# Quite fancy an Alfa 159



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Hi lovlies! Looking for your thoughts on the Alfa's? As you may or may not know, I work at an independent Alfa specialist who have turned my head for the gorgeous 159. Now, I see alot of these on the ramp and a lot suffer from Rust like you would not believe! This is on even 2011 car's I've seen ... Seems the norm for them tbh. 

Then I look at our 200, the underside is immaculate! No rust at all. (2009) 

John (my fiancé) hates the gearbox on the 200, he just can't get on with it, and lets be honest I think John is a little old to be driving around in a hot hatch now (except the sexy vee that is) I think the 159 would suit him better, and I'd like a more mature car now tbh. I'm fed up with boy racers too, lol. 

Am I mad? Ideally a diesel but would really like a Ti but not sure if they come in the 1.9 that we may consider. I need to talk with our sales guy more. 

Choices choices. Or do I stick with the 200? 

:thumb:


----------



## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

I'd stick with what you have Dawn, rust is what kills cars - you're never stopped chasing once it gets a start.


----------



## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

159s are such a nice looking car. But as above once the tin worm starts you'll forever be chasing it.
Unless you find one without any and get it sealed up properly


----------



## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Given that you are working with an Alfa indi then you should know all the potential pitfalls. The 159 is a great looking car and if your mileage warrants it go for diesel. If not ti it is. I'm 42 and still live hot hatches and my mini clubby. Is the guillieta out of budget ? It could be the compromise


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

The 159 is the one for us, we both like them. Really don't like the Guilietta or Brera & my partners had a Mito before. 

I only clean them, so don't entirely know the extent of how bad they could be!


----------



## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

But at least you will get a discount and it won't be out of your way if they go wrong 

Oh and it would be red with tan leather or Stromboli grey with red leather for me.


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

I've seen a 1.9 Ti in black with black leather on ebay with only 45k or so. Very tempted!


----------



## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Will you selling one your clios to accommodate it?


----------



## Chrisr1806 (Aug 6, 2013)

My 147 was 7 years old when I sold it and dint have a patch of rust on it. Go for it, Alfas are for true car enthusiasts. :thumb:


----------



## Bazza85 (Mar 14, 2015)

This is interesting as I'm looking at the 3.2 159 as think they look gorgeous. Didn't realise they were prone to rust so early. 
A guy I work with says his old 1.9 diesel was dog slow due to it being a very heavy car and is a very agricultural noisey engine. 
They do suffer lots of silly electrical niggles as well?
Luck of the draw a big as always I guess. 
Good luck though, bet they're a joy to get looking spankin


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

My old man has one. Forget the crappy Z19DTH engine and chocolate gearbox, they are shockingly bad. 2.4 diesel not much better and the noise just doesn't suit them. Petrol power all the way, my Dad has one and it's a breathed on 2.2 JTS; a stunning car and it's visited many an Alfa specialist and all have commented on its condition and the noise from the Alfatuned exhaust.

Some pics

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=337522


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks guys, the rust isn't as bad as I thought. If you catch it early enough you can treat it. Nothing major to worry about. I'm going to hold out until one comes up at work. 

we need an economical car, with a low tax bracket. Just the 200 will have to go for the 159. Vee's stay put 

Cookiemonster, that looks lush.


----------



## Squadrone Rosso (Aug 11, 2009)

Is the rust on the front subframe? It's usually just surface. Poorly coated from the factory.

The bodies etc do not rust.


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Yes just the subframes as far as i'm aware


----------



## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

If its the subframes then I wouldnt worry. Some rust more than others. The coatings are **** poor as as soon as any steel shows its face, rust sets in and peels the rest up from underneath.
Id love a ti 159 my self, simply stunning cars imo


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

Squadrone Rosso said:


> Is the rust on the front subframe? It's usually just surface. Poorly coated from the factory.
> 
> The bodies etc do not rust.


I wouldn't be so sure, my Dad's, the silver one in the pics has broken paint and bubbling on both front wings now treated and hidden by the mudflaps.

The days of water soluble Alfa Romeo's are not quite over yet haha but the 159 has to be the coolest car on the road. Dad loves his and now it has 105k miles on the clock and he's still loving the Alfatune remap, exhaust and AutoLusso Polybushes. He's spent over £2k on it on goodies over the 2 years he's had it but he paid £4550 for it from an Alfa specialist in Birmingham. Only 2 things on the to do list are the tatty wheels which still haven't been painted and the drivers electric folding mirror has a mind of it's own and is a bit stroppy at the moment haha

I'm petrol biased (well I would be with a 6.0 V12 as a daily) but you should seriously think about a 2.2 JTS, you'll have to spend a few quid on it to cure the low speed hesitation they have but once that's done and a stainless exhaust goes on its louder and meatier than my Aston and that's saying something!!!


