Alfa 166 V6 No longer for sale

[HMC]

These have been on my shite to try list for some time. I knew it had to have a Busso V6 and a manual transmission. The body it was wrapped in was another matter. For my beer money budget it was always going to be a 156/166/GTV. I would have liked an alfa 6 but they are no longer beer money motors. For some reason the GTV coupe never interested me and although the 156 was far more popular (and probably the better car) something about the commercial failure, unusual looks and general underdog vibe of the 166 appealled.

 

 

This cropped up locally, and seemed honest enough, with a fat file of paperwork with a fully stamped service book and what not...

 

I picked it up today, after a quick checkover for impending meltdown headed out to grab a coffee, some 95ron and a money shot...

 

First impressions are its big, red (or reddy pink) and for these days has quite a glitzy looking engine bay.....

 

 

The displacement and configuration of the engine also deemed necessary 3 separate badges on the rump...

 

 

The drive back was over some varied moorland roads. For a car this size, and especially given its now 15 years and 180k miles old, it drove brilliantly. There's a firm edge to the ride but the balance between that and body control and handling is impressive even in this old knacker. I put down the torque steer to front covers past their best and the fact I turned off the traction control as it was annoying me. I sound sad but the sound of the engine made me smile and I admit I was unnecessarily blipping the throttle on downshifts at times. Never mind. After The first bit of trim fell off I got a grip.

 

 

It was a nice day out on Dartmoor with few people about and autumnal colour everywhere

 

 

 

Had some of the horses escaped?

 

The effect of time and use on the paint is interesting. The quality of the finish has held up very well; The laquer is still there and from what I can see its not had any paint in its life. But the paint itself seems to be either soft or brittle- its got quite bad stone chip rash over the front end and the finish has chipped off all over the place roung the drivers door apeture.

 

Apart from that the other thing I noticed was that someones had the leather seats out of it and put cloth in instead, yet left the door cards and under dash trim. I am I bovvered? not at all, in fact I prefer it, but it was a good further bargaining point. I was perhaps a little too quick to swallow the italian electric pub lore- as I warily thumbed the central display thing on the dash. It seemed unnecessarily complicated as it does the heating, ventillation and radio.......

 

 

But it still works perfectly, as does another nice feature for a Winter hack...

 

So overall I'm really pleased with my WBOD- even if the car itself looks the opposite...

 

Y U R SAD?

[Craig the Princess]

Great work, always liked these.

 

I await the roffle with interest.

[stripped fred]

That lokks nice and perfect for the winter. Well bought. I've still not quite worked out the heating controls on my 156!

[dollywobbler]

Am I right in thinking these have a pantograph driver's wiper? Dreadful looks I reckon, especially compared to the grace of the 164 and 156. Not that this matters from the driver's seat. Envious.

[beko1987]

Fucking beautiful! Glad youve got one, we can have an honest report on reliability on it now...

[Cavcraft]

Love these, ace fun to drive. Well bought.

[carlo]

I think these are very good looking!  

 

Have been tempted in the past, but Alfa + automatic gearboxes don't seem to go well together.

[oldcars]

Very nice. I would have a look at the cv gator may need replaced, and waxoil up the from crossmember as it has a little surface rust 

[Timewaster]

Not a proper petrol head unless you have owned yadda yadda yadda.......

[Bobthebeard]

Have you driven it through a tunnel yet?

[KruJoe]

These have been on my shite to try list for some time... a Busso V6... 156/166/GTV.

 

Me too! As I've said before, we seem to have very similar lists. My turn-over is much slower though. "Well jell".

 

 

body control and handling is impressive

 

That's because these have a mind-boggling suspension arrangement...

I pity the fool who needs a set of bushes for the test!

[wuvvum]

How do these go with the 2.5? I've had three 166s, but two were 2 litre twin sparks and the other was a full fat free leetah .

