Alfa or not

lb1

I am currently thinking of buying an Alfa Romeo GTV. But a lot of people have been warning me off Alfa's and telling me they are nothing but trouble despite the fact that they know fcuk all about the GTV. Can anyone share their genuine experiences with Alfa's and in particular the GTV 2.0

Redsoxfan

As it has the twin spark engine, the timing belt should be changed according to the schedule here.

Have a browse of the GTV section on Alfaowner to get a look at a buying guide and see what issues owners are reporting.

smash

don't discount the 3.0 V6 - one of the nicest cars I've owned!

Redsoxfan

Yeah-I just saw someone on Alfaowner saying that they were selling their V6 with a Q2 fitted for £2,500!

smash

Then there's VRT... you'll get one cheaper here if you look hard enough. I sold mine in the end for 3200 and it was a nice one!

unkel

I'm with steve here. Buy a V6 from an enthusiast and for €3-4k you'll have an excellent one that won't depreciate. The engine is strong, so not too many worries there either. Tax is a bitch, but you'll be driving a true sportscar and it will cost you less overall than owning a brand new sh1tbox from Korea

Hotwheels

Yup, what he says..

Good luck with the hunt

unkel wrote: »

I'm with steve here. Buy a V6 from an enthusiast and for €3-4k you'll have an excellent one that won't depreciate. The engine is strong, so not too many worries there either. Tax is a bitch, but you'll be driving a true sportscar and it will cost you less overall than owning a brand new sh1tbox from Korea

Nonoperational

The GTV is old at this stage so you'll need to find a good one for it to be worth considering. There are lots of things to look out for but if you get a good one its a lot of car for small enough money.

lb1

Thanks. So is Alfa Romeos bad rep totally blown out of proportion?

mink_man

i dont like alfa, no good reason, just seem to be rubbish!

Atomic Pineapple

mink_man wrote: »

i dont like alfa, no good reason, just seem to be rubbish!

post of the day!? :rolleyes:

OP, an Alfa, especially the 3.0 GTV will need more minding than your average jap family saloon, but if you find one thats been minded and are prepared to maintain and mind it properly yourself then there's no reason to be put of by there "reputation"

mink_man

draffodx wrote: »

post of the day!? :rolleyes:

OP, an Alfa, especially the 3.0 GTV will need more minding than your average jap family saloon, but if you find one thats been minded and are prepared to maintain and mind it properly yourself then there's no reason to be put of by there "reputation"

haha yeah....i just dont like the look of them, i dont know anything about them and dont expect the op to take my advice...even the name alfa is muck!

Natural Poleece

mink_man wrote: »

i dont like alfa, no good reason, just seem to be rubbish!

Wow. Insightful

lb1 wrote: »

Thanks. So is Alfa Romeos bad rep totally blown out of proportion?

Yes it is. Alright some of the older models had issues with reliability, usually electrical problems, but the marque has improved massively since. The 147, 156, GT, Brera, 159 and Mito are all very reliable. Check out Alfaowner for testimonials if you don't believe me.

?Cee?view

Natural Poleece wrote: »

The 147, 156, GT, Brera, 159 and Mito are all very reliable.

This is true, IF you mind them. You can't treat them like a Jap boredom machine - you have to maintain them.

I'm on my second 156 (the first was killed by my wife, although she blames the truck that ran into her!), and I've also got a Brera.

If you want to just go from A to B, buy an Avensis. If you want to arrive at B with a smile, get an Alfa!

alias no.9

If you’re looking at a twin spark version, the biggest issue is the timing belt which must be changed every ~36k miles, tensioner and idler too, the water pump is probably good for two belt changes. The 2.0 twin spark also has a balance shaft belt which needs changing too. The variable valve timing actuator, known as the ‘Variator’ can become noisy as internal oil seals wear, this will be accompanied by distinct diesel engine like sound, if this sound is present, change it when changing the timing belt. Other than that, provided you check your oil levels weekly and don’t neglect the oil changes, the only other common problem is the thermostat which gets lazy over time and tends to stick open, the temp gauge will sit around 75 rather than 90, so no risk of overheating but it's a cheap part and an easy job so just fix it.
Despite what you might hear in the pub, Alfa mechanicals are very conventional these days, no more boxer engines, transaxel gearboxes or inboard brake discs so they're perfectly suitable for any competant DIY mechanic if you're into doing your own maintenance.

.Longshanks.

steve06 wrote: »

Then there's VRT... you'll get one cheaper here if you look hard enough. I sold mine in the end for 3200 and it was a nice one!

but did you replace it with anything nice?

Redsoxfan

You'll need to watch the oil as well (well, same could be said for any car, but the TS engines seem to be thirstier than your average car).

