Buying first car, help! Alfa GT???

vinruane

Hey guys,

I been around a while reading threads and learning loads! Finally said I'd come on and ask a few questions!

Firstly, I'm in love with cars and have been since I was about 14 and started buying magazines. I'm currently still in college and have resisted the urge to buy a car till I leave, which is this summer. Wahay!!!

I've been looking through car websites for years now, driving myself mad! I've always loved the way alfas look and sound. Unfortunately I still haven't had the chance to drive one .

I've been thinking about buying an Alfa GT as my first car, think they are absolutely stunning cars, and I can just about afford one

Just wondering if ye all have any advice on this issue? Best engines? Any problems to look out for? Best places to buy etc? I am willing to spend up to 14k on a nice example.

Thanks for all your help guys, appreciate it,

Vinruane

Alanstrainor

Do you have a license? Have you taken in to account insurance etc? Just curious...

vinruane

Yup have a full licence,

been driving nearly two years on it. Insurance on 1.9JTD will be around 2k. Its nasty but I'll bite the bullet for the right car.

Unless I buy a small little car I'm going to get screwed on insurance, so might as well enjoy it!

ARGINITE

Best engines are 1.9 JTDm or the 3.2 V6.
Buyers guide and Alfa owners forum. Have a good read of both and you will have an idea of what to look for, the guys on the Alfa owners forum are dead on.

jennytightlips

i think you are better off going for a japanese car....alfa romeos havent got a good build quality....:rolleyes::rolleyes:
you should test drive a few first and see what you think but what ever you do dont jump on the first thing that catches your eye.... take your time and bring a mechanic with you not a tyre kicker!!!
good luck
;)

ARGINITE

alfa romeos havent got a good build quality

Don't listen to this, Alfa's of old might have been this way. But the newer ones are a lot more reliable and have good build quality.

you should test drive a few first and see what you think but what ever you do dont jump on the first thing that catches your eye.... take your time and bring a mechanic with you

This is good advice tho.

vinruane

I was a bit worried about the build quality of Alfa's alright initially but reading through some of the threads on alfaowner and this site has gotten rid of them.

I haven't ruled out buying any other car, I haven't that luxury with this amount of money. I have a few reasons for wanting the GT:

1. I have always loved their styling and still smile everytime I see one on the road, not many other cars in this price bracket can make you smile so easily.

2. I can't comment on their driving capabilities but Alfa have always been about the driver and I love just going off on long drives for the craic of it. Unfortunately I'm driving the mothers Renault Megane at the moment so not the most pleasing!

3. For the price you pay for a good GT you get a long list of extras, many other cars just can't hold a candle to this.

4. There are very few GT's on the road at them moment, everytime you see one though you look back!

I don't think I could afford the running costs of the V6 (mores the pity) so I'm limited really to the 2.0 and 1.8 petrol units and the 1.9 JTD. I'll be doing approximately 10 - 12k miles P.A.

Lex Luthor

go for the 1.9JTDm...the 1.8 & 2.0 petrol are gutless

Don't mind the begrudgers, especially the ones with just 1 post...they are a fabulous car

Tap up your parents for an extra 9.5k and I know someone who has a mint 07 for sale...;)

vinruane

Thanks Lex,

I've been getting stick off friends bout the Alfa but don't care, that kinda stuff never put me off!

there is a lovely '05 on adverts for 13k. If i could I'd go straight there and buy it. Has everything I want in it, and its red, cream leather and has the BOSE stereo. Gorgeous car! Ya never know with the economy and car sales the way they are it might still be there in a while!

unkel

Welcome to boards, vinruane

Never mind your friends, they don't know what they're talking about. The GT is a stunning car and as others said, get the 1.9JTD engine

As with buying any second hand car, try and get someone to check the car out. Preferably someone who knows Alfas. If I were in the market for an Alfa, the first place to check would be Alfa enthousiasts forums. Those are the guys that really look after their cars.

Happy hunting and let us know how you're getting on!

challengemaster

You get screwed with insurance even if you buy a small car these days.. If you've factored it into the eqn, and want it, then get it.

samsemtex

vinruane wrote: »

Best places to buy etc? I

England, do not buy one here. And even better go to Alfaowners.com and see what they have advertised there. The lads on that forum are often obsessive about their cars and will more than likely have looked after it very very well.

Bluefoam

Alfa's are a great car...

Good advice is to buy from a dealer - to get a 6 month or 1 year warranty - You need to look after them, never let them run low on oil etc... If you hear of a really bad one, it is usually because a previous owner did not give it enough care...

