Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 SOLD 16 July 2015 Scroll down for dirty pics, scroll down a bit more for clean pics. All pics guaranteed photoshite at no additional cost to you the viewer. . I bought this pre facelift 2001 156 from a dealer in January 2005, when the car showed about 11,000 miles It now shows about 80,000. It has been a good motor, is fast and fun to drive, and is a reasonable load lugger although it's not huge. It is comfortable to sit in for long trips. The Veloce spec includes a rear spoiler, Momo leather seats (very comfortable and hard wearing), and supposedly some vaguely sporty blah to do with the underpinnings, but I forget which. The main thing about this car is the simply swoonytabulous Busso V6 engine, which is revtastic, and makes a noise of great loveliness. One thing about this engine is that it takes a while to get up to temperature. I don't know why that is. Car = pretty, I think. If you are that rare thing, an Autoshiter who has any friends, you can have fun watching them fail to find the rear door handles. Since I have owned the car it has had one new radiator, one new clutch (I think my ex wife rode the first one, but I would say that, wouldn't I?), some sort of ECU bollix that I don't comprehend, cambelts done at 72,000 ish, a new alternator (July 2013) and water pump (I think, from memory), the usual replacement front suspension bushes (Oct 2013), a new (second hand) rear wiper motor and other bits and bobs. The battery is OK, I think. Aircon regassed Oct 2013. It has posh Michelin tyres that are only a year old. Some minor bubbling on the sixteen inch cloverleaf alloys. The gear knob is a bit loose and the gaiter around the gearstick sometimes comes adrift. The gear change itself is fine (six speed manual), although I have noticed some recent vagueness in selecting fifth. Sloooooow window motors in the back, but that's usual. Nearside front fog light broken by stone, nearside front side light bulb blown. Might fix the latter if CBA, One low speed shunt in about 2007 - bloke pulled out of parking space and whacked rear nearside corner. Damage repaired. Minor scuffs and scratches, especially around loading area. The worst worst scrape is on the nearside rear passenger door. The interior of the boot is scruffy, and some bits of trim there are loose. Luggage cover good, and includes a roll up doggy net thing. Recent Sony radio with single CD player. Fusebox cover underneath steering wheel falls off. Steering wheel and gearknob show wear. I have with the car a shiny wooden steering wheel and a fakey wooden fascia to match. I have most of the bills etc since 2005. Handbook, service book with a fair few stamps, two keys (alarm fob batteries flat, alarm not used for ages). Drives jolly well, I think, and looks lovely when washed. OMG 28 mpg, less if you cane it, and it does tempt you to cane it. Serious licence threatener on a fast road. MoT November 2014, Tax, er, will check when not rainy. Some left. EDIT: July 2014. A bit spenner on the tax disc because it is deemed to be a pollutey bastard. These hit rock bottom but appear to have started going up or at least not sinking further. You still see some down around 500, but with higher mileage than this one, so I reckon £850 ish might be fairish, but tell me if you think I am being greedy. EDIT : NOW £350!!!!! Here it is looking very dirty. I will do some cleanorama pics if I can ever be arsed to wash the poor thing. Apols for blur-o-vision in a couple of the shots. EDIT: clean car pics added a bit lower down the page. | drum, HMC and anonymous user 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Forgot to add: tow bar to knack yer MPG, light connector works, trailer number plate included. The console trim is a sort of grey plastic. I am not sure if the steering wheel can be swapped for the wooden one with modern airbag rules blah. The wood effect trim that I have in the shed looks not too cheapo although it might be a fiddle to fit. Oh, the car is located in South Oxfordshire, close to M40 junctions 5 and 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 That is fooking lovely! I have a thing for pretty estates with great engines:) Best of luck with the sale- that werthers interior needs to be cared for in the AS way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I love you lot (and the lure of cash) so much that I went out this morning and jet washed the car. Feck me, it was filthier than a Bulgarian gymnastics coach, and I couldn't get all of the stubborn understains off the wheels, but here it is looking much spiffier than before. TAX to end of July. I forgot to say before that the V5 shows loadsa keepers, but that is because (1) the car may have been a company car before I bought it; (2) my brother borrowed it for a year (sending it back to me equipped with Ho Flung Dung Industries' finest Ditchfinders - thanks, git. Hence the new Michelins), and (3) it has been in and out of the names of two wives for parking permit reasons up Laaaahndann. Hmmm, most of these pics are poorly focused. Excuse- taken in early morning poor light, but still rubbish, sorry. | Junkman and Aston Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 MOAR picz Junkman and Aston Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Lovely alfa! I'd be constantly popping the bonnet to admire the polished induction tracts pretty much anytime I walked past it. Well priced and unusual for here in that the ownership/ history can be traced directly back to when it was a few years old. But for having just bought an estate I'd be very interested. Bet it makes a fantastic noise, GLWTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 cambelts done at 72,000 ish F***ing hell, you're a braver man than me leaving them that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Thanks, brookjm. The noise is great, and I am enough of a saddo to wind the window down and drop a gear when I go through a tunnel. When I first bought the car I was a bit suspicious as the wear on the gearstick and steering wheel was already evident, but the car appeared to have been driven by a surveyor or architect who went on site a bit and who had a large dog (hence the scuffing in the boot area). Other indications indicted the then mileage of 11,000 was genuine, and I know what the car has been up to since. It lived mostly in London, went to the north Norfolk coast a bit, spent a year in Darlington with my brother, has been to Scotland twice, and has been living a quiet life in Oxfordshire since last April. I should clean up the engine a bit as it is a bit scruffy at present. Engineers are apparently very fond of the Busso V6. The 2 litre twin spark 156s are perhaps more popular because they are less thirsty and do not have the weight at the front quite so much, but this is the last real Alfa V6 engine, and a thing of joy. I would like to keep the car, but space is a minor issue and the running costs of keeping several jalopes road legal a major one, so I offer it for your perusal, shiteists assembled.