A1 Alfa?

[Ovation]

I am surprised just how much time I now spend on this forum, for a non Alfa owner. However, I was just wondering, has anyone ever bought a new Alfa that has been 100% fault free?

Forums by their very nature attract those seeking advice regarding troubles. But amid the doom and gloom, is there anyone who has not had to revisit their dealer for fault fixing, had great service and apart from routine service schedules, never had to return with a "crocked" Alfa Romeo.

[deepshark]

yeah, we all know guys who bought brand new Alfas and had no problems for the 3 year warranty periods.

However, most (if not all) of us are usually hard working and can't afford new ones - so we buy old ones, and then spend a lot of time and effort repairing them. Because they are Alfas, we desperately want them to be as good as they possibly can be, if not better. However, that said - most of us have cars that are between 5 years (156's, 147's) and 30-40 yrs (Guilias, 105s) old.

What you might not understand is - what you see on the forums here are common problems endemic to individual models. Sometimes there are carryover technical issues, say when a part is shared across a number of models. Experience from others allows a more targeted repair. Also, as Alfisti, all of us tend to be DIY guys, and also try as far as possible to NOT use a mechanic's services until bitter frustration or dire consequences take over. Furthermore, most cars we buy are often tended to by absolute hounds, who thrash, mistreat and generally hardly ever understand their cars. And we poor sods have to pick up the pieces.

I was reflecting on this going to work today - our cars are, in fact, 95% sweet and lovely. But, because they are old, they have foibles. We work manfully every weekend to correct them. This forum is purest gold, as it helps us get it right first time, by eliminating erroneous conclusions and then confirming technical discoveries, to mutual benefit.

For me, I have one of the most wonderful 164 QV's in Auckland, and its a lust-inducing car - gets me cut off on the motorways every day ! but its not perfect....it needs a foglights, and I have finally saved enough money to buy one form the USA. It needs minor dings and scratches taken out. It could do with a new steering wheel, and a high priority will be new tires in 6 months.

But, like 99% of the people subscribing and posting to the site, I really appreciate the sharing of experiences with other owners, and learning from their discoveries and triumphs. And they really come through to help me too, and I hope some of my discoveries help them. I've been honoured with a top of list posting on the Engine forum, for solving a problem of excessive lifter clicking, and finding a maintenance free solution that works on both V6 and Twinspark Alfas, to the delight of other guys. But I am 100% sure that a better method will come along someday, and look forward to learning more.

In Top Gear, you will have seen that in the Alfa special, motoring heaven is reached in an Alfa, for many many reasons. There is real cameraderie amongst owners of old Alfas. Although there is much blood sweat and beers, there are also the most magical of automotive loves - coming down a corner and paexing because the car is designed to corner like a Ferrari. Handling, balance, looks and performance make Alfas amazing. They are also frugal - I am getting better fuel economy in my 164 than my flatmate gets in his 1.3l honda jazz/fit 'econobox', and way better than an equivalent 2.8L BMW or 3L Merc ever see. And yet, the car goes like the clappers everywhere. Magic - what could take your attention away from that ?

There is a joy in motoring, and in an Alfa, you get there so much more quickly. They are indeed a drug - cocaine, probably - as they give ecstatic brooding lows. This website is our rehab, our Betty Ford Clinic.

Welcome to the Animal House !

[belfast bob]

^^ great post ^^

[Ovation]

Fantastic post deepshark!!

Let me make it clear however, I do get the whole Alfa thing now, I understand the love for the marque. I love the older models like the GT Junior and the 'sud" and the f/l 166 is a thing of class and beauty.

But if I bought a new Mito or 159 (also lovely cars) I would not be expecting major issues with build and /or reliability.

[EauRouge]

Ovation, where abouts are you in Stroke-county?

