Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? - SV650.org

27-10-12, 01:59 PM

Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car?

As per the thread title - what are they like, charismatic/fun/wouldn't touch them with a barge pole?

Also how quiet/comfy are they inside?

Mr Speirs · 27-10-12, 03:08 PM

Can't comment on the actual car but as an Alfa owner I can give an insight especially into the 2.0 petrol engine.

If you decide to go for the 2.0ltr then there are a couple of things you need to check before buying. Make sure the cambelt has been replaced, they need doing every 3 years or 36k miles. They are also designed to use oil. Roughly 600ml per 1000km. Not a lot of owners know this so running them with no oil tends to be the most common way of blowing up the engines. And where the reliability questions crop up.

The 3.0 v6 seems to be the one to go for and gets some proper good reviews. Expect 23MPG from it as a posed to 30ish on the 2.0.

Oh and check suspension bushes on the rear of these cars. They go commonly and when they do the whole rear arms need to be replaces. The fix is to fit power flex bushes houses within new rear arms.

Hope this helps a wee bit.

27-10-12, 03:58 PM

Cheers for that, off for a look at one tomorrow.

27-10-12, 04:35 PM

If anything like 156's check floors for rot, the steel they use is poor. Plus make sure everything electrical works!

27-10-12, 09:29 PM

Are they not galvanised? Or is it crash damage issue?

27-10-12, 09:37 PM

My foreman had a mint looking 51 plate 156 JTD model that failed its mot. The floors in the rear footwells were absolutely rotten. They looked like originals. Also on a hamfisted note, giving my neighbours 147 a push to bump start it (again) I dented the tailgate without hardly touching it. It felt as thin as a mackerel tin.

L3nny · 27-10-12, 11:32 PM

I had a V6 156 and the engine was superb, liked a drink though.

28-10-12, 09:21 PM

'Twas rusty towards the rear of the drivers side floorpan, and a few other minor issues.

chris8886 · 28-10-12, 09:27 PM

i may be wrong but i think i remember always hearing about a slight problem with alfa's is that quite often they have their airboxes or something in a stupid place, which means when you drive through a puddle the engine dies! i may well be wrong, but worth checking out!

28-10-12, 10:18 PM

I had the 2.0 twinspark GTV. Loved it, and really regret selling it, but as you'd expect with Alfa's, it's not without its 'quirks'.
With mine, the drivers window wouldn't sit in the seals when the door was closed until you opened/closed the window.
The boot and back seats are laughably small.

The TS engine really seemed to come to life when given a bit of a tickle and was cracking good fun on the a roads.

There were a few more that I can't quite recall, but it was what was charming about it.

I'd buy another in a heartbeat if I could.

AFAIK they were galvanised so rust wasn't an issue

27-10-12, 01:59 PM	#1
Tim in Belgium Guest Posts: n/a	Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? As per the thread title - what are they like, charismatic/fun/wouldn't touch them with a barge pole? Also how quiet/comfy are they inside?

27-10-12, 03:08 PM	#2
Mr Speirs Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 2,218	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? Can't comment on the actual car but as an Alfa owner I can give an insight especially into the 2.0 petrol engine. If you decide to go for the 2.0ltr then there are a couple of things you need to check before buying. Make sure the cambelt has been replaced, they need doing every 3 years or 36k miles. They are also designed to use oil. Roughly 600ml per 1000km. Not a lot of owners know this so running them with no oil tends to be the most common way of blowing up the engines. And where the reliability questions crop up. The 3.0 v6 seems to be the one to go for and gets some proper good reviews. Expect 23MPG from it as a posed to 30ish on the 2.0. Oh and check suspension bushes on the rear of these cars. They go commonly and when they do the whole rear arms need to be replaces. The fix is to fit power flex bushes houses within new rear arms. Hope this helps a wee bit. __________________ Smokey Black Burnty 02 - Racetech Smoulderlators + .90kg BBQ Springs, zx10r shockingly toasted, Conti Road Attacks heat up very nicely, R&G Crash Bungs but what f*king use are they, No Colour Matched Hugger, Flame Extenda, Beowulf Titainium Oval Flame Thrower. Last edited by Mr Speirs; 27-10-12 at 03:13 PM.*

27-10-12, 03:58 PM	#3
Tim in Belgium Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? Cheers for that, off for a look at one tomorrow.

27-10-12, 04:35 PM	#4
Whitty Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? If anything like 156's check floors for rot, the steel they use is poor. Plus make sure everything electrical works!

27-10-12, 09:29 PM	#5
Tim in Belgium Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? Are they not galvanised? Or is it crash damage issue?

27-10-12, 09:37 PM	#6
Whitty Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? My foreman had a mint looking 51 plate 156 JTD model that failed its mot. The floors in the rear footwells were absolutely rotten. They looked like originals. Also on a hamfisted note, giving my neighbours 147 a push to bump start it (again) I dented the tailgate without hardly touching it. It felt as thin as a mackerel tin.

27-10-12, 11:32 PM	#7
L3nny Member Mega Poster Join Date: May 2008 Location: MK Posts: 2,111	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? I had a V6 156 and the engine was superb, liked a drink though.

28-10-12, 09:21 PM	#8
Tim in Belgium Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? 'Twas rusty towards the rear of the drivers side floorpan, and a few other minor issues.

28-10-12, 09:27 PM	#9
chris8886 Member Mega Poster Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 2,797	Re: Late 90's/early 2000s Alfa GTVs - what are they like as a road car? i may be wrong but i think i remember always hearing about a slight problem with alfa's is that quite often they have their airboxes or something in a stupid place, which means when you drive through a puddle the engine dies! i may well be wrong, but worth checking out! __________________ AR08 to AR13-QUALITY! 650s: '52 curvy in yellow, was my baby cbr600rr: Mivv exhaust and a bagster tank cover. Now gone to a new home. Daytona 675: Arrow can (with a baffle that's gone missing in action....), quickshifter, shorty levers, custom paintjob

28-10-12, 10:18 PM	#10
jamesymurray Guest Posts: n/a	I had the 2.0 twinspark GTV. Loved it, and really regret selling it, but as you'd expect with Alfa's, it's not without its 'quirks'. With mine, the drivers window wouldn't sit in the seals when the door was closed until you opened/closed the window. The boot and back seats are laughably small. The TS engine really seemed to come to life when given a bit of a tickle and was cracking good fun on the a roads. There were a few more that I can't quite recall, but it was what was charming about it. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if I could. AFAIK they were galvanised so rust wasn't an issue

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