[Guest]

Following on from my 'should I or shouldn't I.....' thread.

I currently have a 2.5 V6 156 with the GTA kit and a few other mods. I've bought some uprated suspension parts for it and brembo calipers to improve on things. Am I flogging a dead horse upgrading my current car or should I just take the plunge and buy a GTA.

I have the funds to buy a GTA. However, what are the day to day running costs? Would it be a lot more expensive than my current car?

Answers on a post card please...

Ben

 

[Captain Slow]

Can't see it being any more costly than your current car personally. Having driven both, the gta is a very different animal IMHO

 

[Luke Skywalker]

I've driven both and they are very different.

Can't see the running costs being much more at all, mpg will drop slightly, but I remember the 2.5 156 being just as thursty as the GTA.

Just make sure you get a reasonably sorted one with the normal checks.. Suspention, wishbone, cambelt, metal water pump....

Oh and my vote is for you to joing the GTA club :yay:

 

[JR Racing]

It will be a little more costly,

Insurance for one as the GTA is in a pretty high group, but that's more serious dependant on age / convicitons etc.

Fuel will be a bit more, although it is the same basic lump, you will probably see 3-4 mpg less on average.

Parts, well the GTA only parts are mainly pretty expensive from Alfa, but common maintenance like suspension and cambelts etc...shouldn't be anymore than your 2.5.

I would budget probably an extra £500 a year over your V6, if you do buy a GTA make sure it has the basics like Q2 as that will save you any large bills.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

It will be a little more costly,

Insurance for one as the GTA is in a pretty high group, but that's more serious dependant on age / convicitons etc.

Fuel will be a bit more, although it is the same basic lump, you will probably see 3-4 mpg less on average.

Parts, well the GTA only parts are mainly pretty expensive from Alfa, but common maintenance like suspension and cambelts etc...shouldn't be anymore than your 2.5.

I would budget probably an extra £500 a year over your V6, if you do buy a GTA make sure it has the basics like Q2 as that will save you any large bills.

I'm still not getting the Q2 done, mines done a fair few miles and nothings gone pop.

I guess it's partly down to driving style, and I don't drive like an ape.

 

[Guest]

Dead horse. Get a GTA, you know you want one (you are "pretending" to have one already ). Simples.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[Guest]

Dead horse. Get a GTA, you know you want one (you are "pretending" to have one already ). Simples.

Cheers,

Nigel

Nail on head.

Funnily enough my insurance company said there would be no change in cost to my policy for changing to a GTA other than a £25 admin fee.

Are there any buying guides for a 156 GTA or is it the usual things to look for? At least I can put the suspension components onto the new GTA then.

Ben

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Nail on head.

Funnily enough my insurance company said there would be no change in cost to my policy for changing to a GTA other than a £25 admin fee.

Are there any buying guides for a 156 GTA or is it the usual things to look for? At least I can put the suspension components onto the new GTA then.

Ben

Everyone will tell you to get a Q2, I wouldn't bother but your call...

Main things are Cambelt, Service history, waterpump, wishbones and suspention.

Check the roof above the windscreen, for any faulty bonnet catch repairs.

 

[Captain Slow]

Rust on front wing.

Give me a shout if you need a hand.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Rust on front wing.

Give me a shout if you need a hand.

Do teh GTA's suffer with rust

Better check mine.

 

[will01]

Get a GTA much better than trying to make a GTA replica with your 2.5

 

[Guest]

Rust on front wing.

Give me a shout if you need a hand.

Cheers Simon.

I might take you up on that.

Ben

 

[JR Racing]

Everyone will tell you to get a Q2, I wouldn't bother but your call...

Main things are Cambelt, Service history, waterpump, wishbones and suspention.

Check the roof above the windscreen, for any faulty bonnet catch repairs.

When yours does go pop you'll regret saying that. I don't drive like an 'ape' in my car but it went.

If it doesn't go your still missing out on a much, much superior driving experience.

I'm not holding your opinion against you as I used to say exactly the same as you, then when it came back with Q2 it was a different car!

 

[JR Racing]

And only 156's seem to suffer with the dreaded wing rot, us 147 owners have it easy, how Alfa got away with such poor quality rust protection / panel construction I don't know.

My Fiat Seicento cost £7500 new in 2001 has now done about 130,000 miles on various standards of road, took the front wings off to clean up the inner wings last week and not a speck of rust inside, cleaned up like new and added a coat of wax.

The 156 was touching £30K and couldn't even manage to get it sorted, how Alfa customer care have the cheek to stop replacing these under warranty is obsurd.

 

[jwq]

Do teh GTA's suffer with rust

Better check mine.

only the 156...

 

[Pud237]

I had a nicely modified 156 V6 which I sold to buy a 156 GTA, thye were very different beasts, the GTA had the edge in a straight line and was much nicer inside, but the 156 V6 definitely felt more nimble, revvier and ultimately more fun. All the extra gear in the GTA such as Bose, heated electric leather, chassis stiffening plates etc etc does add a fair chunk of weight which I could feel when driving.

My 156 had the 2.5 engine replaced with a 3.0, that combined with the 2.5 gearbox and really does close the gap between it and a GTA quite considerably.

 

[Guest]

I had a nicely modified 156 V6 which I sold to buy a 156 GTA, thye were very different beasts, the GTA had the edge in a straight line and was much nicer inside, but the 156 V6 definitely felt more nimble, revvier and ultimately more fun. All the extra gear in the GTA such as Bose, heated electric leather, chassis stiffening plates etc etc does add a fair chunk of weight which I could feel when driving.

My 156 had the 2.5 engine replaced with a 3.0, that combined with the 2.5 gearbox and really does close the gap between it and a GTA quite considerably.

But it's still not a GTA Cachet dear boy, cachet. That badge counts for something you know

 

[aziraphale]

day to day running, comparing a 2.0 156 Selespeed to the 156 GTA i currently have, there isn't a lot of difference.

i'm not sure what a 2.5 is like for oil usage, but the 2.0 had to be topped up every 800 miles or so. the GTA has been topped up twice by not a lot in 3,500 miles. with oil not being cheap for these cars, the 2.0 racked up a bit of a bill just in oil!

if i behave with my right foot, fuel consumption seems reasonable compared to the 2.0 too, although i do a lot of town driving.

get a GTA!

 

[Pud237]

But it's still not a GTA Cachet dear boy, cachet. That badge counts for something you know

True, thats why I'll probably get another GTA at some point

 

[Guest]

I've had a 2.0 sele, a 2.5 V6 in a 155 and now GTA 156.

Running costs for all are roughly comparable. Consumable parts for GTA are the same as for any other 156, things like brake discs and pads bit different but wishbones, oil, plugs, filters etc are all much of a muchness. Insurance is more expensive as a GTA is more expensive to fix due to unique panels. Fuel costs depends on driving style. My 2005 ford CMax 1.8 does maybe 28-30 to a gallons combined mainly city use. My GTA does 24-30 mpg on moderately rapid country roads or motorway trips. I wouldn't run a GTA for in town short journeys, it'd be murderously expensive. Thing is 12000 miles at 25 mpg = about £2900 in fuel, at 30mpg = about £2400 or £42 a month.

I think my sums are right,

12000/mpg = gallons used X price per gallon (£6) = fuel cost per year.