Does anyone know about 155s?
Discussion
if you can find one anyway! The Silverstone was a limited edition based on the 1.8
These, I think, are the early model, also referred to as 'narrow body'. The later cars are much better, anything after N registration I think.
These can be picked up cheaply and are great cars Thing is, they go and handle well so often get thrashed. Buy a nice one and you will love it.
These, I think, are the early model, also referred to as 'narrow body'. The later cars are much better, anything after N registration I think.
These can be picked up cheaply and are great cars Thing is, they go and handle well so often get thrashed. Buy a nice one and you will love it.
Hi, I had the exact model you are talking about, a 155 1.8TS Silverstone, mine was a black L reg version with a boot spoiler - not the wide body, the wide body ones are supposed to handle better but I found it great anyway very nicely balanced and fairly quick, I used to live in the peak district so the car had a good workout out everyday and it was lovely to live with I had no mechanical problems, the body is galvansed and will easily outlast the mechanical bits, its very comfortable except on long journeys where the drivers seats lack of padding under your thigh will make them ache!
It wasn't brilliant fuel wise quite thirsty in fact, 25mpg-ish.
Mine got stolen in manchester but was found, it then took 5 months!! to get it back as the replacement steering column part was difficult to get - they tried 5 versions! After that the insurance company wanted a fortune so I changed to a Bravo HLX 1.8 which as it turned out was even better, its much quicker, looks great, got better mpg and is much much cheaper to insure grp 8 as opposed to 14. So I'd recommend one too. Its cheaper to work on too. The handling alright but not quite so good as the alfa but thats all.
Overall though a 155 is a great car - but get a good one!
>> Edited by srs on Wednesday 4th August 13:52
It wasn't brilliant fuel wise quite thirsty in fact, 25mpg-ish.
Mine got stolen in manchester but was found, it then took 5 months!! to get it back as the replacement steering column part was difficult to get - they tried 5 versions! After that the insurance company wanted a fortune so I changed to a Bravo HLX 1.8 which as it turned out was even better, its much quicker, looks great, got better mpg and is much much cheaper to insure grp 8 as opposed to 14. So I'd recommend one too. Its cheaper to work on too. The handling alright but not quite so good as the alfa but thats all.
Overall though a 155 is a great car - but get a good one!
>> Edited by srs on Wednesday 4th August 13:52
I had a 96 N wide body V6 for 6 years and 80k miles it was superb, very reliable, huge fun to drive with great handling and loads of grip.(I once passed a Merc 190 cosworth on a track day, purely on cornering speed) Go for a wide body if you can, they are a lot better and have a nicer interior. They made a 1.8, 2.0 and 2.5 V6. The V6 is slightly more nose heavy than the fours but it is a price well worth paying for the wonderful engine.(most of the time, when driving you won't notice the handling difference but you will always appreciate the engine)I averaged about 25mpg in mine and I do not believe that the 2.0l is vastly better in regard to fuel consumption. The body is galvanised and mine was still bodily excellant when I sold it, so any sign of rust probably means its been crashed. If you do get one try to find a good Alfa specialist, it makes all the difference when it comes to reliability.
They are very underrated cars and as a result are an absolute bargain.
Robert.
They are very underrated cars and as a result are an absolute bargain.
Robert.
The 4 pot would make more sense fanancially. The 16v cars do handle much better. Beware, the 1.8 8v engine was installed in the widebody car and it also had the old suspension so does not handle like an Alfa. That said though, the narrowbody cats do respond well to good handling kits. The widebody cars have that wonderfully chuckable 2.2 turns lock to lock quick rack though.
They do sometimes have electrical gremlins but mine has been very good and required virtually nothing other than scheduled repairs in over 16k in 14 months. The 1.8 16v is still quite perky, it pulls long, rather than hard, so its large effective rev range makes up for any shortfall in torque. The 1.8 also does not have the oil consumption issues of the 2.0 16v. Some do use more than others though, but regular checking should mean it is not a major concern.
A good buying point would be a recent cam belt, tensioner and variator. I would recommend hard driven cars have the belt and tensioner changed at 36000k, and hopefully the variator (which makes a noise like a diesel engine at idle) should last until 72000k. The variator lasting that long is perhaps hopeful, but it won't damage the engine if it wears. In other cases, I'd say change the lot at 48k.
The V6 cars need belt changes at 36k, but at least they eventually moved away from the terrible hydraulic tensioner. All in all though, you are unlikely to ever experience a better engine than an Alfa V6- peple rave about them, and it is little wonder...
Watch for front tyre wear, setting the tracking to wear the front evenly takes a little trial and error (tolerances mean no two are the exactly the same, but otherwise the 155 is a drive and enjoy Alfa. Possibly the least hassle product they have produced, but still with a fair dose of brio. An enjoyable and cheap sports saloon in a increasingly bland market. Spectacular value!
>> Edited by Alfa Mad on Tuesday 10th August 09:33
They do sometimes have electrical gremlins but mine has been very good and required virtually nothing other than scheduled repairs in over 16k in 14 months. The 1.8 16v is still quite perky, it pulls long, rather than hard, so its large effective rev range makes up for any shortfall in torque. The 1.8 also does not have the oil consumption issues of the 2.0 16v. Some do use more than others though, but regular checking should mean it is not a major concern.
A good buying point would be a recent cam belt, tensioner and variator. I would recommend hard driven cars have the belt and tensioner changed at 36000k, and hopefully the variator (which makes a noise like a diesel engine at idle) should last until 72000k. The variator lasting that long is perhaps hopeful, but it won't damage the engine if it wears. In other cases, I'd say change the lot at 48k.
The V6 cars need belt changes at 36k, but at least they eventually moved away from the terrible hydraulic tensioner. All in all though, you are unlikely to ever experience a better engine than an Alfa V6- peple rave about them, and it is little wonder...
Watch for front tyre wear, setting the tracking to wear the front evenly takes a little trial and error (tolerances mean no two are the exactly the same, but otherwise the 155 is a drive and enjoy Alfa. Possibly the least hassle product they have produced, but still with a fair dose of brio. An enjoyable and cheap sports saloon in a increasingly bland market. Spectacular value!
>> Edited by Alfa Mad on Tuesday 10th August 09:33
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