Unless I'm mistaken, there is an issue with water pumps with plastic impellers in the V6 and advice is to have them replaced with a metal version.

Someone might get themselves a bargain here.

TheColl

mink_man wrote: »

i dont like alfa, no good reason, just seem to be rubbish!

mink_man wrote: »

haha yeah....i just dont like the look of them, i dont know anything about them and dont expect the op to take my advice...even the name alfa is muck!

why bother with these posts?? and what advice have you given?

OP, driving a 147 atm myself and loving it. have no experience of the GTV but the advice given by Redsoxfan is spot on and like others have said, if u buy from someone who has looked after their motor u have a good chance of finding yourself a bargain.

Anan1

TheColl wrote: »

why bother with these posts?? and what advice have you given?

Next time hit the 'report post' button, it draws mods attention to the post in question.:)

Mc Love

A mate of mine has a 147 3 door in black - great car, never has had any problems with it. Leather interior too.

lb1

What about body work? has anyone encountered problems with that.

Anan1

lb1 wrote: »

What about body work? has anyone encountered problems with that.

As in rust? Unless it's been badly repaired following an accident you'll have no problems there.

smash

Longshanks100 wrote: »

but did you replace it with anything nice?

Shhhh not yet, I have 2 sh1tboxes for now!

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Unless I'm mistaken, there is an issue with water pumps with plastic impellers in the V6 and advice is to have them replaced with a metal version.

This is true, my car had the metal impeller! And you do have to keep an eye on the oil. The only other issues are the wishbones(which any owner should know about) and the passenger airbag light - this comes on because the pre tensioner under the passenger seat is a bit sensitive. A lot of people bypass it by soldering the wires together, but an airbag light reset is a simple operation.

Ush1

I think Alfas look fantastic, especially the newer ones interiors. Most cars are decent if you look after them so if your heart is set on it, go for it.

Fanthomas

I heard that alfa owners do not say hello to each others at lunch time as they already had met at the garage in the morning

Rackstar

If you're getting it stick to the timing belt change intervals. Let mine go 800 miles over on a TSPARK and I had no engine left!!

bladespin

Fanthomas wrote: »

I heard that alfa owners do not say hello to each others at lunch time as they already had met at the garage in the morning

Very helpful.

Just to be clear, I've been a slave to Italian motors since 2002 and am still breakdown free (touching wood as I type), I wish I could say the same of the Toyota, Isuzu and Mercedes I've used for work in that time.

Redsoxfan

Fanthomas wrote: »

I heard that alfa owners do not say hello to each others at lunch time as they already had met at the garage in the morning

And I read that it costs €800-€900 to get a timing belt replaced on an Octavia. Looks like that was a load of horse**** as well!

Fanthomas

Fanthomas wrote: »

I heard that alfa owners do not say hello to each others at lunch time as they already had met at the garage in the morning

That was only a joke,man :rolleyes: If it comes about octavia check my latest post out.

Maintain them and they may well prove reliable, maintenance is not cheap with belts at 36K miles and suspension components wearing out at very low miles. Also it is not unheard of for a belt / tensioner to go within the 36K interval.

Fanthomas

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-supertest-2007/alfa-romeo---ford/229285

king_of_inismac

There's a lot of bias both ways. On here, there's a lot of alfa-bsahing, while on the alfaowner forum they think they're the best car ever made. The truth, as generally is the case, lies somewhere in between.

Just after selling my 156 after 18 months so I'll give you my experience:

Positives:
Beautiful looking car, inside and out. I've bought a newer car, but most comments were people asking me what I did with my beautiful alfa.

It's truely a great car to drive. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but it's a real "driver's car". Very fun car to drive through the twists, even if you're a conservative driver like me.

Negatives:
Timing belt tensioner broke: (the old tensioners were rubbish so this was quite common). If it's been done in your car, you could be okay. That mean't I had to redo the head, new timing belt, water pump, variator, etc.

Thermostat: Had to replace that when the car was over heating.

Temperature sender, water pump, radiator: started to overheat again. Replaced all of the above. Turns out it wasn't the water pump, but I didn't know that until I replaced it. It was a blocked radiator due to corrosion.
I spent 6 months driving the car with one eye on the temperature gauge. Not good!

Suspension: Upper and lower wishbones, drop links and track rod ends. Had to replace all these to get rid of the knocking. Anti-roll bar bushing needed doing too, but I didnt do them because realistically you have to drop the whole subframe to replace them!


Conclusion: Okay, I was unlucky with my alfa, and in fairness it was a beautiful car to drive and look at. However, I don't think I'd have THAT much hassle with many other makes of cars. Furthermore, having done all of the repairs myself (apart from the head), they are both expensive to fix and a VERY difficult car to work on.

