Sold 2001 Alfa 156 2.5 V6 - £375 - Norfolk

[wuvvum]

OK, I hadn't been expecting to be selling this on quite this quickly, but with the unexpected arrival of the Y10 on Saturday the fleet is over capacity again, and I'm starting to get dirty looks from the neighbours again.  I'd much rather sell the Perodua and / or the HR-V, but I'm not getting very far with either of those, so the Alfa is sadly going to have to move on.  I'd wanted to try a 156 V6 for a long time, and whilst I wouldn't say that the itch has been scratched (I'll be 6 feet under before I tire of hearing the snarl of a Busso V6 at full chat), I can at least technically tick it off the bucket list now.

 

The car, like most on here, is ex-Bramz, and latterly ex-HMC.  HMC carried out some improvements, including fitting a new steering wheel and gear knob to replace the rather tired leather originals, fitting a new intake pipe (off a 156 GTA no less) and thermostat, lubing up the gear linkage and carrying out an oil change.  It would also have a new air filter, but being the absent-minded twat that I am, I left the replacement filter in HMC's kitchen.

 

It drives lovely, the 6-speed gearbox is quiet and quite slick for an Alfa and the engine is a peach.  I'd not experienced the 2.5 Busso before (I'd had the 3.0 in a 166), and whilst it's very much an engine which gives its best in the upper reaches of its rev range, it's also surprisingly flexible, pulling quite smoothly uphill from 1200rpm in 5th.  And when you floor it it sounds horny as fuck.

 

The interior is pimptastic red leather and in pretty good condition overall.  All the electrics work as far as I can make out, although the (aftermarket) stereo is completely baffling (it's on Radio 3 at the moment and I'm leaving it there - I tried to turn the volume up once and it switched off and wouldn't turn back on again for half an hour, so I've left it well alone since then).  I'm sure it's just me being a luddite mind.

 

Bodywork is solid and looks good in metallic black, but does have a few scuffs / scratches etc, the worst of which is probably on the front bumper.  Tyres are all decent, albeit not high-end makes, but they seem to grip well enough.

 

It drove fine back from Devon to Norfolk, via my parents' place near Bristol (about 375 miles all in).  I didn't check the oil before I left but it was still on the maximum mark when I got home, which is a good sign.  There is a bit of a vibration over 70 so might need a wheel balancing, and an occasional clonk over larger bumps (the usual Alfa bushes), but otherwise I couldn't really fault it.  It did about 35mpg as well, which was mostly driving sensibly but with the occasional foot-to-the-floor moment because it would be rude not to.

 

Thanks to the marvel of efficiency that is today's DVLA, I already have the V5C in my name.  This and the driver's handbook are the only paperwork that comes with the car though - the MOT is to July but there's no certificate.  There's also no history, so no indication of when the cambelt was last done - I would assume it must have had at least one in its life as it's done 96K, but that is just an assumption.

 

Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Argh.  This looks utterly, utterly magnificent.  If I was in the market...

 

GLWTS!

[Broadsword]

That is a lot of red leather and chromed engine intake bits for £375. Sounds like a bargain if ever I heard one even with the lack of history!

[clayts450]

Oh my, that is truly tempting. Shame it's not the wagon to tick all my boxes.

 

Red leather.....V6....Alfa.....cambelt roulette.....what's not to like ?

[purplebargeken]

OFFS, wow.

[Six-cylinder]

PM sent

[lanciamatt]

Any pictures of the Y10

[BorniteIdentity]

PM sent

 

GRRRR!

 

 

Any pictures of the Y10

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/30553-the-new-news-24-thread/?view=findpost&p=1653339

[lanciamatt]

That looks nice, it's nice to see a few lancia owners on here

[PiperCub]

Haven't seen a white-hen for years, an under-rated car IMO. 

 

Liking the 156 - I had a V6 for just over a year, loved it. 

[sierraman]

That’s amazing for £375.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

These truelly are epic engines - as above - wagon and I'd be crawling over to rip your arm off...… i used to loop in the tunnels around Brussels just to hear the sound bouncing off the walls……. but I'm a sad git!

 

Wuvv! - clear your inbox dude!!!!

[lanciamatt]

Just a quick one, have you checked the earth points on the y10, this could be the cause of the warning lights on dash and speedo issue

[bramz7]

I would buy this back but I'd procrastinate about the belts forever so it's better with someone else.

[lanciamatt]

The cambelt isn't such a big problem. Most independent garages would probably be happy for the work

[jollyfkr2]

Did you win the Y10 at Anglia Car Auctions? A friend went and I asked him to bid to £500 so got very excited...turned out he forgot. Glad you've got it though, I really didn't need it!

[bangernomics]

That interior is splendid.

[Six-cylinder]

The cambelt isn't such a big problem. Most independent garages would probably be happy for the work

 

My experience is independents don't want to do it and our 156 V6 Sportswagon goes into the Alfa specialist in Northampton on Tuesday for a cambelt.

[forddeliveryboy]

Ooof. Lovely.

 

To put it in context - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-3-0-V6-CF3-ENGINE-DETAIL-SET-MADE-TO-ORDER-PLENUM-RUNNER-PIPES-COIL-COV/332775096881

[davehedgehog31]

What a time we're living in, where you can buy something like that for buttons in motoring terms. 

 

Worth that alone to polish the chrome and stroke the red leather.

 

Absolutely cannot increase fleet numbers at the moment, but this should sell absolutely no bother, surely.

[Split_Pin]

That is a flipping ace motor car, one of few where at no point in its design did the stylists go on holiday.

[bramz7]

Ahh I'm bored in a hotel room, trying to convince myself not to buy it back....

[wuvvum]

Did you win the Y10 at Anglia Car Auctions? A friend went and I asked him to bid to £500 so got very excited...turned out he forgot. Glad you've got it though, I really didn't need it!

Yup, that's the one.  It's a fun wee thing.  You're welcome to have a steer if you're ever up this way.

[wuvvum]

Thanks to whoever changed the tag to Sold - saved me the effort...

[purplebargeken]

Thank fuck for that

[flat4alfa]

I missed out on this.  Did it stay in the fold?

[Bucketeer]

It's now in the six_cylinder family.

[Six-cylinder]

Yes, some greedy bugger has bought all the 156 V6s on the forum!

 

It has broken, been fixed and back on the road.

 

Now the problem is I have also bought the black S Type Jaguar!

[anonymous user]

Well if the Jaguar is a problem.........

 

Let's just say that was one of the few ruffles I entered where I wouldn't have minded winning

[flat4alfa]

Well if the Alfa saloon is in the way

 

And you're only in the next county

 

I could be persuaded

 

To rehome it

 

Even if on a temporary basis