[Ovation]

Magherafelt

[deepshark]

Thanks guys for all the kind words, appreciate it very much. Ovation - I guarantee that if you buy either one, you will not regret it ! The 159 (I've driven one) is very 164-ish - that solid feel, combined with a steering wheel feel that literally tells you whether the road marking the tire is going over is matt or gloss paint. Its also very precise - but (and this is actually cool if you think about it) the turning circle is not the best, simply because Alfa designed the FWD car to be able to turn lock to lock without exceeding the breaking tolerance of the CV boot - how fantastic is that ! In short - the CV boot is going to last practically forever, though a grease change will happen eventually. The car looks stunning, feels fantastic, is very distinctive, and very very comfortable. You feel like you are at the wheel of something far more expensive all the time, and you are never caught in the usual UK 'my is better than your car' fray over an engine or LX vs. GLX or badge controversy. Instead - you own an Alfa - a work of art, the immortal descendant of Ferrari, and its pretty cousin. Ferraris and Alfas share a lot of parts - your car key is the one Ferrari and Maserati use for the big beasts - how awesome !

the Mito is a car I have not yet driven, but have sat in - its very stylish in the metal, cute without being a throwback, which is more than can be said of its main competitors, including the 500 (which we all love anyway - it uses an Alfa engine, after all!). Its easier on the eye, on the outside. Inside, it is definitely something special, as it looks and feels like a sportscar - which it is ! its also state of the art - Multiair is an astonishing piece of technology. Unlike most other cars, multi-air means an infinitely flexible induction system. I am not 100% clear on its function, except that it involves sensing pitston velocity multi-thousands of times/second, for each piston, and the adjusts the induction valve train to give an incredibly brisk torque curve - basically an inclined curve with no drop-offs, and reduced fuel consumption and more power all at the same time - and on glorious 6-speed manual box ! its wheels and design look like a baby 8c Competizione, but next to each other, you quickly realise that the 8c is only 30% bigger, and the cabins are the same size. And its even got the worls most petite Brembo brakes, a pair of 4-pot calipers on the front wheels, and 2-pots on the rear. AutoDelta are most likely going to offer the most basic form of upgrade to the MiTo in the form of an independent rear suspension. Now that is severely cool , overall !

But these are Alfa's, and even if brand new, they do have little lunacy in there. Some mate gathered in Auckland's Alfa garage to look at the (for us) new MiTo, and we are all IT guys, so noticed something extremely funny. the MiTo and other new Alfas now have a button on the steering wheel for interfacing with a USB thumbdrive plugged into the dash, and the radio uses Windows CE as its O/S. But the steeringwheel has a button with the Windows logo on it - which immediately prompted us to snigger that Alfa have built in a button , which if you press it - immediately causes the car to crash !

But the same showroom ahd an astonishing car on show, a 1933 original 8C P3 formula 1 car. this thing, so intensely beautiful, made a very big impact on me. Its design is really interesting, from the point of view that it is built very much like a tractor. The quality and elegance of the design was very apparent. The huge drum brakes seemed capable and clearly designed - I am 100% certain that changing a drum pad is very much easier on one of these than changing a disc on my 164. Everything on the car was a lever, and a very thick and strong lever at that. She could probably go what we would now consider 'off-road' (as indeed she did, often - this is a road-legal F1 car, remember,and roads were rotten in 1932)

Anotehr surprise is how many gears the old gal had - 12 ! there are addressed with a double declutch system. The driver declutches - waits for the engine to syncro, changes gear, and re-engages the clutch, engaging the gear. There are two MASSIVE diffs at the back, and each longitudinal bank of the so-called bimotore gets its own tacho, and a temp guage - and thats it. No speedo, no anything else. Drive hard and fast, or go home - thats the Alfa way from the beginning.

Meeting this splendid old lady was a big education - its important to realise that a first time owner might find an Alfa brutish compared to Jappa, or even another European, but there is a reason for this - the grand tradition requires that she be tough to take the knocks, be well designed to give pleasure for years, and be drop dead gorgeous to remind you of why you bought her.

So please buy one - say a good 156 - and enjoy with our blessing and heartfelt welcome to the fraternes Alfaes matrium

[Ovation]

Deepshark, you are a legend