Another Alfa V6
Discussion
I've had Alfa V6s in the past (164, GTV x 2, 166) but this is my first 156.
Like many on here, I just can't help browsing adverts for cars even if I don't need one! I have a Peugeot 406 HDI estate and I wasn't planning to get a second car. I just spotted the 156 and it seemed to be at a good price.
- 1999 T reg 2.5V6
- 6 speed manual
- no leather (boooooo)
- 63k miles!
- 2 previous owners
- £1350
- Bodywork looks in good condition
This is the MOT history
18/7/16 62,997 - Pass no advisories
13/7/15 62,884 - Pass 1 advisory N/S/F suspension slight play, track control arm inner bush
03/7/14 62,836 - Pass 1 advisory N/S/F suspension slight play, track control arm inner bush
10/7/13 62,611 - Pass no advisories
09/7/12 62,115 - Pass no advisories
11/7/11 61,147 - Pass no advisories
12/7/10 59,630 - Pass no advisories
08/7/09 56,842 - Pass 1 advisory Minor exhaust leak
15/7/08 52,427 - Pass no advisories
05/07/07 44,796 - Pass 2 advisories Rear Tyre & Under tray wear
04/07/06 39,737 - Pass no advisories
As you can see, it has done next to no miles in the last few years (is this good or bad?!!?)
The car was based in Bournemouth and I live in York, so it was a long 5 hour train ride, and a 300 mile trip to get the car home. So the car just did two years worth of miles in one go.
Looking through the history, it had a large amount of work done on it in 2007 (almost £2ks worth), including the cambelt. This was just under 20k miles ago, but the belt is 10 years old so should be replaced really. It has 4 Vredestein sessanta tyres on it too, with lots of tread on - bonus!
So how does it drive? Really nicely. Everything feels tight - there are no creaks from the suspension at all. The clutch is a little high though.....I noticed hesitation between 4.5 - 5k revs. This is a classic sign that the Mass Air Flow meter (MAF) is f*&^%$d, so when I got near home, I pulled over and unplugged it. The car then ran beautifully. So looks like a new MAF is in order.
Also, the radio won't turn on and just shows 4 horizontal lines as though it is expecting a 4 digit code...
I must say, I really enjoyed the drive home. The 156 has a lovely feel to it. Nice feelsome steering, a great gear change, and razor sharp throttle response. I can't remember if this V6 has the fly by wire or cable throttle - in any case it feels instant.
I will probably think of other things to add in the next couple of days. Anyway, here she is....
Like many on here, I just can't help browsing adverts for cars even if I don't need one! I have a Peugeot 406 HDI estate and I wasn't planning to get a second car. I just spotted the 156 and it seemed to be at a good price.
- 1999 T reg 2.5V6
- 6 speed manual
- no leather (boooooo)
- 63k miles!
- 2 previous owners
- £1350
- Bodywork looks in good condition
This is the MOT history
18/7/16 62,997 - Pass no advisories
13/7/15 62,884 - Pass 1 advisory N/S/F suspension slight play, track control arm inner bush
03/7/14 62,836 - Pass 1 advisory N/S/F suspension slight play, track control arm inner bush
10/7/13 62,611 - Pass no advisories
09/7/12 62,115 - Pass no advisories
11/7/11 61,147 - Pass no advisories
12/7/10 59,630 - Pass no advisories
08/7/09 56,842 - Pass 1 advisory Minor exhaust leak
15/7/08 52,427 - Pass no advisories
05/07/07 44,796 - Pass 2 advisories Rear Tyre & Under tray wear
04/07/06 39,737 - Pass no advisories
As you can see, it has done next to no miles in the last few years (is this good or bad?!!?)
The car was based in Bournemouth and I live in York, so it was a long 5 hour train ride, and a 300 mile trip to get the car home. So the car just did two years worth of miles in one go.
Looking through the history, it had a large amount of work done on it in 2007 (almost £2ks worth), including the cambelt. This was just under 20k miles ago, but the belt is 10 years old so should be replaced really. It has 4 Vredestein sessanta tyres on it too, with lots of tread on - bonus!