I love mine

bazz26

Christ, this has me tempted too:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1317446

cianclarke

2k is an alright price to be paying on insurance.
Don't listen to the above and buy japcrap. Don't listen to your friends, because they probably haven't a clue.
14k is an awwful lot for a college student to spend on a first car, I'm in college and feel bad about spending 6k on my 4th car - but if you can afford it, go for it! Stunning car, don't let the begrudgers get to you!

samsemtex

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/861158.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/863710.htm

Lex Luthor

bazz26 wrote: »

Christ, this has me tempted too:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1317446

nice choice bazz, that is a rare colour on that one....lots of nice GT's out there at the moment and the 05's seem to be holding their value because the UK prices are solid enough aswell.
This was expected when they came out first and although the first 2yrs took a hammering they are holding well now.

skyhighflyer

Looks like now is the right time to buy. A couple of months ago prices were still unrealistically high compared to UK imports; looks like sellers have now realised this and are pricing their cars competitively - you won't get a car in from the UK for much less than the 12 to 14k that Irish sellers are now asking. That 2005 model in particular looks like a real bargain.

But, a word of advice. I know you're probably not going to listen to me (and why should you it's your money after all:)). But being your first car you're probably going to have a tip in it. That's fair enough if you're driving a €2K car but it'll hurt a lot (not least financially) if it's in a pristine Alfa GT. By the time you add in a year's road tax, your insurance, a service and possibly a set of tires you're looking at the guts of €3K on top of what you're going to pay, and that's before fuel costs and any unforeseen maintenance. Alfas are not a car to run on a budget. Plus there's so many nice motors available for half the price of the GT you'd be mad to get one if it's gonna stretch you financially like that.

Then again if you have the cash and want one enough why the hell not:D

vinruane

You speak a world of sense skyhighflyer. You're totally right about the extra costs that are going to hit me apart from actually buying the car in the first place. That's the main reason I started this thread, to get some advice and try and make a good judgement call on it, and not just with my heart, even though its so tempting!

If I can get a good car like the one mentioned on driving.ie I'd go for it, but anything more expensive will stretch me a bit too much financially.

Why does everyone always say: "its your first car, buy something cheap and awful!". I think thats the reason so many people have crashes and ding their first cars, they don't care about them. I've been driving my mothers car for two years now and there's not even a scratch on it mainly because if I do anything to it she'll kill me! I'd be even more nervous with my own car if I really cherished it.

Thanks for the advice jennytightlips:

you should test drive a few first and see what you think but what ever you do dont jump on the first thing that catches your eye.... take your time and bring a mechanic with you not a tyre kicker!!!

Thanks cianclarke, this car is going to be funded with a car loan unfortunatley. I'm lucky enough to be signed up for a company starting full time in August, I got very lucky!

The '04 GT's don't seem to hold their value as well as the younger versions, is their any mechanical reasons for this or just the Alfa badge?

By the way guys, I'll listen to anyones advice, no matter how different it is to mine, I love these cars and everything but also want to make the right decision!

Thanks to everyone for all the help! :)

bottletops

Get a 1.9 mJTD 16V..... and get it REMAPPED!!!!!!

You won't be able to stop yourself dropping the accel to the floor in 3rd.. and 4th. Massive torque.

And as I've said here many times now... with the Alfa just mind it / fix the little things as they go wrong and she'll serve you good. Mines got 148,000 miles on it and still pulls like a train.

Lex Luthor

vinruane wrote: »

The '04 GT's don't seem to hold their value as well as the younger versions, is their any mechanical reasons for this or just the Alfa badge?

it was only released in 04 so maybe they had a few niggles they were trying to iron out....didn't really get popular until 05/06

vinruane

I just went on to piston heads there and found a nice GT, went onto ros.ie to check how much it'd be to bring it in and they quoted me 6k! They have the value of the car set to 21.5k euro. Don't think I'll be bringing one in from England so!:(

Henry Ford III

vinruane wrote: »

Hey guys...thinking about buying an Alfa GT as my first car, think they are absolutely stunning cars, and I can just about afford one

An old adage, and a very true one for any used car is - buy the best one you can afford, and keep some cash in reserve for repairs.

A new set of boots, or brake overhaul, or a major service, on top of fuel, tax, insurance and other consumables might kill your finances.

Think carefully.

p.s. Alfa GT's are lovely cars.

vinruane

Hmmm, unfortunately Henry you're right.

If I can find a nice GT that hasn;t been driven into the ground I'll go for it but I think I might wait till my next car to get one or maybe a 159?

