New car

[pompei]

I'm about to send back my financed car and start afresh with no loan and something I really want. I really fancy either an Alfa GTV twin spark or a Fiat coupe 20v turbo. Both can be had for under £2k and it seems a v good one for about £3k.Any experience of either of these? Thanks

[Mr Lobster]

Alfa Twin Spark engines are great but can be costly things to keep in fine fettle. Don't forget theres 8 spark plugs, each one costing something daft like £14. Variators fail surprisingly often and whilst not a problem in itself does make it sound very diesel-like. Potentially, an awful lot can go wrong and its all generally expensive and often main dealer only parts.Both can be good cars if you get a good one but even a good example can turn into a money pit. My 145 Cloverleaf was a proper full Alfa service history, all receipts from new example. Still ended up costing me a fortune. (in two years I replaced variator, cambelt & tensioner, PAS pump, PAS rack, water pump, radiator, Airflow meter, throttle position sensor and other stuff I can't remember now, met three RAC men and got recovered home twice. Happy days!)

[Timewaster]

Alfa Twin Spark engines are great but can be costly things to keep in fine fettle. Don't forget theres 8 spark plugs, each one costing something daft like £14. Variators fail surprisingly often and whilst not a problem in itself does make it sound very diesel-like.

Don't forget the cam belts! Not to be trusted past 30k

[chester drawers]

Did this onesell?

[outlaw118]

I looked at a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo before I bought the Volvo, and it was a bit "snug" in there...I'm 6ft and nigh on 20stone though, so a lot of things are. The rear seats looked comfortable enough, but I would suggest kidz only.What put me off was the insurance, and whilst I'm technically a bit of an old fart (39yo) they still wanted £400 more per year than I was paying on my old Astra 1800 16v sport estate.get a quote first, but to be honest I'd have the Fiat given the choice.Wasn't someone on here flogging one not so long ago? Miafioriman or fiatdaft?

[Arragonis]

Fiat Coupe can be cheap but cambelt replacement is quoted as 2 days as the motor has to come out - although some people have done it without.

[dollywobbler]

I'd not hesitate to choose the Fiat given the choice. The noise they make is truly addictive. Consider a 20V non-turbo though - plenty quick enough for most and a little less complexity to worry about.Engines are remarkably hardy, watch for knackered synchromesh, cambelts due replacement (even when done in situ, it's a costly job) and electrical worries (did someone mention red keys?). All cars have their issues though so as long as you accept that it might be cheap to buy, but you may need to spend money on servicing rather than company car tax, you're on a winner.

[chester drawers]

Wasn't someone on here flogging one not so long ago? Miafioriman or fiatdaft?

Did this one sell

Erm yes.Bloke here at work had one. Very nice it was too

[Volksy]

When I worked as a PDI inspector for Fiat/Alfa, I used to love the Coupe 20v/Turbo. Yes cambelts are a big job, the engine technically doesn't have to come out, but its a massive struggle of a job. The five cylinder warble is - as Mr Wobbler says - truly glorious, and they do seem like reasonably reliable lumps.

[pompei]

Thanks everyone - I am leaning towards the Fiat as it's probably a little more practical in terms of carrying capacity.The Fuhrer thinks I should go for the reliability of a 4th generation Honda Prelude but I think they are just, well, a little bland? (and not especially quick either unless in 2.2 mode and most of them seem to have ironside or paddle boxes) Though as someone once said, there's nothing particularly glamorous or exciting about being on the side of the road or waiting for the garage to fix it ...

[outlaw118]

I see you point; saying a Prelude is "a bit bland" is like saying Adolf Hitler was "a bit stroppy" or that Gordon Brown is "a bit of a twat".Chicks don't understand the fun of having something with "character" (faults).Good luck in finding a nice one, just make sure your AA/RAC is up to date.And always carry your Autoshite card with you, at least so one of us can arrive, suck air through their teeth, and say" it's fucked mate", then proceed to attempt to tow you home with the half reel of electrical flex they have in the back of the car.Probably.

[Gompo]

What are you looking for in the car. Admittedly both are quite similar. The GTV is meant to handle better but obviously slower.I was interested in both, albeit a GTV V6 not TS, went and had a look at a 20VT but wasnt overly impressed. I used to love the looks both inside and out but up close I kind of went off them, and although the leather etc is nice, it felt a little tacky. Out on the road it was quick enough in a straight line but it's handling seemed a bit boatlike - maybe just needed new dampers or something. In the end i decided i wanted something i could trust both in the bends and reliability stakes, but had to pay twice as much for it!If I wanted a cheap coupe I'd probably look at MR2s and Celicas, not as quick in non-turbo form but i think they'd be a better drive.

[scooters]

If it is to be your daily driver then reliability is key and because of this I would steer clear of the Alfas - cars one buys with ones heart rather than ones head.I think the Fiat Coupe represents excellent value and have seen 2 or 3 nice examples go on fleabay for under a grand recently. It is also a hooligan of a car that will eventually become a classic as it was one of the best sporting coupes of its generation (well one us proles could afford anyway)If you are being uber sensible the Fuhrer is right - Prelude would never let you down and they go for ever as well. Mind you it is also dull and a bit "saxo owner" if you know what I mean.If you don't mind keeping a grand of sea room on a credit card for the occassional big unbudgeted garage bill then I would go for the Fiat - a good compromise and with all the handling of a proper Italian unlike the Honda - more of a "straight line" coupe if you get me driftanyway good luck!

[Mike D]

i quite like the 4th gen Preludes, apart from the front lights! I looked seriously at buying one when i bought the MX6, but i didn't fit, i kept clacking my head on the top/side of the roof.I'd go for the Fiat personally, they are lovely looking cars

[Betaphile]

FWIW I think this is one of those decisions which is best settled by what you like best. For me, it's the Fiat - loved the looks ever since I first saw one, inside and out, and that pretty much settles it for me. It's also much more practical - the boot in particular on GTVs is a joke, as are the back seats, whereas the Fiat is serviceable on both counts. I also reckon the Fiat was a bit better built when it was new, but obviously the way they've been maintained will count for a lot more now. The fact that the GTV runs the Twin Spark engine wouldn't put me off - as long as there's evidence it's been maintained, they're quite strong units, in my experience a lot of the trouble with them boils down to abuse and crappy maintenance, like using the wrong-grade oil (saw a batch of 20 156s which needed head rebuilds because the genius Alfa dealer used the wrong grade). Fiat 5-pot is a bit more tolerant of abuse but neither really likes skipped services etc.

[Volksy]

I think a lot of the problems with the Twin Spark unit is, as Betaphile states, down to neglect. You have to remember that the GTV/Spyder and 156 were the cars that pretty much turned around Alfas fortunes in the UK. But with this it meant that many went into fleets and suffered there on in. For example the twinspark unit does use oil, try telling an Area Sales Manager to check this every couple of weeks. Isn't gonna happen! We had a number of TS powered cars rattling in between services, with the accompanying owner griping that his Audi/BMW/Ford never had these problems....