I like 156's, especially in that bluey/silver that i beleive Dervy told me it was in on MSN. I think i could forgive it anything, for the colour, the noise, the grunt, the looks, the fact top gear say its Sub Zero :)
Nuvola Blue, then.
Appreciating classic. But only the pre-facelift model.
It's not that they're not very good, it's just that they're not as good as the 2lt TSpark - which is an exceptional FWD saloon.
They are very nose-heavy, which does dull the experience, but they're not as bad as Dervy is making out.
I'm sure PeteM is right about the 155 Widebody, though, as talking to an aquaintance who's had both, he reckons the 155 Widebody is a good way of getting a cheap 156, IYSWIM.
ISTR a 156 starts at under £3k these days. Won't be a minter, but should be sound enough.
Probably wouldn't get a nice Nuvola Blue car for that money, though - they're pretty rare, and look scruffy very quickly.
There's been 3 different 156s.
Original from 1997 to, hmmm, 2000?
Then the slight tweak to give it clear front lenses from 2000-ish to last year.
Finally, there's the 'facelift' with the 147-alike nose that was launched last year.
Not sure on the new nose, reckon the original is more 'pure' - but the new nose definitely does suit the 166.
In news:pFfNc.970$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net, AstraVanMan decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows
I've driven the V6 and the Twin Spark 156. Personally, I think the "too heavy at the nose" argument is a load of bollocks. Ok, it's not /quite/ as sharp as the 4 pot one, but it's a V6 Alfa ffs. Therefore it's gorgeous. You just have to adjust your driving style to allow for a little tiny bit more delay before it turns in, after that they're fine. Understeer is *much* less of an issue than in something like a Peugeot 406 V6.
Besides, I want a 156 GTA.
About right.
It's a £1500 option, ISTR.
1.8 has, ISTR, 140bhp-ish. So no slouch. But..... most will be poverty spec on steel wheels etc, as they were the most popular fleet model.Black and red also look good :-)
In news:nTfNc.982$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net, AstraVanMan decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows
Good man
Ignore the 1.8, completely. Not cos they're bad, just because they're not V6s
Follow your heart when it comes to Alfas, don't buy a four cylinder one "because it's economical and the cam belt costs less to fix", if you're gonna buy an Alfa then buy the one you want. There is no substitute for the V6. Four pot and diseasel ones have all been owned by morons who get them "to show people I'm a bit of a driver" and then go on complaining about the cost of a set of plugs and that "servicing isn't cheap". Alfas aren't meant to be cheap to run. Don't skimp. Buy a V6, it might be a tad (and it is a tiny bit) less responsive to the steering but it's worth it for the noise and the throttle response that you just don't get in the four pot cheapskate ones.
I've had 6 Alfas, a 164 Q4 (V6, 4wd, brilliant), 155 Q4 (Integrale engine and running gear, very bloody good, like a sensible Integrale to drive), 164 V6 x2 (excellent), and 2x 164 2.0 TS (good, but lacking in soul, and the engine is a lot gruffer than in a V6). If I had the choice, I'd *never* buy another four pot one.
To be honest, I'd also avoid the 2.5V6, as it's not actually that much more powerful than the 2lt TSpark, but it's a hell of a lot heavier.
3lt V6 is the way to go.
A little while back I was asking about 156 V6s, mainly because I had a bit of an idea about getting an Alfa (not being model specific) in Nuvola Blue, and I remember SteveH saying the exact same thing about the V6s, basically the balance not being very good. Have you driven a 2.0TS 156? At a guess I reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Peter
Nuvola Blue. Oh yes. Quite possibly the nicest colour in any car around at the moment, or indeed ever. I've been toying with the idea of selling the Audi and getting something that's a bit more of a driver's car, and a 156 (probably 2.0TS due to the weight distribution issues) in Nuvola Blue is definitely high on the list. I think they're still pretty pricey though.
I'm quite fickle, the colour alone does it for me.
And to think the thought crossed my mind recently of getting a T reg Rover
220D for a grand......Peter
When was the changeover year? What are the differences between old and new?
Peter
Yeah, just done a nationwide search on Autotrader, just Alfas in general with the keyword "nuvola" - it returned just 13 results nationwide.
Now, ignoring the ones £10k and above, which are obviously all fairly new, there are four - one 98/S 156 2.5V6 with 42k on the clock, been garaged, blue leather, wood pack, etc, for £5750, and that isn't far from me, there's a 1.8TS Lusso 156, 2000 model for £6700, a 99/T 166 3.0 24v Super Lusso for £6999, and a 00/W 166 Super 3.0 for £7990.
Are the 1.8s worth getting, or is it best looking out for a 2 litre ones? Also, what are the 3 litre V6 166s like as far as balance/weight distribution goes?
Well if I got one I'd take that chance. I'm sure there are loads of reasons to get an Alfa, but the main reason for me would be to have a car in that colour, so if I was to get one it would be Nuvola Blue, nothing else.
Peter
Nah, Nuvola or Notatall for me :-)
Mind you, my brother's company car (147 Selespeed Lusso) was bought brand new from trade sales for £13k - that's in red. Flat red though (did they do a metallic plain red?). It doesn't look too bad, but personally if I was buying new I'd much rather pay the extra £1500 for Nuvola. Problem is, to buy one new you'd effectively be looking at an extra £7k or so, as the list price for the ones trade sales are knocking out at £13k is more like £19k, so it'd be £1500 on top of the dealer list price. Hence me wanting to find a reasonably priced (and I know that will not equate to "cheap") second hand one, which would be hard work. Definitely one to keep the eye open for.
Peter
I'd argue that it's the best, I know of lots of superb handling front wheel drivers.
These are fine, but the driver isn't as focussed as I was hoping for.
It may well be too-soft tyres. The fronts are at 4 mm, the rears at 5 mm, I'll check the pressures when I fill it for today's trip.
Well whatever I do, I do it the same to all cars! :)
It could be tyre pressures...?
I've borrowed a 1.8, which I enjoyed. Felt much sharper.
Hmm. Exception? No, just good.
I'll check the tyre pressures, which may be too soft. But even so, it's not especially agile when turning in. It delays, it thinks about it and there's even a bit of a squelch and a lag.
I don't get that with the infinitely inferior* Ka. So the Alfa must be knackered.
*In your opinion Steve, of course.
You're not going fast enough in the Ka then...
In news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de, DervMan decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows
you like diesels. Therefore your opinion doesn't count.
although today I was scooting about in a TDCi Fiesta, and it wasn't /that/ bad.
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