Info only - what do we think of AR 156 2.0 T Sparks

[purplebargeken]

Just thinking out loud really.

 

Obv cambelt history. What about such jobs as top front steering arms and track rod ends. They seem pretty straightforward to do.

 

Anything else?

 

Cheers

[michael1703]

DO NOT BUY ANYMORE CARS

 

GET TRIUMPH ON ROAD FIRST!

[Sealtainn]

Fantastic motors, loved our Sportwagon. Alfa changed the rules on the cambelts - now changed every 36,000 miles !!

Had it for 10 months and it needed nothing except fuel. Lovely place to be with the leather interior and felt so much more expensive than the £750 it cost. I had the cambelt & balancer ect changed at an Alfa specialist for approx. 40% of the price of getting Alfa to do it.

[crapcarcollector]

I LOVE ALFAS.

 

They a beautiful place to breakdown. (actually, I you look after them they don't do that half as much as people will have you believe)

 

You have to keep on top of checking the oil weekly. They use oil as part of normal use and as such run low and die. Then people shout how shit they are. They're not.

[Tamworthbay]

Alfa and cheap, what's not to love?

[purplebargeken]

Triumph will be done soon, almost finished from my perspective

 

Just needs rocker cover gasket fitting, plugs fitting, oil change and filter change.

 

Bolt down the front seats and fit the front side-lights. Cut off the rear bumper ends and fit replacements.

 

She is already insured, just needing a bit of welding, maybe 2 days worth at that.

 

 

Bills here have been sorted too

 

An Alfa is an itch tbh. Very tempting as it is currently very cheap and needs TRE's and upper arms doing.

[nacho man]

Check for a Fred Flintstone style floor.

[purplebargeken]

It looks like Sealtains but obviously not a Sportswagen. 

[purplebargeken]

Alfa specialist in Royston do the cambelt and bits for 300 quid fitted. Not too bad really.

[Bren]

Rust where you cannot see it.

 

Mainly floorpan as it is only liberally protected.

[Bren]

Oh and they guzzle selenia.

 

Regular checks and carry 1L in the boot for top ups.

[purplebargeken]

Thought these were galvanised? Obviously it has its limits. 

 

Yep, heard about the oil thirst.

[spike60]

As well as the belt the variator which mounts on the end of the cam can rattle, tell tale is a rattle that abruptly stops at 2500 rpm when the oil gallery to it opens. Last one cost me about £110, belts off to do though. TS is a nice engine to drive.

[Bear]

Think of 'em?

Nice to look at, lovely to drive, miserable to own on a bangernomics budget.

 

I've got a spare leather driver's seat for one here.

[Timewaster]

DO NOT BUY ANYMORE CARS

 

GET TRIUMPH ON ROAD FIRST!

Are you my conscience?

[beko1987]

See, you shouldnt have driven breadvans! You must have driven the scenic route to the parts shop, you were ages!

[purplebargeken]

I know, that was my downfall

 

We had to go to several parts shops

 

There was one particular left hander........

[beko1987]

Its a good left hander. Ive taken it at 45mph before but did shit myself halfway through...

[Six-cylinder]

This was my last 156 saloon I loved it but I did have to have some welding done.

[Six-cylinder]

And if anybody remembers yes I have still got the ex breadvan 156 Sportswagon V6, it is currently with an Alfa specialist being checked out.

[sporty-shite]

Do it.

[purplebargeken]

I took the corner at about 60. Tyre squeal was nice. 

 

Trouble is they are so lovely looking and BV's Sportswagen was ace despite its issues. 

[stripped fred]

I would only go for a pre facelift model that's been well looked after. My ex has a 2000 model 2.4jtd and it's been great. Has only required normal servicing. She's had no other problems with it apart from the odd suspension bush. We did have the underside waxoyled when we first had it about 7 years ago. The 2004 156 I bought is a facelift model with the 20v 2.4 engine. It has cost me £2kish mainly suspension and a big bill for the clutch and dmf. It has also depreciated quite badly as no-one will pay much for them.

[purplebargeken]

There is a 2000 car that has caught my eye. I am awaiting more info.

 

This may or may not end in tears. 

[PiperCub]

Loved my V6 but would buy a T/S next time I just prefer them.

Oil thirst is normal - about 1l every 1K is OK.

Rust - floorpan and boot at the rear edge where the spare wheel well is amd the rear parts of the sill underneath (that's where mine went on the N/S).

Cambelts not to hard to do and a bloody sight easier than the V6! Glad the p/o had done mine.

