Many people's favorite car - Alfa Romeo. Rich in history and legends. That's what made the all time favorite and every little boy (and adults) dream car, Ferrari too.
It's my favorite ride. Before I bought the car, I was WORRIED. You know, you have heard stories, it does freaking worries you. Not till you finally decided to the take the plunge and thus being reward handsomely for it! Yes! It's the next best thing that every happened to me, beside SEX! Ha!
An interesting post below by Redd of ItaliaAuto Club forum in regards to what to look out for in an Alfa Romeo pre-ownership:
engine oil consumption - up to 1L/1000km is considered "normal" according to the manual, but imho is a bit excessive. that said, the TS engines do consume quite a fair bit of oil. this in itself is not a problem. the real problem occurs when owners dont realise this and run the car for extended periods with low oil levels. this can lead to engine damage which may not manifest itself for many months/years after. so ask the seller if the car consumes any oil, and how much specifically. if they are not aware of this, be wary. a good mechanic will also be able to tell if the engine is experiencing the early stages of oil starvation damage. if you buy the TS, CHECK YOUR OIL OFTEN!
front suspension noise - the front suspension arms - upper and lower - wear out after a while and need to be replaced. this is a normal wear and tear part for 156/147 and most cars with dual-wishbone suspensions, and less of a problem on the 1.6TS as the car is lighter. if you hear squeaking/knocking/rattling from the front suspension, factor in some money for replacements.
Mass Air Flow (MAF) meter - the MAF on the newer alfas are wear and tear items and also prone to damage from oiled filters. if the seller has an open cone filter installed, be wary. early signs of MAF damage include poor idling, hesistation in the rev range and loss of power in the higher rpms. sometimes a quick clean of the MAF will cure it, other times you need to replace it. MAFs usually last 80-100k kms on stock cars, less if the cars are modified or have aftermarket filters.
cam variator - if your car sounds like a diesel engine, its likely it's got a dead cam variator. this is a wear and tear item. early stages of variator wear are symptomised by diesel-like noise during startup which goes away after a few seconds. if the noise persists, the variator needs to be replaced. alfa ownership is not like japo ownership. if u expect to be able to drive an alfa like a toyota - drive and forget until the next service - you got another thing coming. europeans tend to require a bit more attention than japanese cars but if you look after them well and dont stinge on maintenance (use ricambi originale wherever possible) it will be a rewarding experience. there is no other car that offers more smiles per mile than an italian car.
Get one and you'll never turn back. Trust me on that!!
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