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Motoring Discussion > Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156.	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Fenlander	Replies: 13

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New Tue 3 Dec 13 16:16

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Fenlander

Well I've just MOT'd the 2003 £700 Alfa a few days short of 1yr since I bought it... and 9mths longer than I expected to keep it.

I've just been through the invoices since purchase and the initial service. MOT, tyres etc plus a pair of handbrake cables and wipers in the first two months came to £495 (remembering I'd bought the car at a price to allow for this expenditure).

Throughout the year since there has been no extra expenditure and only one small job which was to renew the water sensor seal where it screws into the fuel filter, stupidly (like many before me I expect) I re-used the old seal which had become age hardened.

Rolling onto this Dec MOT I gave it an oil change service (£27) and replaced the front discs/pads pre MOT (£65)... mainly because Mrs F cooked them when she used it on her B-road work run for a couple of weeks!

The MOT this morning was a pass with just one advisory of low rear brake pads. I'd already decided to give it new rear discs/pads if there were no other issues needing expenditure so they are due to be delivered tomorrow (£49).

All in all a total success with top driving pleasure, near 50mpg economy and total reliability.

It is a little small for the stuff I carry and an estate would be welcome but actually we are managing so I will keep it for another 6mths or more unless the right estate version turns up locally.

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New Tue 3 Dec 13 18:04

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Meldrew

Sounds like top grade bangernomics. A woman cooking brakes? Is she taking lessons from Sabine Schmitz? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabine_Schmitz

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New Tue 3 Dec 13 19:27

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - ....

The 159 might be a little meaner looking but I think you've got the better Alfa. Now if you could find a V6 with the proper Alfa engine and the not the GM update that really would be one to cherish. In red of course with tan leather.

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New Tue 3 Dec 13 19:43

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Runfer D'Hills

159 Lusso in dark blue metallic with tan leather...Hmmm Or black with red leather, or dark burgundy with tan leather...

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New Tue 3 Dec 13 20:01

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - spamcan61

Judging by a mate's experience running a couple of 156s then a 159 to high (150-200K)mileages the 156 with twin spark engine is far more robust than the 159 with its JTS engine.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 09:15

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Fenlander

Yes a woman cooking the brakes indeed. I knew the front discs would not last that long when I put pads on it at purchase just to get the MOT pass with minimal work. But they'd lasted OK with just a hint of judder until Mrs F used it for 2wks hauling the speed off before every corner on her B road daily commute. By the end of that time the judder had become much worse.

I do like the red leather but I really don't like them in black or met black but I guess if the right estate model came along never say never.

I sort of know what you mean gmac about a V6 being the one to cherish but I want to use it without a thought to the fuel used and a V6 would double my fuel consumption which for me would spoil the enjoyment.

In the same way as the TS vs JTS I get the impression from Alfa forum chat my 10V 2.4 diesel is likely to be more reliable than the 1.9 or 20V versions.... fingers crossed.

Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 4 Dec 13 at 09:15

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 10:35

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Gromit

Thinking in a bangernomics frame of mind, if you found a good 156 estate, could you (or would you) swap the red leather in terior from your current car into it?

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 10:52

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Fenlander

Ahh sorry mine is cloth which was standard on the Veloce sports model. But no I wouldn't do an interior swap.

As a matter of interest here is an estate I've had in watch from Ebay. Not that far from me but now mine a has a fresh MOT I'll not jump ship just yet...

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131056457623

It's the same year, model and colour as mine but with a very nice black leather interior. History sounds good too but about £750 overpriced.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 10:58

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - ....

>> I sort of know what you mean gmac about a V6 being the one to
>> cherish but I want to use it without a thought to the fuel used and
>> a V6 would double my fuel consumption which for me would spoil the enjoyment.
>>
That's the problem when you go over to the dark side, it'll take something special in the petrol department to get you back.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 13:30

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - DP

Glad to hear it's gone well for you Fenlander. My understanding is that the 156 is actually a fundamentally reliable car. Certainly if you avoid the Twin Spark engines, very little goes wrong outside of the chocolate front suspension needing frequent rebushing. Our £300 example recently failed its MOT on a couple of corrosion related items (rear sill and inner front arch) and a split outer CV gaiter. Nothing out of the ordinary on any 15 year old car in my experience.

The 2.5 V6 engine is a masterpiece. With a 68mm stroke it's a revvy little so-and-so, and although it's perfectly tractable, and very refined and smooth when tootling, it doesn't exactly sparkle until you get it over 3000 RPM. Then the power just builds progressively until 5000 RPM where the engine note hardens to a beautiful howl, and there's a little top end rush up to the limiter. It's an engine that rewards hard use. Apart from the noise, everything just sharpens up at the top end of the rev range, and the throttle response becomes electric. Whether it's years of driving four pot diesel stuff exaggerating my perception I don't know, but it responds instantly to even tiny changes in pedal movement. The engine is s a joy to use and to listen to, but you won't get better than 25 mpg being careful with it, and high teens when you're enjoying it.

The howl it makes at the top end makes the hairs on my neck stand up. Buying a V6 156 and then driving it gently to conserve fuel is pointless. It's like landing a date with Rosario Dawson but imposing a no physical contact rule. It would be completely impossible.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 15:35

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Roger.

Rosario Dawson - not much to write home about.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 15:59

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - DP

>> Rosario Dawson - not much to write home about.

LOL. In that case I am happy to have low standards. She's stunning.

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 17:44

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Boxsterboy

>>
>> LOL. In that case I am happy to have low standards. She's stunning.
>>

Never 'eard of 'er!

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New Wed 4 Dec 13 23:31

Alfa Romeo 156 - A year with the bargain Alfa 156. - Avant

"In that case I am happy to have low standards. She's stunning."

Clearly not a Standard Eight, then.

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