Buying an Alfa 156 - Help and Advice!
Discussion
Hi everyone,
I'm brand new here, so perhaps a little bit of an introduction - my name's Sam McKee, I'm 17 years old and from Leicestershire in the Midlands. I'm currently driving a 1995 MkVb Escort saloon with the 1.6 Zetec engine - gets me from A to B and more economical than I expected. I also hold an ARDS National B licence; I took the exams at Silverstone as soon as I was 16, and whilst I've never had the money to get into racing, it was just a step forward from the driving experience I'd been building up since learning in a car park at 14.
This Escort is my second car, after my original 1995 Mondeo 2.0 4x4 Ghia died an unfortunate death in March, and was only planned to "fill in" the job until I can get hold of something I really want. I was originally looking at getting a newer, two-wheel-drive Mondeo, but then I chanced upon the (quite far-fetched!) idea of an Alfa. Always absolutely loved the idea of getting one, it's said they're as good to drive as you imagine, and the gorgeous looks and soundtrack are a given. I'm quite a saloon guy, often taking people around and not liking the idea of a stereotypical 17-year-old Corsa B or assorted crap.
So I had a look on the Auto Trader, and lo and behold.. A 156 is actually affordable.
I was staggered
and immediately taken in by the idea. Research showed that the Twinspark engine is relatively reliable if risky without regular cam belt changes, and considerably more powerful than I expected. I also found that leather and aircon - certain preferences of mine - were also rife.
So, while I can find out that yes, I can buy a 156, and yes, I might just be able to insure it, what I'm here for is a bit more help and advice on the finer details. Of course, I appreciate anything you can give me - just reading through this first post would be an achievement
- but I'm looking in particular at what you think of the various trim levels, the engines (I'm leaning heavily towards the 2.0 at the moment), and how much I should be aware of mileage and year. Most importantly, how much I should pay for a good one. I know of the 2002 interior update and like the look of it, but I'm not sure it's inside the price bracket.
To be honest with you, I'm looking at £1000 as an ideal figure and I can stretch - to breaking point - up to £1500, but I'm a willing amateur mechanic and have a long family friend for a garage owner; hopefully this helps.
So what do you all think?
Thanks a lot in advance,
Sam
I'm brand new here, so perhaps a little bit of an introduction - my name's Sam McKee, I'm 17 years old and from Leicestershire in the Midlands. I'm currently driving a 1995 MkVb Escort saloon with the 1.6 Zetec engine - gets me from A to B and more economical than I expected. I also hold an ARDS National B licence; I took the exams at Silverstone as soon as I was 16, and whilst I've never had the money to get into racing, it was just a step forward from the driving experience I'd been building up since learning in a car park at 14.
This Escort is my second car, after my original 1995 Mondeo 2.0 4x4 Ghia died an unfortunate death in March, and was only planned to "fill in" the job until I can get hold of something I really want. I was originally looking at getting a newer, two-wheel-drive Mondeo, but then I chanced upon the (quite far-fetched!) idea of an Alfa. Always absolutely loved the idea of getting one, it's said they're as good to drive as you imagine, and the gorgeous looks and soundtrack are a given. I'm quite a saloon guy, often taking people around and not liking the idea of a stereotypical 17-year-old Corsa B or assorted crap.
So I had a look on the Auto Trader, and lo and behold.. A 156 is actually affordable.
I was staggered
and immediately taken in by the idea. Research showed that the Twinspark engine is relatively reliable if risky without regular cam belt changes, and considerably more powerful than I expected. I also found that leather and aircon - certain preferences of mine - were also rife.So, while I can find out that yes, I can buy a 156, and yes, I might just be able to insure it, what I'm here for is a bit more help and advice on the finer details. Of course, I appreciate anything you can give me - just reading through this first post would be an achievement
- but I'm looking in particular at what you think of the various trim levels, the engines (I'm leaning heavily towards the 2.0 at the moment), and how much I should be aware of mileage and year. Most importantly, how much I should pay for a good one. I know of the 2002 interior update and like the look of it, but I'm not sure it's inside the price bracket. To be honest with you, I'm looking at £1000 as an ideal figure and I can stretch - to breaking point - up to £1500, but I'm a willing amateur mechanic and have a long family friend for a garage owner; hopefully this helps.
So what do you all think?
Thanks a lot in advance,
Sam
£1000 156s can be found and can be reliable. Why are they so cheap ? One reason is the poor reputation of the 70s cars that rusted and the other is the high insurance. When buying service history is very important , especially Cambelts that need doing every 36K or three years without fail (unlike the 100K for a Ford). The best info seems to be on Alfaowner.com with the classifieds here and there useful for finding a good example.
Alright, thanks - I'll take a look on that website. I'm currently going over eBay as well to get a more accurate idea of price, as I've always thought the Auto Trader to be higher than actual.
Another question that came to mind - does it affect the engine at all if the cambelt history has been a bit random, so long as it never snapped one and has just had a new one? Seems there are a few about that have missed that regular 36k change, but are these a safe buy if the current belt is new?