----------



## dillinja999 (Aug 26, 2013)

get a gta, you know you want to


----------



## Danman (May 22, 2012)

Buy an Alfa, ive had my Brera (share alot of features with the 159) for a couple years now and love it. I also have a thread on here where I treated my rust issues.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=318168&page=3


----------



## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

If the underside is ok aside from the subframe then I would give Bilt Hamber a call and see what they suggest. They have been very helpful when I have spoken to them and even cut down the list of things I was going to buy


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks guys, I'd love the 147 GTA but we already have 2 v6 clio's so it's a no go unfortunately. 

The guys at work have told me to get the 2.2 petrol as that's the best engine. There's bugger all about though! Budget can't exceed £8,000 as I hope to basically swap with the clio 200. Hard decision because I am a Renault fan big time! 

I hate waiting!


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Whoop, work have a tasty 159 1750 ti in black at work. Had it up on the ramp & she looks pretty damn fine! (

Test drove another garages 1.9, the day before, he kindly let us drive it to my garage & get it on the ramp! It was terrible underneath! Broken spring, worn bushes, corrosion, radiator leaking, cambelt due, wheels buckled terribly & filled! lol, not a good one, but gorgeous on the paint side!) Left that one. 

So hopefully we'll be getting a lovely 1750 ti with a lot of nice bits including sat nav


----------



## Alfa male (Jun 16, 2009)

I had the 2.4 Ti and it look stunning. Had the DPF and remap done so it went like a rocket too, until turbo blow 

Loved the car, great spec and would have one again

The 1750 tbi are the pick of the bunch, superb engine

Here's mine sporting the Novitec front splitter to tempt you into buying one. Rosso red def best colour but it chips so easy it's heartbreaking


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

That's made me tingle just by looking at it! Such an impressive mean looking car! I like to call it the Mafia car  

That splitter looks spot on! Where from?


----------



## phillipnoke (Apr 1, 2011)

Alfa and Fiat always been rust buckets


----------



## Aucky (Oct 3, 2008)

The Ti looks lovely. Has barely aged IMO. 

Look out for DMF and DPF issues iirc.


----------



## Alfa male (Jun 16, 2009)

magpieV6 said:


> That's made me tingle just by looking at it! Such an impressive mean looking car! I like to call it the Mafia car
> 
> That splitter looks spot on! Where from?


I can't recall where I purchased the splitter from but it's Novitec if that helps. I liked it as it was subtle but made the front end more aggressive. Note the Brera grill top too (black as opposed to chrome ) this also helped smarten up the front end.

Before



















After


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

magpieV6 said:


> Whoop, work have a tasty 159 1750 ti in black at work. Had it up on the ramp & she looks pretty damn fine! (
> 
> Test drove another garages 1.9, the day before, he kindly let us drive it to my garage & get it on the ramp! It was terrible underneath! Broken spring, worn bushes, corrosion, radiator leaking, cambelt due, wheels buckled terribly & filled! lol, not a good one, but gorgeous on the paint side!) Left that one.
> 
> So hopefully we'll be getting a lovely 1750 ti with a lot of nice bits including sat nav


Ah, springs are another thing they go through, my Dads has had all 4 replaced over the last year. That and the electric steering lock doesn't work either but it's a small thing. Can I ask why sat nav? It's a poor system and hard to upgrade. In fact audio is hard work in all 159's as upgrades are hard to do so make life easy by getting one with blue and me and BOSE full amplified audio as getting aftermarket speakers in them is a pain.


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Ah, springs are another thing they go through, my Dads has had all 4 replaced over the last year. That and the electric steering lock doesn't work either but it's a small thing. Can I ask why sat nav? It's a poor system and hard to upgrade. In fact audio is hard work in all 159's as upgrades are hard to do so make life easy by getting one with blue and me and BOSE full amplified audio as getting aftermarket speakers in them is a pain.


Cheers peeps :thumb: Isn't the DPF on the diesels? Ours is the petrol.

It isn't the factory sat nav, it's a tasty pioneer one that retails around £700. It's already in the car so no point changing it.

Whoop, she's in the body shop now 

Would you go down the wetsand or velvet pad route if the paint isn't as crisp as we'd like? :thumb:


----------



## JonD (Aug 2, 2010)

I think they're a great looking car, especially in red. It's a look that dosent seem to have aged at all.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

magpieV6 said:


> Cheers peeps :thumb: Isn't the DPF on the diesels? Ours is the petrol.
> 
> It isn't the factory sat nav, it's a tasty pioneer one that retails around £700. It's already in the car so no point changing it.
> 
> ...


Ah I see, Pioneer sat nav sounds good  DPF is fitted to all diesels but as you've picked the petrol one anyway I'd say you've picked the better engine.

When we had the rear quarter of Dad's 159 repaired we wet sanded the repair to match the peel elsewhere. Tbh the silver paint looks very crisp with little orange peel present and quite a lot of flake for a silver finish.