[DVee8]

Bloody lovely this will be a popular raffle when the time comes.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I don't know how I've managed to avoid one of these.

If I did,I just know I couldn't resist....

 

Just sayin' like.

[cort16]

They are nice cars I had s 3 litre lusso with the manual box. Epic torque steer and a great noise is what I remember . I think they look great other than the front, which is a bit pinched.

The rear suspension is an insanely complex setup with camber arms and all that it looked pretty scary. I thought it felt properly quick god only knows what a 156 or 147 GTA is like.

[purplebargeken]

Fuck yeah

[billyboy406v6]

Nice purchase, but fear those marks under front grill are from frequent opening of bonnet to fix it ?

[cort16]

It's impossible not to enjoy owning it as long as it keeps running and you can embrace the fact that small things will probably break all the time.

I had constant battles with door locks, bonnet cables and boot latches.

[RobT]

Great stuff, looks nice that Matthew. A big engined WBoD is a good idea, might do the same!

[outlaw118]

I've been looking at these too, always thought they were a cracking looking thing (except for teh sad face - improved on the multi-light facelift)

 

Hope it remains a good 'un, just to prove "bloke in the pub" RONG.

[D Spares & Tyres]

That's a nice car ☺

 

WBOD?

[Timewaster]

Well Bought Or Disaster?

[D Spares & Tyres]

Thanks. I would say probably well bought if it was cheap

 

Probably not so well bought for the first owner. How much you reckon he lost on it?

[Timewaster]

Sorry Tom, I was taking the piss.

 

I think it is officially a Winter Beater Of Doom.

 

Mine makes more senses if you ask me.

[robinmasters]

Me too! As I've said before, we seem to have very similar lists. My turn-over is much slower though. "Well jell".

 

 

 

 

That's because these have a mind-boggling suspension arrangement...

I pity the fool who needs a set of bushes for the test!

Have you superimposed a second picture of a cars suspension over that??

[brownnova]

Super buy! I've also always fancied one of these!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My mate Alan has one of these, looks tidy but he reckons 'the rear suspension has seized up'. I thought 'yeah right' but when I had a fanny about with it, it was rock hard and seemingly that can happen, the entire lot seizes solid!!! Brilliant

[stripped fred]

I thought it was winter beater of distinction rather than doom. Slightly more positive!

[HMC]

How do these go with the 2.5? I've had three 166s, but two were 2 litre twin sparks and the other was a full fat free leetah .

 

Apparently they are noticably down on mid range torque. That said they are supposed to be freer revving and certainly from 4-7000rpm its torquesteertastically gutsy. Reminds me, better go shopping for those front tyres as theyre well past their best.

 

Am I right in thinking these have a pantograph driver's wiper? Dreadful looks I reckon, especially compared to the grace of the 164 and 156. Not that this matters from the driver's seat. Envious.

 

Correct, and correct. The unusual front 3/4 view doesnt seem particularly well resolved, but strangely I like it all the more for it being a bid odd. Stranger still it was no rush job- it had a long gestation as it was due to be put into production before the 156 before a late change of plans.

 

Also its shows how reputations are hard to lose- at work most people with some degree of interest in cars have asked if all the electrics work (all of them, touch wood) and how rusty is it? (considerably less than your similarly aged merc I think you will find) Actually looking at this 15 year old Alfa  its astonishing the progress made at the Rivalta Di Torino body plant. 15 years before this rolled off the line, it was turning out Fiat 128s which were'nt exactly well known for their longevity. Meanwhile this 166 has virtually no body corrosion (save for a crusty looking radiator support panel)

 

I've been reading up and I was wrong in assuming that someone had nicked the leather seats out of it. Most other manufacturers match the upholstered part of the door card and centre console sides to the seat material. But Alfa 166s, for reasons unknown, have pleated leather or at least leather effect vinyl inserts on the doors and console even when the seats are velour. Odd.

[purplebargeken]

Nice, nice, nice and nice.