My Ebay "Bargain" Alfa Romeo 166 3L V6
Discussion
Hello all.
Decided to start a thread in here as it goes forward. So Tuesday afternoon during a pitstop at a services on the way home from "the other side of the country" as it were I was sitting going through Ebay looking for an Alfa Spider 916. Decided to simply do a generic catch all Alfa Romeo search.
As I was trawling through all the 147's, 156's etc I came across a 3L 166.It's a car I have always liked and wanted but never been able to justify. Looked really pretty in the pics all green exterior and cream interior. Write up was a little poor but the seller had put a phone number in so figured what the hell give him a call can't hurt.
Called him up and as a bonus off the mark he could speak proper English. He was very polite and friendly seemed a bit of a fan of cars overall. Answered all my Questions quite honestly which was refreshing.
Then went a little further and mentioned a few things without prompting from me that weren't listed due to them not being overly important but based on my questions wanted me to have a clear picture of the car I was buying just so I didn't feel I was being cheated if I won and turned up and found things he felt were not overly relevant.
Basically was left feeling he was a pretty straight chap. Pondered the situation on the way home and then around 15 mins before end of auction thought "f
k it what's the worst can happen" and placed a bid at £700. I felt it was max I was willing to gamble as even if it all goes wrong I then only stand to lose maybe 1-200.
In the end won the auction at £660.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-ALFA-ROMEO-166-V6-2...
Looks pretty clean in the pictures and hopefully only needs a spring to get it through its mot.
My goal is to to get it mot'd and taxed all in at roughly no more than £1200. It would make it the cheapest one in the country that I could find in this spec.
So far therefore.
Car cost me £661.
2 new springs at a cost of £87.92
Will update as things progress including pics of car in the flesh.
Decided to start a thread in here as it goes forward. So Tuesday afternoon during a pitstop at a services on the way home from "the other side of the country" as it were I was sitting going through Ebay looking for an Alfa Spider 916. Decided to simply do a generic catch all Alfa Romeo search.
As I was trawling through all the 147's, 156's etc I came across a 3L 166.It's a car I have always liked and wanted but never been able to justify. Looked really pretty in the pics all green exterior and cream interior. Write up was a little poor but the seller had put a phone number in so figured what the hell give him a call can't hurt.
Called him up and as a bonus off the mark he could speak proper English. He was very polite and friendly seemed a bit of a fan of cars overall. Answered all my Questions quite honestly which was refreshing.
Then went a little further and mentioned a few things without prompting from me that weren't listed due to them not being overly important but based on my questions wanted me to have a clear picture of the car I was buying just so I didn't feel I was being cheated if I won and turned up and found things he felt were not overly relevant.
Basically was left feeling he was a pretty straight chap. Pondered the situation on the way home and then around 15 mins before end of auction thought "f
k it what's the worst can happen" and placed a bid at £700. I felt it was max I was willing to gamble as even if it all goes wrong I then only stand to lose maybe 1-200.In the end won the auction at £660.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-ALFA-ROMEO-166-V6-2...
Looks pretty clean in the pictures and hopefully only needs a spring to get it through its mot.
My goal is to to get it mot'd and taxed all in at roughly no more than £1200. It would make it the cheapest one in the country that I could find in this spec.
So far therefore.
Car cost me £661.
2 new springs at a cost of £87.92
Will update as things progress including pics of car in the flesh.
Weekend project. Or just something for the weekend rather than a project. I honestly don't know why I bought it other than i have always wanted one. If its as simple to get on the road as seems then I will have to decide whether to keep or move on.
Have limited parking and no need for two saloons. My thought process was as described above. Common sense doesn't really apply :-)
Personally I think it could be a future classic if looked after as there are a lot of very used and abused ones out there and the styling is met with either love or hate. It could potentially be money in the bank therefore especially if my plan to move to Aus comes off.
Looking around eBay auto trader etc there are very few of this shape for sale and a lot of them look like sheds.
Have limited parking and no need for two saloons. My thought process was as described above. Common sense doesn't really apply :-)
Personally I think it could be a future classic if looked after as there are a lot of very used and abused ones out there and the styling is met with either love or hate. It could potentially be money in the bank therefore especially if my plan to move to Aus comes off.
