dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yes, I've only gone and done it. I've bought an Alfa Romeo! Well, it's my birthday this week, so I thought I'd treat myself to a birthday symphony - it's a 164 V6! Nicely priced and seems relatively problem free (the odd electrical gremlin, as you'd expect) and with a soundtrack that melts the heart of any petrolhead. It's got a slush box, but it's a very nice one. It's exactly the sort of car that qualifies for scrappage, so hopefully I can prove that there's plenty of life in the old motor (I hope it isn't a dog...) yet. I just need to find a way to get to Lincoln to collect it now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-j Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Happy Birthday!! truly excellent insane buy! I haven't seen one of these for yonks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 They've truly disappeared lately - presumably because they can be bought for peanuts, develop expensive problems and then get binned. Oh and the V6 engine is popular for kit cars and the like - Stratos replicas especially.It does mean that I REALLY need to sell the Subaru and Rover. And may therefore take offers on both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Respect, a 12v 3.0 Lusso.Absolutely superb motors those, still one of my favourites after all these years.£500? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 A little less, with tax and test until March... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeezer Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Nice purchase.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 YUM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-M Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I've had 5 of these. Love 'em to bits. Here's a gratuitous pic of one of my old ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratdat Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 One of the very few cars I remember being genuinely exited about when they were new, to the point of actually going to a dealership so I could look at one. Not that I could afford one at the time mind. Certainly on the list of cars i'd like to own although i suspect they'll all be gone before I get round to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw118 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 ^^^^ I agree!!Did consider one a few years ago, but as there was lots of building/landscaping work to do at Outlaw Towers, an estate was required, so the Ashtray Spurt was acquired instead; I don't regret it, it was a good motah, but would have been nice to have bought a car that I wanted, rather than one I needed, if you get my drift! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Case Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Very nice, colour and wheels are just the icing on the cake. Enjoy it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Luvverly. I've always enjoyed the dashboard in those, with the rows and rows of identical buttons in the centre console (around 20% of which actually work). V6 is a bonus too - went well in my 166, so should be pretty darn quick in a 164 weighing substantially less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice! These havent half disappeared off the roads rapidly. Shame they never built an estate version (I thought they might have done but only managed to find pics of the older Alfa 90) Obscure-o-rama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel bickle Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice one. So much more interesting....I like it.Do remember the toolbox, bodge box & recovery card.My burfday too- Friday- hope yours pass' as convivially as I'm planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 And many happy returns to you to Mr Bickle. Just picked the Alfa up. Good grief! That noise!That aside, it drives beautifully, though there's a little graunchyness when pulling away which is a little concerning - though hard to complain at the money asked.Breakdown cover is a very good point. I don't have any currently - all my other cars have their own, separate cover and my wife has AA membership. Perhaps I'll just insist she joins me on every journey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
155V6 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice! These havent half disappeared off the roads rapidly. Shame they never built an estate versionI'd happily make do with this though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lobster Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 That looks a lovely thing!! Good luck with it, sadly Alfas are banned in the Lobster household these days otherwise I would love one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Nice - there's a feature in this month's Auto Italia mag comparing the 164, 166 and 159 V6's. Unfortunately the 164 on test needs some attention, such as a matching set of decent tyres, to get the best out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Excellent work, D_Wobbler!!I approve of these things, very cool.I wonder if I could sneak a late, hi-spec 166 past 'The Management' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Well, if I'm not too knackered, I might take it down to Beds for the Retro Rides meet tonight. I've had one hell of a week though, so I might just go to bed. I haven't actually got the thing home yesterday - it made it back to the office yesterday, but then I went off in something else, so I'm driving it home tonight.I do seem to have developed almost constant anxiety. Is this always the case with Alfas? I feel like it could massively fail at any moment... (I think the oil puddle it left last night is aiding this - though it seems to have stopped now!