RE: SOTW: Alfa Romeo 166 3.0
Discussion
george123 said:
Or under £5k for this beauty
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
My god that is very tempting at that price. Surely it's got to be worth a punt?http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
hora said:
george123 said:
Or under £5k for this beauty
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
OMG WOW. What is it based on?http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
CDP said:
hora said:
george123 said:
Or under £5k for this beauty
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
OMG WOW. What is it based on?http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
My local Alfa indie also does Maserati servicing for very reasonable money , he's an Alfa and Maserati nut but even he just laughed when i said i was considering the ghibli which is basically a 2 door version Like this minter which you can pick up for similar money
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C316351
Pr1964 said:
The purchase price is just the first step. Economy town 12mpg easy to attain.
99% these items will need doing
Estimated cost inc labour and parts.
Belts are £500 - £700 inc w pump and a service whilst they're at it.
Suspension (marzipan oe equivalent replacement) £800 - £1800 if not done they ride like a boat they all need doing.
Lower engine mount £200.+
Expect exhaust problems (rot) and electrical issues (windows lights airflow meter A/C etc.)
Unfortunately they were built cheap and lots of bits fail and fall apart. Much like the 156 only slightly better quality interior.
IMHO Avoid if you're on a budget better to be found a Audi BMW and Mercedes.
You havent quite got this "Shed" thing have you 99% these items will need doing
Estimated cost inc labour and parts.
Belts are £500 - £700 inc w pump and a service whilst they're at it.
Suspension (marzipan oe equivalent replacement) £800 - £1800 if not done they ride like a boat they all need doing.
Lower engine mount £200.+
Expect exhaust problems (rot) and electrical issues (windows lights airflow meter A/C etc.)
Unfortunately they were built cheap and lots of bits fail and fall apart. Much like the 156 only slightly better quality interior.
IMHO Avoid if you're on a budget better to be found a Audi BMW and Mercedes.
You dont buy a grands worth of old Alfa and then spunk a grand on it, couple of hundred to get it through an MOT, driven it until it requires a major spend, then scrap it or stick it on Ebay for bits, ultimate handling precision isnt in the Bangernomics ethos, you dont do the belts, if it snaps thats it, buy another one as spending £800 having the belts done is pretty much the cost of another one.
It is acceptable to polish it to death and get it looking nice, it has to be safe and have an MOT, perhaps an oil change but anything else doesnt make sense, the savvy shed purchaser looks for cars where some other poor sod has spent all the money and now wants rid, they absolutely dont spend it themselves.
Bought a 3-litre 166 in 2004 and kept it until 2007.
Overall an excellent car and despite it's reputation, on this website at least, was very dependable. It let me down once with a failed battery, which was a Halfrauds item anyway, and another time with a dodgy water pump - Alfa followed the vogue of fitting plastic impellers - but then many other manufacturers did as well.
Clutch heavy and engine needed revving to get going - but boy what an engine. Apart from diving under braking, the chassis was pretty good for a large front wheel drive car.
Interior excellent in pretty much every way, save modest rear accommodation, and generally better quality than my Jaguar XJ8 that followed. Rust protection much better than the X308 too.
Only electrical problem was sticky central locking on the driver's side rear door. Never got round to change the mechanism.
Apart from normal servicing, which was dead cheap save the timing belts (£600 at an Alfa specialist), the only replacement part other than those noted above was an engine top mount, which I did myself as it's just a unbolt and bolt job.
In certain aspects, it actually felt more special than the XJ8 and now XJR that followed it. I kind of regret selling it, something that I can't say about any other of my ex-cars.
For a grand, you'll struggle to get a better shed.
Overall an excellent car and despite it's reputation, on this website at least, was very dependable. It let me down once with a failed battery, which was a Halfrauds item anyway, and another time with a dodgy water pump - Alfa followed the vogue of fitting plastic impellers - but then many other manufacturers did as well.
Clutch heavy and engine needed revving to get going - but boy what an engine. Apart from diving under braking, the chassis was pretty good for a large front wheel drive car.
Interior excellent in pretty much every way, save modest rear accommodation, and generally better quality than my Jaguar XJ8 that followed. Rust protection much better than the X308 too.
Only electrical problem was sticky central locking on the driver's side rear door. Never got round to change the mechanism.
Apart from normal servicing, which was dead cheap save the timing belts (£600 at an Alfa specialist), the only replacement part other than those noted above was an engine top mount, which I did myself as it's just a unbolt and bolt job.
In certain aspects, it actually felt more special than the XJ8 and now XJR that followed it. I kind of regret selling it, something that I can't say about any other of my ex-cars.
For a grand, you'll struggle to get a better shed.
Edited by BOH on Friday 2nd November 11:47
Edited by BOH on Friday 2nd November 11:48
george123 said:
Or under £5k for this beauty
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
You're missing a "not" in that last sentence. Lovely, but wouldn't touch with yours.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
Edited by george123 on Friday 2nd November 11:12
cjgreaves41 said:
Nice find, tempting too! 
166 appeals for some reason.
y2blade said:
MC Bodge said:
A mate bought a 'bargain' (about 4 years old, IIRC) from the auctions for a couple of grand.
I drove it and it handled nicely. It was, however, riddled with faults and was sold on for about half the original 'bargain' price.
That's "Character" for you. I drove it and it handled nicely. It was, however, riddled with faults and was sold on for about half the original 'bargain' price.
