Country Left Speechless as Phil Buys Modern Car.

[skattrd]

I've not read the listing, but if there isn't history of cambelt etc being done within the last 30k then it needs to be done.

 

As said, looks like a bargain and they are nice to drive.

[skattrd]

I've not read the listing, but if there isn't history of cambelt etc being done within the last 30k then it needs to be done.

 

As said, looks like a bargain and they are nice to drive.

[vulgalour]

I don't understand how a car that new with that much MoT is that little to buy. Crazy.

[vulgalour]

I don't understand how a car that new with that much MoT is that little to buy. Crazy.

[phil_lihp]

Modern, desirable and probably unreliable? Alfa 156 Ftw.

 

Actually I have no idea, just enjoying this thread

 

What do I win?

 

That is a top bargain, you can't really go wrong getting so much for so little.

[phil_lihp]

Modern, desirable and probably unreliable? Alfa 156 Ftw.

 

Actually I have no idea, just enjoying this thread

 

What do I win?

 

That is a top bargain, you can't really go wrong getting so much for so little.

[Timewaster]

cambelt needs to be done.

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

 

One for each valve

[Timewaster]

cambelt needs to be done.

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

 

One for each valve

[Spiny Norman]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

I refuse to believe they go as often as the bar-room experts will say they do.

 

Looks nice though, bargain at that price.

[Spiny Norman]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

I refuse to believe they go as often as the bar-room experts will say they do.

 

Looks nice though, bargain at that price.

[Timewaster]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

I refuse to believe they go as often as the bar-room experts will say they do.

 

Looks nice though, bargain at that price.

 

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore (There was a bit of an epidemic of dead 156s at the time) but I suppose you are right if you are paying out for someone else to do it then I'd probably risk it.

[Timewaster]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

I refuse to believe they go as often as the bar-room experts will say they do.

 

Looks nice though, bargain at that price.

 

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore (There was a bit of an epidemic of dead 156s at the time) but I suppose you are right if you are paying out for someone else to do it then I'd probably risk it.

[philibusmo]

I think I'll chance it for a bit, if I still have it in 6 months time and don't intend on selling it then I will consider getting the cam belt done if it looks way to much trouble to do myself.

That's if it hasn't already been done, it's sight unseen, that service history may include recent cam belt if I'm lucky.

[philibusmo]

I think I'll chance it for a bit, if I still have it in 6 months time and don't intend on selling it then I will consider getting the cam belt done if it looks way to much trouble to do myself.

That's if it hasn't already been done, it's sight unseen, that service history may include recent cam belt if I'm lucky.

[Timewaster]

Lucky? You just scored a working alfa for under £400 with a years ticket. How much bloody luck do you want?!

[Timewaster]

Lucky? You just scored a working alfa for under £400 with a years ticket. How much bloody luck do you want?!

[Spiny Norman]

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore...

 

What I was told by my Alfa guy was that the issue wasn't actually the belts or even the design that led to foobar, but the tensioners had a habit of letting go, causing massive slippage.

[Spiny Norman]

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore...

 

What I was told by my Alfa guy was that the issue wasn't actually the belts or even the design that led to foobar, but the tensioners had a habit of letting go, causing massive slippage.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

 

Good thinking that. If it grenades itself, you can probably get £250 in scrap and a couple of easy-to-remove bits. Paying another £300 to get it done just doesn't make economic sense.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

 

cambelt needs to be done

cambelt needs to be done

etc...

 

To be honest for a £360 outlay I wouldn't bother. A belt change would double the cost of the car quite easily unless you can DIY.

 

Good thinking that. If it grenades itself, you can probably get £250 in scrap and a couple of easy-to-remove bits. Paying another £300 to get it done just doesn't make economic sense.

[wuvvum]

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore...

 

What I was told by my Alfa guy was that the issue wasn't actually the belts or even the design that led to foobar, but the tensioners had a habit of letting go, causing massive slippage.

Tensioners can be rather shite on these. The other thing that happens on the 2-litre engines is that the balancer shaft belt lets go and takes the timing belt with it. As others have said though, unless you can do it yourself (and it is possible - ISTR Reverend Bluejeans of this parish has Alfa cambelt changes down to a fine art) it's probably not worth bothering with for what you've paid for the car. My first 166 was way past due for a cambelt change and that never gave me any grief.

[wuvvum]

I think they slip or strip rather than snap. The expert I got this from worked for Gates rather than a bar room bore...

 

What I was told by my Alfa guy was that the issue wasn't actually the belts or even the design that led to foobar, but the tensioners had a habit of letting go, causing massive slippage.

Tensioners can be rather shite on these. The other thing that happens on the 2-litre engines is that the balancer shaft belt lets go and takes the timing belt with it. As others have said though, unless you can do it yourself (and it is possible - ISTR Reverend Bluejeans of this parish has Alfa cambelt changes down to a fine art) it's probably not worth bothering with for what you've paid for the car. My first 166 was way past due for a cambelt change and that never gave me any grief.