Can anybody suggest a similar car? As I have no dependents and am young I want to go for something kinda sporty, really enjoyable to drive, not going to cost the earth to run and simply makes ya smile! I've accepted the situation where I'm going to be paying a heavy load on my insurance anyway so screw it!

Hard top preferably, not a great fan of the auld soft top!

ARGINITE

Have you looked at a 156?
The 2.4JTDm is meant to be a great drive

Ferris

vinruane wrote: »

Hmmm, unfortunately Henry you're right.

If I can find a nice GT that hasn;t been driven into the ground I'll go for it but I think I might wait till my next car to get one or maybe a 159?

Can anybody suggest a similar car? As I have no dependents and am young I want to go for something kinda sporty, really enjoyable to drive, not going to cost the earth to run and simply makes ya smile! I've accepted the situation where I'm going to be paying a heavy load on my insurance anyway so screw it!

Hard top preferably, not a great fan of the auld soft top!

Save your money and have more fun:-

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/891354.htm

Or if I had your means when I was a student, these are a great car for driving:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/833842.htm

(People who slag them off for being hairdressers cars need to get a grip)

Lex Luthor

bottletops wrote: »

Get a 1.9 mJTD 16V..... and get it REMAPPED!!!!!!

You won't be able to stop yourself dropping the accel to the floor in 3rd.. and 4th. Massive torque.

And as I've said here many times now... with the Alfa just mind it / fix the little things as they go wrong and she'll serve you good. Mines got 148,000 miles on it and still pulls like a train.

bottletops, did you get a remap done?

su_dios

Lex Luthor wrote: »

bottletops, did you get a remap done?

The gains aren't that great..I looked into it for my Dad.

To the OP, I think the GT may be the wrong car for your first car. The rear windscreen is pretty hard to see out of if you're not used to driving a similar sized car. The more obvious choice would have been a nice 147. Same interior and you could still have the 1.9JTD.

Bluefoam

su_dios wrote: »

The gains aren't that great..I looked into it for my Dad.

To the OP, I think the GT may be the wrong car for your first car. The rear windscreen is pretty hard to see out of if you're not used to driving a similar sized car. The more obvious choice would have been a nice 147. Same interior and you could still have the 1.9JTD.

OP, would you not consider a nice Yaris? :rolleyes:

BTW, I drive a 147 & it is great. But, I need 5 doors and like to keep my costs relatively low - if you want a GT & can afford a GT then go for it...

... or a 147

bottletops

Lex Luthor wrote: »

bottletops, did you get a remap done?

I did... and the gains were huge. Haven't put it on a rolling road but I rarely need to drop out of 6th to overtake and it pulls consistently well in all gears right up over 100mph (not that you'd ever want to!)

Apparently the gains are about 35 bhp (ish) and 60 ft/lb torque

Also, to note I'm still getting 650 miles to the tank (65L) as I mostly drive it on motorway to and from work.

su_dios

bottletops wrote: »

I did... and the gains were huge. Haven't put it on a rolling road but I rarely need to drop out of 6th to overtake and it pulls consistently well in all gears right up over 100mph (not that you'd ever want to!)

Apparently the gains are about 35 bhp (ish) and 60 ft/lb torque

http://www.chippedire.com shows 25hp and 50Nm torque.

bottletops

su_dios wrote: »

http://www.chippedire.com shows 25hp and 50Nm torque.

I used Angel Tuning if that helps.

su_dios

bottletops wrote: »

I used Angel Tuning if that helps.

Do you know their quoted figures? My dad was interested in getting it done. Does it sort low down torque?

OP go for a test drive in one as soon as you get the chance. You may love or hate it.

pablosd

i will agree that alfas are lovely looking car and really stir the soul, i was actually thinking of getting either 156 or 166 but before i did i asked few friends mechanics here and there and they say dat alfas aren't actually dat bad , some examples could be pain in the ass, but this could be with any car(friend has a 02 passat tdi130 and it has been only trouble so far).
But did you ever wonder why alfas are so cheap here ???
1) Bad reputation 2) Servicing !!!!! is the worst problem, parts arent actually dat expensive(most shared with fiat) but alfa came up with stupid idea of making parts that require very specialistic spanners and keys and other equipment(these are supposed to be very expensive)that only alfa produces themselves therefore some mechanichs mite not be able to sort you out with more serious issues therefore you will have to go to dealership(costs!!!!) or independent alfa spec(if there is any around???) 1.9JTD is the fiat unit so it shudn't be bad in terms of servicing(i think)
budget of 14k gives you plenty of choice and i wouldn't stick to one brand, Audi TT, BMW Z3, Honda S2000etc.. if you are however desperate to get alfa romeo make sure FULL ALFA service history is there with it.
www.NoNonsense.ie should give you not a bad quote...

