New restored 166 in Northern Ireland so it is

[zagatoes30]

I suspect the mileage is quite high reading between the lines. I would love this but after Spyder purchase I am totally out of brownie points with Mrs Z

 

[CatmanV2]

Stick a bow on it and make it a Christmas present for Mrs Z

C

 

[zagatoes30]

Stick a bow on it and make it a Christmas present for Mrs Z

C

Don't think even that would work.

On the basis i borrowed some of "her" new kitchen money to pay for the Spyder you can imagine the atmosphere in our house

It wasn't actually her money I might add, more mine that she had allocated to a different purchase to me

but as we all know what is hers, is hers and what is mine is hers as well

 

[CatmanV2]

Oh dear.

Good luck

C

 

[TridentTested]

……... a 3.2 Ti 166 is pretty close. A QP V would be a bit better but it would be more expensive to both buy and run.

People often talk about 166s and QPs in the same breath. This comes up again and again in the 166 lounge on Alfa Owners.

But having now owned both I would say they are enormously different propositions. The QP comes with a full leather interior and lots of executive car toys but it is never a waft-machine, where the 166 is. The 166 looks promising on paper but is hopelessly let down by all the weight in front of the front axle and its short wheelbase. On undulating badly surfaced UK roads I some times struggled to reach the speed limit, never mind exceed it, before the 166 started grounding-out on dips and crests.

I did love my 166 (the most reliable and cheap to maintain car I've ever owned) but it was not a QP-lite.

I sold it for £1,000 - should have kept it.

 

[Contigo]

V6 166's have been around the 1K mark for a while (probably a fixer upper) and I'd personally not pay an more than that for one. Parts can be a right ***** to get hold of for them too!

 

[CatmanV2]

I've had a 166. I sold it to my Dad cos it really didn't do it for me. Nice car, but, as Michael says, more a wafter. I had the 2.5 V6, bought sight unseen from ebay

Having been around the QP's of Drew et al there is *no* comparison.

C

 

[Contigo]

The 3.0's are like rocking horse though and of course I meant the 2.5 V6 engine are cheap as chips like you found out C

 

[zagatoes30]

I have had 2 3.0 V6 166s one manual and one sportronic, I loved them both. Agreed they are not overtly sporty but you wouldn't wring the neck out of them on your favourite twisty but they were easy to live with, relatively comfortable and quick. If you wanted to cover a lot of miles there were certainly worse cars to use.

The only downside I had was from the front they looked like they had just sucked on a Lemon. The big nose facelift I think addressed this quite nicely, if fact I think this look suited the 166 more than any other of the Alfas it was put on. The 3.0 facelift model was auto only and the 3.2 was manual only. As I previously said I would happily run a 3.2Ti in addition to the Spyder & SZ, for those days when I need to carry more stuff (kids) or when the conditions were such I don't want other people crashing into my pride and joys.

I would even consider a cheap 3.0 phase 1 car if I could find one with sorted rear suspension and not stellar mileages. A bit like this:-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311039635193

 

[CatmanV2]

The 3.0's are like rocking horse though and of course I meant the 2.5 V6 engine are cheap as chips like you found out C

Indeed. Jolly good value. Dad's got written off, which ****** him off mightily.

C

 

[dem maser]

2k is pricey....does look good with low miles actually

 

[Andyk]

I have had 2 3.0 V6 166s one manual and one sportronic, I loved them both. Agreed they are not overtly sporty but you wouldn't wring the neck out of them on your favourite twisty but they were easy to live with, relatively comfortable and quick. If you wanted to cover a lot of miles there were certainly worse cars to use.

The only downside I had was from the front they looked like they had just sucked on a Lemon. The big nose facelift I think addressed this quite nicely, if fact I think this look suited the 166 more than any other of the Alfas it was put on. The 3.0 facelift model was auto only and the 3.2 was manual only. As I previously said I would happily run a 3.2Ti in addition to the Spyder & SZ, for those days when I need to carry more stuff (kids) or when the conditions were such I don't want other people crashing into my pride and joys.

I would even consider a cheap 3.0 phase 1 car if I could find one with sorted rear suspension and not stellar mileages. A bit like this:-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311039635193

That looks like a lovely car....Green really suited the 166..

 

[dem maser]

Little expensive i feel compared to others.....

 

[hodroyd]

£2K for a 2002 and 70K+ miles, I suppose it is slightly on the high side..!!

 

[zagatoes30]

I think it's a tad dear, too dear for a bangernomics special. It is a later phase 1 and does however have memory seats which is rare, I guess £1500 would be nearer the mark - a lot of car for peanuts

 

[hodroyd]

Make em and offer mate..!!

 

[zagatoes30]

Make em and offer mate..!!

No chance, quite attached to parts of my anatomy that Mrs Z might try to remove if I suggest buying another car at present

 

[hodroyd]

You could buy it for her for Xmas, what a present, we could all write you some testimonials to say the car is fabulous..!!

 

[zagatoes30]

You could buy it for her for Xmas, what a present, we could all write you some testimonials to say the car is fabulous..!!

I think not

 

[hodroyd]

Cluck..cluck..cluck