If you get a good one, with a full service history, then consider it. Make sure all timing belt work has been done (with receipts) and proper tensioners fitted. Make sure the suspension is PERFECT. Also, be willing to do some problem solving/repair work yourself. If you go to a garage every time a light comes on, you'll be broke in 6 months.

I don't really know if Im telling you to buy or not, but if you do buy, do it with your eyes very much open!

merc3ps

I used to own a GTV 3.0 V6. It was a fantastic car but bled my wallet dry. I suppose it deserves it's name as the "baby ferrari".

Road tax is 1300/year. Many can justify this but it is about 700/year more than average and when you combine it with the high fuel costs (I was getting 23mpg) and the repair costs it all adds up.

If you just want a nice looking car with a bit of flair then I suggest you will be unhappy paying to run a 3.0 V6.

If you can find a truly well maintained 2.0 GTV and you are prepared to check the oil every week then you will pick yourself up a nice car that won't cost much more than any other car out there.

whosedaddy?

not owning GTV, but a 156 2.4l oil burner...

as king_of_inismac said. Timing belt is the big worry in terms of potential repair cost if it fails.

Ongoing maintenance - she needs a lot of TLC. and a good indie mechanic.

suspension has been my constant drain in repairs. solthing is always knocking.

Alfas are not build for speed bumps!

Apart of that - fab cars... they are not cars you buy with your head, but your heart...

P.s.: what better topic to make 500th post :-)

Anan1

Slightly OT, but if I were in the markey for a GTV i'd also be looking at a FIAT Coupé 20v turbo.

smash

Anan1 wrote: »

Slightly OT, but if I were in the markey for a GTV i'd also be looking at a FIAT Coupé 20v turbo.

Performance... yes, but exterior and interior styling... no!

Anan1

steve06 wrote: »

Performance... yes, but exterior and interior styling... no!

I love them, but you're not the first person i've heard say that!

lb1

Think ill take the plunge. Could be a while waiting for a good one to come on the market though.

Nonoperational

king_of_inismac wrote: »

There's a lot of bias both ways. On here, there's a lot of alfa-bsahing, while on the alfaowner forum they think they're the best car ever made. The truth, as generally is the case, lies somewhere in between.

Just after selling my 156 after 18 months so I'll give you my experience:

Positives:
Beautiful looking car, inside and out. I've bought a newer car, but most comments were people asking me what I did with my beautiful alfa.

It's truely a great car to drive. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but it's a real "driver's car". Very fun car to drive through the twists, even if you're a conservative driver like me.

Negatives:
Timing belt tensioner broke: (the old tensioners were rubbish so this was quite common). If it's been done in your car, you could be okay. That mean't I had to redo the head, new timing belt, water pump, variator, etc.

The timing belt and tensioner should be done at 36K miles that is well known now and that put an end to tensioner breaks.

Thermostat: Had to replace that when the car was over heating.

The thermostat almost never sticks closed (causing overheating), it always sticks open causing the opposite. The first thing you check in an overheating alfa is the rad. The fins corrode and it needs to be replaced. Poor stuff from your mechanic. I'd be surprised if it was the stat.

Temperature sender, water pump, radiator: started to overheat again. Replaced all of the above. Turns out it wasn't the water pump, but I didn't know that until I replaced it. It was a blocked radiator due to corrosion.
I spent 6 months driving the car with one eye on the temperature gauge. Not good!

Water pumps on the twin spark almost never fail but they are recommended to be done at 72K. As it turns out it wasn't your water pump. It looks like you had a corroded rad and all the other stuff was your mechanic falling asleep.

Suspension: Upper and lower wishbones, drop links and track rod ends. Had to replace all these to get rid of the knocking. Anti-roll bar bushing needed doing too, but I didnt do them because realistically you have to drop the whole subframe to replace them!

Agree 100%. The suspension, especially on the early cars was crap.

Conclusion: Okay, I was unlucky with my alfa, and in fairness it was a beautiful car to drive and look at. However, I don't think I'd have THAT much hassle with many other makes of cars. Furthermore, having done all of the repairs myself (apart from the head), they are both expensive to fix and a VERY difficult car to work on.

If you get a good one, with a full service history, then consider it. Make sure all timing belt work has been done (with receipts) and proper tensioners fitted. Make sure the suspension is PERFECT. Also, be willing to do some problem solving/repair work yourself. If you go to a garage every time a light comes on, you'll be broke in 6 months.


I don't really know if Im telling you to buy or not, but if you do buy, do it with your eyes very much open!

Just my opinions on the above post.