Friday 25th August 2006

Shed of the Week

1995 Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 Sport 4dr Saloon

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1995 Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 Sport

When it comes to cars, everyone wants a bargain. And with cars getting more reliable, more durable and more rot-free than ever they have been, paying pocket money for an older machine need not be a total restoration job.

In other words, old cars have never been such a good buy -- you get a lot of car for your money, and £1,000 is still throwaway money when it comes to cars.

So in the spirit of aiming for fun, low-cost motoring, here's our regular weekly slot following a trawl of Auto Trader's depths to find a drive-away bargain.

1995 Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 Sport 4dr Saloon. 100,000 miles, Rosso Red MOT & TAX Aug 07 new discs, calipers & pads all round. Stainless cat-back exhaust with new front section to manifolds. Lowered Eibach springs, Koni front struts, uprated anti-roll bars front & rear. Speedline alloys with 2 new front tyres & little used rears. Thousands spend with all receipts available. No rust but front door panels not perfect hence good spares included in sale. £1,000 ono.

[R988]

Nice choice

[mattiselvis]

There's a really nice one of these parked on street away from me in Battersea. Looks fantastic, much more manly than the 156.

[stevebedford1969]

Very good choice........Very different........and I bet that V6 sounds the Dog's Balearic's on full tilt.

The electrics would be a concern though............but well worth a punt.

[martyn748]

high price for a 155, but great car to drive

[Saabstudent]

Seems to be well modified though ,and mileage doesn't seem too bad.

G

[off_again]

Did a track day at Castle Coombe last year where a 155 V6 turned up. It was a little rough around the edges but the smiles that the driver has on his face clearly showed that it was damn good fun. Ran the nuts off it and drove it home again... got to be a good idea for low cost track fun...

[tahiti]

Loving it! What a fantastic looking beast, and with the Alfa V6 too? Ummmm...

[negative creep]

good choice!

hope you like petrol stations though

[Phil Dicky]

Was it the 155 that had the window swicthes in the roof panel, always made me laugh that one, they must have forgotten to design them in. Top engine and a top car, loads of character

[thegreenhell]

Much underrated cars, these. Pretty much a Fiat Tipo with a saloon bady and an Alfa engine, but what an engine. Neutral, chuckable handling, and you could play tunes with the engine note - from a deep bellow at lower revs to a devilish creamy howl above 6000rpm, a much smoother note than the slightly uneven warble of the rwd Alfas.

I ran one of these for a couple of years a while back - it had Bilstein/Eibach suspension and a Supersprint exhaust. Great car

Fuel economy can range from low 30's on a gentle run to close to single figures; I once used nearly half a tankful on one early morning cross-country blast of about 60 miles!

Phil, it was the 75 that had the roof swithches; can be tricky to open a window without looking like you're giving the finger to the driver behind! The 155 has conventional switchgear, much of it borrowed from the Fiat Tipo.

I'd still fancy another one of these as a cheap fun-car, but I would have to go for the later wide track model.

Edited by thegreenhell on Saturday 26th August 12:21

Edited by thegreenhell on Saturday 26th August 12:21

[negative creep]

Phil Dicky said:

Was it the 155 that had the window swicthes in the roof panel, always made me laugh that one, they must have forgotten to design them in. Top engine and a top car, loads of character

nope fraid not! Notmany quirks on it to be honest, although for some weird reason on mine the headlights wont work with the key out, but the brake lights will

[Phil Dicky]

negative creep said:

Phil Dicky said:

Was it the 155 that had the window swicthes in the roof panel, always made me laugh that one, they must have forgotten to design them in. Top engine and a top car, loads of character

nope fraid not! Notmany quirks on it to be honest, although for some weird reason on mine the headlights wont work with the key out, but the brake lights will

I'm getting old hence the confusion (sp)

[308MATE]

Dont be fooled by the t-spark. Took my 156 t-spark to a track day or 2 and my mate had the V6. Granted mine was on Bilsteins but it showed him a clean pair of heels, handled much better with less weight over the front, is not that convincingly outdragged by the V6 and the V6 had a nasty habit of just smoking the inside front everytime you try to exit a corner. The TSpark is a lovely engine - or it was until it spun a big-end bearing.....doh

PB

[jason1788]

I had one of these for three years. Fabulous. All the magazines said the car was shit but my 156 2.0 that replaced it just never had any of the excitement. Even the V6 156 was all top end power and no grunt.

[AB Car Pix]

I've always fancied one of them! Great looking cars I think.

[xyyman]

Yes very underrated cars. Great value right now even the last of the widebody 2.0l 16valvers go for silly money. Mines a fully specced one, leather and a/c, with 59k with a few upgrades, suspension, brakes and exhaust etc, and I'd be lucky to get much more than £1600, if that.

Phil

[paulwakely]

Just bought a 1.8 TS, which everyone tells you not to get, but it's the Silverstone homologation special for the BTCC, only made about 250 in rhd and they're lighter with more power.

Plenty of tax and test, tatty paint on the roof and bonnet and it'll need the wishbones doing at some point but it's rot-free and I've done 700 miles this weekend without a hitch. At very high speed

It cost me £360 on Friday afternoon...

[Podie]

paulwakely said:

Just bought a 1.8 TS, which everyone tells you not to get, but it's the Silverstone homologation special for the BTCC, only made about 250 in rhd and they're lighter with more power.

Plenty of tax and test, tatty paint on the roof and bonnet and it'll need the wishbones doing at some point but it's rot-free and I've done 700 miles this weekend without a hitch. At very high speed

It cost me £360 on Friday afternoon...

Pics, we need pics.

[paulwakely]

I'll try and get some posted later so you can see it in all it's faded glory

[Dunk76]

neutral handling??
no quirks??


Bwwaahahaah!

I had a 155 1.8TS as a company car for some time.

Handling - think oversized 205 1.9 GTi - oversteer city off throttle. Compounded by the fact it appeared to have a heavy rear bias to the brakes. Immensely chuckable though.

Quirks!
Ooooh, where to start..

The brake warning light panel that would cut the engine if the OS brake light bulb blew (same earth as the oil pressure warning switch apparently)

The over light rotating light switch and pull high beam - which meant that grabbing for the high beam in a hurry would result in turning the lights off

Or the gearing - 126mph at the limiter in top made for interesting amount of noise at 70mph

And of course, the seating...


It was almost as hatstand as my mates intergrowler. Loved it to bits - a wonderfully Italian car...