starting to search for a 166

[jay w]

Next year we have the run down to Milan, and currently my drive does not have an Alfa on it.

Originally i was looking at buying a GTV, but my daughter wants to come with us, so that makes 3 people including me.

Ive done the 156 and whilst they are nice cars i would like something with a little more space inside, however i have a severe budget, at the very most £1500.

SO that narrows it to a 2.0, that doesn't bother me TBH, i don't want to then have to spend a fortune on it, but likewise i don't mind having to do a cambelt or some 'normal' age related repairs.

What should i be looking out for when buying a 166 then, and how realistic am i being with my budget?

[tutyit]

The prices dropped rapidly these days...
1500£ seems ok.
Which year are you interested in?

[K9d]

The budget seems fine, more than I like to pay for my cars
Just the usual to look out for really, don't trust the belts, even if they have been done, unless you know who/where they were done. That was my mistake on my 146
Should be able to pick one up for £1k which will leave plenty for belts etc.
So you may not need to borrow the 146 for Epsom then.

[K9d]

Not many to choose from on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-ALFA-ROME...item2a03834655

Bit of a trek to this one.

[tutyit]

I saw (at my place) on the net one very nice 166 V6 Super in top notch condition...
It is selling for 2000€ .
So i assume in UK you can probably find a car like this much more cheaper!
Heres the look of it:
Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6 Super

Tho i agree with K9d on the belts!
You have to change it .

[K9d]

Just checked Autotrader, what has happened to 166 prices , only one 2.5 V6 on there at £2.5k for a 1999 model, low milage but still .
Does this mean my 166 has gone UP in value

[Aryan]

The Price Of 166 Is Defently On The Rise Since Every One Looking To Buy One

[K9d]

Originally Posted by Aryan

The Price Of 166 Is Defently On The Rise Since Every One Looking To Buy One

Is Pomeo siting on a gold mine then

[Aryan]

Originally Posted by K9d

Is Pomeo siting on a gold mine then

2004 upwards you are looking for prices above £7500,

[jay w]

Originally Posted by K9d

Just checked Autotrader, what has happened to 166 prices , only one 2.5 V6 on there at £2.5k for a 1999 model, low milage but still .
Does this mean my 166 has gone UP in value

This is the quandry, i would love a V6 but getting one at my budget will mean i will be looking at a possible ropey one

Ideally i would love a 2.5 V6 super with leather, sat nav, in black with black heated leather, i know that's one hell of a wish list

[evo_number_one]

Originally Posted by K9d

Just checked Autotrader, what has happened to 166 prices , only one 2.5 V6 on there at £2.5k for a 1999 model, low milage but still .
Does this mean my 166 has gone UP in value

That Car has been for sale for a while - I think it was £500 higher 3 or 4 months ago.

Initial advertised prices might appear to be on the up, but most cars are then re-advertised at reduced prices and if they then do sell, I doubt most achieve the exact re-advertised price. Some disappear off the likes of PH and Autotrader for a couple of weeks, before initially re-appearing via ebay and gumtree.

Post 2004 cars are being advertised for £7k+, but most of the FL TS and Sportronics that are currently up for sale have been so for at least 3 months........

[K9d]

Originally Posted by jay w

This is the quandry, i would love a V6 but getting one at my budget will mean i will be looking at a possible ropey one

Ideally i would love a 2.5 V6 super with leather, sat nav, in black with black heated leather, i know that's one hell of a wish list

If you go V6 I would reccomend the 3.0, from what I've been told it's not much different on fuel, there both thirsty, but much better torque.
If I ever change mine I will go for a 3.0.

[K9d]

Originally Posted by evo_number_one

That Car has been for sale for a while - I think it was £500 higher 3 or 4 months ago.

Initial advertised prices might appear to be on the up, but most cars are then re-advertised at reduced prices and if they then do sell, I doubt most achieve the exact re-advertised price. Some disappear off the likes of PH and Autotrader for a couple of weeks, before initially re-appearing via ebay and gumtree.

Post 2004 cars are being advertised for £7k+, but most of the FL TS and Sportronics that are currently up for sale have been so for at least 3 months........

I haven't looked at Autotrader for a while, but was surprised at all the 166 prices lowest is £1,300, but then there are only 18 for sale and mostly trade.

Noticed there are 18 166s and 12 146s for sale nationwide, I like owning 2 rare'ish (Sorry Morgan) cars.

[evo_number_one]

Not sure if you would want a sportronic, or the condition of this one, but its been for sale for a while and reduced by £1k - so I recon you might be able to talk then down towards your figure....

Lovely interior/exterior colour combination too

[jay w]

Originally Posted by evo_number_one

Not sure if you would want a sportronic, or the condition of this one, but its been for sale for a while and reduced by £1k - so I recon you might be able to talk then down towards your figure....

Lovely interior/exterior colour combination too

I have been watching that one, and love the colour of it.

