I'm having evil thoughts...

[Jonny_L 0]

I'm thinking of buying an Alfa :twisted:

 

My C is making expensive timing chain type noises at the moment, and since it's my only car now, it's doing my head in with the constant paranoia, strange noises, watching the temps like a hawk, etc., so as a daily car, it's not ideal. So I'm thinking I'll take it off the road for a bit to get it sorted properly, then possibly sell it in the summer when theoretically I might get more money for it. Provided I can bring myself to part with it :wink:

 

I'm gonna go and have a poke about at a dealers with a 2001 alfa 156 2.0TS, with 49K on it, see if it's any good. I know alfa's don't have a good rep for being reliable, but I'm thinking compared to my C, any 2001 with FSH and under 50k car can't be that bad, provided it's been looked after?

I'm also considering a new shape mondeo even! It seems that I can get a relatively decent example of either car for around 3500 ish, though I'm more partial to an alfa as a drivers car 8)

 

Any thoughts?

[vr6storm 0]

don't get sucked into the "but its newer so should be more reliable" scenario tho,I know of someone who bought an Alfa 156 TS and spent close on £1k trying to sort a missfire

[herisites 0]

My mate has an Alfa 145 thats been well looked after throughout its life and he's had no end of problems with it all at the same time. Nice looking cars and sound good but not very reliable!

[scarlet_vr6 0]

I think alfas have a worse rep than they deserve - everyone knows someone who has had a problem with a car and they're not all alfas! I wouldn't go below a 2.0TS for a 156 as they are really under powered. Don't sell the rado though for the 156 - it's not nearly as much fun!

[The_Dude 0]

My mate has an Alfa 145 thats been well looked after throughout its life and he's had no end of problems with it all at the same time. Nice looking cars and sound good but not very reliable!

 

Agreed - they're among the best looking motors but are always going funky on you (kinda like women! lol). Generally very shoddy build quality. I know its not so cool, but I hear very good things about Ford Focuses (Focii? sp.), good drivers car and reliable too.

[Jonny_L 0]

Hmmm, sounds like it could go either way then.

I wouldn't even look at them from their reputation, but I was chatting to our plumber about them, he said he had 2 155's and all that went wrong was a wiper motor at 120k miles on one of them!

 

From what I've heard, they're high maintainance, sort of like italian women (sweeping generalisation). But saying that, It's nice to have a car that needs pampering, just as long as it doesn't ruin me, like having a good looking italian girl :lol:

 

Focii (pmsl)... I'm not a fan to be honest, I know they're good cars, but I've been put off for life really coz a guy I know has one, and he's an absolute pr*ck, and an estate agent. Just puts me off!

I'm slightly put off mondeo's because my dad and my brother both have them, and if I get one, we'll be a whole mondeo family, which scares me :lol: on the other hand, they've both had no trouble with them.

[The_Dude 0]

I'm slightly put off mondeo's because my dad and my brother both have them, and if I get one, we'll be a whole mondeo family, which scares me :lol: on the other hand, they've both had no trouble with them.

 

Repmobile! Was the best selling car for ages till the Bimmer 3-series overtook it, so I'm sure there'll be loads around to choose from. But on the other hand there'll be loads around....if you catch my drift. To go from a C to that might be a bit disheartening.

I suppose what you en up choosing really is affected by the way or where you drive. If its motorway then I'd say yeah, get a Mondy. But if its town there's no point getting a big car......its all common sense, but a lot of the time the heart wins out when it comes to cars, so beware! I was carless for six months before I decided to get my C, its a hard choice to make (which is why I have no intention of selling it either).

Ah balls, go buy a Lancia Integrale.

[Guest]

Focus>Mondeo

2 of my mates have Alfas, and haven't had too much bother with them.

 

Just when it comes to serviceable parts the prices are crazy

[Not_Aircooled_or_Taxfree 0]

Stick to german cars. Alfas look ok but they are put together by the blind. Spend the money on getting the Rado into shape again. you wont regret it!

[Jonny_L 0]

Well, I just went to have a look. I must say I'm impressed. This particular one seems to of been rather well cared for. The only sign of alfa build quality was the fact that the glove compartment squeaked when I opened it. Other than that, everything felt pretty good quality and worked as it should.

 

Corradude, what you say makes a lot of sense. I mainly do town and country stuff at the moment, so I think the smaller, more agile alfa would win on that basis.

 

As for expensive parts, I wonder if they could be more expensive than VAG parts. I know that the bird behind the parts counter at the alfa dealers is absolutely stunning - though maybe she's there to soften the blow, so to speak!

 

I've always had german cars, I had a seat cordoba which was the most reliable car i've owned, I've owned 4 VW's, 3 needed new engines and god knows what else, and 1 was so rotten it got scrapped (I kind of knew that though!). I love german cars, especially VW's, more than any others, but I sort of get the feeling they don't like me very much :lol:

[G60SC_Stoney 0]

« herisites » wrote:My mate has an Alfa 145 thats been well looked after throughout its life and he's had no end of problems with it all at the same time. Nice looking cars and sound good but not very reliable!

 

 

Agreed - they're among the best looking motors but are always going funky on you (kinda like women! lol).

 

Generally very shoddy build quality

 

again, like most women!!

 

i think there are much better cars out there for reliablility and performance than alfas. why dont you get a Mk4 golf TDi? cant go wrong with one of them....

[Nuggit 0]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

 

A thousand times. Don't buy a bloody Alfa. We trade in sports/performance, and out of 7 Alfa's sold that I know of from us and associates, 4 have come back with MAJOR problems, it's cost an absolute fortune.

