The Alfa Itch - Who Has Scratched It ?

[Pints]

One of my neighbours has a 156 and it always warrants a peer through the window when I pass it, if only to see the leather work inside.

Do I hanker after one? It'd be nice but I'm not overly concerned that I've not owned one.

[simonrockman]

I saw an 8C convertible a couple of days ago.

Beautiful.

When the weather picks up I must take http://www.classiccarclub.co.uk/cars/alfa_spider_v...
out.

Simon

[Paul Dishman]

Liquid Knight said:

Love Alfa's.

So much so I bought this 33 Giardinetta 4x4 project.



One of only two left in the UK. I will get round to it.

Devon registration- supplied by Goose Green Garage?

[Twincam16]

I've got a 155 2.0TS 16v, the wide-body version with tyres about a foot wide. Bought it as I needed a 'practical' car after a succession of sports cars and couldn't stomach the idea of being 'normal'. I also loved their '90s racing variants.

So far the only problems have been electrical. Phantom warning lights on the dashboard (flashes up warning, investigate problem, find no problem, warning light stubbornly stays on), and on a couple of occasions loose wiring has left the car thinking it's being broken into and immobilises itself (an easy problem to sort that can be done with an allen key and a small philips-head screwdriver once you've opened the door but I'm not going into detail or else Alfas of this vintage will start getting nicked more easily). Oh, and insurance, which is astronomical, although hopefully the owner's club scheme will help reduce the premiums I've been quoted (most are not far off the value of the car, many are well over £1300).

I'd recommend ownership to anyone so long as they appreciate reliability as something they work at, ratehr than take for granted. Alfas are reliable as long as you look after them (by way of contrast, I've got several friends with Audis and VWs that let them down badly, catastrophically and expensively without any warning whatsoever). Just be vigilant, be prepared to accept that the electrical system is a little on the paranoid side, and you'll be fine.

[Chris944_S2]

Scratched it in December, picked up a 164 3.0 V6 24V to run over winter, but its in such good condition as the previous two owners have spent a small fortune replacing just about everything, I'll probably keep it

The throttle response is fantastic, the manual box has a lovely mechanical feel to it and is very direct. Oh, and the noise from the Arese V6

[Dave Brand]

I scratched the itch. After three of the bloody things in six years it's just about healed!

I went into Alfa ownership with my eyes open; I came out of it thoroughly disillusioned. Chocolate suspension bushes, heavy oil consumption, random fault messages, lousy dealer service, leaking power steering pipes . . . the list is endless.

I may have just been unlucky in getting three bad ones (a 145 & two 147s) but, as my old granny used to say, once is bad luck, twice is coincidence, third time & there's a pattern beginning to emerge. I wouldn't say Alfas are unreliable - none of mine never let me down - but they lack durability as the result of abysmal quality standards, as a result of which they require constant maintenance to keep them usable.

I'm glad I went through the Alfa thing but I won't do it again. To anyone considering an Alfa I'd say buy very carefully. If you're buying used, look for evidence of a lot of expenditure - no guarantee that it won't still be a money pit, but it shortens the odds

[jamieboy]

5678 said:

We don't do the miles to warrant a diesel so the petrol ti at around 6-12 months old would be what I was after.

If I was buying now, I would likely go for the 1750. When I got mine, the equivalent petrol engine was the 2.2, which was rubbish.

Dave Brand said:

as a result of which they require constant maintenance to keep them usable.

Shame. Each of mine* has been serviced once a year (whether they needed it or not ) or once every two years for the 159, with nothing much other than checking levels etc. in between. I can live with that level of 'constant maintenance'.


*With the exception of the Alfetta GTV6, which needed a bit more TLC - same as most other cars of that era with similar performance

[nail_it]

Paul Dishman said:

I had three Suds back in the 70s and 80s, lovely cars to drive but poorly built and rusted like crazy. Itch scratched

Yep, did exactly the same. Had wicked fun thrashing them over the Wiltshire Plains
+ were great in the snow

[5678]

Annoyingly, Alfa in Reading was shut today, drove past and didn't see much stock wise anyway. Need to find a 1750 Ti to look at! We had been looking at the Skoda Superb but it's dullsville compared to the 159.

[andy665]

Scratched it in November with a 1998 GTV V6 with Cup kit - love it to bits. Really interesting to compare it to my wifes mint 1998 BMW 328i Sport coupe - so many similarities but oh so many more differences - both are great but in different ways

[lance1a]

Started with a GT Junior 1300 105, then an Alfasud Export 1300, Alfetta 1800, all in SA. Then an Alfa Alfetta GTV 2.0 steel bumper (1978 model), 145 1.6 TS (2000 model)and still have a Spider S3 (1988 model) which I use every day almost....or an E30. I wish I'd kept the 105....