[Barry Cade]

Best thing to do is cut the balance belt off and run without it- I do this with all my Alfa's and notice no difference. cambelt is straightforward to DIY but you need Cam locks at the minimum.

[Barry Cade]

Best thing to do is cut the balance belt off and run without it- I do this with all my Alfa's and notice no difference. cambelt is straightforward to DIY but you need Cam locks at the minimum.

[philibusmo]

Trust me to buy this from the only dealer who doesn't work Saturdays when I work 9-5 or 10-6 Monday to Friday. This may be a little more difficult to collect than I planned, unless I catch whooping cough for a day.

[philibusmo]

Trust me to buy this from the only dealer who doesn't work Saturdays when I work 9-5 or 10-6 Monday to Friday. This may be a little more difficult to collect than I planned, unless I catch whooping cough for a day.

[philibusmo]

Picked this up today.

If I had to describe it in 1 word it would be 'shonky'.

If I had to describe it in 2 words it would be 'fucking brilliant'.

After a complete saga of events in just trying to work out a date and time to pick this up we settled on this evening and had it all arranged so that I would turn up after work, he would hand over the keys and I'd load it onto my mates transporter and be on my merry way.

Today I arrived at 5.50 at minge-bag motors on the edge of Dartmoor to find it had shut up shop for the day and the owner had gone home. We had arranged to meet at 5.45 but due to traffic I was 5 minutes late. Apparently this was not acceptable. There was my lightly scruffy Alfa sat there next to a Ka with more lacquer peal than good paint and a Vectra that looked like it had been sat in the woods for five years. There was also a large selection of nearside front doors from a variety of different models in a big pile.

Luckily a random man with chronic pneumonia happened to be dropping off some shopping at his next door hut when I arrived ans he had the guys phone number and the keys to get into the porta-cabin that served as an office. He gave the seller a call who confirmed it had been paid for so we headed into the 'office' to grab the V5. With the V5 and keys found for the 156 I set off down the lane so the transporter wouldn't have to try and reverse the mile up the tight windy lane.

While I was waiting for it to turn up I had a check of all the electrics and amazingly it all works, even the rear electric windows. I also flicked through the 'service history' which is sparse and shows some wiper blades and tyres been changed and the cam belt and associated do-hickys being changed about 32000 miles ago, or to put it another way; the amount of miles that means it needs doing now. The actual service book I wasn't able to find in my brief search of the car.

After a good going over it became apparent that the car is really dirty (like it looks like the previous owner may have used it to keep chickens in) but is otherwise in good, original condition, it even has its original working radio cassette. The bodywork is not so special with a scuff on every corner and more scuffs on the bits in-between the corners. Nothing a bit of T-cut can't attempt to buff out though.

Here are a few quick pictures I managed to snap of it while I was waiting, they do it justice except for the panel gaps which look no-where near as bad in real life.

Now to wait until mid-October when the insurance runs out on the Hyundai (if it hasn't sold by then) at which point that will be heading for evilbay and the new policy will be getting slapped onto this. I look forward to it.

[Spiny Norman]

Looks like it's missing the little bonnet stop on the nearside. My bonnet was a bit low at one side till I found another 156 at the auction and one just happened to fall off in my hand....

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It's worth doing the belt - they're not hard. You can take two views on it:

 

a) Get all the cam locks, dial gauge for TDC and do it to the book.

 

Realise that actually, it idles well and goes all right. Fuck it then, the cam timing must be alright. Get it to TDC with a screwdriver down No.1 plug hole, carefully mark it all up with tipex and change the belt. Before the new belt, whip the tensioner off and see if it's a bit growly. Either a new one, or flip the seals out, wash out the old grease with brake cleaner, dry it out and repack the thing with fresh LM grease. On balance, a new tensioner isn't dear, so......

 

You can leave the balance shaft belt off - I wouldn't because I like things to work as they should but I've seen them where the belts come off and there's precious little difference. The 1.6 and 1.8's didn't have them.

 

At 32'000, it's ready for a new one. For the sake of 40 quid for a belt kit and some choice language, you might as well ensure the bugger lasts a year. Keep an eye on the oil level as well as 156's do like to use the stuff and iirc, they don't have an oil level sensor in the sump like the old Alfa twin cams did.

[AnthonyG]

That looks pretty good for £350 or whatever you got in for in the end.

 

If it was a Vectra, Mondeo etc I wouldn't be bothered with the belt either, but if you decide you like it (which it sounds like you do), a belt change must be worth it?

 

Alright if it goes you can scrap it and get another one, but the next one might be a heap of shit, a lot of people who subscribe to this philosophy just end up buying one nearly time expired heap after another, with all the attendant hassle.

 

Until they buy an old Volvo 740, which they end up keeping for about 7 years as they are very hard to kill.