Talk to me about ('90s) Alfa GTVs

Talk to me about ('90s) Alfa GTVs

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Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Thursday 2nd February 2017
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ST270 said:
Chris71 said:
What do people reckon is the going rate for a GTV V6 currently? They seem to vary hugely from what I can see.

If I do take the plunge I will be looking for something mechanically good, but not a show car that will halve in value the moment I leave it parked out overnight.
P.S - this car looks great and well cared for with desirable upgrades...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
I think I've seen that one. Not quite ready to takle the plunge just yet. Unless something in that sort of spec came along in red or dark blue with a tan interior. Then I might go a bit weak at the knees and suffer a spontaneous spending accident.

Incidentally, I realise keeping on top of servicing and replacing the various bits as they wear out is more important, but would nigh-on 100,000 miles put you off? I suppose any of them that are used regularly will be close to that now.

DUMBO100

1,878 posts

183 months

Thursday 2nd February 2017
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I previously owned a 51 plate 2.0 T Spark and wish I hadn't sold it. It was black with tan leather and I thought the mileage was too high when it got to 60,000 doh! I'm thinking about a v6 this time, the silver one looks nice

paulmakin

653 posts

140 months

Thursday 2nd February 2017
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V6 prices are getting much stronger now. in the past i've bought MoT'd, useable runners for around £1500 (not that long ago). i picked up a black 6 speed with a failing HG for £600 3 years ago. i just kept topping up the fluids and it outlived its MoT

current one cost me £1700 from a dealer in 2015. it's a "blueline" but that doesn't seem to influence prices really. i then spent a not inconsiderable sum reversing some of the previous owners mods, getting it back into service spec and into a state where it was ok for road use. stands me about £3k now, which seems to be the current starting price for a workable example - but probably with some upcoming expenditure.

paul

ST270

663 posts

181 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
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Chris71 said:
I think I've seen that one. Not quite ready to takle the plunge just yet. Unless something in that sort of spec came along in red or dark blue with a tan interior. Then I might go a bit weak at the knees and suffer a spontaneous spending accident.

Incidentally, I realise keeping on top of servicing and replacing the various bits as they wear out is more important, but would nigh-on 100,000 miles put you off? I suppose any of them that are used regularly will be close to that now.
Know what you mean about the colour combos & tan leather does look great! I was smitten with mine due to the mechanical condition and history, it is silver with black leather. I would have liked a blue with tan but at the time there weren't any and the blue models that were around either didn't have the teledials (which were a must) or seemed a bit rough around the edges (from the photos at least)

Incidentally only a few weeks ago i bumped into another V6 owner local to me - identical car to mine and he used his as a daily over the last 10 years - it had done just over 100k and ran sweet as anything, so i wouldn't be put off by high miles - chances are if the owners were the caring type high miles just means that the car will have had all the required work already done to get them this mileage!

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
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Are there any good forums or any classifieds sites (PH, Autotrader and Car & Classic aside) that you'd recommend keeping an eye on?

Don't suppose anyone on here is in the Hertford area and would be up for taking a prospective owner out for a passenger ride? Bit of an odd request, I know, but I figure if I'm going to be picky about colour combinations and suchlike I might have to pounce when I see one I like, so it would be good to get an idea of what constitutes a good one.

ETA Oh, turns out there's a place called the Alfa Workshop is 20 minutes down the road from me! Could be handy...

Also, not my ideal spec, but this one is close enough for a speculative look:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-GTV-V6-24V-LU...

Edited by Chris71 on Friday 3rd February 10:26

ST270

663 posts

181 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
quotequote all
Chris71 said:
Are there any good forums or any classifieds sites (PH, Autotrader and Car & Classic aside) that you'd recommend keeping an eye on?

Don't suppose anyone on here is in the Hertford area and would be up for taking a prospective owner out for a passenger ride? Bit of an odd request, I know, but I figure if I'm going to be picky about colour combinations and suchlike I might have to pounce when I see one I like, so it would be good to get an idea of what constitutes a good one.

