There seems to be quite a few new owners with problems

I've not been a member here for long, but I'm surprised at the amount of new owners who have either been very unlucky with their newly purchased GTVs or have been sold a car with inherent problems. Anyone else been noticing this trend recently? A few hours research and a relatively small sum of cash to get the car checked over before buying would save these guys a lot of grief and money a week or two down the line.

Very sound advice Markos.:

lol the alfa god doesnt work that way!!! mines is a 96 worked great when i bought it in fact rolled on nicely for 3 months then it decided to play games intermittent wee electrical niggles that sorted themselves the minute it went to the garage making you look like a complete pratt .... knocking noises that again only appeared when no one else was in the car.... but 3 years later still makes me grin i mean really how many cars have you owned that keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing everyday??? now even my local garage knows the car is in fact a wee italian possesed minx and its owner isnt coming in cos she fancies the mechanic!!!!!

I think more people are buying GTVs at the moment in the run up to summer, so as a percentage the problems may be the same.

Good advice though, definitely worth the time to research. I know I did, and it took me 6 months to find the right car (and I've still had a couple of niggles )

Completely agree with this post. Ive always bought cars that I either know are problem free or have problems that I know about (and can put right) Seems a lot of people are buying cars without knowing about any problems and not getting them checked out.

Its not just alfa's tbh, pretty much any one buying a car without knowing what they are looking at can find problems, friend of mine has just bought a 1.1 saxo only to find out its a Cat C, he didnt bother spending £1.50 on a txt message

Originally Posted by tefal

friend of mine has just bought a 1.1 saxo only to find out its a Cat C, he didnt bother spending £1.50 on a txt message

OUCH!

yep schoolboy error

Originally Posted by macg29

how many cars have you owned that keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing everyday???

None, and I'd like to keep it that way!

Originally Posted by macg29

now even my local garage knows the car is in fact a wee italian possesed minx and its owner isnt coming in cos she fancies the mechanic!!!!!

Yeah right!

I blame it on more people these days who basically look out for number one and don't give a shyte about ripping people off. Most people these days have an attitude like Pikey's where they have no care about 'doing' someone over when selling on a car they know to be dodgy. So yeah definatley either buy off friends or friends off freinds, or get them checked, even 'Alfa owners' will rip you off believe it or not....... hence why theres so many bags of shyte GTV'S around..........

Originally Posted by GranTurismo

I blame it on more people these days who basically look out for number one and don't give a shyte about ripping people off

Agree. Anyone who sticks a pile of junk on eBay or wherever knowing it needs £££ is a total ****. The more people that buy carefully means these knobs will have a harder time shifting their rubbish.

Originally Posted by GranTurismo

I blame it on more people these days who basically look out for number one and don't give a shyte about ripping people off. Most people these days have an attitude like Pikey's where they have no care about 'doing' someone over when selling on a car they know to be dodgy. So yeah definatley either buy off friends or friends off freinds, or get them checked, even 'Alfa owners' will rip you off believe it or not....... hence why theres so many bags of shyte GTV'S around..........

Sad but true.

I bought by spider last July and the seller must have known there was problems that were going to spring up within the next few months. It ran fine for a two months then the exhaust went. Not only did a large hole appear but it seemed both rear silencers were badly holed and worn. Also a rear suspension bush was needing replaced. Air con was a gonner (forgot to check when I bought it). The oil was terrible and dangerously low.

If I had taken the time to get an AA check I would have walked away and never bought. It's a very cosstly mistake and it has cost me in excess of 2,000 to get everything upto scratch.

The problem I think lies in that repairs for these cars are a fair bit higher than average so when people know things are on their way out, they quickly sell and try to 'pass the buck'.

This kind of car you must get properly checked out before buying. I'm gonna have a rake through all my receipts and list what I have had to repair later on here, just for example and maybe as fore warning to others.

I've owned my GTV for less than a week now and agree that it is easy to get someone to come and view any prospective car. However the reality of my purchase was that, as usual, I was too excitied about getting the car to think about getting it checked over.

I bought mine in the knowledge that there were a few things wrong with it and used that to get a substantial discount making it a very cheap car. There lies the problem.

GTV's are very cheap these days so you can easily spend the value of the car on maintenance in a couple of years. Many less enthusiastic owners aren't willing to do this and end up passing the buck onto the next owner.

The way I look at it is that I've just bought a 220hp Italian thoroughbred for £3k. If I have to spend £2k this year getting it up to the standard I want then so be it. It still looks and drives like it is worth £5k.

EddyMo.. my centiments exactly.

If we all spend the money getting the car check out... no one would own an Alfa. (only joking)
But seriously... if a GTV is on you list, then you are aware it is a second hand car (Alfa) and cost will be incurred.
Sure a check is sensible advice ..... but... what if its the right car at the right time in the right place in the right colour..?
Second hand cars are risky. Don't be surprised if a 3 year warranty is not included.

I bought mind without a MOT and yes.. it cost me. But as Eddy says... a stylish V6 sub 7 sec. to 60... for £3.5k plus "costs" beats a 1.4 silver hatchback for £12k anyday

Volmars,

You are so right. I have always wanted a dark blue GTV with tan leather. The fact that one in that spec was available in scotland with the right engine (the V6 of course) meant that there wasn't a pack of wild horses that would have stopped me buying it.

Luckily the dealer didn't know this and I got a great deal.

I class my GTV as a classic car and am willing to pay the required money to keep it this way. My last classic was a triumph Tr6 which was unreliable and still cost a lot to maintain. The GTV gives me the same feeling that the Tr6 did but at the same time being far more user friendly and reliable.

Enjoy the car for what it is. A cheap, fast, well handling, characterful, future classic.