11 year old alfa - what next?

nowwhat

My '98 Alfa 156 (v6) is beginning to show its age both cosmetically and mechanically....

It needs about €1k spend to sort out the usual brake disc, wishbones problems...

Given that from the next NCT (due Mar 2011) it will need an annual NCT and given that it has about 150k miles on it - it will most likely turn into a money pit....

It costs about €900 a year to tax so I guess it is safeproof...

Is the "scrappage deal" the only option ?

L-M

No!

Donedeal - Ask a few hundred euros and let someone take it.

Never pay to get a car taken away, there's always a fool for it :P

nowwhat

Ops, I meant "scrappage" deal --- give it a nominal value of €1500 ?

Limerick man wrote: »

No!

Donedeal - Ask a few hundred euros and let someone take it.

Never pay to get a car taken away, there's always a fool for it :P

Anan1

My mother sold her 1998 2.0 with 135k miles a few months back for €800 - mind you it was a one owner car with FSH.

Matt Simis

Anan1 wrote: »

My mother sold her 1998 2.0 with 135k miles a few months back for €800 - mind you it was a one owner car with FSH.

And not the larger V6 that has a very focused appeal.

mickdw

If you want a new car, scrappage might be a useful way to go but if you didnt intend buying a new car, you will work out better just going in buying a slightly used car on a straight deal & getting whatever you can get for the alfa, even a couple of hundred.

THe amount of alfas parked due to blown engines means there must surely be someone who would want your engine at least although that said, it is the less common engine too

Nonoperational

V6's don't blow. One of the best engines ever built especially the 3.2l. The twin sparks blow when people don't look after them alright.

hartytkd

I might be interested in it, if the price is right.

PM me with details etc.

qz

Break the car for parts, just keep the V6 and make a coffee table out of it.

nowwhat

how much have you got ?;)

I am probably going to do a scrappage deal on it which makes it worth €1500 euro to me (but no one else....)

hartytkd wrote: »

I might be interested in it, if the price is right.

PM me with details etc.

CharlieCroker

nowwhat wrote: »

how much have you got ?;)

I am probably going to do a scrappage deal on it which makes it worth €1500 euro to me (but no one else....)

ya, but if you sell it to someone, for example, for €500. Then go into a dealership to buy a car on a straight deal, you're gonna be looking at a discount of €1000 to €1500 minimum, which means you could be better off selling it privately!!

johnos1984

CharlieCroker wrote: »

ya, but if you sell it to someone, for example, for €500. Then go into a dealership to buy a car on a straight deal, you're gonna be looking at a discount of €1000 to €1500 minimum, which means you could be better off selling it privately!!

Agreed.

I've been trying to explain this to my brother in law as he wants his parents to scrappage their mint 2001 Corolla with 55k miles and full history

nowwhat

Actually that has not been my experience so far. In both Seat and Fiat/AR garages I tried, the straight deal price was exactly 1500e more than the scrappage price....

I got scrappage and straight deal prices for Fiat 500, AR mito and Seat Ibiza SC ....

CharlieCroker wrote: »

ya, but if you sell it to someone, for example, for €500. Then go into a dealership to buy a car on a straight deal, you're gonna be looking at a discount of €1000 to €1500 minimum, which means you could be better off selling it privately!!

unkel

Another benefit of selling it instead of going for the scrappage scheme, is that you are not forced to buy a brand new car

nowwhat

it looks like I have 3 options

- keep the 156, repair it and enjoy it (+rumble, -annual tax,-annual nct,-annual repair bills)
- scrap 156 and get new car (+ low annual tax, +no nct,-big cash outlay)
- sell 156 and buy a 2nd hand car (-buying 2nd hand is hard work -medium cash outlay)

unkel wrote: »

Another benefit of selling it instead of going for the scrappage scheme, is that you are not forced to buy a brand new car

cjt156

The Arese V6 engine is an engineering marvel and even the thought of sending one to the crusher makes baby Jesus cry. Please sell it on to someone who can use it for what was meant for.:(

Have a look at the forums on Alfaowner.com Alfa156.net or Octane.ie - I'm sure someone will take it off your hands. I would but I promised to drive my 2.0TS until it dies.

RobertM

cjt156 wrote: »

The Arese V6 engine is an engineering marvel and even the thought of sending one to the crusher makes baby Jesus cry. Please sell it on to someone who can use it for what was meant for.:(

Have a look at the forums on Alfaowner.com Alfa156.net or Octane.ie - I'm sure someone will take it off your hands. I would but I promised to drive my 2.0TS until it dies.