ETA Oh, turns out there's a place called the Alfa Workshop is 20 minutes down the road from me! Could be handy...

Also, not my ideal spec, but this one is close enough for a speculative look:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-GTV-V6-24V-LU...

Edited by Chris71 on Friday 3rd February 10:26
That one on ebay has the "red style" interior which extends colour from the seats and door cards to the dash - suits the colour of the car tbh!

You can check out Alfaowner.com - there are classifieds in there from time to time and a shed load of info / technical advice- great site!

ST270

663 posts

181 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
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Also noticed a V6 Spider in Wrexham on Ebay - £4950, blue with black (but could be changed to tan) 107k and good service record by the looks of it!

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
quotequote all
ST270 said:
Also noticed a V6 Spider in Wrexham on Ebay - £4950, blue with black (but could be changed to tan) 107k and good service record by the looks of it!
I think I saw that one. Bit of a trek if it's just for a first look to check I like the concept, though, and I prefer the idea of a coupe. For the time being I've got something else for top down driving at the weekends. cool

ST270

663 posts

181 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
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Chris71 said:
I think I saw that one. Bit of a trek if it's just for a first look to check I like the concept, though, and I prefer the idea of a coupe. For the time being I've got something else for top down driving at the weekends. cool
True,well if you ever venture up to Yorkshire / Leeds, let me know happy for you to have a spin..

waynedear

2,157 posts

166 months

Friday 3rd February 2017
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916 GTV/Spider owners and Alfabook both on Facebook
I am sure I saw someone mention they were going to be selling a blue V6 in the last day or so on one of the above.

robsco

7,822 posts

175 months

Saturday 4th February 2017
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I'd let mine go if the right buyer came along, it just simply doesn't get used enough while there is a Tiv in the garage! Sargassi Green, tan Momo leather, 70000 miles... Not a show car by any means but tidy enough. I have a couple of small bits of work to do, partly a gear linkage issue which makes 5th and 6th a little tricky, but mechanically she's otherwise spot on.

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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What do you make of this one, gents?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Also, on a general note:

What are the brakes like? Do they come with ABS? (Might sound like a strange question, but my current daily driver MX-5 is hopelessly inadequate when someone cuts in front of you and promptly jams the brakes on going down the M1!)

What sort of fuel tank range should I expect from the V6?

Not much talk of rust so far on this thread. Are they generally pretty solid?

Is there any way visually to tell if it's a 6-speed (to save me asking everyone)?

Am I right in thinking silver grille surround and silver centre console means P2?

Random one, is it only the P2 that allows you to disable the airbag to fit a child seat?

Edited by Chris71 on Sunday 5th February 18:26

Allandwf

1,754 posts

194 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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Nice looking car, good price for mileage they do seem to be creeping up.smile
Silver surround = phase 2.
Rust floor pans, sills, radiator support panel, and spring pans, rest reasonably ok.
I'm sure someone will be along with the rest of your answers.
Personally I can do without the aero kit, and tele dials done to death, but thats just me.(I will be in the minority.)

(I have a V6 GTV and a V6 Spider.)

Edited by Allandwf on Sunday 5th February 21:41

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

133 months

Monday 6th February 2017
quotequote all
Chris71 said:
What do you make of this one, gents?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Also, on a general note:

What are the brakes like? Do they come with ABS? (Might sound like a strange question, but my current daily driver MX-5 is hopelessly inadequate when someone cuts in front of you and promptly jams the brakes on going down the M1!)

What sort of fuel tank range should I expect from the V6?

Not much talk of rust so far on this thread. Are they generally pretty solid?

Is there any way visually to tell if it's a 6-speed (to save me asking everyone)?

Am I right in thinking silver grille surround and silver centre console means P2?

Random one, is it only the P2 that allows you to disable the airbag to fit a child seat?

Edited by Chris71 on Sunday 5th February 18:26
Brakes are very good and ABS as standard. One-piece calipers if I recall correctly.

