Buying a secondhand 156
Discussion
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting a 156, my budget is in the £5k-£6k region which I hope will get me a 2.0 TS.
The problem is that I have heard some horror stories with them particularly around the gearboxes. Can anyone shed some light on the general reliability of them and anything I should look for.
Ideally I don't want the Selespeed although some of them seem to be cheaper - is there a good reason for that??
Cheers!
I'm thinking of getting a 156, my budget is in the £5k-£6k region which I hope will get me a 2.0 TS.
The problem is that I have heard some horror stories with them particularly around the gearboxes. Can anyone shed some light on the general reliability of them and anything I should look for.
Ideally I don't want the Selespeed although some of them seem to be cheaper - is there a good reason for that??
Cheers!
Have a search as there have been several threads regarding 156 purchases, such as:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=154642&f=99&h=0
The Selespeeds to have a reputation.....so stick to a manual. Other than that they're a pretty safe bet so long as it's been looked after. Front suspension can be squeeky, so look out for that (a pretty cheap fix). Some trim can be fragile, but hey, this is an Alfa not a BMW.
But you won't find a better looking mid-range saloon. Oh, and they drive pretty well too.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=154642&f=99&h=0
The Selespeeds to have a reputation.....so stick to a manual. Other than that they're a pretty safe bet so long as it's been looked after. Front suspension can be squeeky, so look out for that (a pretty cheap fix). Some trim can be fragile, but hey, this is an Alfa not a BMW.
But you won't find a better looking mid-range saloon. Oh, and they drive pretty well too.
They're good cars. Manual gearboxes are fine. As mentioned, front suspension bushes wear fairly quickly, and get the cambelt changed if it's not already been done. Oh, and some owners have had crankshaft problems, caused by them never checking or topping-up the oil, so take a look at the dipstick & if it's empty walk away...
wink said:
They're good cars. Manual gearboxes are fine. As mentioned, front suspension bushes wear fairly quickly, and get the cambelt changed if it's not already been done. Oh, and some owners have had crankshaft problems, caused by them never checking or topping-up the oil, so take a look at the dipstick & if it's empty walk away...
What is fairly quickly?
I had the front anti roll bar and front wishbones changed after only 12000 miles. Is this normal
Erm... 
kind of.
My wife's 145QV tends to need a new front bottom arm every other year or so. 156s have loads of bushes all of which are made from recycled pasta and tend to clonk merrily away after a while. Apparently...
... it's a combination of the steep camber on British roads (it's often the nearside which goes) and the salt we spray around in the winter which does for them. A lot of owners are going onto Powerflex type polyurethane bushes once they are out of warranty.
Clonk Clonk
kind of. My wife's 145QV tends to need a new front bottom arm every other year or so. 156s have loads of bushes all of which are made from recycled pasta and tend to clonk merrily away after a while. Apparently...
... it's a combination of the steep camber on British roads (it's often the nearside which goes) and the salt we spray around in the winter which does for them. A lot of owners are going onto Powerflex type polyurethane bushes once they are out of warranty. Clonk Clonk
wombat rick said:
Erm...
My wife's 145QV tends to need a new front bottom arm every other year or so. 156s have loads of bushes all of which are made from recycled pasta and tend to clonk merrily away after a while. Apparently...
Clonk Clonk
Superflex it is - when the warranty is finished!
Cant recommend the 156 highly enough. Just had mine a month now, 99 T plate 1.8 TS in silver. Seriously underrated car. For £5 to £6K you should be able to get the V6 on a 2001/2002 with leather etc.
Only problem I have is that there is no real low down torque, until you get to about 3500/4000 rpm and what are gearboxes for though ?
Happy hunting.
Only problem I have is that there is no real low down torque, until you get to about 3500/4000 rpm and what are gearboxes for though ?
Happy hunting.
Had my 156 1.8TS for about 6 weeks now. Bought it under duress, but needed a car for my business and picking up brats from the ex. what a pleasant surprise, great fun, looks unusual enough for people to struggle to class it, momo seats and wheel(only in veloce??) very cool and generally a hoot to drive. Needs more power but above 4000 revs seems to come alive and sounds pretty good too. Had no issues yet, mines a saloon on a 51 plate with 33k on it, did take out warranty for 12 months just in case.
Underrated and with a touch of personality, enjoy
Underrated and with a touch of personality, enjoy
cuzza said:
fugatso said:
cuzza said:
Cheers,
One more question - do the seats split or fold in the saloon? If not, it's sportwagon time!
there is an access hatch in the rear seats for ski's but no fold down seat
Ah - a solution? How big is it(roughly)?
that's a rather personal question!! About the size of a piece of A4 paper maybe larger. Fugatso Girl is out in it at the moment, when she gets back I'll measure it.
>> Edited by fugatso on Friday 11th March 14:51
fugatso said:
that's a rather personal question!! About the size of a piece of A4 paper maybe larger. Fugatso Girl is out in it at the moment, when she gets back I'll measure it.
>> Edited by fugatso on Friday 11th March 14:51
Thanks - I'm not in the habit of asking others about their hatch unless absolutely necessary
Defo go for the 2.0 above the 1.8, had both now, not much more power on paper but SO much more useable power and torque, the 2.0 just goes below 3000 and there is much more urgency top-end.
Great cars, watch for...clonks from front suspension (and squeaks on cold days) drivers height seat adjusters giving up, worn cambelts, diesel-sounding cam variators and iffy electrics.
Great cars, watch for...clonks from front suspension (and squeaks on cold days) drivers height seat adjusters giving up, worn cambelts, diesel-sounding cam variators and iffy electrics.
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