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 A bag of sawdust in the oil should do the trick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Well, it seems ok now after a thrash home. Oil pressure is spot on, still at max on the dipstick. There's definitely a leak, probably the cambelt tensioners, but as it's home, I've been able to play (though I got carried away, did other things and therefore didn't make the Retro Rides meet!).Key discovery was that the air con/heater unit was almost completely covered in leaves! Situation now resolved. Spent a while reading the manual too and discovered I've got lumbar adjustment on the front seats! Excellent. Makes up for the fact that the height adjustment (electric) doesn't work on either of them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Have sum moar pics. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2597403&id=640023199 Still needs a wash... Crikey, what a lot of leaves! (now cleared out) Cor, I'd better find out what all these mean... And find out what all these do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Fatha Ted's leaf suction machine for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Aye, would have been useful, and less painful than trying to ram my hand repeatedly into far too small a gap!First attack of HERITAGE this evening. First trip out in it with my wife and oh joy! The speedo jammed at 10mph. Thankfully, it resolved itself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Aye, would have been useful, and less painful than trying to ram my hand repeatedly into far too small a gap! too much information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 22, 2009 Author Share Posted May 22, 2009 Thankfully, I've safely avoided any more euphamisms.Yesterday, I buffed my Alfa really good - oh sod it. Euphamism avoidance FAIL! I did give it a clean and polish, and it's come up so nice that I didn't take a picture. Well, it was getting dark by the time I finished...Today is my birthday, so sensibly, after a hectic day at the office (where I got to drive a Nissan-powered FX4 Taxi auto thing - absolutely brilliant and recommended to anyone) I got home to find I had a spare moment or two. So, with a thermostat in the glovebox, I decided it would work better if actually fitted to the engine.I'd read plenty of horror stories of "ooh shit, I snapped the bolts and couldn't get the housing off" and "I do declare the need to remove hoses a right royal pain in the arse" so was a bit nervous, given by amazing ability to screw up even simple jobs (like changing the thermostat on the Mini - bolt snap = FAIL!). However, it proceeded very well indeed with everything coming apart nicely, and going back together sweetly too. RESULT! Now I no longer have to drive ten miles for the car to get up to temperature.However, there has been more HERITAGE. Every time I turn the climate control off, the Alfa dumps old leaves on my feet! I find this absolutely hilarious but I also spent some time vaccuming out the heater space under the bonnet. It still does it, but hopefully not for much longer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-M Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 However, there has been more HERITAGE. Every time I turn the climate control off, the Alfa dumps old leaves on my feet! I find this absolutely hilarious but I also spent some time vaccuming out the heater space under the bonnet. It still does it, but hopefully not for much longer...Good idea cleaning out the leaves. You really don't want to change the heater servo motors on a 164. There are plenty of them, and they tend to be broken. That's the only reason I gave up owning 'em. I spent a summer with the heater jammed on hot in my late 3.0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 22, 2009 Author Share Posted May 22, 2009 Yeah, (oh gawd...) I sucked out most of the leaves today, so hopefully there aren't many more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_W_Q4 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Lovely car the 164. I've had 3 including a '94 LHD Q4 4x4 with 6 speed Getrag manual I bought in Germany. It was fab but hugely complex - the viscous coupling is engaged by the same hydraulic loop as the power steering system. Worked perfect and amazing at for standing starts in the wet but there were so many hoses and connections underneath that I shit myself when they started to leak... The 12v auto is a beauty.3 Quirky rot prone areas you could check..4 x Jacking points. I had to get 2 of my 164's welded here. There's a cylindical head on a flat plate attached to the floor. When the jacking point is used the floor flexes and the flat plate doesn't, cracking the underseal. Water / salt gets in and rot spreads under the rubbery underseal. Looks fine until you come to use it..The sill at the point ahead of the rear wheel arch, right at the bottom. The rubber seal at the back of the rear door traps dirt and water, wears the paint off then starts rot. You have to get on your knees to see it because its right low on the angled face.Front and rear subframes. Especially the box section which intrudes into the front wheelarch. It makes a nice ledge for collecting road shite. My cloverleaf had a fistable hole that had to be patched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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