Alfa GTV V6 - Just Purchased, have I made a good buy?!
Discussion
Hi all
Long time lurker, first time poster.
Thought it's time to tap the collective knowledge of this great forum.
So I've got a new BMW 7 series as my daily driver. I love it but also love cars and only really now been in a position to get something on the side for a bit of fun. I didn't have a huge budget, about £3k, but decided on a GTV as my primary want, with a couple others as backup in couldn't find one. I happened to spot this today https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-GTV-3-0-V6-6...
So I chatted with the seller and made an impulse offer of £2750. It's sight unseen of course, which is not always a great idea but like I said it was an impulse buy so if it all turns out to be a pile of nuts and bolts, I am ok with that, however, in the hope that its all good, what are your thoughts on the purchase?
He's listed quite a lot of the history in the advert, seems to have had a lot done to it and the essentials like belts and water pump have been done recently. I know its a high mileage car, that's the only negative I can see. Looking at the MOT history there were some advisories on a little corrosion but as it is due an MOT now, I haver asked the seller to do this prior to me actually handing over the cash so we will see what that throws up.
Apart from that, the stonechips and the mileage, have I done ok?!
Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Long time lurker, first time poster.
Thought it's time to tap the collective knowledge of this great forum.
So I've got a new BMW 7 series as my daily driver. I love it but also love cars and only really now been in a position to get something on the side for a bit of fun. I didn't have a huge budget, about £3k, but decided on a GTV as my primary want, with a couple others as backup in couldn't find one. I happened to spot this today https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-GTV-3-0-V6-6...
So I chatted with the seller and made an impulse offer of £2750. It's sight unseen of course, which is not always a great idea but like I said it was an impulse buy so if it all turns out to be a pile of nuts and bolts, I am ok with that, however, in the hope that its all good, what are your thoughts on the purchase?
He's listed quite a lot of the history in the advert, seems to have had a lot done to it and the essentials like belts and water pump have been done recently. I know its a high mileage car, that's the only negative I can see. Looking at the MOT history there were some advisories on a little corrosion but as it is due an MOT now, I haver asked the seller to do this prior to me actually handing over the cash so we will see what that throws up.
Apart from that, the stonechips and the mileage, have I done ok?!
Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Yeah I've seen the cup values rising but I couldn't stretch to finding one of those.
I'm happy to accept the Alfa reliability, it's a second car and also I like getting my hands dirty so happy to try to maintain as much as I can myself. But really like to hear what thoughts are on the car itself?
I'm happy to accept the Alfa reliability, it's a second car and also I like getting my hands dirty so happy to try to maintain as much as I can myself. But really like to hear what thoughts are on the car itself?
Thanks everyone for feedback. I actually love the Proteo red, possibly controversially I think I prefer it to Rosso personally.
As for problems, well I've had a chat with the seller, and I asked directly about corrosion, especially regarding the previous MOT notes. He said that any rust was surface rust, was removed and was undersealed. There was a small area about the size of 50p that was welded and this was undersealed too. During the MOT this week he will make sure the underseal is topped up. I said I would probably look to replace the pans at some point down the line anyway and he said they won't even need doing anytime soon.
So that's good, obviously this is an unknown and Alfas are new to me anyway but I'm hoping it will be ok. I can deal with cosmetic issues, of which I expect there to be a number. I would love to give it a respray but that's for down the line, im sure there will be plenty of jobs to keep me going in the meantime.
Just need to work out how to get there to pick it up now!
As for problems, well I've had a chat with the seller, and I asked directly about corrosion, especially regarding the previous MOT notes. He said that any rust was surface rust, was removed and was undersealed. There was a small area about the size of 50p that was welded and this was undersealed too. During the MOT this week he will make sure the underseal is topped up. I said I would probably look to replace the pans at some point down the line anyway and he said they won't even need doing anytime soon.
So that's good, obviously this is an unknown and Alfas are new to me anyway but I'm hoping it will be ok. I can deal with cosmetic issues, of which I expect there to be a number. I would love to give it a respray but that's for down the line, im sure there will be plenty of jobs to keep me going in the meantime.
Just need to work out how to get there to pick it up now!
Yes I agree and I will have it checked at some point in the near future, but I was just commenting on how the issues presented in the previous MOTs have been addressed coming from the buyer. I know this has to be taken with a pinch of salt but I'm staying positive until I know otherwise.
Out of interest, if there is serious rust issues either now or down the line, is it common for a full floor pan replacement or do most people just do repairs to the existing metal?
Out of interest, if there is serious rust issues either now or down the line, is it common for a full floor pan replacement or do most people just do repairs to the existing metal?
GTA_Slave said:
I had two of these so feel somewhat qualified to comments on these. This one certainly looks like a good buy, despite the mileage, given all the most important work has already been done - Q2, Cambelt, etc. The seller seems to know what he's selling - not unusual to find ads from owners who don't seem to have a clue about the basics on these cars. As long as the receipts are there then you're good to go and spend some time and money on the bodywork.
There's a spot under the bonnet, just above the front wheel, where you will see a gap near where the bonnet hinge sits. I found a little patch of rust there on mine and treated it with some rust protection. The other major worry is the spring pan and the rust on those so look that up - or get the seller to send pictures of it. Those are rare to find and can be costly to replace. Suspension can be a bit crashy but with the right setup no issues - I had standard suspension but there's lots of information on Alfaowner for these cars.