So how does it drive? Really nicely. Everything feels tight - there are no creaks from the suspension at all. The clutch is a little high though.....I noticed hesitation between 4.5 - 5k revs. This is a classic sign that the Mass Air Flow meter (MAF) is f*&^%$d, so when I got near home, I pulled over and unplugged it. The car then ran beautifully. So looks like a new MAF is in order.
Also, the radio won't turn on and just shows 4 horizontal lines as though it is expecting a 4 digit code...
I must say, I really enjoyed the drive home. The 156 has a lovely feel to it. Nice feelsome steering, a great gear change, and razor sharp throttle response. I can't remember if this V6 has the fly by wire or cable throttle - in any case it feels instant.
I will probably think of other things to add in the next couple of days. Anyway, here she is....
Very envious of you...! I am on my second 156, the first was a 1.8TS in silver, looked just like your new one actually ! Then onto my current one, a 2005 156 JTDM 150, which now has 125,000 miles on and is used daily.
I think I browsed PH Classifieds recently and saw a very similar car to yours.... andI was tempted, but I already have 2 cars and it was such a long way from Co Durham !
I have never driven a V6 Alfa of any description, although my fist experience of one, and which made me consider one, was as a passenger in a pal's very nice early ( ie G reg) V6 156 in red with Momo black leather.
Knowing just how good the 156 chassis is, I am holding on to my JTDM 150 ( remapped ) as it does everything I want in a car. They still look great even now, and the facelift front seems timeless...IMHO but then I am slightly biased !
Well done you as yours seems a good buy !
I think I browsed PH Classifieds recently and saw a very similar car to yours.... andI was tempted, but I already have 2 cars and it was such a long way from Co Durham !
I have never driven a V6 Alfa of any description, although my fist experience of one, and which made me consider one, was as a passenger in a pal's very nice early ( ie G reg) V6 156 in red with Momo black leather.
Knowing just how good the 156 chassis is, I am holding on to my JTDM 150 ( remapped ) as it does everything I want in a car. They still look great even now, and the facelift front seems timeless...IMHO but then I am slightly biased !
Well done you as yours seems a good buy !
Paul S4 said:
Very envious of you...! I am on my second 156, the first was a 1.8TS in silver, looked just like your new one actually ! Then onto my current one, a 2005 156 JTDM 150, which now has 125,000 miles on and is used daily.
I think I browsed PH Classifieds recently and saw a very similar car to yours.... andI was tempted, but I already have 2 cars and it was such a long way from Co Durham !
I have never driven a V6 Alfa of any description, although my fist experience of one, and which made me consider one, was as a passenger in a pal's very nice early ( ie G reg) V6 156 in red with Momo black leather.
Knowing just how good the 156 chassis is, I am holding on to my JTDM 150 ( remapped ) as it does everything I want in a car. They still look great even now, and the facelift front seems timeless...IMHO but then I am slightly biased !
Well done you as yours seems a good buy !
Couldnt agree moreI think I browsed PH Classifieds recently and saw a very similar car to yours.... andI was tempted, but I already have 2 cars and it was such a long way from Co Durham !
I have never driven a V6 Alfa of any description, although my fist experience of one, and which made me consider one, was as a passenger in a pal's very nice early ( ie G reg) V6 156 in red with Momo black leather.
Knowing just how good the 156 chassis is, I am holding on to my JTDM 150 ( remapped ) as it does everything I want in a car. They still look great even now, and the facelift front seems timeless...IMHO but then I am slightly biased !
Well done you as yours seems a good buy !
My 147 has been with me for slightly over a year now, and im starting to have faith in its technical state, and getting attached to it. Its not the prettiest or cleanest car, and with 105hp its only borderline alfa-worthy, but it handles very well and has been reliable.
Id love a 156 V6, but the bork factor of a relatively cheap, high mileage 156 kind of scares me, and i'd feel bad letting my 147 go, and tax/insurance wise having two relatively big/heavy cars just is a no-go.