Something like
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-Alfa-Romeo-156-2-0TS-Sp...
is making me think hard. Too good to be true, or are they usually reliable rather than "you-have-to-be-lucky-when-buying-one" reliable?
Sam
Another question that came to mind - does it affect the engine at all if the cambelt history has been a bit random, so long as it never snapped one and has just had a new one? Seems there are a few about that have missed that regular 36k change, but are these a safe buy if the current belt is new?
Something like
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-Alfa-Romeo-156-2-0TS-Sp...
is making me think hard. Too good to be true, or are they usually reliable rather than "you-have-to-be-lucky-when-buying-one" reliable?
Sam
McSam said:
That looks great. Best to buy one off some fanatical previous owner rather than someone who just fancies one and runs it on a shoestring for 6 months.Erratic cambelt history is fine as long as you know how recently the last one was done. Remember many of these cars passed 36,000 miles BEFORE Alfa revised their schedules anyway!
Adrian Flux is a good place to start for quotes.
High mileage cars shouldn't be an issue if they have been looked after well!
Try and get as much FSH as possible and also 2 keys!
Check the oil level as some twinnies use a lot of oil. It should be well topped up.
Go to alfa156.net and under the tips section there is a downloadable buyers guide (i.e. a list of things to check/ look for when viewing a car!) Also have a butchers around that site! It has loads and loads of info on there!
Best of luck!!!!
High mileage cars shouldn't be an issue if they have been looked after well!
Try and get as much FSH as possible and also 2 keys!
Check the oil level as some twinnies use a lot of oil. It should be well topped up.
Go to alfa156.net and under the tips section there is a downloadable buyers guide (i.e. a list of things to check/ look for when viewing a car!) Also have a butchers around that site! It has loads and loads of info on there!
Best of luck!!!!
I'm going to look into insurance today, to make sure it's really feasible - but the 2.0 156 seems to be only two groups higher than the Mondeo, which I managed fine, so I should be okay. The beauty of it is that I'm not using my own policy, but rather, my Mum takes out a policy in her name and adds me as a named driver. I was originally quoted £6000 for the Mondeo, got it for £1200 like that - and I'm earning my own no-claims in the process, so hopefully, come a couple of months, it should go down too.
I'd heard about Adrian Flux, and I reckon I'll give them a ring too - but will I gain much as a named driver? It could be more expensive having my own policy with a specialist than being named with a mainstream insurer. Either way, I'll try and find out about it today
I had a look at that buyers guide already, very handy - and it persuaded me in favour of getting one even more! FSH and oil are right at the forefront of my mind, I hear it's a key pointer to an abused engine / negligent owner if the oil's allowed to run low.
I'm seriously considering the above-linked red one on eBay. I've checked, and it's been just over 36k since its last cambelt change, so I'm trying to half-bargain that in before I take it. Anything else I should have my eyes open for? Are they any other things I would need to do to it when I've bought it, as a matter of course?
EDIT - Having had a chat with Adrian Flux (very quick and painless indeed!), I'm told they can't do the same thing, with me just as a named driver, and so the cheapest quote I'd get with them is £3000 or thereabouts. That is remarkably cheap for my own policy, but still out of my league at the moment! Going to have to stick to mainstream insurers.
Sam
I'd heard about Adrian Flux, and I reckon I'll give them a ring too - but will I gain much as a named driver? It could be more expensive having my own policy with a specialist than being named with a mainstream insurer. Either way, I'll try and find out about it today
I had a look at that buyers guide already, very handy - and it persuaded me in favour of getting one even more! FSH and oil are right at the forefront of my mind, I hear it's a key pointer to an abused engine / negligent owner if the oil's allowed to run low.
I'm seriously considering the above-linked red one on eBay. I've checked, and it's been just over 36k since its last cambelt change, so I'm trying to half-bargain that in before I take it. Anything else I should have my eyes open for? Are they any other things I would need to do to it when I've bought it, as a matter of course?
EDIT - Having had a chat with Adrian Flux (very quick and painless indeed!), I'm told they can't do the same thing, with me just as a named driver, and so the cheapest quote I'd get with them is £3000 or thereabouts. That is remarkably cheap for my own policy, but still out of my league at the moment! Going to have to stick to mainstream insurers.
Sam
Edited by McSam on Wednesday 2nd September 12:25
Edited by McSam on Wednesday 2nd September 14:16
Speaking as someone who also went from a 1.6 Escort to a 2.0 156, you'll love it Always buy on condition rather than milage, all the above is good advice.
One thing though:
Unless your mum is actually going to be the main driver, this is a very bad idea. Try Egg.com, they gave me a very reasonable quote.
Always buy on condition rather than milage, all the above is good advice.One thing though:
McSam said:
The beauty of it is that I'm not using my own policy, but rather, my Mum takes out a policy in her name and adds me as a named driver.
Unless your mum is actually going to be the main driver, this is a very bad idea. Try Egg.com, they gave me a very reasonable quote.Ah, nice to hear that from someone doing exactly the same change!
