Buying an Alfa GT

Veloce

Hi guys, i'm a long time reader in this forum and thought it was about time I registered. Looking for some help as I'm hoping to buy a used Alfa GT.

Ive been looking at Carzone and see a few for sale- i'd consider a 2005 to 2007 model, i'm 50/50 between the 1.9 Diesel and 2.0 Petrol My driving brain says the 2.0 petrol but my the rational side says go for the 1.9.

I know the full service history is a major thing when buying a used Alfa, and whether or not the t/belt & w/pump have been changed with mileage etc, but other than that i'm just wondering what other major factors I should be considering?

For example take a used 2006 model, I was wondering if people think it is worth paying extra € for a lower mileage car say 30k miles with 2 owners or go for a slightly higher mileage say 50k miles with one owner? I see a beautiful red 2006 2.0 sportivo for sale, but its nearly €3.5k higher than a 1.9 with 50k miles.

I know every circumstance is different but i'm just not sure what the best option is in terms of buying. I guess I would feel a bit weary about buying a 50k miles Alfa.

Also, what are peoples opinions on buying from a dealer versus buying privately? I'm thinking in terms of recourse when something would go wrong with the car, and with Alfa's thats fairly probable!

If anyone else here has bought a GT i'd love to hear from you and any input you can give me.

Thanks,
Veloce

Atomic Pineapple

Veloce wrote: »

Hi guys, i'm a long time reader in this forum and thought it was about time I registered. Looking for some help as I'm hoping to buy a used Alfa GT.

Welcome and nice choice of car

Veloce wrote: »

Ive been looking at Carzone and see a few for sale- i'd consider a 2005 to 2007 model, i'm 50/50 between the 1.9 Diesel and 2.0 Petrol My driving brain says the 2.0 petrol but my the rational side says go for the 1.9.

The diesel is the much better option in the GT, its more reliable, its more powerful and more economic. Its a no brainer really.

Veloce wrote: »

For example take a used 2006 model, I was wondering if people think it is worth paying extra € for a lower mileage car say 30k miles with 2 owners or go for a slightly higher mileage say 50k miles with one owner? I see a beautiful red 2006 2.0 sportivo for sale, but its nearly €3.5k higher than a 1.9 with 50k miles.

I would go on condition of the car rather than any of those factors, a good service history, belts done etc... and a well looked after clean and tidy car is what you should be looking for and think of low mileage or low owners as a bonus only.

Veloce wrote: »

I know every circumstance is different but i'm just not sure what the best option is in terms of buying. I guess I would feel a bit weary about buying a 50k miles Alfa.

If its been well looked after and you yourself take good care of it you should have very few troubles.

Veloce wrote: »

Also, what are peoples opinions on buying from a dealer versus buying privately? I'm thinking in terms of recourse when something would go wrong with the car, and with Alfa's thats fairly probable!

Obviously with a reputable dealer you will have more comeback but you will pay more whereas with a private sale you will have no come back but will pay less, up to you really, you can always get a mechanic to check the car out.

Idleater

Not sure about "advertising" other forums, but AlfaOwner has probably got a better Alfa specific knowledge-base on what to look for when buying one.

Einstein

Lovely car! Am seriously considering one of these myself when it's time to change.

The 1.9diesel also has a fantastic response to a remap.

Had a 147 before, and had zero problems with it.

kindalen

check out uk prices, even if you have no intention of buying there its a great tool to bargain with on a used alfa.
you might even afford an 08 diesel from the uk, with cheaper tax and vrt. would prob have a better resale price dowwn the line too, after all we are mental about caar tax in this country.
i'd love one too.
good luck

Lex Luthor

go for the diesel...it'll be a better option.
The 3.2 petrol is the only one I'd go for in this car considering how heavy it is

Eoin

Hi Veloce, I'm considering a GT as well. The FIAT 1.9 diesel engine is very good, is used in a few different cars, and would definitely be my pick out of the two engines you've listed. People shouldn't immediately discount a diesel as a driver's car (though I'd say the 3.2 V6 could be a bit of fun).

As nereid said, check out the AlfaOwners forum as well, it's a very good forum with lots of information.