The tank is 72 litres and on a purely motorway run I once got 550 miles out of mine.

Rust not much of an issue on the V6 but paint can bubble around the door mirror mounts. Like most cars the bootlid needs an eye kept on it

Can't tell gearbox by looking

Yes silver grille surround = P2

Don't know about airbag

HTH

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Monday 6th February 2017
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Arrgh. Realised last night that I'd failed to factor my current car (which is off accruing an almighty bill at the local TVR specialist) into the man maths for this. Suddenly the budget is looking a whole lot more marginal if I'm going to buy a decent example, maintain it and pay the first half of my next tax bill (I'm new to self-assessment, but rumour has it HMRC are quite keen on being paid).

At the same time, I stumbled across an old Shed of The Week thread with a GTV on last night and it made for quite sobering reading.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=927...

I've owned a couple of TVRs and an assortment of kit cars over the years, so I'd like to think I'm quite realistic on running costs, but I'm starting to wonder if I'd underestimated the GTV's potential to run up bills. Has anyone on here had those sort of experiences? (I realise people who've bought them for shed money or heard second hand stuff from 'a bloke down the pub' aren't necessarily the most reliable sources...)

On a more specific note, I'm looking at an apparently nice example that has had its rear springs and bump stops replaced following an MOT advisory for corrosion. Can I be reasonably confident that that would have been a self-contained issue or should it ring alarm bells for the rest of the car?

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 6th February 10:10

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

133 months

Monday 6th February 2017
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Rear bump stops usually do corrode but it's a self contained issue in most cases. I bought my first one at c95k and it was corrosion free. The only work it needed was a new thermostat and a new exhaust centre section, both of which are issues you could get with almost any car. Apart from that it was faultlessly reliable and still pushing out exactly 220bhp when dyno'd at some place in Enfield as part of an Alfa Owners rolling road day.

I really, really wish I hadn't written it off.

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Still wrestling with a dilema on that blue GTV.

After my budgeting oversight I'd be marginal on budget. But a low mileage, blue and tan car with the Q2 diff and what I understand is one of the more discrete sports exhausts sounds like my ideal spec. Wondering if I can justify dipping into my credit card. scratchchin

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

133 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Chris71 said:
Still wrestling with a dilema on that blue GTV.

After my budgeting oversight I'd be marginal on budget. But a low mileage, blue and tan car with the Q2 diff and what I understand is one of the more discrete sports exhausts sounds like my ideal spec. Wondering if I can justify dipping into my credit card. scratchchin
You probably shouldn't do it. Summer's coming and I'm sure you'd prefer a lie in to getting up early and enjoying that sonorous V6 on deserted country roads, coupled with a simply musical induction sound. Stopping for a cup of tea whilst admiring those gorgeous Pinifarina-penned lines wouldn't justify it either

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
quotequote all
amancalledrob said:
Chris71 said:
Still wrestling with a dilema on that blue GTV.

After my budgeting oversight I'd be marginal on budget. But a low mileage, blue and tan car with the Q2 diff and what I understand is one of the more discrete sports exhausts sounds like my ideal spec. Wondering if I can justify dipping into my credit card. scratchchin
You probably shouldn't do it. Summer's coming and I'm sure you'd prefer a lie in to getting up early and enjoying that sonorous V6 on deserted country roads, coupled with a simply musical induction sound. Stopping for a cup of tea whilst admiring those gorgeous Pinifarina-penned lines wouldn't justify it either
Oh, I get the appeal.

It's more whether a car like this will be available in a similar spec in a few months time when I can justify it a bit more easily. In other words, is this too good an example to miss?

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

133 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
quotequote all
Chris71 said:
Oh, I get the appeal.

It's more whether a car like this will be available in a similar spec in a few months time when I can justify it a bit more easily. In other words, is this too good an example to miss?
It is a very good example and if I weren't house-hunting I would in fact be buying it myself