A man can dream though
Nice find,
Ive had my 2005 156v6 for over 8 years as my daily and its been a extremely reliable and capable car,cheap to run too with spending at less than 2 grand for those 8 years..
Timing belts should be changed less than the 6 yrs/60k miles Alfa used to state,i change mine every 4 years..join alfaowner.com and im sure there is a section that can give you a code for your radio..
enjoy..
Ive had my 2005 156v6 for over 8 years as my daily and its been a extremely reliable and capable car,cheap to run too with spending at less than 2 grand for those 8 years..
Timing belts should be changed less than the 6 yrs/60k miles Alfa used to state,i change mine every 4 years..join alfaowner.com and im sure there is a section that can give you a code for your radio..
enjoy..
Edited by noway on Sunday 23 April 09:59
Couple of suggestions...
Get an aluminium undertray if you can find one; I managed to get a secondhand one ( Zakspeed ?) which are a Danish tuning company.
Much better than the plastic one, which on theV6 is prone to melting due to the close exhaust IIRC. Gives slightly better ground clearance as well.
Also get a good 4 wheel alignment done ASAP, this can transform the handling and also preserve your rear tyres as they are subject to wear on the inner edges.
Oh and get a decent set of 4 speakers fitted....if you like 'sounds' then that is a must, as the OEM ones are poor : the cones are 'paper' compared with modern materials ( JBLs are part of Harmon Kardon and they are reasonably priced. Both front & rear are the same size I think )
Great car OP.
Get an aluminium undertray if you can find one; I managed to get a secondhand one ( Zakspeed ?) which are a Danish tuning company.
Much better than the plastic one, which on theV6 is prone to melting due to the close exhaust IIRC. Gives slightly better ground clearance as well.
Also get a good 4 wheel alignment done ASAP, this can transform the handling and also preserve your rear tyres as they are subject to wear on the inner edges.
Oh and get a decent set of 4 speakers fitted....if you like 'sounds' then that is a must, as the OEM ones are poor : the cones are 'paper' compared with modern materials ( JBLs are part of Harmon Kardon and they are reasonably priced. Both front & rear are the same size I think )
Great car OP.
Welcome to (IMO) the best s/h car out there for this sort of money. You won't get a better engine this side of £40k, any number of upgrades are available to tweak the handling and it's just a beautiful piece of design. I should know, I have, er, several of them.
First things first - get it up in the air and inspect it really carefully for rust. Do this before becoming emotionally attached to it, and do it before spending money on it. If you have a "non-rusty" T reg car, it is pretty unique. The back seat floor pans go (easy fix), and the sills go (much harder). It all comes from inside, so the bottom of the car can look perfect, but when you hit it with a wire brush, you see carpet. Lots of carpet.
Then the belt. Definitely change that before driving it much more. Quick check - take the cam cover plastic cover off (2 10 mm bolts are enough) and you can see the belt - they fail when the tensioner goes wonky, and the belt shreds against the metal guards at the bottom of the engine. Look at the cam pulleys - if there is a rusty 2mm at the edge, that is a good sign (belt running true and not moving), if they are shiny, it is wandering and you've just dodged a bullet.
Check the rear shock spring pans - again with a wire brush. They can look fine, but corrode horribly and drop the spring onto the back wheel. If the shocks are original, they will be utterly b0rked by now anyway. Front brake pipes (as they pass into the wheel arch) are another known weak point.
And join Alfaowner - it is a very good hive mind assistance. I've got several threads in the image lounge covering all of the above (and more...).
Specifics:
- there is a thread in the 156 section of Alfaowner for radio codes.
- engine is fly by wire
- leather interiors are cheap and available. You can get a good one for less than £150. Make sure you get the door cards with it.
- MAF - you can get the insert for about £80 rather than paying £200 for the whole MAF. Part numbers are on AO threads, or just pop yours out and stick the number into the internet. Only get genuine Bosch. It will really wake the car up if the MAF is tired.
