Saturday morning shenanigans

[Flat4]

There are very few reasons why I'd be awake earlier than a work day, on my day off and one of those reasons is a car I've wanted for about 15 years now, according to my FB memories. Today is the day!

Breakfast was a pain au chocolat and some lemonade. PC 0 and will hopefully remain that way after a dodgy takeaway on Thursday night....

[beko1987]

Chod speed!

[big_al_granvia]

chodspeed ya nutter

[Flat4]

First and only mode of transport for today - the mighty Jag!

[Flat4]

Quick pitstop at Annandale Water to refuel the human then onwards to destination 😁

[Flat4]

Saying goodbye to the Jag and PXing with a well known forum member 😉

[Flat4]

Going home in my new toy 😁

[Schaefft]

Bon voyage, I hope the Alfa will treat you well!

[Six-cylinder]

156's are such beautiful looking cars and a delight to drive.

10 years ago we bought a V6 Sportswagon as a extra car, Mrs6C and I argued about who's turn it was to drive it and I bought my own 156 V6 saloon so we had his and hers 156s. Our mileage is tiny compared to what it used to be so we are now down to the original Sportswagon.

[big_al_granvia]

that is a sexy motor, the offset front plate to show the nose, the lights like eyes and the curves, nothing is straight its all curve. It looks designed by someone who wanted it to look good. Hope it drives as good as it looks

[eddyramrod]

I've always thought so!  I've been nursing a quiet "want" for a 156 for nearly 30 years.  Trouble is, for most of that time I could never afford one; now it seems there's a combination of factors conspiring against me ever having one:

They rust.  They're Italian, it's the national sport.

Manual box is allegedly sublime, but I hate manual on principle.  However...

Auto box is allegedly shit.  Dammit.

If one shows up on here for sale, it's usually diesel.  I'm not doing diesel, simples.

Most of them seem to be in ugly non-colours.

Ah well, never mind.  Different strokes etc.  @Flat4 I hope it makes you very very happy.  It looks gorgeous.

[Tickman]

Loved the one I got from @320touring until it got scrapped.

I did look at putting it through an MOT until I looked under it and wondered how dodgy the one on it was.

Enjoy it, they are ace.

[hairnet]

nearly thought omg from the first pic

 

[Snipes]

Teasing us with Corona Exiv content!

[Flat4]

Just taken it a wee hoon down the A68 to meet a mate for lunch before I head home - fuck me, @Schaefft wasn't joking when he said it pulls well! 😆 The low down torque is plentiful and very easy to use. I was a bit worried I was selling the wrong car when the chap in the petrol station was telling me how nice the Jag was but I think I shall enjoy the Alfa even more 😁 This is my first one so I am now a proper petrolhead 😉

[Flat4]

Also the roads out here around Northumberland/Durham are absolutely glorious! Perfect place for a last drive of your old car and to get to know your new one 😊

[tooSavvy]

18 minutes ago, Flat4 said:

Also the roads out here around Northumberland/Durham are absolutely glorious! Perfect place for a last drive of your old car and to get to know your new one 😊

Amen to that..... 😈

🚙🚀💨

[big_al_granvia]

39 minutes ago, Flat4 said:

😁 This is my first one so I am now a proper petrolhead 😉

you have had and driven more motors pro rata than arnold clark, its like a bloke pumping bonnie blue to make him a proper shagger after spending 20 years pulling burds in clatty pats

[Flat4]

Just going through the excellent service history. It's had a clutch 50,000 miles ago, including the flywheel which is noted as being "broken".

Cambelt is also not due yet, still within date and mileage, also documented in the service history.

Are springs a bit of a weak point on 156s, or Alfas in general? It has had replacements front and rear, multiple times.

I'm tickled to have a purchase receipt for it from October 2005 - it cost only £12,877 at that point and had a Ford Cougar V6 PX'd against it 😆

[bramz7]

It's not a 156 without a creaking something in the front suspension. Even my far lower mileage and far lighter on the front end Twin Spark has a creak at the front, again. I think they can't exist as cars without one. 

[IronStar]

2 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

I've always thought so!  I've been nursing a quiet "want" for a 156 for nearly 30 years.  Trouble is, for most of that time I could never afford one; now it seems there's a combination of factors conspiring against me ever having one:

They rust.  They're Italian, it's the national sport.

Manual box is allegedly sublime, but I hate manual on principle.  However...

Auto box is allegedly shit.  Dammit.

If one shows up on here for sale, it's usually diesel.  I'm not doing diesel, simples.

