Alfa 159 1750 tbi (208000 miles)
Discussion
Bit of an update on the Alfa, I'll add some pictures soon. It's been serving as my family wagon and airport run (Stafford to Heathrow, quite regular).
We're on 237,000 miles so a good 16,000 in my ownership in the past 18 months. I work from home so it's only when travelling or localish family duties / holidays it gets the exercise. Good comfortable cruiser on the motorway!
It's been pretty trouble free but has not been without it's costs recently:
We're up to £1,630 so far and that's without the rear shocks and springs and the squeaky arm it's in for now. So we'll be just over £2k I think all done. I bought it for £2995 and likely now it's worth about the same I'd say (not like 16,000 miles depreciates it much more is it!) and it's still a lovely thing for the money, now with fresh suspension.
So call it £2k that's £111 a month or 12.5p per mile. Not bad going even considering the one offs.
I need to give it a good clean!
We're on 237,000 miles so a good 16,000 in my ownership in the past 18 months. I work from home so it's only when travelling or localish family duties / holidays it gets the exercise. Good comfortable cruiser on the motorway!
It's been pretty trouble free but has not been without it's costs recently:
- New battery (fair enough, it was quite old, had a dead cell)
- Service (of course! I did one oil change and Motormech in Birmingham did one)
- New wheel bearing (Motormech)
- New handbrake cables: it was barely able to hold on a hill and just passed the MOT. This was pretty labour intensive I believe and added a lot to the bill, but needed doing , probably sooner than this! (Motormech)
- The engine light was on at one point and down on boost - just a split vacuum line (Motormech)
- New front brake pads (Motormech)
- New rear anti roll bar linkages (Motormech)
- New springs and shocks all round: this has been the surprise. They are likely mostly original, but the passenger front shock rotted through the bottom and so collapsed (fortunately while it was parked overnight). The driver front was about to do the same and one of the rears also didn't look good. Easier to go all round (done locally)
- New tyres all round over ownership (some new fronts, then rears were gone, so fronts to the rear and new fronts)
- There's a squeaky bush front drivers side so that's been seen to as we speak. Not an issue but sending me nuts (done locally)
- The passenger rear window (other side this time!) has gone so ordered the part, will get that sorted
- I sanded, treated, painted and painted again the front sub frame to make sure it's solid for many years, was showing some surface rust
We're up to £1,630 so far and that's without the rear shocks and springs and the squeaky arm it's in for now. So we'll be just over £2k I think all done. I bought it for £2995 and likely now it's worth about the same I'd say (not like 16,000 miles depreciates it much more is it!) and it's still a lovely thing for the money, now with fresh suspension.
So call it £2k that's £111 a month or 12.5p per mile. Not bad going even considering the one offs.
I need to give it a good clean!
Rob-c33sg said:
Bit of an update on the Alfa, I'll add some pictures soon. It's been serving as my family wagon and airport run (Stafford to Heathrow, quite regular).
We're on 237,000 miles so a good 16,000 in my ownership in the past 18 months. I work from home so it's only when travelling or localish family duties / holidays it gets the exercise. Good comfortable cruiser on the motorway!
It's been pretty trouble free but has not been without it's costs recently:
We're up to £1,630 so far and that's without the rear shocks and springs and the squeaky arm it's in for now. So we'll be just over £2k I think all done. I bought it for £2995 and likely now it's worth about the same I'd say (not like 16,000 miles depreciates it much more is it!) and it's still a lovely thing for the money, now with fresh suspension.
So call it £2k that's £111 a month or 12.5p per mile. Not bad going even considering the one offs.
I need to give it a good clean!
I've got a Brera 1750 TBI on 142,000 miles and I've had the replace the same parts pretty much with the exception of springs. My subframe remains solid, however I have recently had corrosion in the arches and sills dealt with. We're on 237,000 miles so a good 16,000 in my ownership in the past 18 months. I work from home so it's only when travelling or localish family duties / holidays it gets the exercise. Good comfortable cruiser on the motorway!
It's been pretty trouble free but has not been without it's costs recently:
- New battery (fair enough, it was quite old, had a dead cell)
- Service (of course! I did one oil change and Motormech in Birmingham did one)
- New wheel bearing (Motormech)
- New handbrake cables: it was barely able to hold on a hill and just passed the MOT. This was pretty labour intensive I believe and added a lot to the bill, but needed doing , probably sooner than this! (Motormech)
- The engine light was on at one point and down on boost - just a split vacuum line (Motormech)
- New front brake pads (Motormech)
- New rear anti roll bar linkages (Motormech)
- New springs and shocks all round: this has been the surprise. They are likely mostly original, but the passenger front shock rotted through the bottom and so collapsed (fortunately while it was parked overnight). The driver front was about to do the same and one of the rears also didn't look good. Easier to go all round (done locally)
- New tyres all round over ownership (some new fronts, then rears were gone, so fronts to the rear and new fronts)
- There's a squeaky bush front drivers side so that's been seen to as we speak. Not an issue but sending me nuts (done locally)
- The passenger rear window (other side this time!) has gone so ordered the part, will get that sorted
- I sanded, treated, painted and painted again the front sub frame to make sure it's solid for many years, was showing some surface rust
We're up to £1,630 so far and that's without the rear shocks and springs and the squeaky arm it's in for now. So we'll be just over £2k I think all done. I bought it for £2995 and likely now it's worth about the same I'd say (not like 16,000 miles depreciates it much more is it!) and it's still a lovely thing for the money, now with fresh suspension.
So call it £2k that's £111 a month or 12.5p per mile. Not bad going even considering the one offs.
I need to give it a good clean!
My car only does 200 miles a month now, I use something else on a daily basis. I love the 1750 and intend to keep the car for a long time, I've owned it almost 4 years.