What're your reasons behind vetoing the named-driver idea? It was the only possible way out of a one-litre econobox when I started, being a 17-year-old male gets you shafted good and proper, but this way I can keep it reasonable. While she would drive it sometimes, it'd be fair to say I would be the "main" driver - but would that ever possibly amount to anything? It seems pretty impossible to track such a thing.
Egg won't touch me on my own, they use the same quoting system as DirectLine, it seems. Things are certainly more reasonable when I get to having had my licence for a year - it's affordable as a named driver. So I might be in for a five-month wait first..
Sam
What're your reasons behind vetoing the named-driver idea? It was the only possible way out of a one-litre econobox when I started, being a 17-year-old male gets you shafted good and proper, but this way I can keep it reasonable. While she would drive it sometimes, it'd be fair to say I would be the "main" driver - but would that ever possibly amount to anything? It seems pretty impossible to track such a thing.
Egg won't touch me on my own, they use the same quoting system as DirectLine, it seems. Things are certainly more reasonable when I get to having had my licence for a year - it's affordable as a named driver. So I might be in for a five-month wait first..
Sam
Because putting you down as a named driver when in reality only you driving it is lying and would void the policy should you have a smash. They do investigate these things. Then you'll end up with 6 points and the end of your license for a while. Directline allow you to add a named driver who will be the main driver, although the policy will still be in your mum's name.
Symbolica said:
Speaking as someone who also went from a 1.6 Escort to a 2.0 156, you'll love it Always buy on condition rather than milage, all the above is good advice.
One thing though:
Unless your mum is actually going to be the main driver, this is a very bad idea. Try Egg.com, they gave me a very reasonable quote.
Agreed, do however put your mum on as a 2nd driver. I put my mum & me on my sisters policy and it brought the price down by £300. On a £600 policy! Always buy on condition rather than milage, all the above is good advice.One thing though:
McSam said:
The beauty of it is that I'm not using my own policy, but rather, my Mum takes out a policy in her name and adds me as a named driver.
Unless your mum is actually going to be the main driver, this is a very bad idea. Try Egg.com, they gave me a very reasonable quote.I'd never heard of an insurer investigating such a thing, and plenty of people I know have done the same thing.. But it's interesting that you advise against it. I'll definitely look into putting myself as a main driver, or even the policy holder with my mum as a second, now you've mentioned it. I'll let you know what sort of bearing that has. Interesting, DirectLine's online form has no selection for main driver, simply policy holder and additional driver.
I was most definitely looking at a manual car originally, but what do you guys think of the Selespeed? I imagine you're going to say "no"..
Sam
I was most definitely looking at a manual car originally, but what do you guys think of the Selespeed? I imagine you're going to say "no"..
Sam
McSam said:
I'd never heard of an insurer investigating such a thing, and plenty of people I know have done the same thing..
Then they've been lucky. Insurance companies are well aware of fronting, and will use it as cause not to pay out.McSam said:
I was most definitely looking at a manual car originally, but what do you guys think of the Selespeed? I imagine you're going to say "no"..
Avoid, basically. Not great, and a bugger when it breaks.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
(should have been a link, sorry)
Be wary of trying to "fiddle" your insurance... As has previously been said, add your ma and pa on to your policy, that WILL bring it down.
ETA link works!
(should have been a link, sorry)
Be wary of trying to "fiddle" your insurance... As has previously been said, add your ma and pa on to your policy, that WILL bring it down.
ETA link works!
Edited by Opulent on Thursday 3rd September 23:34
The recurring reason against it seems to be earning your own NCB, which I'm doing anyway, but.. uh.. the story of the bint is bringing to light the kind of person that does "front" insurers. It would, for example, be staggeringly difficult for me to prove my mum drives this car more than I do, an Alfa perhaps even more so. Not when she has her own high-miles diesel Mondeo Titanium X to drive. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, guys - you might've cost me a few hundred quid a year more for now, but perhaps saved me a hell of a lot in the future, and not just in cash.
This means I'm probably gonna have to wait until I've been on the road for a year, in February, to get myself behind an Italian wheel (nobody suggest a Cinquecento!), which is a great shame, but perhaps sensible in the long run.
I would most likely have to leave the Alfa standing for my first year of uni, which is a possible issue - it'd get driven while I was at home, but during term, it'd be sitting with a cover over it and the battery disconnected. Would that be a problem for it? I'm not really certain of the long-term effects of leaving a car standing.
Sam
This means I'm probably gonna have to wait until I've been on the road for a year, in February, to get myself behind an Italian wheel (nobody suggest a Cinquecento!), which is a great shame, but perhaps sensible in the long run.
I would most likely have to leave the Alfa standing for my first year of uni, which is a possible issue - it'd get driven while I was at home, but during term, it'd be sitting with a cover over it and the battery disconnected. Would that be a problem for it? I'm not really certain of the long-term effects of leaving a car standing.
Sam
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff