Fiat Marea Weekend 2.4 jtd.

[dave21478]

Are these any good? iirc someone on here has one?

 

The 2.4 five cylinder must make it quite a powerful car?

Whats the tow weight? I cant find anything online. An Alfa 156 with the same motor can apparently pull 1400kgs so I guess this shouldnt be too far off that?

How easy/bad is the timing belt to change?

Anything else I should know? mileage is about 160k miles.

 

Cheers.

[purplebargeken]

All I know is that they look quite decent. Sorry.

[chaseracer]

Don't you have to replace the cam belt through the passenger's air vent, or something equally Citroenesque?

 

Otherwise: as above.  Sorry again...

[spike60]

I had a 10v 140 bhp 156 JTD some years ago, it's fair to say despite having had 4 Alfas we didn't hit it off. Strong engine that went really well at low revs, belt ok to change and long interval, clutch weak and a shit to change. It ate loads of bits bolted on, like aux tensioners, intake pipes, exhaust flexi, - you get the picture. Final straw was a £223 engine mounting, available from Autolusso(?) £71 + post 2nd hand. Engine was good, it was just the bits Alfa bolted to it.

[worldofceri]

Vin is the man with the knowledge on these.

 

I had a 1.6 pez, which was shit in most quantifiable ways. I quite liked it. Nifty foldy-down bit at the bottom of the tailgate was nifty.

[Dave_Q]

Yeah Vin's got one, there are a few with Alfas with the same engine.

 

Cambelt isn't meant to be too bad, no special tools needed it's just a bit close to the inner wing, fairly standard FWD fare.

 

Flywheel is a DMF job in the Alfa so presumably is in the Marea, the cost of clutch + DMF plus the fact it's an arse of a job with subframes out etc (in the Alfa) means that a clutch job will cost the value of the car if you're paying someone to do it.

[flat4alfa]

I had a 10v 140 bhp 156 JTD some years ago, it's fair to say despite having had 4 Alfas we didn't hit it off. Strong engine that went really well at low revs, belt ok to change and long interval, clutch weak and a shit to change. It ate loads of bits bolted on, like aux tensioners, intake pipes, exhaust flexi, - you get the picture. Final straw was a £223 engine mounting, available from Autolusso(?) £71 + post 2nd hand. Engine was good, it was just the bits Alfa bolted to it.

 

Haven't had anything like that trouble with mine.  Owned it as a daily since 2009

[spike60]

I'm not anti Alfa, I've had 4 and would have another but for whatever reason that was a major pain in the ring. It got changed for an older higher miles 3.2 petrol Merc that cost less to run!

[wuvvum]

I had a Marea Weekend 2.4 JTD 130 a few years back.  It was a PITA to be honest, but that's because the previous owner's missus had run it out of fuel and sucked a load of gunge into the fuel lines, which kept blocking the filter.  Taking the filter off and cleaning it led to normal (and pretty fugging impressive) performance being restored.  They also sound rather good for a diesel.

 

Main issues (from my point of view) are crap turning circle (5 pot cars are much worse here than the smaller-engined versions), jiggly ride, panels with an almost Maxus-like propensity to attract dents, and occasional immobiliser issues that all that generation of Fiats seemed to suffer with.  Plus, as has been said, cambelts are a bit of an arsehole to change - probably worse in the Marea than the 156 as it's a smaller car (it's basically Focus estate sized, despite being marketed as a Mondeo rival).

[Noel Tidybeard]

weather conditions so bad in Frenchland that its easier for dave numbers to look for another car than get the others out of parking place!

[dave21478]

^^^ talk about rapid changes in the weather, im sitting here in shorts and t-shirt nursing a bastard of a sunburn on the top of my head. 

Weird.

 

 

Anyway, This Marea is for sale at a nearby* garage. 

The Escort estate is still doing sterling service, but I just fancy a change.

I will try and get a look at the Fiat before the end of the week, thanks for the advice everyone.

[rantingYoof]

...crap turning circle (5 pot cars are much worse here than the smaller-engined versions)....

True of all 5-potters? My S60 has a worse turning circle than the LS400....

[stephen01]

Had  a couple of Petrol 5 pot weekends, great cars, and an awesome sound. even the diesel sound nice. I'd have another..

[HH-R]

These had an almost sub-Vauxhall quality interior, expect it to be pretty knackered inside. Weird rubbery plastic aplenty.

[dave21478]

meh.

Apparently "timing belt needs done" actually means "timing belt has snapped and it needs an engine rebuild."

 

A grand for a non-runner?  Welcome to France.

[stripped fred]

Why are cars more expensive over there?

[rainagain]

Ouch!

[Richard]

True of all 5-potters? My S60 has a worse turning circle than the LS400....

Not all 5 potters. The 850 and Ph1 x70 have a decent enough turning circle by fwd standards.

[stripped fred]

Found this article which answered my own question. France doesn't sound very shite friendly! http://anglophone-direct.com/buying-a-second-hand-car-in-france/

[stripped fred]

Regarding turning circles my 156 with the 2.4jtd engine was dire and frustrating in a tight car park.

[flat4alfa]

Why are cars more expensive over there?

 

They don't have anything like our throw-away company car lease mindset

 

Private buyers tend to keep cars in the family for years

[outlaw118]

 

 

my 156 with the 2.4jtd engine was dire and frustrating in a tight car park.

yes it is pretty much the worst thing about it. You did warn me to be fair....

 

Fortunately I've had to do nothing under the bonnet on my/SF's 156, but it doesn't look like much fun mainly due to space constraints. She needs a new main beam bulb, which Halfrauds are going to do, so I can get my money's worth out of the  Â£1.99's worth of fitting charge ....

 

On the other hand, it goes well (NOSMOKENOPOKEYO) and Tuesady a leisurely ride to Luton Airport and back say just over 51mpg on the trip computer. Even if I drive it like I stole it, it rarely dips below 35 - something THAT SPANISH BASTARD would strugglr to meet, even on a long run.

[cros]

This isn't strictly Fiaty, but coming back from Spain the other week I got talking to a transporter driver who exclusively shifts ex-pat's cars, often coming back to the UK just to be mot'ed. He said that it's because of the cost of decent stuff in Spain, and the difficulty of shoving UK cars through their test. At £600 a time people must have money to burn.