Have you test driven one yet? They are a nice car, but do bear in mind that it doesn't handle as well as the looks suggest it should. I also found the engine slightly laggy, which could be a pain in traffic - but that could just have been the one I looked at.

johnnysexsmith

Super car, I have one myself

Couple of things to look out for - timing belt should be replaced around 50K not 72K per the handbook. If at all possible get someone to look over the suspension for you its known to wear quickly

+1 for Alfa Owner super site

This is my 4th Alfa all of which I bought from main dealers in Dublin. There is one in praticular to avoid. PM me if you want the details

CountingCrows

Had a '06 GT Diesel myself, I added some detail to this thread;

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055988994

smash

A 3.2 V6 sold last week for 5k - bargain of the century!

Eoin

steve06 wrote: »

A 3.2 V6 sold last week for 5k - bargain of the century!

Yeah, I saw that - incredible value.

Nonoperational

Lovely reliable car. Belts history and no suspension noises and your sorted! Diesel over 2.0l petrol definitely.

Lex Luthor

steve06 wrote: »

A 3.2 V6 sold last week for 5k - bargain of the century!

WHAT? You're lying, please say you're lying:(

Eoin

I wonder was it this one.

Matt Simis

steve06 wrote: »

A 3.2 V6 sold last week for 5k - bargain of the century!

Was about to say that too, you would have to be doing astronomical mileage to warrant cost the Diesel or baby petrol over the vastly superior 3.2.

Redsoxfan

Yep, if the seller is to be believed that V6 did go for €5,000. Unbelievable, but that's the way things are at the moment. I was seriously thinking of trying to sell my JTD to finance buying this, even if it would cost me around €2,500 extra a year in running costs. Only thing that put me off was the blue leather (didn't look great with a black exterior), plus my own car was due a service. No 2 door coupe and no V6 in Alfa's plans, this could be last of a kind.

Anyway, I have a 1.9JTD for nearly 3 years now and love it-I'd probably love the V6 more, but, I have to drive to work everyday, so there has to be a compromise. I bought from a garage in the UK and there's now 85,000 miles on the clock, and it really hasn't put a foot wrong.

galwaytt

Matt Simis wrote: »

Was about to say that too, you would have to be doing astronomical mileage to warrant cost the Diesel or baby petrol over the vastly superior 3.2.

No. €614 tax vs €1400-odd is one thing you're conveniently forgetting.

Eoin

Yeah, but you won't get a tidy diesel GT for anything close to 5K - you'd probably have to spend close to twice the cost of that V6 for a diesel in as good condition.

Matt Simis

galwaytt wrote: »

No. €614 tax vs €1400-odd is one thing you're conveniently forgetting.

Meh, spread over a year... who cares? The point remains that the better car is cheaper. Worry bout taxes later.

I couldnt stand the idea of driving the entry level and paying more for it and trying to console myself with a whopping EUR2 a day saving. I mean christ, thats 2 pints of beer a week and you are still saving €2 to 4k on the initial purchase!

If it takes 2 years to equalise the price of the pricey diesel/weener petrol vs the V6, would you really be that bothered on a mere 5k purchase (2 years prior)?

Tragedy

Matt Simis wrote: »

Meh, spread over a year... who cares? The point remains that the better car is cheaper. Worry bout taxes later.

I couldnt stand the idea of driving the entry level and paying more for it and trying to console myself with a whopping EUR2 a day saving. I mean christ, thats 2 pints of beer a week and you are still saving €2 to 4k on the initial purchase!

If it takes 2 years to equalise the price of the pricey diesel/weener petrol vs the V6, would you really be that bothered on a mere 5k purchase (2 years prior)?

15k miles per year the 3.2 will cost you at least €2200 more in fuel. That's a conservative estimate, probably closer to €2,500. Add in €800 more for tax and probably a few hundred more for insurance.

€3500 a year extra if you do a fairly modest 15,000 miles per year?

kyote00

As an ex 156 v6 owner, you will also spend more on front tyres. I also found that nearly all suspension bushes failed every 3yrs approx - this due to extra strain of the v6 . also check front disks for warping - again bringing 200bhp to a stop is not easy....

all that said, the arnese v6 is an iconic unit, probably the best alfa engine and quite reliable. (ps if the gt is not using the arnese, then I wouldn't bother....)

the sound from it in 2nd or 3rd gear above 3000rpm is intoxicating.....

except about 25-28mpg on extra urban cycle...

Tragedy wrote: »

15k miles per year the 3.2 will cost you at least €2200 more in fuel. That's a conservative estimate, probably closer to €2,500. Add in €800 more for tax and probably a few hundred more for insurance.

€3500 a year extra if you do a fairly modest 15,000 miles per year?

