Alfa Romeo Forum banner

Where have all the petrol Sportwagons gone?

2K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  aureol40012 
#1 ·
Chaps

Now I'm in a position to buy a Sportwagon *with* roof rails, all the petrol versions seem to have disappeared from sale (exept Veloces). I've trawled multiple and obscure websites for the last month or so and now purchase time is imminent I'm stumped :rant:

I suspect there may be some lurking at independent Alfa specialists or even Fred Bloggs Motors down the road :rolleyes:

If anyone does spot one it would be much appreciated if you could PM or post please :)

Cheers!
Martin
 
#2 ·
True, I don't see any TI Sw petrols on the usual sites. I half wonder if with the petrols being newer, maybe they're company cars getting sold at auction and Veloces are picking them all up. Bit of a bugger that they're about £15K at veloces, but they have got a red TI SW TBI with roof rails and tan interior, that would be a nice on to have.
It was similar when I was buying my 2.4 Sportwagon, they hardly ever came up, but veloces had a few with similar bells and whistles.
 
#4 ·
I don't think roof bars were ever standard were they, or is that a TI thing?
The majority of 159s are dervs, and to narrow the search further by insisting on the bars and at the right money could result in a lengthy wait...
Fitting bars yourself could yield better results Alfa Romeo 159 SPORTWAGON 1.8 1750TBi Lusso 5dr
You don't specifically mention wanting a TI, so a Lusso may fit the bill?
 
#5 ·
A set of roof rails was on my ideal spec car as well, gave up waiting in the end and went for a car without them. I was told that you couldn't retrofit roof rails but to be honest I can't see why you couldn't given a decent skill of hand and bit of confidence.

That said you can get a Thule roof rack for cars without the rails so it isn't the end of the world, might get another one or two MPG as well.

I am guessing that the garage mentioned above does indeed get "first dibs" on any TBi the main dealers don't want, makes it nigh on impossible not to pay over the odds for a late 1750 car which is pretty frustrating.
 
#6 ·
Patience. It'll turn up! My list was even more demanding! 2.4 Sportwagon with roof rails and Q4! I'd been looking for 6 months and only saw one Q4 saloon.... Was seriously tempted by a black 1.75 TBi SW with rails and tan leather at £12,500 on 51k miles. Lovely but someone beat me to it. Fortunately. The Q4 Sportwagon surfaced at Veloces shortly after and I collect it in a week!

I looked into retrofitting roof rails but it's very difficult as there is strengthening in the roof fitted at the factory to support them. If it wasn't fitted at the factory I wouldn't try fitting them yourself!

Your car is out there, there are more petrol versions than Q4s! Just keep looking and don't compromise on what you want but be prepared to pay over the odds for the right car.

Guy
 
#7 ·
Guy,
Any links/pics to your Stratos replica? Is it a Hawk?
 
#10 ·
I bought mine at Veloces, probably paid a little over the odds for it but it only Han 8,000 on the clock, tan leather and factory xenons so why not. I decided to get the roof rails retro fitted by them. I don't want anything on the roof as it may damage the paintwork...bikes can go on the Thule trailer when needed;0) the SW Ti does look great with bars IMO.

Good luck with your search. Be prepared to buy without bars...a 1750 with factory fit bars I think is quite rare.

Cheers!
Iain
 
#12 ·
What's your budget? That black Ti SW at Veloces has only 30 k on the clock. For a late run and rare car that seems to be where prices will be at at the moment. I wouldn't think many of these low mileage ones will pop up very often. If I was looking for one of these I'd be down there to take it round the block.

Cheers!
 
#16 ·
Naughty SanRemo - causing stirrings in the loins like that :tut:

I did spot one in a private ad but the seller never replied. I was expecting that some of the late models would be all coming off lease now - which is what I think is happening with the raft of 2.0 JTDMs going through the auctions but the TBIs are rare.

There are two V6s about - a real old one in Blackpool and a Lusso with TI wheels in Wales but it looks too much like a drug dealers car! Importing one would add about 8k on top of purchase price so that's out as well.

Back to morning and evening trawling...

Cheers
 
#17 ·
Naughty SanRemo - causing stirrings in the loins like that :tut:
Cheers
If only that one had been a Q4 it would have been my perfect 159. But the only petrol Q4 is the 3.2 and the road tax plus fuel consumption is just way too much for me....

