RE: Shed of the Week | Alfa Romeo 164 V6 Lusso

[Ocellia]

reminds me of my 2000 Citroen XM -also 3 litre V6. Same side creases.
Was in such good condition, I was a bit scared to park it anywhere. Now in a Citroen 'Collection'!
This 164 is nice.

[rxe]

MadDog1962 said:

Fair play, this looks like quite a good find. I like it a lot.

If anything needs doing it's going to be expensive though.

They’re pretty solid. The 12V busso is more fragile than the 24V (and looks are deceptive, that is a 12V), but as long as it isn’t thrashed from cold, treated to regular oil and belts, it will go on forever. They do “tick” from the tappets, I have one in a 155, and it does sound like a bag of bolts from the top end - clearances are fine and the cams are fine, they’re just like that.

The rest of it is pretty conventional, and there is a strong owners club to help out. Nothing really frightening, other than the potential for rot on a 25 year old car.

I have the successor - a 3.2 166, and that is similarly recommended. Not an ideal country lane car, but a belter on the motorway and supremely comfortable.

[Spx]

The only car that made me cry!

[carinaman]

rxe said:

MadDog1962 said:

Fair play, this looks like quite a good find. I like it a lot.

If anything needs doing it's going to be expensive though.

They’re pretty solid. The 12V busso is more fragile than the 24V (and looks are deceptive, that is a 12V), but as long as it isn’t thrashed from cold, treated to regular oil and belts, it will go on forever.

Are you discussing the featured SoTW?

The plenum has '24V' cast into it, the advert says 24V and the front covers are different between the 12V and 24V. 210BHP also suggests 24V to me.

The 24V has the oil filler over to the right on the side and the 12V has the oil filler towards the left between two cylinders.

I don't think they did the 12V V6 in the facelifted 164 with the slimmer headlamps in the UK.

I've heard the 12V sounds different and the different torque characteristics make the 12V more economical on long runs. Sadly I've only driven a 24V.






12V Turbo Busso photo by Ajaan - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44...

[Genuine Barn Find]

My work colleague and I both found this car yesterday when we were running a ‘what’s the best car you can find on Auto Trader under £1500’ challenge.

[Blackpuddin]

carinaman said:

rxe said:

MadDog1962 said:

Fair play, this looks like quite a good find. I like it a lot.

If anything needs doing it's going to be expensive though.

They’re pretty solid. The 12V busso is more fragile than the 24V (and looks are deceptive, that is a 12V), but as long as it isn’t thrashed from cold, treated to regular oil and belts, it will go on forever.

Are you discussing the featured SoTW?

The plenum has '24V' cast into it, the advert says 24V and the front covers are different between the 12V and 24V. 210BHP also suggests 24V to me.

The 24V has the oil filler over to the right on the side and the 12V has the oil filler towards the left between two cylinders.

I don't think they did the 12V V6 in the facelifted 164 with the slimmer headlamps in the UK.

I've heard the 12V sounds different and the different torque characteristics make the 12V more economical on long runs. Sadly I've only driven a 24V.






12V Turbo Busso photo by Ajaan - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44...

The engine shots in the article seem to be a library shots, here's the actual Shed engine from the ad, not quite as spangly but it backs up your statement about it being a 24-valver.

[AmosMoses]

fk Ugly

[the_hood]

For me there's something awkward about the looks of this car, especially the 'face'.

[HUNKY DUNKY]

I had one, absolutely amazing V6, which gave equally amazing torque street😗

[Down and out]

AmosMoses said:

fk Ugly

Unpopular opinion but I'm with you, horrible looking thing.

[Poppiecock]

Feels too cheap to me.

On the other hand, I always felt the drive was very disappointing compared with other Alfas of the era.

[CDP]

If it usable that has to be shed of the year.

V6, good colour, the right wheels too.

Perfect proportions and so sharp looking. I have too many cars already and too much going on at the moment.

[carinaman]

Article comparing Tipo Quattros, the SAAB 9000 and the 164 with a YouTube video showing some V6 12V noise:

https://bringatrailer.com/2019/08/01/same-platform...

[MatthewAlfie]

The deputy headmaster at my secondary school had a brand new one, it was like a space ship: to put that in context the headmaster drove an old, rotten orange Marina. Quite a contrast.

[Mr Tidy]

I always liked these too.

But on an Alfa loving thread I'll get ready to don my tin hat. At the time I preferred the Lancia Thema Turbo - well it did have an engine vaguely related to the legendary Integrale, and I thought it looked better.

[monzaxjr]

Mr Tidy said:

I always liked these too.

But on an Alfa loving thread I'll get ready to don my tin hat. At the time I preferred the Lancia Thema Turbo - well it did have an engine vaguely related to the legendary Integrale, and I thought it looked better.

Thema Turbo was a lovely car as well. Can't remember the last time I seen a decent one for sale.

[Strugs]

Want.

That is all..

[CDP]

monzaxjr said:

Mr Tidy said:

I always liked these too.

But on an Alfa loving thread I'll get ready to don my tin hat. At the time I preferred the Lancia Thema Turbo - well it did have an engine vaguely related to the legendary Integrale, and I thought it looked better.

Thema Turbo was a lovely car as well. Can't remember the last time I seen a decent one for sale.

Don't worry. PH isn't tribal.

Not unless you're talking Rovers

[B'stard Child]

fernando the frog said:

must be the best shed ever? can hardly call it a shed

Hello - you must be new here

[rxe]

carinaman said:

Are you discussing the featured SoTW?

The plenum has '24V' cast into it, the advert says 24V and the front covers are different between the 12V and 24V. 210BHP also suggests 24V to me.

The 24V has the oil filler over to the right on the side and the 12V has the oil filler towards the left between two cylinders.

I don't think they did the 12V V6 in the facelifted 164 with the slimmer headlamps in the UK.

I've heard the 12V sounds different and the different torque characteristics make the 12V more economical on long runs. Sadly I've only driven a 24V.






12V Turbo Busso photo by Ajaan - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44...

Feck, I’ve got 9 of the things, I should know better. I got confused by the thermostat on the cambelt side of the engine (a 12v feature), the belt covers that look a lot like a 12v, and the plenum is 12v shape (despite having 24v on it!). I assumed that they’d done something funky with the 12v front bank cover..... They were clearly very franken-engines as they changed them.

If it’s a 24v, then it is even less likely to break. Better headgaskets, more tolerant of high oil pressure at cold.

My 12v sounds different because it has a standard exhaust, most of my 24v have Wizards or similar. It is seriously rev-happy by comparison - its the only one that I regularly end up hitting 6k rpm...