156 GTA

Peter450

Peter450

Peter450

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26 Jan 2008
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557
What's people's experience of these ? I was thinking of getting a ST220 (see ST220 thread) and had it up against a 159, with the x type also knocking about a the back of my mind.

To be honest I was probably 70% set on the ST220 before I even started the thread, it was more of a case of talk me out of one rather than into one lol.

Anyway a 156 GTA got mentioned and I must admit I had not even thought about this motor, I had a quick look in the auto trader at the time and thought nice, but bit pricey (double the ST220 price for a nice one) And moved on, but over night it's kind of forced itself back into the picture....

My Ford man math

Buy price 3 to 5k buys a really, really nice tidy car
Running costs look like they will not throw up any unpleasant surprises
They go to 05/06 so the car will be 8/9/10 years old
A solid v6 engine which brings some character and performance to what should be a practical and solid run around


Alfa man math

A beautiful looking and sounding engine
A more stylish interior
That engine again.......

What I'm not so sure of is the extra cost my quick browse through auto trader saw cars in the 5 to 8k range, it's 02 so at least 12 years old, in short it's going to be more expensive and I'm wondering if that engine is worth it ? People go on about the Alfa v6 and I must admit I am very tempted to see what the fuss about anyone got any experience of what the 3.2 is like it's been in a few different alfas so hoping someone has got some insight ?
 
I drove one of the first ones in the country all be it lhd and they are awesome.

However they are no comparison to the mondeo in any way shape or form, maybe shape.

Running costs will be massive and there will be forever something wrong or need maintenance. It's a perfect car for someone handy with a spanner and patient. It'll cripple someone who's expecting mondeo reliability and ease of ownership.

Would I buy one? Yes as a second car.
 
I'm not a stranger to using independents, how does the v6 compare to the one in the Ford ?

Its a lot nice to stare at for sure, but it's more the sound/character that I'm interested in
 
It's a heart over head thing. I'd have one over an ST220. But I have a soft spot for Alfas. The engine and looks are far more interesting in my opinion.
 
I don't have a GTA but I do have a 156 JTS, in general it's a solid car that had a few electrical niggles due to poor connections. It's certainly nicer to drive and to look at than something like a Mondeo or VW, the only thing that bugs me is it's a little on the small side. Interior space is at a real premium.

Unless you're confident with some electrical work I'm not sure I'd be buying an Alfa that's going to be just as old as the ST220 you have in mind. Aside from the fuel & service costs, which are going to be pretty big for both cars, can you afford for a full check over of the electrical system connections? I would highly recommend to do so, aside from the odd coil pack or lambda sensor that would be your main source of potential issues. Engine loom/ECU connections and lambda sensor plugs are notorious. Mechanical items are pretty sorted on the 156 in general, no worse than any other car.

I've been pleasantly surprised too at how normal parts/service prices are, but having the sportier models does make it a little awkward to source some specific parts that are not shared with other models or by the fact that some models are just a lot more common. The JTS & GTA are pretty uncommon compared to something like a Twinspark.

THAT V6 though :D
 
From memory the diff grenades at some point and most owners upgrade to the Q2 LSD.

Unsure if the 156 is the same but early 147 have smaller front brakes and wheels to match. These warp the discs a lot easier than the later bigger disc and jump to 18" wheels iirc.
 
I do like the Alfa but i need to get the wise head back on here..... the whole reason i want a more practical car is because after 7 + years of Excel ownership + i no longer have a garage to keep it in, i think i need a break from the niggling issues, 1 hour + drives to and from independant garages etc etc and also something more sturdy that can sit outside in the rain and not leak, break or otherwise make it's displeasure at not being in a comfy garage known.

I dont think i can go back to something totally sensible after the Lotus so that rules out a 1.8 or similiarly small engined car.
I need a decent engine and some sportyness in the replacement, but at the same time the alfa is likely to be a lot closer to my current steer in terms of TLC abeit with more room in the back and a bigger boot.

The Ford on the other hand is going to give decent performance and a v6 soundtrack abeit with a more muted engine note and a little less jazz than the Alfa, but with much better build quality, less reliability issues, a much bigger garage and independant network to fall back on and it will probably sit outside and better resist the elements aswell, the ST220 is just ticking to many boxes and offers a lot of value, with good examples from 3 to 4k, a good 50% less than current GTA prices for a newer car its the best choice for my current needs.

I think i'm going to go with the Ford, cheers for the insight/advice over the two threads its been helpful and much appreciated
 
I'd be confident that I'd go to my Mondeo every morning and it'll start and run every day
I'd be confident that I'd go to my 156 every morning and know it needs some kind of maintenance / niggle correcting every day
 
They're disgustingly ugly, they look far more dated than the Mondeo you're thinking of, and need constant maintenance.

Ergo, no positive thing to say other than on the rare occasion that it works first time you'll feel great about it, because it'll be such a surprise.
 
Gilly said:
They're disgustingly ugly, they look far more dated than the Mondeo you're thinking of, and need constant maintenance.

Ergo, no positive thing to say other than on the rare occasion that it works first time you'll feel great about it, because it'll be such a surprise.
Click to expand...

Thats probably a little harsh, but i have a feeling your right on the maintenance front.

My Excel was generally fine for the 5 years it sat in my garage, trouble started the second it had to sit outside though...

In the nearly 3 years it's had to sit on the drive i've had all manner of things go wrong, mainly down to water getting into areas it should'nt

I'm sure in a nice warm garage the Alfa would be perfectly ok, but sat outside come rain/wind or snow....i'm not so sure and feel that constant all year round exposure to the elements will take far more of a toll on the Alfa, just like it has with my current car, were as the Ford will likely soak it up with much less complaint
 
I had the 2.5 V6, the engine is astonishing, it revs and revs and sounds amazing, starts to be wild at 4500ish and keeps getting better all the way to the limiter. I eventually put a quiet stainless cat-back on it which sounded even better, really amplified the glug glug noise V engines make at around 2000 rpm.

I think it's the most reliable engine in the 156, I never had a problem with the motor. What you may have a problem with is the front upper wishbone inner bushes, the "four link" suspension on these which is similar to double wishbones has a short upper wishbone that wears it's bushes quickly, I think that part was patterned out to a 3rd party when alfa ceased production of the GT, so I was never able to find bushes that could do more than 15,000 miles before squeaking, poly bushes were worse. The suspension does have very good traction though, no torque steer whatsoever and good feel. The LSD will cause torque steer, again these have good traction, it does not need the LSD that some people fit.

Mine was under braked, too easy to warp disks, but I think all the GTAs had the Brembos, so that will be fine.

Be mindful of corrosion on the floor and front inner arches, they are starting to get old now.
 
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