 

Steer well bloody clear. Lovely interiors. That's it :D

[ziderapple 0]

51 plate, under 50k for less than 3.5K... They are cheap for a reason.

 

If you really want an Alfa get a SZ! (I think the 'S' stands for sex)

[Nuggit 0]

I nearly bought one of them the other month...

 

mmm... boxy...

[TomB 0]

Jonny_L, that makes two of us, as I'm looking at GTV V6s with a lustful eye... It's going to boil down to an Alfa or a Rado when I replace the Golf.

If you do a bit of hunting around, there are a couple of good fourms populated by Alfisti, but Pistonheads is probably the best place to start. The golden rule seems to be don't buy anything without a FULL Alfa SH, and the receipts to back it up. Oh, and much like buying a 'rado, budget for the parts as well (although I think they're more expensive)

Good luck with the hunt if you decide to go Italian!

Tom

[Jonny_L 0]

I am so in 2 minds over this one now. From the majority of comments here, I might be better to steer clear. Plus, I've done most of the major stuff that needs doing on my Corrado now, so technically it should work ok once I've got to the bottom of the noises. Then there's the fact I know my car inside out now, and for all it's faults and annoyances, I still love it.

 

But then there's part of me that really wants an Alfa, and the idea of having a newer car again just appeals to me for now.

 

If I do get one, I'll still have the C for a while, at least til I can get it sorted, and I won't sell til the summer anyway. You won't get rid of me that easily :lol:

[scarlet_vr6 0]

so buy the Alfa and run that til summer when your C's all good again, then sell the Alfa. That way you get all the good bits and get rid of this 'I want a newer car' thing and still get to be a rado owner at the end of it all :cheers:

 

besides your sig wouldn't work nearly as well with Alfa instead of Corrado!! :lol:

[Nuggit 0]

so buy the Alfa and run that til summer

 

That's very optimistic :lol:

[Jonny_L 0]

Ok, I've looked into it some more, and I really think I need to stop driving the rado now. I'm about 99.9% sure that the chains need doing, so regardless, I need to do that. I also need to get the ratty bumpers sprayed, and I'm considering converting to manual and fitting air con at the same time. Sort of a mini project.

 

Course this will take a while, so, as scarlet_vr6 rightly says, I'm gonna need another car. I am still so tempted by these alfas! I try and do everything myself with my cars. If not, I'm mates with the guys at my local garage, so I'm thinking if things do start going tits up I'm in with a good chance of getting it sorted without loosing too big.

 

Nuggit, what sort of problems did those alfa's have? 4/7 is quite worrying, but as with most cars, there's a 50/50 chance it'll go wrong anyway :lol:

[Nuggit 0]

lol

 

Right, as I recall, one gearbox, two bottom ends collapsed, and there was some right PITA issues with the top end on one, think it ended up with a couple of cams.

 

Oh, and one stopped with electrical faults on the motorway. Don't know what happened to that one.

 

At one point, they were all (particularly 147's) massively behind book at the auctions, so a lot of car for small money. Everyone started buying them, and the prices shot back up to over-book value. Then the trouble started.

 

They are now substantially behind book again :D

 

If it helps at all, there's been less trouble with the later 4-pot engines, but I understand electrical problems stalk them a bit.

[Jonny_L 0]

I've only gone and done it :D

 

Thanks for the info and warnings Nuggit, but after sorting through some complete sh*tters, I think I've found a good one. It's a 2001 2.0TS, 49k, all to bobbins, no leather though, (yet :mrgreen: ). Took it for a spin and fell in love really.

 

It has had a new engine fitted, which worried me slightly at first, but since it's a proper Alfa job, and the standard 150bhp TS has been replaced with the 165bhp JTS. Can't complain really. Because of that I got it at a very good price :wink: .

 

So there we are, my first taste in Italian motoring! I pick it up on Monday.

 

As I say, I've not got plans of selling the C until summer, and even then I'm not sure I'll be able to bring myself to sell! Not to mention leave this forum :wink: I'll end up one of those people that still hangs about here and says "I had one of them Corrados once" :lol:

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

Alfa is just a fiat in a pretty frock...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate Fiats...

[ziderapple 0]

I hate Fiats...

 

:lol: :lol:

 

blunt!

[Nuggit 0]

I've only gone and done it :D

 

Thanks for the info and warnings Nuggit, but after sorting through some complete sh*tters, I think I've found a good one. It's a 2001 2.0TS, 49k, all to bobbins, no leather though, (yet :mrgreen: ). Took it for a spin and fell in love really.

 

It has had a new engine fitted, which worried me slightly at first, but since it's a proper Alfa job, and the standard 150bhp TS has been replaced with the 165bhp JTS. Can't complain really. Because of that I got it at a very good price :wink: .

 

Ah well, at least it's a 2L ;-)

 

They do an absolutely frigging gorgeous red MOMO leather trim. It really is lovely... if you find a cheap source, let me know. I'd love some for my Golf!

 

Seriously though, Good Luck, I really hope you enjoy the car, TG was right, they really do have soul ;-) The only real thing I can say is to take the warning lights seriously... they tend to flash for 30 seconds, and exit con-rod stage left. They're a great car, I can't deny that. Just they've spoilt themselves for us in a magnificent way!

[Jonny_L 0]

Alfa is just a fiat in a pretty frock...

 

Maybe, it is a very pretty frock though :lol:

 

Thanks Nuggit, I know what you mean about the leather. Mine's metallic red so the red leather would look a bit much. I'm gonna be on the lookout for tan leather, lovely.

I found a few on ebay the other day, they were anywhere between £150-450, so not that bad really! I may have to put alfa leather in my beetle when it's complete.

 

Time to start watching those dashboard lights :-P