Ferris

I havent any personnal experience but I hear you're better off going to Ti autos (alfa specialists) for servicing alfa's as the dealers are crap.

Serafina27

Hey!

Just be aware that most GT cars have a 25yr + age limit with alot of insurers!!!! Just an fyi!

Lex Luthor

bottletops wrote: »

I did... and the gains were huge. Haven't put it on a rolling road but I rarely need to drop out of 6th to overtake and it pulls consistently well in all gears right up over 100mph (not that you'd ever want to!)

Apparently the gains are about 35 bhp (ish) and 60 ft/lb torque

Also, to note I'm still getting 650 miles to the tank (65L) as I mostly drive it on motorway to and from work.

I considered getting Angel Tuning but since my car is still in warranty I decided against it and read some great reviews on the Spider boxes from Diesel Tuning
http://www.dieseltuning.co.uk/alfa-romeo-diesel-tuning.html
This way if I sell the car I can take it out and sell it on. Figures quoted on the spider box are gains of 33bhp and 93Nm

vinruane

wats the story with these boxes and your insurance. Do you have to state it anywhere? if ya have an accident is your insurance null and void?

By the way I'm not stuck to anyone brand, I've no experience with any except Renault really.

Just be aware that most GT cars have a 25yr + age limit with alot of insurers!!!!

I've gotten quotes off a few different providers and most are around 2,200 but I got a quote for 1,650 from 123.ie. Not TOO bad!

ARGINITE

vinruane wrote:

Do you have to state it anywhere? if ya have an accident is your insurance null and void?

Yes you should declare it and if not declared yes your insurance would be null and void.

neacy69

Have you considered importing one? they can be got for good value now in the uk when you consider the sterling rate:


http://www.cargiant.ie/Alfa_Romeo/GT/details-411235-Alfa_Romeo-GT.asp

2005 55k, Climate Control, 17" Alloy wheels, Radio with CD-Player, Parking Sensors, Electric Windows (front), Electric Mirrors, Central Locking, Power-Steering, Cruise Control, ABS brakes with Traction Control, Airbags (multiple), Multi Function Steering Wheel
Rear Head-Rests

Jaysus I'd love to have the money to be buying a car.....You could just buy my 147???

vinruane

The only problem with bringing them in from either the north or England is that ROS has their resale value seriously over valued. I checked an 04 earlier and they have its value set to E21,500, the tax was set to 28% of its value so it came in around E6000, so it actually works out the same as buying one here, if not more.

Vim Fuego

Buying in the UK means you could get a car with better spec and with a full service history for the same money. Granted, it's a bit of extra hassle but if you have your heart set on this beautiful car, you may as well get the best example possible for the money.

I just brought back an 07 GT the other week. Still waiting on a few things before paying the revenue but it should come to the absolute lowest quote given to me by dealers here for cars with twice the mileage and less extras. And that's before I appeal the Revenue's valuation of the car which is at least 5k too much.

2k for your insurance is quite a bit. I'm 25 and looking at no more than €600 for myself and girlfriend before I've even started shopping around properly.

As a new owner, I can only say do it!! The 1.9 diesel is some car for the money. The only downside is ever since I got my GT, I've noticed many others on the roads than ever before! Bastards... Er...I mean, don't buy one. Mine has been broken down ever since I got it rather than the car of my dreams....

vinruane

Just did a check on this

http://www.cargiant.ie/Alfa_Romeo/GT...a_Romeo-GT.asp

Gorgeous looking car, with exchage rate as it is its 8,600 euro plus 6,700 for vrt. They have its value set to €24068.

How can you appeal their valuation of the car? how successful are the appeals usually because this valuation is way off.

Lex Luthor

Vim Fuego wrote: »

Buying in the UK means you could get a car with better spec and with a full service history for the same money. Granted, it's a bit of extra hassle but if you have your heart set on this beautiful car, you may as well get the best example possible for the money.

I don't think any GT in the UK has any more in the spec as to what I have in mine....

You can get a top spec here if you look hard enough

Lex Luthor

ARGINITE wrote: »

Yes you should declare it and if not declared yes your insurance would be null and void.

ya but its a plug in box that can be removed in a matter of seconds....

the chances of being caught with it are non-existent

Kanchelskis

Hey OP

I bought my GT a year ago and haven't looked back since. I have the 1.9 diesel sportivio which research suggested was the the best one to buy. Its a brilliant drive, comes fully loaded and is absolutely stunning, getting comments and sideways glances wherever I go. Not really a car to think about ecomomics etc but its not bad. Good luck and enjoy.