The Recliner

OP if you do decide to get the 2L petrol over the diesel I don't think you will end up regretting it

I have a 1.8L Monza petrol for sale and I am very happy with it, it was looked after and has been no trouble, it shall hopefully be sold tomorrow so I am not trying to pimp it to you

Just saying that I don't think the petrol is under powered and the GT is a good fun car. I hope you find a nice one in the type you are looking for, I am sure you will enjoy it, great car

Veloce

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your responses.

My father has a 1.9 159, its the 8 valve version. Lots of torque at low revs and nice smooth delivery of power. I actually haven't driven the 16 valve version of the 1.9 (yet), but i'm glad the GT carries that extra 30hp that my dad's alfa hasn't.

The latest 2.0 petrol alfa i have driven has been a 00 156, and she was a little rocket...

I have heard the suspension can cause issues alright, and when it goes bad it can cost an arm and a leg to fix. Does anyone know if the steering column joint can cause some issues? I have heard some people complaining about a 'knock' in the steering wheel back and forth over the central point, and apparently its an expensive one repair.

Also I have read the electronics can be a bit sketchy on some of the cars- random warning lights coming on and off etc. Has this issue been ironed out on the later 06 to 07 cars or is this still an inherent problem right throughout?

I am surprised how cheap the second hand gts are, in comparison to something like an audi or bmw of similiar year and mileage. I don't plan on paying more money for one of those boring cars anyways.

I did think long and hard about that 3.2 V6 on Octane. Looks sweet in black. But when i rang the insurance company the thought of owning one quickly diminished! You will only get circa 22-24 mpg with that car, fork out €1,501 for annual tax (not to mention the budget in december this could be hiked even further) Saying that id still love one though!

Eoin

Veloce wrote: »

I am surprised how cheap the second hand gts are, in comparison to something like an audi or bmw of similiar year and mileage. I don't plan on paying more money for one of those boring cars anyways.

Well, they're much cheaper to start with, and Alfas depreciate very badly. Which is good news for people buying second hand. A BMW coupé might be common, but with the right engine it certainly isn't "boring" - it would most likely be a sportier drive than the GT.

Veloce wrote:

The latest 2.0 petrol alfa i have driven has been a 00 156, and she was a little rocket...

Yeah, my dad had the same car and it was great - though you do have to rev them quite hard.

mooman

Tragedy wrote: »

15k miles per year the 3.2 will cost you at least €2200 more in fuel. That's a conservative estimate, probably closer to €2,500. Add in €800 more for tax and probably a few hundred more for insurance.

€3500 a year extra if you do a fairly modest 15,000 miles per year?

€3500 well spent if you take the extra enjoyment into consideration.

Tragedy

mooman wrote: »

€3500 well spent if you take the extra enjoyment into consideration.

€3,500 extra a year is a lot of money to most people.

DirkVoodoo

So I had to buy a car for work and there was only ever going to be one winner: The Alfa GT.

I've just bought one from the UK, have to go about collecting, importing, etc. (Using the excellent UK importing thread here) but I'm wondering if any GT owners can advise me on what to look out for? Are there any common problems with the 1.9 JTD or GT in general?

Idleater

How very euro dirk

Have a look in this section on alfa owner. Bound to be something there. There's also an Ireland section.

Matt Simis

Tragedy wrote: »

15k miles per year the 3.2 will cost you at least €2200 more in fuel. That's a conservative estimate, probably closer to €2,500. Add in €800 more for tax and probably a few hundred more for insurance.

€3500 a year extra if you do a fairly modest 15,000 miles per year?

To save everyone trying to decipher those figures, can you put the data behind that EUR2200 (1600 litres?) extra over the 1.9JTD's diesel consumption.

Otherwise its just random numbers to prove your point.

Tragedy

Matt Simis wrote: »

To save everyone trying to decipher those figures, can you put the data behind that EUR2200 (1600 litres?) extra over the 1.9JTD's diesel consumption.

Otherwise its just random numbers to prove your point.

Figured most people wouldn't want the maths to be honest!

Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDm combined MPG: 45
Alfa Romeo GT 3.2V6 combined MPG: 22(not a typo)

15,000miles @ 45mpg and diesel costing 1.229 per litre = €1,862
15,000miles @ 22mpg and petrol costing 1.319 per litre = €4,088
6,832miles @ 22mpg and petrol costing 1.319 per litre = €1,862
6,832miles @ 45mpg and diesel costing 1.229 per litre = €848

1,910cc = €614 per 12months of tax and group 15 out of 20 insurance.
3,179cc = €1,566 per 12months of tax and group 20 out of 20 insurance.