Looking around eBay auto trader etc there are very few of this shape for sale and a lot of them look like sheds.
We have news and it goes something like this....
Oh Goody look a minefield!!! Quick someone pass me a blindfold so I can can see how far through it I can skip!!!
So as per previous post I ordered a pair of new springs. However today got an email from the seller. The order has been cancelled as the spring supplier says earliest they expect to have any in stock is 4 weeks from now.
FUUUUUCK!!!
Oh well now I need to try get some from somewhere else. This is posing me a new problem. The springs are a major headache to source no one seems to have em in stock even alfa have to order them in.
There is a light there is a different spring solution which involves coilovers instead which also apparently improve the suspension. Problem here is it causes an issue in that it is a much more expensive proposition and that does not fit with the remit. Of course on the other hand since the standard springs seem to have a habit of snapping coilovers or koni or ebach coil/shock solution should future proof.....
FML!!!
Oh Goody look a minefield!!! Quick someone pass me a blindfold so I can can see how far through it I can skip!!!
So as per previous post I ordered a pair of new springs. However today got an email from the seller. The order has been cancelled as the spring supplier says earliest they expect to have any in stock is 4 weeks from now.
FUUUUUCK!!!
Oh well now I need to try get some from somewhere else. This is posing me a new problem. The springs are a major headache to source no one seems to have em in stock even alfa have to order them in.
There is a light there is a different spring solution which involves coilovers instead which also apparently improve the suspension. Problem here is it causes an issue in that it is a much more expensive proposition and that does not fit with the remit. Of course on the other hand since the standard springs seem to have a habit of snapping coilovers or koni or ebach coil/shock solution should future proof.....
FML!!!
aaand the st keeps on coming. Put a bid on shiply for the car to be collected on saturday and dropped off at my home. Went live at 11pm on the 29th.
Over a 24 hr period got two offers one the morning of the 29th. Accepted the higher one earlier today and have now had an email stating it is now not possible to collect on the given day can it be done a few days later???
PITA. SO now I guess I am going to have to hire a transporter or trailer and towcar and fetch it IF I can find a trailer and tow vehicle for Saturday.
Flipside it may cost me less to do myself.
t keeps on coming. Put a bid on shiply for the car to be collected on saturday and dropped off at my home. Went live at 11pm on the 29th. Over a 24 hr period got two offers one the morning of the 29th. Accepted the higher one earlier today and have now had an email stating it is now not possible to collect on the given day can it be done a few days later???
PITA. SO now I guess I am going to have to hire a transporter or trailer and towcar and fetch it IF I can find a trailer and tow vehicle for Saturday.
Flipside it may cost me less to do myself.
Extra extra read all about it !
I am now the dubiously proud owner of an Alfa 166?
So car was not what was expected. My guess is the MOT will be epically funny.
Steering feels suspiciously woolly. There's a blow on the rear exhaust box and the cosmetic work is potentially a bigger issue than hoped.
However on the flip side "There's a flip side?" I hear you cry... :-)
The owner threw in a spare head sat nav head unit.
Way I see it depending on damage at mot I will pull car apart and then scrap leftovers. Parts are easily worth what I have invested I reckon.
I am now the dubiously proud owner of an Alfa 166?
So car was not what was expected. My guess is the MOT will be epically funny.
Steering feels suspiciously woolly. There's a blow on the rear exhaust box and the cosmetic work is potentially a bigger issue than hoped.
However on the flip side "There's a flip side?" I hear you cry... :-)
The owner threw in a spare head sat nav head unit.
Way I see it depending on damage at mot I will pull car apart and then scrap leftovers. Parts are easily worth what I have invested I reckon.
Edited by Tallbutbuxomly on Saturday 1st June 16:41
Ok new news on top of above. I suspect there may be an engine issue. Sounds great but I don't think its cold enough for smoke out the exhaust. And on top of that have discovered the passenger side door doesn't lock on the button.
"Sigh" Seemed a decent enough bloke but there we go. Some people are timewasters.
In two minds whether to bother with an mot or just to strip bits off flog em on ebay and scrap the rest.