First things first - get it up in the air and inspect it really carefully for rust. Do this before becoming emotionally attached to it, and do it before spending money on it. If you have a "non-rusty" T reg car, it is pretty unique. The back seat floor pans go (easy fix), and the sills go (much harder). It all comes from inside, so the bottom of the car can look perfect, but when you hit it with a wire brush, you see carpet. Lots of carpet.
Then the belt. Definitely change that before driving it much more. Quick check - take the cam cover plastic cover off (2 10 mm bolts are enough) and you can see the belt - they fail when the tensioner goes wonky, and the belt shreds against the metal guards at the bottom of the engine. Look at the cam pulleys - if there is a rusty 2mm at the edge, that is a good sign (belt running true and not moving), if they are shiny, it is wandering and you've just dodged a bullet.
Check the rear shock spring pans - again with a wire brush. They can look fine, but corrode horribly and drop the spring onto the back wheel. If the shocks are original, they will be utterly b0rked by now anyway. Front brake pipes (as they pass into the wheel arch) are another known weak point.
And join Alfaowner - it is a very good hive mind assistance. I've got several threads in the image lounge covering all of the above (and more...).
Specifics:
- there is a thread in the 156 section of Alfaowner for radio codes.
- engine is fly by wire
- leather interiors are cheap and available. You can get a good one for less than £150. Make sure you get the door cards with it.
- MAF - you can get the insert for about £80 rather than paying £200 for the whole MAF. Part numbers are on AO threads, or just pop yours out and stick the number into the internet. Only get genuine Bosch. It will really wake the car up if the MAF is tired.
Edited by rxe on Monday 24th April 08:51
Edited by rxe on Monday 24th April 08:55
Paul S4 said:
Couple of suggestions...
Get an aluminium undertray if you can find one; I managed to get a secondhand one ( Zakspeed ?) which are a Danish tuning company.
Much better than the plastic one, which on theV6 is prone to melting due to the close exhaust IIRC. Gives slightly better ground clearance as well.
Also get a good 4 wheel alignment done ASAP, this can transform the handling and also preserve your rear tyres as they are subject to wear on the inner edges.
Oh and get a decent set of 4 speakers fitted....if you like 'sounds' then that is a must, as the OEM ones are poor : the cones are 'paper' compared with modern materials ( JBLs are part of Harmon Kardon and they are reasonably priced. Both front & rear are the same size I think )
Great car OP.
Thanks for the tips. I will try and get an alignment done as soon as possible. My last GTV was all over the place until I had this done and it made the world of difference.Get an aluminium undertray if you can find one; I managed to get a secondhand one ( Zakspeed ?) which are a Danish tuning company.
Much better than the plastic one, which on theV6 is prone to melting due to the close exhaust IIRC. Gives slightly better ground clearance as well.
Also get a good 4 wheel alignment done ASAP, this can transform the handling and also preserve your rear tyres as they are subject to wear on the inner edges.
Oh and get a decent set of 4 speakers fitted....if you like 'sounds' then that is a must, as the OEM ones are poor : the cones are 'paper' compared with modern materials ( JBLs are part of Harmon Kardon and they are reasonably priced. Both front & rear are the same size I think )
Great car OP.
rxe said:
Welcome to (IMO) the best s/h car out there for this sort of money. You won't get a better engine this side of £40k, any number of upgrades are available to tweak the handling and it's just a beautiful piece of design. I should know, I have, er, several of them.
First things first - get it up in the air and inspect it really carefully for rust. Do this before becoming emotionally attached to it, and do it before spending money on it. If you have a "non-rusty" T reg car, it is pretty unique. The back seat floor pans go (easy fix), and the sills go (much harder). It all comes from inside, so the bottom of the car can look perfect, but when you hit it with a wire brush, you see carpet. Lots of carpet.
Then the belt. Definitely change that before driving it much more. Quick check - take the cam cover plastic cover off (2 10 mm bolts are enough) and you can see the belt - they fail when the tensioner goes wonky, and the belt shreds against the metal guards at the bottom of the engine. Look at the cam pulleys - if there is a rusty 2mm at the edge, that is a good sign (belt running true and not moving), if they are shiny, it is wandering and you've just dodged a bullet.
