BANGERNOMICS (sub2k) of the week/day

bazz26 wrote:

Diesel 147 with low mileage, leather interior and NCT till March 18 asking ?1,650

Are Alfas still unreliable or what's the craic with them?

Jobs OXO

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Are Alfas still unreliable or what's the craic with them?

As reliable as a chocolate teapot

Jobs OXO wrote: »

As reliable as a chocolate teapot

In other words you're an expert...
Don't listen to such comments.

pcardin

Jobs OXO wrote: »

As reliable as a chocolate teapot

Ah, an expert from the local pub. :pac:

pcardin

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/smart-cabriolet-automatic-2003-nct-11-17/14833495?campaign=3

Something for the Summer, NCT 11/17 - €1999

He is not telling porkies re being economical, they really are. And they are fast from zero to 60 because they are light. Problem is, they run out of breath at around 100km/h. A perfect car for city driving, easy to park. We own a Smart Roadster, which is way cooler looking than this and slightly faster than this. The only thing I would ask seller is if an engine has ever been rebuilt. These engines tend to go between 50k to 80k miles (usually around 60k). The one on ours went at just 79k miles. But since roadster is a great fun car we paid for full rebuild, so its like new again.

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia-just-tested/15185205

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Octavia
One owner
1199.00
New tyres and belts
NcT 01/18

wotzgoingon

pcardin wrote: »

He is not telling porkies re being economical, they really are. And they are fast from zero to 60 because they are light. Problem is, they run out of breath at around 100km/h. A perfect car for city driving, easy to park. We own a Smart Roadster, which is way cooler looking than this and slightly faster than this. The only thing I would ask seller is if an engine has ever been rebuilt. These engines tend to go between 50k to 80k miles (usually around 60k). The one on ours went at just 79k miles. But since roadster is a great fun car we paid for full rebuild, so its like new again.

Haha! I'd say I'd walk faster than that cars 0-60

Don't know if I'd pay near €1200 for that Octavia tbh, pretty high miles and tatty bodywork and must have been in disrepair to some extent with the NCT allowed to be 6 months out.

On the other hand, new test, serviced, belted etc, you'd want it for €6-700 tops imo.

Edit: https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia-2003/15548028

JohnBoy26

bear1 wrote: »

In other words you're an expert...
Don't listen to such comments.

What is wrong with what was said though? Those alfas are soft mechanically.

CharlieCroker

Alfa's are as reliable as most cars once they receive the proper maintenance. I had an 8 year old 156 petrol with 180k miles when I got rid. Ran perfectly because it was maintained.

The issue is proper maintenance on them is expensive and a lot of people scrimp on it.

JohnBoy26

CharlieCroker wrote: »

Alfa's are as reliable as most cars once they receive the proper maintenance. I had an 8 year old 156 petrol with 180k miles when I got rid. Ran perfectly because it was maintained.

The issue is proper maintenance on them is expensive and a lot of people scrimp on it.

people seem to use the maintenance argument as an excuse when defending alfas. They need a lot of pampering outside of regular maintenance and even at that they still tend to go wrong. To me it seems to be more down to poor design/quality rather than maintenance issues.

Don't get me wrong they are nice cars it's just they are soft.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

What is wrong with what was said though? Those alfas are soft mechanically.

Judging the entire range of a marque as unreliable when the poster doesn't offer any hint of a reason why they believe so is just plain stupid.
I've had two and both ran well into their quarter million miles. Yes one I had to replace the engine cause I cracked the sump but the only thing I would class as soft are the suspensions.
I had a bad experience with a honda but wouldn't label the entire brand as unreliable due to it.
And a lot of it does come down to maintenance.
A jtd 147 comes up for sale so you'd think that if you are to label that car as unreliable then maybe offer the reasons as to why that particular car is unreliable.
There is a certain animosity to anything Alfa or fiat on this forum sometimes simply because its an Alfa or fiat.
I'll leave it at that or this thread will just go downhill.

bear1 wrote: »

And a lot of it does come down to maintenance.

And thus completes the circle of that arguement.

Speaking of dodgy Octavias, i would love one of these.
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia-vrs/15624799

Or a tidy looking diesel one asking €850
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia/15604064

Toyotafanboi wrote:

Speaking of dodgy Octavias, i would love one of these.

I remember these going for 10k not so long ago, great car for the money if it's in good working order.

I would love one of the new models, I was considering the pcp finance a while ago but didn't go through with it

They are a mean looking car with those wheels, spoiler etc. Were the green callipers a factory option or a trend that just took off afterwards?

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

And thus completes the circle of that arguement.

In which sense? If a car isn't properly maintained then how do you expect it to be reliable?
That's my point.

I've never owned or driven an Alfa but I've came across a few people who own Alfas who say you'll never drive anything else after owning and driving one.

I would agree they are very nice looking cars especially inside but are they that much better to drive than other cars or what's the attraction with them especially with the reliability issue tag they seem to carry?

bear1 wrote: »

In which sense? If a car isn't properly maintained then how do you expect it to be reliable?
That's my point.

Some cars just seem to need more maintenance than others to stay reliable.

There's also the difference between "maintenance" and "failures". Like needing a gearbox rebuild/ replacement at 250k kms, that's a component failure, not a maintenance item, for example and no amount of maintenance will prevent it from happening.

Toyotafanboi wrote:

They are a mean looking car with those wheels, spoiler etc. Were the green callipers a factory option or a trend that just took off afterwards?

Green calipers for petrol and red calipers for diesel models AFAIK

punisher5112

On the caliper issue my green ones are gone to sh1t.

Anyone any ideas of a fix or even where to get suitable paint.
2006 vRS