV will be a bit of a gamble, it would be a good idea to find out if there is a good Alfa specialist near you who can look after it.
like any car of that age, a £1500 GTV will be a bit of a gamble, it would be a good idea to find out if there is a good Alfa specialist near you who can look after it.
I have had 6 2.0 GTV's..... I would have another, one of the best I paid £180 with an mot, easy to work on and plenty of forums to help you.
Amazing what you can carry in them with a bit of thought.
Yes the belts need doing every 36k or three years, easy diy in a couple of hours.
Check oil level, some use it some don't, not a hard job.
Rear spring pans are getting rare, check them.
Check floorpans for corrosion.
Rear demist often screws up, plenty of info online
Sunroofs take an inch out of headroom
They are great
Amazing what you can carry in them with a bit of thought.
Yes the belts need doing every 36k or three years, easy diy in a couple of hours.
Check oil level, some use it some don't, not a hard job.
Rear spring pans are getting rare, check them.
Check floorpans for corrosion.
Rear demist often screws up, plenty of info online
Sunroofs take an inch out of headroom
They are great
yep, all of the above but get one anyway. you will get used to the forward view - a sort of comedy "peeping through a letter-box" effect
i'd add that the front lower arms are usually made of chocolate and should be treated as service items really.
your "Meta" alarm will long ago have lost it's remote locking function (about £100 to have it all serviced and fully functioning again).
the belts thing/price worries people but check specialists like AforAlfa etc for fixed price servicing if you're not doing it yourself - not as pricey as you'd think. beware a belt failed engine that's had a top end rebuild - the bottom ends can and do fail a little later. make sure it's been checked at the time of the rebuild
look out for "beach ball boy" - he will visit you very frequently, sometimes a pre-tensioner but usually because you've adjusted the seat with the ignition on. code lights sometimes stay on but you can just unplug the box. injector light on is usually traced to the MAF
thrust bearing will whine quite a bit but more embarrassing than anything else
that funny little hole in the O/S door card is from when you (will) keep trapping the belt buckle as you close the door. did i mention the auto-drop windows? - they often don't. it's a major pain trying to realign the door glass if it's been disturbed for any reason - expect much wind noise whilst you try to get it right.
many debates around TS vs V6 - each to their own but having had many examples of both i'll be sticking with the 3.0
paul
i'd add that the front lower arms are usually made of chocolate and should be treated as service items really.
your "Meta" alarm will long ago have lost it's remote locking function (about £100 to have it all serviced and fully functioning again).
the belts thing/price worries people but check specialists like AforAlfa etc for fixed price servicing if you're not doing it yourself - not as pricey as you'd think. beware a belt failed engine that's had a top end rebuild - the bottom ends can and do fail a little later. make sure it's been checked at the time of the rebuild
look out for "beach ball boy" - he will visit you very frequently, sometimes a pre-tensioner but usually because you've adjusted the seat with the ignition on. code lights sometimes stay on but you can just unplug the box. injector light on is usually traced to the MAF
thrust bearing will whine quite a bit but more embarrassing than anything else
that funny little hole in the O/S door card is from when you (will) keep trapping the belt buckle as you close the door. did i mention the auto-drop windows? - they often don't. it's a major pain trying to realign the door glass if it's been disturbed for any reason - expect much wind noise whilst you try to get it right.
many debates around TS vs V6 - each to their own but having had many examples of both i'll be sticking with the 3.0
paul
Without wishing to hijack the thread the above comments are all very reassuring as I'm just about to start a £200 twin spark 916 Spider project, what could possibly go wrong....
Do have long experience of a Fiat Coupe though that I've 95% self spannered and actually surprised how many parts are the same between the cars.
Do have long experience of a Fiat Coupe though that I've 95% self spannered and actually surprised how many parts are the same between the cars.
I've had two of the very last Phase 3 3.2 GTVs.
Seats are crap and unsupportive.
Turning circle is crap.
Ground clearance is crap.
Body panels are made from tinfoil and are hopelessly susceptible to dings.
Central locking and alarm are crap.
Frameless door glass leaks and causes lots of wind noise.
Airbag light always coming on.
Rear seats and boot are hopeless.
But they look and feel like a proper exotic Italian sports car. They have lots of faults, but I love them and would have another in a flash.
I'll be honest, the TS or JTS motors are a bit lacking in power and need too much maintenance. The V6s are pretty bombproof and the timing belt interval is much more sensible and the V6 has fewer spark plugs
They are real bargains at the moment, particularly the four cylinder cars, but they certainly aren't cheap to run.
I would budget about £500 per year to keep on top of a GTV. That's over and above routine servicing.
I'm not sure that buying a GT or a 156 is going to work out any cheaper. It isn't the cost of the car, but the cost of getting the suspension fettled and all of those timing belt changes.
A GT or 156 is much more practical, and the 156 in particular has a very nice interior. If I was going to subject myself to the impracticality of a GTV, then I would want a V6 to make it really worthwhile.
Seats are crap and unsupportive.
Turning circle is crap.
Ground clearance is crap.
Body panels are made from tinfoil and are hopelessly susceptible to dings.
Central locking and alarm are crap.
Frameless door glass leaks and causes lots of wind noise.
Airbag light always coming on.
Rear seats and boot are hopeless.
But they look and feel like a proper exotic Italian sports car. They have lots of faults, but I love them and would have another in a flash.
I'll be honest, the TS or JTS motors are a bit lacking in power and need too much maintenance. The V6s are pretty bombproof and the timing belt interval is much more sensible and the V6 has fewer spark plugs
They are real bargains at the moment, particularly the four cylinder cars, but they certainly aren't cheap to run.
I would budget about £500 per year to keep on top of a GTV. That's over and above routine servicing.
I'm not sure that buying a GT or a 156 is going to work out any cheaper. It isn't the cost of the car, but the cost of getting the suspension fettled and all of those timing belt changes.
A GT or 156 is much more practical, and the 156 in particular has a very nice interior. If I was going to subject myself to the impracticality of a GTV, then I would want a V6 to make it really worthwhile.
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