In terms of modifications you can opt for adding a CF2 manifiold, in case yours is CF3 engine. You can tell by looking on the engine bay and the CF3 version had the ECU sitting on top of the rear bank of the engine. The manifold conversion alleviates heat in the boot area and the removal of the cats from the CF3 manifolds allows more grunt.
They're easy cars to work on so I wouldn't worry about getting your hands dirty. I had the rear suspension joints polybushed but I didn't like the ride after as it made the back end very stiff, so much so that I could feel the tension in my back. There's a few other niggles such as Airbag light coming on if seats are moved when car is switched on - easiy recitified, issues with the rear windscreen heating elements, check for if your car comes with self adjusting windows when opening and closing doors. Tonnes of info on all these issues on Alfaowner and all easy to fix.
The biggest expense on these can be the engine if needing a rebuild - check for servicing intervals and the type of oil used. The engine is a masterpiece and the whole package is just a lot of fun. I'm on my second 156 GTA after selling the GTV but I still miss it. You coming from a 7 series may not like the downgrade in comfort levels but ifright the v6 GTV gives any car a good run for value for money and it's solely down to the engine. Lots of low end torque and you can pull from standstill in 2nd and cruise in it all day in 6th never having to change gears. Sitting down so low and thrashing it - an Italian tune up often is a requirement of owning this V6 - is an exhilarating experience and makes it a truly fun car. You will not be disappointed if you take it for what it is, i.e., a Pininfarina design powered by a gem of an engine and an Italian interior that makes you feel you're driving a mini ferrari. Yes, it's not perfect but not many cars are and this ones makes up for it in what it delivers through the engine and the feel of the steering. You can however make it perfect by spending some money on getting the right suspension setup for you.
Thanks for this very comprehensive write up. I won't be using this as my daily driver, that's still the 7, so i don't expect 7 levels of comfort, but I'm looking for that Italian flair and and that engine. I'm not focussing on modding just yet, just want to get the basics sorted first, make sure I take care of any rust, get the body work up to scratch, do any maintenance that's needed (like an oil change that's due). My first "mod" will probably be a better sports exhaust just because I love the way these look with quad pipes. There's a spot under the bonnet, just above the front wheel, where you will see a gap near where the bonnet hinge sits. I found a little patch of rust there on mine and treated it with some rust protection. The other major worry is the spring pan and the rust on those so look that up - or get the seller to send pictures of it. Those are rare to find and can be costly to replace. Suspension can be a bit crashy but with the right setup no issues - I had standard suspension but there's lots of information on Alfaowner for these cars.
In terms of modifications you can opt for adding a CF2 manifiold, in case yours is CF3 engine. You can tell by looking on the engine bay and the CF3 version had the ECU sitting on top of the rear bank of the engine. The manifold conversion alleviates heat in the boot area and the removal of the cats from the CF3 manifolds allows more grunt.
They're easy cars to work on so I wouldn't worry about getting your hands dirty. I had the rear suspension joints polybushed but I didn't like the ride after as it made the back end very stiff, so much so that I could feel the tension in my back. There's a few other niggles such as Airbag light coming on if seats are moved when car is switched on - easiy recitified, issues with the rear windscreen heating elements, check for if your car comes with self adjusting windows when opening and closing doors. Tonnes of info on all these issues on Alfaowner and all easy to fix.
The biggest expense on these can be the engine if needing a rebuild - check for servicing intervals and the type of oil used. The engine is a masterpiece and the whole package is just a lot of fun. I'm on my second 156 GTA after selling the GTV but I still miss it. You coming from a 7 series may not like the downgrade in comfort levels but ifright the v6 GTV gives any car a good run for value for money and it's solely down to the engine. Lots of low end torque and you can pull from standstill in 2nd and cruise in it all day in 6th never having to change gears. Sitting down so low and thrashing it - an Italian tune up often is a requirement of owning this V6 - is an exhilarating experience and makes it a truly fun car. You will not be disappointed if you take it for what it is, i.e., a Pininfarina design powered by a gem of an engine and an Italian interior that makes you feel you're driving a mini ferrari. Yes, it's not perfect but not many cars are and this ones makes up for it in what it delivers through the engine and the feel of the steering. You can however make it perfect by spending some money on getting the right suspension setup for you.
I'll probably take it to Aforalfa just to give it a good once over by an expert eye to see what I need to focus on, if anything.
Hi all,
So those eagle eyed of you saw that it's relisted. I decided after speaking to the seller that it wasn't quite for me. Not because it's particularly bad, but being so far away and having not seen it in the flesh, I didn't want to take the risk. It has a slight oil seepage problem which again, could be minor, but could be worse and I didn't have the time to diagnose that. I wasn't too worried about the rust after all that. The sill is bent slightly but could probably be fixed and the floors actually seem in fairly decent condition with some surface rust that could be fixed. But overall, I think my heart wasn't quite in it. Still looking for one but also now looking for a TVR project as that is probably where my heart lies.
Would make a good buy for someone though, now it's MOTd and in pretty good condition.
So those eagle eyed of you saw that it's relisted. I decided after speaking to the seller that it wasn't quite for me. Not because it's particularly bad, but being so far away and having not seen it in the flesh, I didn't want to take the risk. It has a slight oil seepage problem which again, could be minor, but could be worse and I didn't have the time to diagnose that. I wasn't too worried about the rust after all that. The sill is bent slightly but could probably be fixed and the floors actually seem in fairly decent condition with some surface rust that could be fixed. But overall, I think my heart wasn't quite in it. Still looking for one but also now looking for a TVR project as that is probably where my heart lies.
Would make a good buy for someone though, now it's MOTd and in pretty good condition.
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