Most of them seem to be in ugly non-colours.

Ah well, never mind.  Different strokes etc.  @Flat4 I hope it makes you very very happy.  It looks gorgeous.

They do rust, but nowhere near to the reputation 

C510/C630 manual gearboxes are superb.

Selespeed autobox is very fragile.

Diesels in 156s are great. Very torquey, huge remap potential, reliable 300+BHP is not an uncommon nor stupidly expensive.

They are great cars. Try one. I never heard anyone saying anything negative after trying mine.

[bramz7]

They do rust though, let's not forget how salty it is in the UK. This is (nearly was!) a 50k example earlier this year. 

It may have been damaged, who knows. 

 

Either way, a good 2.4 156 is a great car and I've never had one ( 8 total I think) which hasn't been a really enjoyable car.  Don't worry about the rust. 

[Schaefft]

Glad you enjoy it so far. I've just driven the X-type and it's really not comparable in power to the Alfa. It then decided to pop off it's boost pipe so I now have all of 20 perceived bhp😂 

It does have a much nicer interior though and it's much cheaper, so there's that.

[big_al_granvia]

15 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Glad you enjoy it so far. I've just driven the X-type and it's really not comparable in power to the Alfa. It then decided to pop off it's boost pipe so I now have all of 20 perceived bhp😂 

It does have a much nicer interior though and it's much cheaper, so there's that.

the only thing i didn't like about the jag was the boot, parking in town was a pain. you might find a bonus in the osf seat pocket, a nice dinner plate

[Schaefft]

9 minutes ago, big_al_granvia said:

the only thing i didn't like about the jag was the boot, parking in town was a pain. you might find a bonus in the osf seat pocket, a nice dinner plate

Already handed over before the cars were exchanged 😄 Let me know if the car received any specific work during your ownership, with no service history I can only judge the state of things by ear.

[Flat4]

Obligatory petrol station shot 😁

Dinner has been had so I am now heading North towards home 😊 I reckon around 3 hours will do it.

[Flat4]

49 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Glad you enjoy it so far. I've just driven the X-type and it's really not comparable in power to the Alfa. It then decided to pop off it's boost pipe so I now have all of 20 perceived bhp😂 

It does have a much nicer interior though and it's much cheaper, so there's that.

Can't say I ever drove it hard enough to blow the boost pipe again 😆 The only thing it had with us was an oil service.

[Flat4]

Safely home 😁 Now I've driven it on roads I know, what a machine this is! Apart from it making me jump out my skin when it bonged to alert "Possible ice on road" when the temperature dropped below 3 degrees! 

Also, any Black Friday deals on H7 Osram Nightbreakers or similar? I think that's one of my few complaints that the headlights aren't brilliant.

Wonder how long it'll take the snobby neighbours to realise the Jag has morphed into an Alfa and get their pitchforks out again. Worth it though!

Thanks to @Schaefftfor being so patient while I sorted the logistics out, and for the tour of your fleet. Good luck with the 745, hope the X-Type starts behaving for you. How does it drive compared to your other Jag?

[Schaefft]

2 minutes ago, Flat4 said:

Safely home 😁 Now I've driven it on roads I know, what a machine this is! Apart from it making me jump out my skin when it bonged to alert "Possible ice on road" when the temperature dropped below 3 degrees! 

Also, any Black Friday deals on H7 Osram Nightbreakers or similar? I think that's one of my few complaints that the headlights aren't brilliant.

Wonder how long it'll take the snobby neighbours to realise the Jag has morphed into an Alfa and get their pitchforks out again. Worth it though!

Thanks to @Schaefftfor being so patient while I sorted the logistics out, and for the tour of your fleet. Good luck with the 745, hope the X-Type starts behaving for you. How does it drive compared to your other Jag?

Glad you got home without issues and enjoy the car, I'm looking forward to reading more about it!

I'll have to sort the boost pipe tomorrow to be able to tell more but it feels like a decent car, certainly with a Jag-worthy interior! I'll have to see how far I want to take it, it would benefit from a few bits and pieces here and there but it all depends on what it looks like underneath. It definitely doesn't feel like an old Ford, that's for sure 😄 More about it in my fleet thread soon!

[Supernaut]

21 hours ago, Tickman said:

Loved the one I got from @320touring until it got scrapped.

I did look at putting it through an MOT until I looked under it and wondered how dodgy the one on it was.

Enjoy it, they are ace.

It went round Knockhill well under Moog's ownership though.