A lot of want here.daveco said:
I heard an Alfa 156 2.5 litre last week accelerating by me-it sounded absolutely superb. It didn't look like it had any after market exhaust fitted either. It was almost Ferrari-esque
I have a 156 V6 and can't think of much that would sound better for the money. Even with standard exhausts they sound epic!Liking the 166 - think they look better in the metal than in photos.
I always liked the 166, in fact i couldn't name one alfa that i don't like...but....having owned a 156 (2001 1.8 veloce..low miles, full service history) I will never again buy another one.
As many have said, the purchase price is utterly irrelevant. £10 or £1000 IT WILL COST several Thousands of pounds per year to keep going.
The mechanical design of any alfa of the last 10 years is appalling, Why make suspension bushes a service item but then build them into the suspension arms...? Annual spark plug replacement on a twin spark is £100 just for the plugs! The thermostat sensor requires replacement pretty much annually...but it is an integral part of the whole assembly and can not be replaced on its own...£50...the list is endless
I loved my 156, The tan momo interior was a high point, but my god it was comfortably the worst car i have ever owned for ongoing maintenance.
I cant imagine the 166 being any different, as such it should be stricken from the shed list!
As many have said, the purchase price is utterly irrelevant. £10 or £1000 IT WILL COST several Thousands of pounds per year to keep going.
The mechanical design of any alfa of the last 10 years is appalling, Why make suspension bushes a service item but then build them into the suspension arms...? Annual spark plug replacement on a twin spark is £100 just for the plugs! The thermostat sensor requires replacement pretty much annually...but it is an integral part of the whole assembly and can not be replaced on its own...£50...the list is endless
I loved my 156, The tan momo interior was a high point, but my god it was comfortably the worst car i have ever owned for ongoing maintenance.
I cant imagine the 166 being any different, as such it should be stricken from the shed list!
george123 said:
Or under £5k for this beauty
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
Biiiig wibble.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
What could go wrong...
Edited by george123 on Friday 2nd November 11:12
I'd imagine it would take bork to a whole new level though! A level any Merc or BMW could only dream of! Worth it though, what a lovely thing to smoke around in of a weekend.
Wonderful car, was sitting alongside one on the M1 in traffic in my 3 month old X Type Jag back in 2001.The next day I was in the Alfa dealer signing for a 2.0TS. 6 months later it was swapped for a 3.0 v6. 3 years saw just under 100k miles without missing a beat, although dealer servicing wasn't cheap! My abiding memory? A particularly attractive young lady on my local high street proclaiming "Beautiful car!" Never happened since, will probably never happen again!
Most stylish shed ever. These were, and still are in fact, the best cars Alfa made in terms of build quality. Easily the match of the Germans of the era.
Line up an 5 series/e-class/a6 of the same era next to a 3.0 lusso and you'd be surprised how they would all just look like council estate bangers in comparison
Some prefer the original look like this one but I prefer the facelift ones and had one of the last 3.2 cars, which were all manual, the facelift 3.0 ones being all auto. A very rare car in the uk only about 40 sold in 3.2 form so if you want one you have to buy sharpish if one comes up for sale. I have seen more F40's on the road over the years !
Just do your homework and buy off an enthusiast who's looked after it and you'll be fine.
Line up an 5 series/e-class/a6 of the same era next to a 3.0 lusso and you'd be surprised how they would all just look like council estate bangers in comparison
Some prefer the original look like this one but I prefer the facelift ones and had one of the last 3.2 cars, which were all manual, the facelift 3.0 ones being all auto. A very rare car in the uk only about 40 sold in 3.2 form so if you want one you have to buy sharpish if one comes up for sale. I have seen more F40's on the road over the years !
Just do your homework and buy off an enthusiast who's looked after it and you'll be fine.
If I wanted a car this size, for sub £2k it'd be one of these, no questions.
The interior's great, the ride/refinement are really impressive and the 3.0 V6 I went in definitely wasn't slow! Quite the opposite! Saw a V6 with LPG fitted for £1400 the other day. The only thing that prevented me from buying that as a daily was the lack of £1400 available!
Lovely cars. The facelift one addresses the funny front end too.
The interior's great, the ride/refinement are really impressive and the 3.0 V6 I went in definitely wasn't slow! Quite the opposite! Saw a V6 with LPG fitted for £1400 the other day. The only thing that prevented me from buying that as a daily was the lack of £1400 available!
Lovely cars. The facelift one addresses the funny front end too.
Am I the only one who actually likes the front end? Although clearly dated now, I think the small headlamps makes the nose look pretty sharp. As has been suggested, they look so much better in the flesh, I pass one every single day and it still turns my head. The model to have is a phase 1 3.0 V6 Super Lusso with the Zender kit and 17" wheels. If you ever see one, I think most would agree it's one of the best looking saloon cars ever made.
The facelift model however, along with the 156 facelift, looks like a dog's breakfast and is far less individual and obscure.
If they'd done the 166 2.4 JTD over here, like they did in the rest of Europe, I would have had one in a heart beat. Feel like I've missed there!
The facelift model however, along with the 156 facelift, looks like a dog's breakfast and is far less individual and obscure.
If they'd done the 166 2.4 JTD over here, like they did in the rest of Europe, I would have had one in a heart beat. Feel like I've missed there!
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