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 F***ing hell, you're a braver man than me leaving them that long. I know. It was more nuts than balls. When the 156 first came out, Alfa said 70K, but then they had a flap and said 32K or 35K or something. I kept meaning to get mine done, but kept not doing them. Eventually I had the change done, and it did indeed cost nearly a grand, as the engine has to come out. Only about 8000 miles since they were done, so a bit of use in them yet, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Partridge Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I wish I could have everything I see for sale here Twiggy, pandamonium, stephen01 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I pretty much agree with that. Well, maybe not green French family saloons. pandamonium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I've only driven the 3 litre version of this engine, in 75s and 164s, but it's a cracker. It just begs you to rev it hard Unless you'd swap for a high mileage diesel Focus, I'm out although getting it and running on LPG is rather tempting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Nooooooooooo!!!!! This car demands nom nom octaney petrol. LPG is for giffers. Anyway, where would you put the tank? The boot is not all that big. Peter Patina 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 It's a cracking car for a very good price, and I would If I had the money. But by fuck, that is one terrible colour combination, especially the interior that looks like it was lived in by someone with a chocolate allergy who got the job as chief taster at the Caramac factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 My internet excuse for not buying is that whilst I like Alfas, they don't usually like me. They do sound nice though. I'm half on the look out for another estate car, but I think this probably has less usable load area than my old Panda so will probably wait for a nice Volvo 240 estate to come up for sale on my doorstep (and then come up with another reason why I shouldn't buy that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Corsaviour, I feel ya, but it looks better (the colour combo that is) in real life than in photos. The car itself of course looks much more gash in real life than in pics, as they always do. The grey tufty carpets are pretty putrid, I grant you, but the seats is well nice. Very Italian, like a navy suit worn with brown shoes, which is fookin naff for a Brit, but stylin' for an Italian. Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 As for load space, I think of it as a big hatchback rather than an estate, although it's not too bad if you fold the rear seats down. One drawback is the relatively small and relatively high tailgate opening. If you are off to Narnia or wherever, it's OK for lugging a wardrobe for Tyrion Lannister, but not one for Samwell Tarly. Am I getting my medieval fantasy bollocks mixed up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Nooooooooooo!!!!! This car demands nom nom octaney petrol. LPG is for giffers. Anyway, where would you put the tank? The boot is not all that big. Not something I'd looked into, so may not be feasible...I'd guess at the spare wheel well is it has one. I do 50 miles a day so any vehicle that's not a 'toy' has to be affordable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Diddy space saver spare wheel under boot carpet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hmmm, would mean filling up with gas every 3.2 miles or so then - maybe not one of my better plans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Today I did a gas mileage check on a trip from south Oxfordshire to Crawley (oh, the glamour!) and back. Mostly motorway cruising at 75 to 80 mph indicated, with some stop, start and crawl on the M25, and a bit of ring roady stuff. 32 MPG pleasantly surprised me, but NB expect much less if you yam it, especially on A and B roads. BTW, congratulations to the many stylish types on the M23 with their ace collection of mid to late 90s Eurochod. Fine Renault, Citroen and Bimmer N, P, and R reg action. No proper spottages, as I was driving and couldn't take pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Phwoar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 WANT! In the most unapologetic style. I really WANT this car. Unfortunately I'm a penniless bum who can't even afford to keep £0 worth of Rover 800 on the road, let alone buy and run anything else, plus I'm supposed to be going abroad at some point soon. Good luck with the sale fella. I shan't return to this thread due to jealousy if this car sells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucketeer Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 a trip from south Oxfordshire to Crawley You could have called in here for tea and biscuits. I hope you bathed in TCP upon returning from Creepy Crawley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My day's work in Crawley involved me learning that it has the highest adult obesity rate, highest fag smoking rate, and highest teenage pregnancy rate in the south east. It didn't look like the most charming of our New Towns. OMG RAINKAOS on the way home, and loadsa "slow down, accident" warnings on the electric signs, so it seems that the "I drive the same in all weathers" mongs were out in force, including one div in a light grey Citroen with no lights on. Dude, well done, you have an invisible car, you must be James Bond or something, you twat. On refection, the fact that it was quite often not possible or not safe to go above 60 on the way back plainly influenced the good MPG figure. I would expect mid to maybe high 20s MPG in fair weather motorway driving, depending on the hoon factor. Low 20s for blattage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 This 2.0 litre twin spark spotted on the Dollywobbler Dilemma thread is £750. I mention it because (1) if you are put off by V6 thirst, it might be worth a look, AND (2) I am asking only another £100 for the V6, with about 40,000 fewer miles. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202565906364835&set=gm.638114239559729&type=1&theater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 OMG blown headlamp bulb! Replacing the bulb in one of these is a pain in the bum, as the bloke who designed the access to the bulb holder was a piss taker. I will change the bulb tomorrow along with some swearing. BTW, Alfa 156 Italian Electrics PHACKT: those Italian electrics are apparently German electrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 BUMP! Still for sale. Act now to secure your slice of Italian Italianess with bonus Italian bits (also German bits: see above). Che bella macchina, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lord Sward Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 BTW, Alfa 156 Italian Electrics PHACKT: those Italian electrics are apparently German electrics. Thats me OUT. eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Yeah, Boche Bosch Bosh, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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