Check the rear shock spring pans - again with a wire brush. They can look fine, but corrode horribly and drop the spring onto the back wheel. If the shocks are original, they will be utterly b0rked by now anyway. Front brake pipes (as they pass into the wheel arch) are another known weak point.
And join Alfaowner - it is a very good hive mind assistance. I've got several threads in the image lounge covering all of the above (and more...).
Specifics:
- there is a thread in the 156 section of Alfaowner for radio codes.
- engine is fly by wire
- leather interiors are cheap and available. You can get a good one for less than £150. Make sure you get the door cards with it.
- MAF - you can get the insert for about £80 rather than paying £200 for the whole MAF. Part numbers are on AO threads, or just pop yours out and stick the number into the internet. Only get genuine Bosch. It will really wake the car up if the MAF is tired.
rxe you are a fountain of knowledge! Many thanks....First things first - get it up in the air and inspect it really carefully for rust. Do this before becoming emotionally attached to it, and do it before spending money on it. If you have a "non-rusty" T reg car, it is pretty unique. The back seat floor pans go (easy fix), and the sills go (much harder). It all comes from inside, so the bottom of the car can look perfect, but when you hit it with a wire brush, you see carpet. Lots of carpet.
Then the belt. Definitely change that before driving it much more. Quick check - take the cam cover plastic cover off (2 10 mm bolts are enough) and you can see the belt - they fail when the tensioner goes wonky, and the belt shreds against the metal guards at the bottom of the engine. Look at the cam pulleys - if there is a rusty 2mm at the edge, that is a good sign (belt running true and not moving), if they are shiny, it is wandering and you've just dodged a bullet.
Check the rear shock spring pans - again with a wire brush. They can look fine, but corrode horribly and drop the spring onto the back wheel. If the shocks are original, they will be utterly b0rked by now anyway. Front brake pipes (as they pass into the wheel arch) are another known weak point.
And join Alfaowner - it is a very good hive mind assistance. I've got several threads in the image lounge covering all of the above (and more...).
Specifics:
- there is a thread in the 156 section of Alfaowner for radio codes.
- engine is fly by wire
- leather interiors are cheap and available. You can get a good one for less than £150. Make sure you get the door cards with it.
- MAF - you can get the insert for about £80 rather than paying £200 for the whole MAF. Part numbers are on AO threads, or just pop yours out and stick the number into the internet. Only get genuine Bosch. It will really wake the car up if the MAF is tired.
Edited by rxe on Monday 24th April 08:51
Edited by rxe on Monday 24th April 08:55
I am already registered on Alfaowner (as strangehighways) and the forum has been a lifeline for my previous Alfas, especially the GTV with the 2.5V6 engine that some dishonest person swapped for the original 3.0.
From reading about the radio code issue, I think I just need to drive it for 1 hour with the unit switched on, in order for the ---- on the stereo to be replaced with CODE and I can then enter the code I have with the car's history.
I'll try and have a look at the cambelt tomorrow to see how it looks (I am aware that even if the belt looks ok, it can be buggered).
Nice buy. My Alfa experience has bitten me in the past but I still love them. Amazingly I've never experienced the V6 but remember thinking how much sweeter the 2.0TS was compared to the heavy 2.4JTD I had some years later, the diesels sadly take the shine off all the finesse the 156 were originally gifted with, in my opinion. The petrols just suit them, I was desperate to get my hands on a 2.5 V6, I bet yours feel glorious. Nearly 20 years on, I still believe the original pre facelift car (similarly to yours) with those teledial wheels and Veloce spec/side skirts/suspension makes for one of the prettiest saloon cars ever. I was always on the fence with the huge boot spoiler but chuck in a wooden steering wheel some of them came with and red leather and I'm on cloud 9... still!
They will become a classic, they are in banger territory right now, and sadly their numbers are dwindling because of expensive MoT failures (suspension arms) and terminal rot and the usual snapped belts. Everybody should go out and buy one now before they become extinct. When was the last time you saw a 75 or 155? The 156 will just follow suit. Beggars belief that this car was awarded car of the year back in 1998!