DirkVoodoo

Idleater wrote: »

How very euro dirk

Have a look in this section on alfa owner. Bound to be something there. There's also an Ireland section.

Cheers dude, yeah it can't take a bike rack unless I get a towbar, picking it up tomorrow. Slightly nervous/excited, will be my first time driving it and I have to take it 300km across the UK to the ferry.

Matt Simis

Tragedy wrote: »

Figured most people wouldn't want the maths to be honest!

Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDm combined MPG: 45
Alfa Romeo GT 3.2V6 combined MPG: 22(not a typo)

15,000miles @ 45mpg and diesel costing 1.229 per litre = €1,862
15,000miles @ 22mpg and petrol costing 1.319 per litre = €4,088
6,832miles @ 22mpg and petrol costing 1.319 per litre = €1,862
6,832miles @ 45mpg and diesel costing 1.229 per litre = €848

1,910cc = €614 per 12months of tax and group 15 out of 20 insurance.
3,179cc = €1,566 per 12months of tax and group 20 out of 20 insurance.

Well that looks sound enough was just wondering incase you were pulling numbers out of the air!

Tragedy

(((Miles/(MPG/4.546))*Cost of Fuel in €))
((15000/(45/4.546))*1.229) = €1,862

4.546 is how many litres are in an imperial gallon, it just converts MPG to miles per litre.

Veloce

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Cheers dude, yeah it can't take a bike rack unless I get a towbar, picking it up tomorrow. Slightly nervous/excited, will be my first time driving it and I have to take it 300km across the UK to the ferry.

Goodluck picking up the car Dirk and i'd love to hear how the 300km trek went

galwaytt

Matt Simis wrote: »

Meh, spread over a year... who cares? The point remains that the better car is cheaper. Worry bout taxes later.

I couldnt stand the idea of driving the entry level and paying more for it and trying to console myself with a whopping EUR2 a day saving. I mean christ, thats 2 pints of beer a week and you are still saving €2 to 4k on the initial purchase!

If it takes 2 years to equalise the price of the pricey diesel/weener petrol vs the V6, would you really be that bothered on a mere 5k purchase (2 years prior)?

That's alright: you obviously drink. Beer. So I'd notice the €2, tbh

And you're missing the point: are you saying that, even with your own uber-maschine, which is All Things to All People, that you don't flinch - not even a tiny bit - when you hand over 1500 for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ?? And wonder what else you could do with the money (and no, I don't mean donate it or anything grand: I'm thinking.......tyres, fuel, bloody hell, even servicing it )

Fug me, I do. A lot.!

Matt Simis

galwaytt wrote: »

That's alright: you obviously drink. Beer. So I'd notice the €2, tbh

And you're missing the point: are you saying that, even with your own uber-maschine, which is All Things to All People, that you don't flinch - not even a tiny bit - when you hand over 1500 for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ?? And wonder what else you could do with the money (and no, I don't mean donate it or anything grand: I'm thinking.......tyres, fuel, bloody hell, even servicing it )

Fug me, I do. A lot.!

Well yeah, and I have 2 cars on the go at the time too! But would I be happier paying 1/3 the tax and driving something as mundane as a 1.9 diesel? Not a chance.

Tragedy

I went from a 1.9 diesel that got 45mpg over 18,000 miles to a 2.5 V6 that's so far gotten 26mpg over 5,000 miles.

Worth it, but I did the sums first!

Veloce

Hi all...went out to view an 06 Gt (2.0 JTS) is a south dublin alfa garage. Didn't take the car for a spin but did have a look under the bonnet and started her up. The engine began to rev up and down a bit when left at idle. It would increase to maybe 1,500 rpm then back down to idle...and a bit of vibration (slight chuggy feel). The sales guy said it has been diagnosed as a banjaxed airflow meter.

I'm just wondering is this horsesh!t though...the car has been on the forecourt for the best part of 2 months now, and the garage has not bother to fixed the issue regarding the airflow meter? He said the part would be ordered for it in a about a week or so. Just seems a bit strange that this has not been corrected. Is this normal? I would have thought they would have the car in top notch (or as much as possible) to make a sale on it. Especially an official dealer.

Also, the sales guy said the service history is all on record on the garage's computer system, as all servicing was done at that particular garage. This is not sufficient though? (as its open to manipulation). He said he would scan and send the actual service booklet of the car to me during the week that another sales guy had it???