Cracking thread, bought a 159 of my own a few months ago, a 1750 Tbi Ti, was nearly put off them as most are Diesels,
i really didn't want a diesel as i have a short commute and mostly do short trips so foresaw DPF and EGR issues as well
as the dreaded swirl flaps. The 2.2 and 3.2 petrol motors can suffer from timing chain issues, forked out more than i had
budgeted for the rare 1750 but i'm glad i did, it's gorgeous, has had a stage 1 remap done (240bhp) so goes really well.
i really didn't want a diesel as i have a short commute and mostly do short trips so foresaw DPF and EGR issues as well
as the dreaded swirl flaps. The 2.2 and 3.2 petrol motors can suffer from timing chain issues, forked out more than i had
budgeted for the rare 1750 but i'm glad i did, it's gorgeous, has had a stage 1 remap done (240bhp) so goes really well.
Markgenesis said:
Cracking thread, bought a 159 of my own a few months ago, a 1750 Tbi Ti, was nearly put off them as most are Diesels,
i really didn't want a diesel as i have a short commute and mostly do short trips so foresaw DPF and EGR issues as well
as the dreaded swirl flaps. The 2.2 and 3.2 petrol motors can suffer from timing chain issues, forked out more than i had
budgeted for the rare 1750 but i'm glad i did, it's gorgeous, has had a stage 1 remap done (240bhp) so goes really well.
Very nice! I’m tempted by a stage 1 map but with my mileage, might be tempting fate! Plus it’s got a leak from near the top, apparently it needs a diaphragm that’s not available anymore.i really didn't want a diesel as i have a short commute and mostly do short trips so foresaw DPF and EGR issues as well
as the dreaded swirl flaps. The 2.2 and 3.2 petrol motors can suffer from timing chain issues, forked out more than i had
budgeted for the rare 1750 but i'm glad i did, it's gorgeous, has had a stage 1 remap done (240bhp) so goes really well.
Just spotted this for sale in the classifieds, so thought I'd share it on your thread (which you're also allowed to do yourself). Need a family wagon, must resist... https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14313450
ked but good on you for buying it and putting it right. Alfa's can be just as reliable as anything else if looked after.Ben Lowden said:
Just spotted this for sale in the classifieds, so thought I'd share it on your thread (which you're also allowed to do yourself). Need a family wagon, must resist... https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14313450
Someone will snap it up. Hmmm, I was stalking https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14313450 on PH for a little while, trying to justify replacing my 250k km 159 with one with even more mileage, albeit the right engine. Alas, it seems to be sold, I wonder if the new keeper will post here and keep 'er lit?
casesensitive said:
Hmmm, I was stalking https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14313450 on PH for a little while, trying to justify replacing my 250k km 159 with one with even more mileage, albeit the right engine. Alas, it seems to be sold, I wonder if the new keeper will post here and keep 'er lit?
It's just passed it's MOT again (29/03/23) with an advisory for windscreen stone chip and an oil leak, which'll be the PCV valve in the cam cover.Now at 240k miles. Which means it did another 10k in the last 12 months.
Must be going well. It was a good car when I had it. Makes me happy that the work my Dad and I put into it alongside Rob means it's still going.
It's still with me 
At the time, the garage snapped off a bolt while trying to get the rear aligned. So I couldn't do it then, wouldn't of been right. As it turns out that bush isn't available on it's own (where the bolt was seized, so it needed a new arm. It's a big one. £1000 from Alfa.
Motormech sorted out a used one and fitted it. While it was there they sorted the squeaky bush (with a new arm) and installed a new diaphragm into the breather at the top of the engine, which has helped the oil leak a fair bit! Another £700...
Along the way of sorted the drivers electric window (which was noted as not working)
And yes, it passed it's MOT. It's the original windscreen and that chip's been there forever. It didn't pass before it needed a new caliper though, as one of the rear one was seizing, another £220...including the MOT. So we're up to about £2500 spent I think.
Can't be anything else left that needs attention She still drives really nicely and over long distances )lots of Heathrow runs last year from Stafford). Here's some up to date pics:
At the time, the garage snapped off a bolt while trying to get the rear aligned. So I couldn't do it then, wouldn't of been right. As it turns out that bush isn't available on it's own (where the bolt was seized, so it needed a new arm. It's a big one. £1000 from Alfa.
Motormech sorted out a used one and fitted it. While it was there they sorted the squeaky bush (with a new arm) and installed a new diaphragm into the breather at the top of the engine, which has helped the oil leak a fair bit! Another £700...
Along the way of sorted the drivers electric window (which was noted as not working)
And yes, it passed it's MOT. It's the original windscreen and that chip's been there forever. It didn't pass before it needed a new caliper though, as one of the rear one was seizing, another £220...including the MOT. So we're up to about £2500 spent I think.
Can't be anything else left that needs attention
She still drives really nicely and over long distances )lots of Heathrow runs last year from Stafford). Here's some up to date pics: Happy to hear that Rob. You've still got the Integra as well I see.
If it helps ease the financial pain, we went through a similar issue with my Mum's Brera last year. It might be a 2007 car but it's only done 50k miles. After we replaced the front subframe with a brand new one from Alfa, it needed a rear subframe, and rear arms which were a pita to source. My Dad ended up ordering various parts from all over the place, spain, germany and italy. Of course Brexit eased the process of getting them here...
If it helps ease the financial pain, we went through a similar issue with my Mum's Brera last year. It might be a 2007 car but it's only done 50k miles. After we replaced the front subframe with a brand new one from Alfa, it needed a rear subframe, and rear arms which were a pita to source. My Dad ended up ordering various parts from all over the place, spain, germany and italy. Of course Brexit eased the process of getting them here...
I gave it a good clean as you can see the other day, it’s still a great looking car. Good job really.
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