If I see anything I'll let you know and if you want me to check out anything at Veloces for you just let me know before next Friday!

Keep checking eBay too!

Guy
 
#19 ·
Yep, I spotted that one a few months ago. I get bad vibes from that car. Can't explain what it is or why, but I do. :confused: It just shouts avoid to me, which may be irrational as I have never clamped eyes on the thing!

Still looking twice daily <<sigh>>
 
#21 ·
Strange that mileage is not stated.
Could well be an auction purchase.
Dealer seems to show all their cars in front of a private house.

I would not touch it without a proper inspection by either the AA/RAC or a knowledgeable mate.

TBH I'm happier with a private sale at that price as you can meet the guy and get a feel for how he's looked after the car.
 
#22 ·
I agree, I would prefer to buy privately and then take it to a specialist to have all the battery and fluids changed and a proper check done so that you know you are roughly starting from square one. Only benefit going to a dealer is you have some come back or warranty.

My wife is selling her car at the moment and we have looked after it (probably) exceptionally well, but I know not everyone does or fleet users do... I had my V6 Alfa 156 for nearly 6 years from new, did 106k miles and it never had a single thing wrong, most reliable car I've ever had!
 
#23 ·
I agree with you that proper maintenance is the key! I had a 145 Cloverleaf from new in 1996, kept it 13 years (would have changed it when the 147 arrived but didn't like the shape!). It did 160,000 miles in that time and it only ever needed normal service items. When I sold it it still had it's original clutch and shocks, all were fine. The first battery lasted 10 years and the first exhaust 7 or 8.
It was brought home by AA relay once when a clutch slave cylinder went (AA refused to stop at a dealer and pick one up on a Saturday morning on my diagnosis even if I paid for it!) and it refused to start one very cold morning, alarm/immobilised issue that was resolved by disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes.

And that was it. The best car I've ever owned and probably ever will. Still regret parting with it.

Guy
 
#24 ·
Chaps

Now I'm in a position to buy a Sportwagon *with* roof rails, all the petrol versions seem to have disappeared from sale (exept Veloces). I've trawled multiple and obscure websites for the last month or so and now purchase time is imminent I'm stumped :rant:
Cheers!
Martin
Are you after roof rails for the practicality or the look?

FWIW I bought a V6 SW without roof rails that the previous owner had added genuine Alfa lockable roof bars and Thule bike racks.

They all came off without a single scratch on the roof left behind.

IMHO the car looks better without roof rails-I think they disrupt the purity of the design. Roof rails add a bit of interest to boring estates like Audis and Modeos, but the 159 does not need them.
 
#25 ·
I have a SW without roof rails, but I bought a set of genuine Alfa bars which work just fine. There are faint marks where the pads have sat on the edges of the roof, but I think they would disappear if I could be bothered to get some polish up there. I also suspect that roof bars which clamp to the OEM rails would mark the rails in just the same way, so it's not really something you can do a great deal about.

With a massive roof box (mine is a Thule, 410 litre size) roof box on top, you can carry a serious amount of gear when you need to, and take it all off again in less than 10 minutes when you don't. In a way I'd have quite liked the rails, but they haven't made much difference in practical terms.
 
#26 ·
Hi

I need to carry my Ocean Kayak which is quite heavy as well as an occasional roof box. From past experience on other estates with rails it's easier to whizz on a couple of lockable Thule cross bars. On my Legnum I keep the bars on all the time in the summer. I had removable Thule pads and rails on my 156 saloon but they started to bite into the rubber after a while - is it the same style of fit on the 159 saloon or sportwagon where there is a lug under the rubber above the door?

Aesthetically I prefer the permanent roof rails on the 159 SW as it makes the car look better, more purposeful!

Cheers
 
#27 ·
Aesthetically I prefer the permanent roof rails on the 159 SW as it makes the car look better, more purposeful!

Cheers
Spot on statement, Lusso SW's definitely need roof rails, I always liked that mid blue colour. TI SW's are nice without rails (being lower), but Ti SW's with rails are the true Don of all 159's, it even says so on wikipedia, so it must be fact.
 
#28 ·
I was looking for a 159 diesel ti SW with roof bars and satnav back in early November and had a beautiful red one from a dealers in Coalville snatched from under my nose during the first week in November. Although I've bought a giulietta since then I've kept searching and there have literally been none since....
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top