OK folks, I buy and sell cars a bit on the side for fun, buying stuff I fancy owning for a while and then selling on. I have a chance to pick up a 2001Y 156 1.8TS saloon, in red with a factory rear wing, leather, alloys, CC etc., 73k, FSH but not had its 72k cambelt, few dents but otherwise good nick. Recent service and MOT, when new tyres were put on.
But I'm scared. Never had an Alfa, mainly because I hear SO MANY horror stories and they always come near the bottom of those 'car satisfaction' tables, that I'm terrified of having huge bills that I can't pay. But how unreliable are 156s? Are bits going to drop off/grind to a halt/malfunction within a few months of ownership at this mileage and age? I've test driven it, and loved it. No squeaks or rattles, just an occasional slight buzzing noise that sounded like the exhaust heat shield? No variator issue, or really bad flat spots.
Bloke wants a grand for it. I would then promptly do the cambelt for £225 at local Italian Specialist. I'd want to see to the dents so that's a couple of hundred more. So it will set me back around £1500. This sounds like cheap thrills to me, which is why I'm tempted, but I don't want to be a sucker and buy with my heart when really I need to be able to enjoy it for a while and sell on, hopefully making some profit but definitely not wanting to lose anything.
What do you lot think?
Thanks in advance....
p.s. Is that gigantic wing a good thing or a bad thing in resale terms?!
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Having had the same dilemma myself. - all I can say is do it. Look for service history, check oil and levels religiously (not necessarily on a Sunday) and when something crops up don't let it fester. Things you should be doing with any car really . . . . . . . I love mine to bits but really at its best when being 'driven' . . . . .seems a bit grumpy when pottering about.
Loads of great forums on Alfa stuff ww.alfaowner.com or www.aroc.co.uk or www.alfa156.net.
PS Cambelt 36K - intervals changed to a very 'just to be safe' level
PPS Bin the rear wing. Loks chavvy and why ruin those beautiful lines. Would YOU wear a Gucci with a burberry bag??
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The car is very cheap so quite possibly worth a punt however i'd be wondering why it is so cheap. It may be worth getting the local specialist to give it the once over before parting with your money.
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I am on my 3rd Alfa (currently a Alfa 3.0 V6 GTV), and have had a 1999 156 2.4 JTD, and 2005 156 2.0 JTS Veloce before....so fairly qualified to advise.
Alfa 156's are super reliable, you just have to make sure they have had plenty of oil, cambelt changes are 36k miles now.
Other common problems -
Squeaking from front suspension = upper wishbones (£45 plus labour- per side)
Rear Bushes (same kind of problem as the E36 BMW has)
Airbag warning light - Often pulled out when owners move the seat (as they grab the cable to, requires resetting by alfa or specialist)
Thats about it really! nothing to stress about
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Spend £270 on a Warranty for 1 year if it worries you - I got one with a free inspection so any big issues should get picked up then and I can get any work done needed through warranty.
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Hello Kith.
In your experience, how much does it cost to get a cambelt, tensioner and the variator done on a 156?
Ta,
Tony.
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check for rust bursting through a jointing seem on the sills!. Check that there are no cracks around the door hinges! ( the doors are known to fall off & I have seen it with my own eyes!) Watch out for big end failure normally just after oil change, its a known issue. Do a serach on Alfa 156 big end failure & you will see many have failed after oil service & around 80000 milesAgain I have had the misfortune of experiencing this first hand. 156 2.4 jtd superb car but beware dealerships useless & very very expensive.
Camshaft variators common so any sound like tappets noise or soumds like a diesel walk away. May be very difficult to sell on because of there reputation
Doc
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Forgot to add this reviews.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-reviews.showrevi...l
Just goes to show how lucky you can be!
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A good friend of mine has just reluctantly part-exed his 2001 156 2.5 Veloce Sportwagon for a Corolla Verso (yes, I know) and in four years and 50,000 miles of ownership the Alfa suffered:
No breakdowns
No failures to start
100% operational reliability
It needed front suspension bushes and a headlight switch.
Another friend who also had a 2001 156 Veloce but in saloon trim and with the 2.0 Twin Spark engine, had a complete and utter nightmare and vowed never to do it again.
Accepted wisdom with Alfas is that you get good and bad ones. So I'd be looking for one with few owners in the logbook, and the current owner for 2+ years. Few people would keep a bad car for a long time without a very good reason.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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Big end failures generally attributable to oil stravation due to an owner who hasn't kept an eye on it.
Camshaft variator issues are indeed identifiable by the diesel like rattle at start up, but are not necessarily a reason to avoid the car. They aren't a reliability issue, and will cause no further problems with the engine or car.
And if you're going to get the cambelt changed on buying the car anyway, the variator can be easily changed at the same time.
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Bloke wants a grand for it. I would then promptly do the cambelt for £225 at local Italian Specialist. >>
£225 sounds a bit cheap to me. Make sure he includes the tensioner and the variator.
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I'm surprised it's still on it's original cambelt. This is well overdue, so ask yourself "has the rest of the car been neglected?" I'd agree with the guy who says your qoute sounds cheap. Bear in mind it's also recommended to change the plastic water pump impeller to a steel one, as these are known to be brittle (listen out for pulsing revs when idling), and it's cost effective to have it done at the same time as the cambelt. I'd allow around £400 for both, maybe more, but hey, it depends who you know!
I've got a 1998 2.5 V6 which has done 98k and seems to be running well. I'm suprised it's still alive as i can't help but thrash it, it sounds so nice!
I think i'd be disapointed with the 1.8 though. The 2 litre is apparently the best of the bunch.
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Just a general pointer, don't pay too much attention to anecdotal advice about reliability.
* Look at some Alfa forums and ask what the potential weaknesses are on the model you're looking at
* Avoid asking on those forums 'should I get one?' as you'll get a biased answer!
* Work out what the worst thing / things that could go wrong are & if you could afford to fix them!
* Find a good local specialist that can inspect the car before you buy
And finally
* Don't try and save money by buying a 'cheap' one- some are 'realistically priced' and some are dogs!
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I'd say the giant wing very nearly spoils an otherwise gorgeous car. One thing worth checking is if your prospective 156 has a sport pack fitted. The firmer suspension is very useful for stopping them grounding their noses over speedbumps and the like, and I'd say is probably the most worthwhile addition. If it doesn't you might find the cover under the engine has been cracked or knocked off, and if you're really unlucky the sump could have taken a few belts afterwards.
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Fiat engines are used in all sorts of vehicles and are no more or less bother than any product from other engine producers.
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