I have spoken to the garage and they will not budge on the price, i am sure that in a few weeks time they will take an offer closer to my value, but i have a feeling that 1500-1750 is their purchase price on this one

[niallmoran]

there was a great looking twink that went for about 900 quid on ebay a few weeks ago - just keep your eyes peeled and a good 'un will come along

[purple145]

Originally Posted by K9d

Is Pomeo siting on a gold mine then

if you are looking for the cheapest, then a 2.5 Auto is the one to go for, they seem to lose value most, the 0-60 is nearer the 2.0 and the fuel consumption nearer the 3.0, so the worst of both worlds, however as a one off drive, a superb choice, cheap to buy, often came with leather and other goodies as it was expensive new, decent on the Mway and around town. Not necessartily a keeper long term, but will serve you well.
Just watch that cambelt, as that even at a indy can make a £600 hole in the budget, or £300 if you DIY, and its a hard job, allow a weekend even if you have done belts before).

HTH

[jay w]

Originally Posted by purple145

if you are looking for the cheapest, then a 2.5 Auto is the one to go for, they seem to lose value most, the 0-60 is nearer the 2.0 and the fuel consumption nearer the 3.0, so the worst of both worlds, however as a one off drive, a superb choice, cheap to buy, often came with leather and other goodies as it was expensive new, decent on the Mway and around town. Not necessartily a keeper long term, but will serve you well.
Just watch that cambelt, as that even at a indy can make a £600 hole in the budget, or £300 if you DIY, and its a hard job, allow a weekend even if you have done belts before).

HTH

Cheers Purple

At the risk of sounding blasee what it is about the V6 that makes doing a cam belt so difficult?

I have done Vauxhall's V6 a few times' it was a job that required precision and re-adjustment as it had a number of tensioners, the water pump needed changing as well but that's about it.

now i have no doubt that someone will read this an go there is a lot of difference between the engine, that's as maybe, but the principle of fitting a cam belt is the same the world over, accuracy, tension and correct torque settings.

If i can stretch to a 3.0 then i may do, but i would rather get a nice twinnie that ticks 80% of the boxes than a 2.5 or 3.0 that needs lots of money spent on it

[purple145]

The plenum off the back is a fiddle to remove, there are the four pulleys that mesh onto the end of the cams that can cause a problem, the pulleys can be hard to remove and one is hard to get at. Also there is the issue of cam locks, having to drain the rad if the water pump is being swapped (recommended), the PS fluid, and the but at the bottom is a wierd size that no one stocks and if they do the sidewalls are too thick, then is has a torque of several million lb/ftso it is hard to remove. The tensioner seems trickier to get right than it ought too.

No one thing is a major issue I guess, but it's a seemingly relentless stream of challenges......

That said, it soon becomes a distant memeory when it purrs on start up

[K9d]

I think if budget is an issue and belts are going to be involved a twinny is the way to go.
I would love a second V6 but the thought of running two scares me.

[purple145]

nice one on the bay finishing lunchtime

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/alfa-romeo-166...item27ade6bccb

belt may be the only issue, makes no mention

[robcarrera32]

Originally Posted by jay w

This is the quandry, i would love a V6 but getting one at my budget will mean i will be looking at a possible ropey one

Ideally i would love a 2.5 V6 super with leather, sat nav, in black with black heated leather, i know that's one hell of a wish list

That car (black / black leather/ v6 / manual) was for sale in Wales recently. Nearly went for it myself, but my current 166 is not that bad really and Wales is quite a trek.

Get any one, and you will not regret it. The V6 is more common than you imagine, so don't settle for a twink unless you love it.

[evo_number_one]

Originally Posted by purple145

nice one on the bay finishing lunchtime

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/alfa-romeo-166...item27ade6bccb

belt may be the only issue, makes no mention

I have not physically been to see that one, but that car is advertised elsewhere, so just incase you were thinking of puting in a late "unseen" bid...

This was/is also advertised on gumtree and the seller did not know what size engine it had ....... so possibly lost the V5 too? Photo on gumtree was of a different car too and that advert also stated the ICS need decoding and that no service history present. So you could not be sure if the ICS was ok until you got it decoded.

Does look like it passed its MOT as the ebay site lists expiry as Dec 2010, but no mention of the tax that was being offered through the following advert....

alfa romeo 166 v6 super not sure what size engine it is eithr 2.5 or 3.0 wembley London Cars

Asked a few questions (without response) thinking that I may go and have a look, but to be honest while £1200/£1300 could initially be a bargain, I think I would have to have belts and maybe a few other bits and pieces for peace of mind, so then looking towards a £2,000+ car still without any previous history before tackling the bodywork and anything else later discovered, which could then be a £2500+ car in the same boat?

Possibly a different case if you can do all or a lot of the work/bodywork yourself, but thats not necessarily the case for me at this moment in time .


HTH


Bob

[klapanciusz]

also no ICS code

[tutyit]

To be honest its the same car as on ebay!
Same text just take a look :
scratches on roof and bumper....
bump

And he says the pics are not from the actual car so.
Yeah its the same as on ebay posted previously!

Another thing to look is:
The car was very well looked after and garaged!?
Then why the sunroof is scratched and the front bumper?
Why it says 50000 miles on it...i dont believe its the truth.
NO ICS code?WTF? If it was bought from previous 1 owner he must had those!
So i think its a lie...The whole thing looks like the guy set the mileage back a little and the ICS code is lost (with the service history) cos it had more than 1 owner!!
And if im suspicious i wont go and buy from such a person!