They will become a classic, they are in banger territory right now, and sadly their numbers are dwindling because of expensive MoT failures (suspension arms) and terminal rot and the usual snapped belts. Everybody should go out and buy one now before they become extinct. When was the last time you saw a 75 or 155? The 156 will just follow suit. Beggars belief that this car was awarded car of the year back in 1998!
The undertray has been causing some issues as it was previously cable tied together and I think hitting the odd speed bump has loosened things and as a result, was almost touching the ground. I took the car to a garage and they have secured it properly to the car so next time it needs to come off for servicing etc, it will be easy to take off.
I also decided to buy a new MAF for the car as I mentioned before that it was hesitant while going through the revs, especially above 5k where is where the busso loves to hang out
I bought a proper new Bosch unit from the net - just the sensor as it was £80 as opposed to nearer £200 if you buy the sensor within a new tube, which seems pointless.
The MAF was a pain in the a%£e to fit - firstly the air intake needed to come off. Next, I needed security torx screw bits (the star shape with a hole in the middle), which required me to buy a whole set of bits from Screwfix, and one of the screws is very near the battery and fuse box so there was a fair bit of swearing and finally I got the old MAF out. Whacked the new one in, then went for a drive...
Wow...Just feels amazing to drive now. It is so hard to NOT drive this car hard. It just wants to be screaming the whole time, helped by the ridiculously close 6 speed gearbox ratios.
I am pretty lame mechanically, but as a default response to anyone considering buying an Alfa of this vintage, if you find the car isn't 'eager' and a bit flat as the revs rise, get a new MAF before anything else. From my experience, the dash light (injector symbol thing) has never come on if the MAF is knackered in this or previous Alfas I've had, which is annoying as it doesn't give the driver an indicator that the MAF is causing power problems, unless you know to look for this.
Anyway, here's another pic with a silly filter on.
I also decided to buy a new MAF for the car as I mentioned before that it was hesitant while going through the revs, especially above 5k where is where the busso loves to hang out
I bought a proper new Bosch unit from the net - just the sensor as it was £80 as opposed to nearer £200 if you buy the sensor within a new tube, which seems pointless. The MAF was a pain in the a%£e to fit - firstly the air intake needed to come off. Next, I needed security torx screw bits (the star shape with a hole in the middle), which required me to buy a whole set of bits from Screwfix, and one of the screws is very near the battery and fuse box so there was a fair bit of swearing and finally I got the old MAF out. Whacked the new one in, then went for a drive...
Wow...Just feels amazing to drive now. It is so hard to NOT drive this car hard. It just wants to be screaming the whole time, helped by the ridiculously close 6 speed gearbox ratios.
I am pretty lame mechanically, but as a default response to anyone considering buying an Alfa of this vintage, if you find the car isn't 'eager' and a bit flat as the revs rise, get a new MAF before anything else. From my experience, the dash light (injector symbol thing) has never come on if the MAF is knackered in this or previous Alfas I've had, which is annoying as it doesn't give the driver an indicator that the MAF is causing power problems, unless you know to look for this.
Anyway, here's another pic with a silly filter on.
Edited by strangehighways on Sunday 14th May 11:32
ajb85 said:
They will become a classic, they are in banger territory right now, and sadly their numbers are dwindling because of expensive MoT failures (suspension arms) and terminal rot and the usual snapped belts. Everybody should go out and buy one now before they become extinct. When was the last time you saw a 75 or 155? The 156 will just follow suit. Beggars belief that this car was awarded car of the year back in 1998!
Hmm... I feel that the 75, 155 and even the rather lovely 164 have become merely old and somewhat obscure, rather than being held in regard as classics. Compare the RZ/SZ, on the 75 platform, which is now a bona-fide Italian classic with rising values to match.But, the 156 is beautiful to look at and made a bit of a splash when it launched, so I could see it being regarded as a classic.