If maintained reasonably then way more reliable that the Alfa doom-sayers claim (you know the ones - they are real, proper AR experts but have never owned one, however they know someone who's brother's neighbour had one 30 years ago and he said they were shite....).

[philibusmo]

I had one of these for about 6 months a couple of years back, a really early 1998 model which cost £370 and was bought sight unseen on eBay. Everything that could be wrong with it was wrong with it, but despite that I still absolutely loved it and would buy another tomorrow.

 

Things to watch out for:

 

The Selespeed automatic - avoid it like you would a Laguna diesel auto, the manual box however is a joy to use.

 

The MAF sensor gets dirty and the car ends up running terribly. Often these can be cleaned off with electrical contact cleaner and a cotton bud but if it is faulty don't bother getting a cheap pattern part as they don't last.

 

If the car doesn't get up to temperature and the heater is rubbish then the thermostat is likely borked. It's a fairly expensive part but easy to change.

 

Front suspension bushes are practically service items. It's usually ARB drop links and upper wishbones that need replacement first but are both reasonably straight forward. Uprated drop links are available for £notmuch and are worth having. Track rod ends are easy.

 

The bush to really look out for is the front anti roll bar mounts as to reach them you have to start dropping sub frames. This one was clonking on mine so I studiously ignored it.

 

The rear suspension arms get bent by people bouncing them of rocks, kerbs, jacking up on them and generally doing other dip shit manouvers. These are reasonably easy to replace as long as everything isn't ceased. Expect everything to be ceased.

 

The engine does use oil, keep a bit for top ups.

 

Cam belt should be changed every 36,000 miles or every 3 years. This includes the tensioners and the balance belt. It's can be done DIY but requires special cam locking tools the variator can also be changed at this point. If this is did then it will sound a bit like a diesel at idle.ideally look for one with a recent documented belt change as this can get expensive.

 

The interior is a nice place to sit and I found it very comfy. If the airbag light is on then its probably the airbag ECU at fault. Located behind the centre console, its easy to change but you have to get one with the correct serial number for it to work, even then it sometimes needs to be plugged in to get the light off.

 

The rear electric windows get stuck if the runners are not kept greased. This I'm turn kills the motors.

 

Wiper linkages wear out and the wipers start flopping around and hitting the screen surrounds. Theres a little electronics box attached to the wipers which can also die an untimely death. Then the wipers won't work or won't self park.

 

Air con will 'only need a re-gas'

 

The floor can rot out, but is more common on later ones. Early ones have a tendency to get small patches of rot at the front edge of the roof around the windscreen.

 

The rear seat doesn't fold down on saloons, but you do get a ski hatch. If the back seat is wet then you will either have leaky door seals or the seal around the rear screen is knackered.

 

Don't drive through big puddles as the air intake is sat down low behind the bumper on the passenger side.

 

If it needs spark plugs any time soon then remember that there is 8 of them to change - hence twin spark.

 

The front badge always fades badly but is easy to replace.

 

The standard radio cassette sounds fairly good but people loose the codes with surprising regularity.

 

While the above does seem like a pretty horrendous list, I can assure you that for all of the above to apply you will have to buy a really rough one, like I did. Mine didn't break down at all, was comfy and soaked up miles really well. Also I've not known a sensible saloon car that handles so positively, loves to be revved so much and makes every drive feel a bit special.

 

I spent many coins on getting mine right and then sold it almost immediately for a massive loss when it had been made a good one. I would definitely own one again without a shadow of a doubt, but I would be a bit more choosy next time.

[Barry Cade]

Only 2 litres have balance belts. I don't replace them after doing the cambelt, locked the pulleys and noticed exactly zero difference. None of my Alfas- 145,146,Giulietta,GTv and GTV have used anymore oil than I would expect. I of the GTv's needed a top up about every 800 miles, but that was just half a litre.

 

My top tip. Only EVER buy an Alfa from an Alfa enthusiast. Someone who understands them, and doesn't just see it as cheap wheels.

[srad34]

I have owned two 156 TS, first one a '00, it was very nice, only sold due to getting a company car  and second one when I changed jobs, both were great to drive and easy to maintain. Approx 25-35mpg

 

First one was enthusiast owned and it showed, second one needed TLC, but bits are cheap. Leather wears really well and as long as you keep your eye on the oil and do the belts, good to go.....   

[Taff]

that dashboard is a looker, isn't it? Anyway to squeeze 45mpg out of an alfa with that dashboard?

[philibusmo]

You could get one with a cam belt that has snapped and replace the engine with a perkins prima or whatever but an Alfa with a diesel seems wrong on every possible level.