Ah well such is life.....
"Sigh" Seemed a decent enough bloke but there we go. Some people are timewasters.
In two minds whether to bother with an mot or just to strip bits off flog em on ebay and scrap the rest.
Ah well such is life.....
The Spruce goose said:
Tallbutbuxomly said:
"Sigh" Seemed a decent enough bloke but there we go. Some people are timewasters.
You bought a car unseen and rely on buyers honesty, can't blame the past owner. Bargain cars are a big gamble, don't forget, I personally aim for full sh and 12 months mot, to mitigate losses. suck it up move on to other bargains.Edited by The Spruce goose on Saturday 1st June 18:10
I am merely disappointed that he "appears" to have slightly hoodwinked me.
On the flipside I may be reading too much into things and he may have just forgotten to mention front passenger door as he certainly went through all its other foibles quite frankly (of which there are a few
)Buyer beware. Them's the rules and I intend to stick by it. I could text or call him and whinge but really I knew what I was getting into and had planned for worst case.
Alfahorn said:
Tallbutbuxomly said:
Ok new news on top of above. I suspect there may be an engine issue. Sounds great but I don't think its cold enough for smoke out the exhaust. And on top of that have discovered the passenger side door doesn't lock on the button.
"Sigh" Seemed a decent enough bloke but there we go. Some people are timewasters.
In two minds whether to bother with an mot or just to strip bits off flog em on ebay and scrap the rest.
Ah well such is life.....
I think your too hasty to condem the car. Put things into perspective, it's a £600 spotter, what did you expect? And it's an Alfa (I can say that "Sigh" Seemed a decent enough bloke but there we go. Some people are timewasters.
In two minds whether to bother with an mot or just to strip bits off flog em on ebay and scrap the rest.
Ah well such is life.....
)I think you should take it to an Alfa specialist and let them give the car a check up!
I think I will drop it in for an mot run and pressure test on Monday to find out EXACTLY what its issues are and then go from there as it would be a shame to strip it. There are so few of them left.
Going to have a little tinker with the roof lacquer tomorrow to see if I can clean it up or whether it would be something that would need a pro brush over.
Ah well verdict is in. Just got a call from the garage... £1200 and that doesn't cover all the parts as they could not find a brake hose or fog light switch.
I grant you springs at 250 a pair from Alfa and 450 for the centre and rear box make up the majority there but a lower front arm 150 new Tyre 50 etc.
That along with the fact the roof needs a respray I don't think its a simply smooth down and brush over so another 500 there before I look into the rear window mechanism which is dodgy or the front passenger central locking.
I think I can get springs for 80 centre and rear box for another 100 but there is still a long list with labour at near 300 quid for all the work its not worth it.
There is also the issue of the brake line/hose which cannot be got "at least not from Alfa" or one or two other sources my mechanic tried which means even if I replaced everything else I may not be able to get it through its MOT anyway.
I grant you springs at 250 a pair from Alfa and 450 for the centre and rear box make up the majority there but a lower front arm 150 new Tyre 50 etc.
That along with the fact the roof needs a respray I don't think its a simply smooth down and brush over so another 500 there before I look into the rear window mechanism which is dodgy or the front passenger central locking.
I think I can get springs for 80 centre and rear box for another 100 but there is still a long list with labour at near 300 quid for all the work its not worth it.
There is also the issue of the brake line/hose which cannot be got "at least not from Alfa" or one or two other sources my mechanic tried which means even if I replaced everything else I may not be able to get it through its MOT anyway.
Sleeping on it seems reckless. I just did a little research and I think I can get most parts and fitting look like around 500 to 550 quid.
On reflection not exactly the end of the world when my budget was 660 to buy then 11-1200 with 6 months tax and years mot.
But its a big gamble as the car has an issue with the horn not working could be simple could be complex. Likewise the foglight switch could be simple could be complicated.
On reflection not exactly the end of the world when my budget was 660 to buy then 11-1200 with 6 months tax and years mot.
But its a big gamble as the car has an issue with the horn not working could be simple could be complex. Likewise the foglight switch could be simple could be complicated.
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