Nice V6, OP 
rxe has nailed a lot of the 'foibles' these cars have. I would add checking if the airbox lid is in good nick - the bolts that attach it to the main part of the airbox go rusty and the fixing holes on the lid usually break off too, leaving the lid just resting on the body of the airbox, not creating a proper seal. I repaired mine (finally) at the weekend on my '01 V6, and it might be a placebo effect but the throttle response feels a bit sharper (I replaced the MAF already last year with a genuine Bosch one).
I would also add to check the wire connection on the throttle pedal potentiometer, you'll randomly lose power if the connections are loose (I thought yours being an early car, you might have a throttle cable CF1 or CF2 version but I'll bow down to rxe's knowledge).
Definitely agree about the spring pans on the rear shocks, my LH rear one went a few weeks ago as I was turning right on a mini roundabout a 1/4 mile from home, I left a KITT style tyre smokescreen as a crawled it at idle speed! God knows what would have happened if I had been pressing on somewhere.
The only other things I can add are -
Rust around the rear / front lower suspension mounting points: the advisories on my MOT this year were for light corrosion appearing in these areas, which I need to get onto in the summer. Your car may be OK in this area.
Boot struts: When they do break (and they will!), the only ones I've found that have the damper at the end of the travel are the original Stabilus made ones. I've tried the Magnetti Marelli ones off ebay and the weight of the boot breaks the end caps as the boot goes over centre and the weight pulls the struts to their end stops. Worst case, your boot smacks the rear window as it flexes the hinges and rear wing mounting points!
Otherwise, enjoy your machine
Pic of mine needing a clean - it's a Veloce but the springs have been replaced over time with standard ones, need to sort that.
rxe has nailed a lot of the 'foibles' these cars have. I would add checking if the airbox lid is in good nick - the bolts that attach it to the main part of the airbox go rusty and the fixing holes on the lid usually break off too, leaving the lid just resting on the body of the airbox, not creating a proper seal. I repaired mine (finally) at the weekend on my '01 V6, and it might be a placebo effect but the throttle response feels a bit sharper (I replaced the MAF already last year with a genuine Bosch one).
I would also add to check the wire connection on the throttle pedal potentiometer, you'll randomly lose power if the connections are loose (I thought yours being an early car, you might have a throttle cable CF1 or CF2 version but I'll bow down to rxe's knowledge).
Definitely agree about the spring pans on the rear shocks, my LH rear one went a few weeks ago as I was turning right on a mini roundabout a 1/4 mile from home, I left a KITT style tyre smokescreen as a crawled it at idle speed! God knows what would have happened if I had been pressing on somewhere.
The only other things I can add are -
Rust around the rear / front lower suspension mounting points: the advisories on my MOT this year were for light corrosion appearing in these areas, which I need to get onto in the summer. Your car may be OK in this area.
Boot struts: When they do break (and they will!), the only ones I've found that have the damper at the end of the travel are the original Stabilus made ones. I've tried the Magnetti Marelli ones off ebay and the weight of the boot breaks the end caps as the boot goes over centre and the weight pulls the struts to their end stops. Worst case, your boot smacks the rear window as it flexes the hinges and rear wing mounting points!
Otherwise, enjoy your machine
Pic of mine needing a clean - it's a Veloce but the springs have been replaced over time with standard ones, need to sort that.
Very nice, great cars, dynamic and rewarding to drive and very easy to improve handling with a Quaife diff, and stiff springs/roll bar. Echo all the previous comments, also check the brake lines on the front where they bend around the side members into the engine bay. The V6s in these are fly by wire but Alfa tweaked it to make them very responsive. A V6 without leather must be quite rare, but leather isnt everything. I had a mint rust free 51 reg V6, very similar to yours, which unfortunately I ruined on a trackday. Im now rebuilding another (also a T reg) for road trip and show use. The T reg had half the miles my 51 plate did and the T has quite a bit of rust, the front floor, sills are all fine, but the rear passenger floorpans are getting sections from my 51plate welded in!
Edited by davebem on Monday 15th May 20:52
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