Is this a good idea?

[eric twinge]

Hi All

I will be starting a new job and need to buy something to smoke about it in.

Now then, i think I know the answer but will this be a good idea to drive 40 miles a day?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2831546.htm

[bozmandb9]

I'd say yes, as long as you can budget for a new headgasket if it hasn't already been done. If you like it, it looks like a lovely car for the money!

[greggers]

Headgasket? Since when has the 2.0 T-Spark been prone to these?

Cambelt would be my concern, unofficially it should be changed every 35,000 miles (Alfa say 70,000) and it'll cost about £450 to have it done.

[wildoliver]

Why headgasket? I've had loads of Alfas never had a headgasket on any of them, rear suspension bushes and cambelts yes, but not head gaskets.

[alfa pint]

Headgasket! Feck off!

Go for it, provided that the cambelt and tensioners have been replaced within the last 30k miles. Watch out for bumpy rear suspension - they eat bushes and the wear then wrecks the rear subframe. Most of us have gone for polybushes on the back now.

Brakes are properly progressive, which is a bit disconcerting if you're used to brakes for girls that are either on or off.

They're very susceptible to tracking issues (potholes!), so look out for worn inner edges on the tyres and an off angle steering wheel, pulling etc.

The GTV has a fantastic ride / handling combination. It should feel pin sharp to drive, have an amazing amount of grip (look out for crap tyres and incorrect tyre pressures, they need to be 37, yes 37 lb/in2 at the front and 34 at the back) yet still ride with decent comfort. You'll get 30 mpg out of it. I used to do 70 miles a day in mine with no dramas.

Twin sparks tend to drink a lot of oil - I put about a pint in every 1500 miles, yet my other cars can go for entire service periods without topping up. Ask the seller what sort of oil he uses and how often he tops it up. A good owner will know off the tip of his tongue.

There's a really good buying guide on alfaowner.com. Was very very useful when I bought mine.

[shouldbworking]

As has been said, headgasket is not a common point of failure, cambelt is what to look at as well as the frequent oil top ups.

In addition to the above I'd also check to see that the door windows are dropping slightly as you open it. They added this on the pase 2 cars as the phase 1 didnt and destroyed the door seals in short order resulting in wind noise in the cabin

[ludicrous speed]

Now there's a car that has aged very well, I actually prefer the look of it now to when they were new!
Normally i'm not put off by high miles, but an alfa at 124k does scare me a little, maybe i'm just being paranoid.

[Garlick]

Looks nice to me too

Don't worry about the head gasket.....

[Turbodiesel1690]

Its only 15 hunner quid, just buy it

[alfa pint]

Mines on 98k and feels almost new. Driven a few high mileage ones as courtesy cars and they're surprisingly fine - all of the issues have been well and truly ironed out!

[eric twinge]

thanks guys, it does look like a good example.

[Dave Brand]

greggers said:

Cambelt would be my concern, unofficially it should be changed every 35,000 miles (Alfa say 70,000) and it'll cost about £450 to have it done.

Alfa changed the official cambelt replacement interval to 36,000 miles or three years, whichever comes first, a few years ago.

[hornetrider]

As long as you treat suspension as consumables then go for a GTV. They eat tyres as well as the camber/toe is so aggressive.

Check when this one last had belts as its an expensive job. Most cars for sale will either need it now or the next service... you work out why

Anyone else think 1600 quid is actually a little rich for a T reg TS with 125k?

[eric twinge]

hornetrider said:

As long as you treat suspension as consumables then go for a GTV. They eat tyres as well as the camber/toe is so aggressive.

Check when this one last had belts as its an expensive job. Most cars for sale will either need it now or the next service... you work out why

Anyone else think 1600 quid is actually a little rich for a T reg TS with 125k?

Turns out it is 11 miles away from me according to Autotrader as well, could be an interesting weekend.

Could be a tad overpriced perhaps?

[STW2010]

It looks to be reasonably priced, especially as it has very recently received a full service and MOT. I reckon at that price the seller wants £1,500 and has priced it to allow some movement.

[McSam]

Dave Brand said:

greggers said:

Cambelt would be my concern, unofficially it should be changed every 35,000 miles (Alfa say 70,000) and it'll cost about £450 to have it done.

Alfa changed the official cambelt replacement interval to 36,000 miles or three years, whichever comes first, a few years ago.

Correct, after rather a few TwinSparks' belts snapped at the original 60,000/five years interval. The V6s remain at their original 72,000-mile interval, as far as I know. Anyways..

Looks bloody lovely, that. It is unusually high miles, but you know what we say around here and that car is worth twice as much to me as one with 60k and buggerall history. If the cam belt has been done within 10k miles and a year, then perfect, as that gives you two years before that most major of the expenses this thing could cause you. It would also be worth asking about the water pump in that history - I don't know about GTVs, but in 156s the originals had plastic impellers that were pretty crap, and replacement metal-bladed pump is a lifetime part.

Oh, and leather interiors are quite easy to source for these. Red or tan, your call

Let us know when you've got it bought