That's the Busso V6

cjt156

RobertM wrote: »

That's the Busso V6

Designed by Busso, built in Arese; either way its best driven not crushed.

johnos1984

johnos1984 wrote: »

Agreed.

I've been trying to explain this to my brother in law as he wants his parents to scrappage their mint 2001 Corolla with 55k miles and full history

That Corolla is worth more than €1500 anyway, where did your sister find this Einstein

dr.fuzzenstein

RoverJames wrote: »

That Corolla is worth more than €1500 anyway, where did your sister find this Einstein

Ah well, someone scrapping a mint car that is worth more than the scrappage deal is sad.
Maybe less so for a sterile Jap Box like a Corolla, that is about as sad as a fridge being recycled.
But scrapping an Alfa V6 is a flipping tragedy!

dr.fuzzenstein

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Ah well, someone scrapping a mint car that is worth more than the scrappage deal is sad.
Maybe less so for a sterile Jap Box like a Corolla,

The Corolla is worth money, the Alfa isn't, sterile jap box or not it's a potential pocket liner. I reckon John you should throw €1500 at him and sell it on yourself.

johnos1984

RoverJames wrote: »

The Corolla is worth money, the Alfa isn't, sterile jap box or not it's a potential pocket liner. I reckon John you should throw €1500 at him and sell it on yourself.

Not a bad idea actually!

If I put it up for 2k it would surely sell.........lets hope the Rover sells on Saturday!

kyote00

Get a grip lads, the true cost of keeping it on the road is staggering....

I have been going back through the service history for it --- the receipted bills come to nearly €10,000 since 1998 !

In those receipts are, the big cost items were:
- timing belt change x 2 (@60k and 120k)
- clutch change (@60k)
- front discs and rotors (@90k)
- front wishbones (three times)
- MAF x 2
- rear suspension towers and shocks (@120k)
- water pump x 1 (different failure) (@90k)
- thermostat x 2
- airbag ecu x 1 (@55k)
- rear suspension trailer arms, bushes (@120k)


It is still running its original exhaust and cat. The clutch last changed at 60k so will need changing in the not to distant future....

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Ah well, someone scrapping a mint car that is worth more than the scrappage deal is sad.
Maybe less so for a sterile Jap Box like a Corolla, that is about as sad as a fridge being recycled.
But scrapping an Alfa V6 is a flipping tragedy!

cjt156

Are you the OP?

Apart from the German-made MAF and ECU all those are consumables you'd expect to change on any car with 120K on the clock, I'd say.
So you're still on the original radiator and idle-control solenoid? Show-off! ;-)

kyote00

Yes, I'm the OP. (My login was not working for me....)

The thing is that there have been multiple failures of each of those....

The suspension of the 156 is rather weak compared to other makes and seems to need doing every 18months or so....

My point is that the 156 will probably cost another 10k over the next 5 years ....

cjt156 wrote: »

Are you the OP?

Apart from the German-made MAF and ECU all those are consumables you'd expect to change on any car with 120K on the clock, I'd say.
So you're still on the original radiator and idle-control solenoid? Show-off! ;-)

cjt156

Fair enough; I'm running a 10yr old 2.0 (and a 9yr old Volvo): the Twinspark needs timing belts almost twice as often and the suspension bushes ARE made of chocolate so I know your pain.
The way I look at it your depreciation on a new car is going to be far greater over that timeframe; and for what - a souless econobox? I'm not telling you how to live your life - after 12 years you've paid your dues. I just like to think a few of these cars will survive to classic status, especially the 6 pots.

But then I plan on getting a 3.0V6 GTV once the current 156 (my second) goes to God, so there's obviously something wrong with me...

RobertM

cjt156 wrote: »

But then I plan on getting a 3.0V6 GTV once the current 156 (my second) goes to God, so there's obviously something wrong with me...

That was my idea :mad:

:pac:

kyote00

Ok, after lots of soul searching, spreadsheet cost analysis....my heart is ruling my head ---->

the 11yr 156 stays - in fact I just bought another low mileage v6 to strip and supply parts for mine which has a TI-autos service history from day one....

CarMuppet

kyote00 wrote: »

Ok, after lots of soul searching, spreadsheet cost analysis....my heart is ruling my head ---->

the 11yr 156 stays - in fact I just bought another low mileage v6 to strip and supply parts for mine which has a TI-autos service history from day one....

Well done.. I knew sense would prevail in the end

So you're an Alfisti then??