164 purchase advice

Originally Posted by chrisw

I didn't manage to do those photo's as promised, been hectic at work today...now I've left the bloody camera in my truck,..which is now at work. I am away tomorrow night (weds) but will defo do them for you and email when I get back home on Thursday or Friday.
I hope that's OK.
Apologies once again.

No worries, I'll get them when I get them!!

Originally Posted by osian

zulu... how many miles did you cover in those 14 years? I'm wondering what sort of mileage people have had from their TS's...

Mine TS is on 155k now. Drives just as well as when I bought it at 89k.

..i bought my first one with 60k on the clock, and parked it up with 150k. I only parked it up because the laquer was starting to walk off the red paint, and it was cheaper to buy another car rather than get a full respray. at 150k the engine was pulling stronger than ever.

i did have to do the head gasket on that car.. it's a rare enough problem with that engne but it does happen. if you need to do it make sure you get somebody who knows alfas to do the job.. there's a specific order to re-mounting the head and the fix won't last unless it's done right.

Sorry it's been such a long time but I'd like to announce that I am now the proud owner of a green 164 TS of 115k miles. It has a massive history file as it has only had 2 owners before me and everything (touch wood) works including the mirrors (a bit noisy!) and the air-con....

I am loving the drive and the subtle noise of the engine (although the cam-chain needs tightening!)

Anyway thanks for all your advice as it has been so helpful. I hope that I can keep this car for ever (who'd have thought that as a student I could get an executive alfa!!)

Osh

Originally Posted by alexGS

Having owned several 164s, I bought a 166 recently - the disappointment is immense. I think you're doing the right thing by 'investing' in a 164 at this low point in their values.

-Alex

Hear hear. What a brilliant post Alex.

I feel the same. I find my 166 3.0 Sportronic isn't a patch on my old 164 3.0 lusso. As mentioned above the 12 valve has much more low-down grunt, even in an auto. The car always felt like it was in the right gear, a gentle touch of the throttle always brought instant response - ideal for exploiting that gap in the traffic. The 166 by contrast often feels like it is in the wrong gear, I tend to drive it in "sport" to overcome this and of course that thrashes the fuel consumption even more.

Interior space is considerably better in the 164. The 166 chimes and beeps at you in that annoying patronising American way. As both models are ageing I feel the 164 is ageing more gracefully.

All in all I miss my 164 and this thread is encouraging me to get another


Osian - congrats on your purchase. I might do likewise!

Originally Posted by michaelb

Hear hear. What a brilliant post Alex.

Many thanks

Since I wrote that I did something constructive about it and sold my 166 Money in the bank now...

For people that can see past the age of the 164, it's a great car - solid, reliable, economical at least on long trips, but most importantly it makes me feel great driving it. You don't get any airbags (unless you have a later or US model) but in all other respects you get the comfort and convenience of a modern car (e.g. great seats, climate air-con, compliant ride and steering) with some of the character of a classic (the sound, the distinctive looks, a direct feel to the driving experience). I like the simplicity of a manual transmission too (I really don't like having to choose between modes of operation for something 'automatic' )

The 164 is smooth and quiet, especially compared to newer, smaller cars, but even against the 166. I tested with a sound level meter and found that my 166 was 2dBA louder inside at a steady 80km/h than my 164. That was all the proof I needed that road noise was significant in the 166 due to the suspension and low-profile tyres.

Perhaps the 164 styling does look old - but in the photos below, it just has a certain proportion and elegance that the 166 may match, but doesn't beat. As you pointed out, it is growing old gracefully and very functional, and as Avocet pointed out, it's a well-built car - lasts much better than previous Alfa models. I may have been lucky to get a good one for the equivalent of just a few hundred pounds, but there are certainly bargains to be had.

This is all not to say that the 166 is bad, it's just to say that the 164 is a serious contender and hardly superceded in the same way that, say, an Alfa 90 is made redundant by the 164. Most of the quality of the 166 was said to be in how it makes you feel when driving it. I contend that if the 164 makes you feel even better (not least of which because of its bargain price!) then the 164 is a great car.

Something else I'd like to point out is that my 164 isn't a daily-use car. I work from home and for running around town, I use a Mk2 FIAT Punto (2001 model). The 164 takes over for the bigger jobs, such as picking up other people, or towing trailers, etc. On a long trip, the Punto is no more economical than the 164!

-Alex

I sold my 2.0 8v and bought a 3.0 12v..I absolutely love it. Finding it really hard to save fuel, but the noise....omg....I am seriously addicted and never want to give it up.
I'm spending around £60 pw on fuel and I only travel 6 miles combined to/from work each day plus a bit at w/ends. Total no more than 160 miles pw. ,but worth every penny. Long live my wonderful V6 12v.