What colour is yours? They suit every colour they come in IMO


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Im so excited! She's in metallic black Cookie monster. I really wanted solid black but beggers can't be choosers.  

Hopefully I can rescue the finish with the denim pads


----------



## Squadrone Rosso (Aug 11, 2009)

phillipnoke said:


> Alfa and Fiat always been rust buckets


:spam: What do you drive

Let me exercise some stereotypes on you.


----------



## Guitarjon (Jul 13, 2012)

Love alfas. They do have their issues though as im sure you seem aware. 

I wouldn't worry about buying a car known to be rusty. I've had mx5s for a few years. There are always preventative measure you can tame providing you get a good one but you need to set aside a bit of cash and time.

1) be prepared to remove parts like bumpers etc to get to things that should be protected but aren't. Paint them or rust proof them.

2) have all the underside wax oiled or equivilant every couple of years- a good job with a thorough clean down.

3) regularly clean lips of archers. If two metal plates join together then a little trick is to put a bead of silicone over the join to ensure moisture can't get trapped between them. A main cause for rust.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

magpieV6 said:


> Im so excited! She's in metallic black Cookie monster. I really wanted solid black but beggers can't be choosers.
> 
> Hopefully I can rescue the finish with the denim pads


Sounds spot on, after seeing your work on the hundreds of Clio's you've been through, I'm sure it'll look stunning


----------



## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

I like these, had a look at the V6 after deciding that a Brera was too small but ultimately I was put off by the list of common faults. Ironic given my recent issues with the STR but hey!

I'll look forward to seeing some pics anyway, stunning cars.


----------



## Danman (May 22, 2012)

My Alfa is the best car I have bought, ever, better than my S3, and Megane 225.

Everyone seems to be an expert on Alfas, when in fact they probably havent even owned one.

Want some real world opinions then head over to Alfaowner.com

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-159-brera-andamp-946-spider/


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

cheers Danman! I'm on the forum thanks! 

Love what you've done with yours. A lot of people slate them but I'm not being put off. Can't be any worse than any other car!


----------



## Chrisr1806 (Aug 6, 2013)

You'll love it, I miss my 147, it was a brilliant little car. Was my first car as well.


----------



## SBM (Jul 4, 2013)

I have never owned an Alfa but just about every single model they have bought out tugs at the heartstrings with its beautiful design.
If I bought on looks alone - I would have Brera - just stunning.

I have an S4 Convertible currently and its stonkingly good and the build quality is excellent - out the factory 11 years ago...

However as I am starting to do bit with it and gradually go over it with a fine tooth comb, its clear its all about the previous owners and how they treat/look after their cars.. 
For example only yesterday I decided to fit some new LED rear number plate lights - a direct swap foe the factory ones. Checked on youtube and its a simple 1 screw in each to remove, pop the unit out and replace the unit entirely with the new ones - 2 minute job right???

WRONG - the previous owner (or his mechanic) has rounded of the screws in both of them and on the RHS one has shoved the light fitting back in and held it in with some vile sticky black mastic gunk!

So I have changed neither and spent the evening looking at options to resolve! I am determined to put it all right and everything else I come across as I go along, thats what its all about and most savvy decent owners will do the same. I am sure you will to with your 159 MagpieV6 :thumb::thumb:

cannot wait to see the photo's :thumb:


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Cheers guys!

SBM yes I've had a few cars like that, makes you wonder what planet these people are on! Our ph1 v6 had a service last month after buying her, the pollen filter looked like it had never been changed!!

Here's a snap I took of Myo before she went to the paint shop. I had to have a machine polish play at the rear quarter before I decided to have her.

Alloys being refurbed too.


----------



## SBM (Jul 4, 2013)

Wow that does look stunning in lack :argie:
Once it has the MagpieV6 magic touch it will be off the chart :thumb:

Oh poo I want an Alfa now!


----------



## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

SBM said:


> I have never owned an Alfa but just about every single model they have bought out tugs at the heartstrings with its beautiful design.
> If I bought on looks alone - I would have Brera - just stunning.
> 
> I have an S4 Convertible currently and its stonkingly good and the build quality is excellent - out the factory 11 years ago...
> ...


Yes all cars have issues, this one rminds me of an A4 of about the same vintage. The screws were that rusted they had to be drilled out and then re-tapped with new screws...just to change the bulb..German build quality eh.


----------



## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Great looking car, my old man has had his for about 4 years its a 159 3.2 Q4 Black and Tan, nice but not that quick and only 18mpg. Oh and 4 figures to change the Alternator... Engine out on the Q4 version.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR (Mar 6, 2011)

Ooh it looks good Magpie, is it Carbonio black? I like the Ti and when we were looking for Dad's we came across a 2.2 JTS Ti in Rosso with tan leather but he preferred the red leather in his. It's a shame the Ti has limited interior colours but black on black is a classic combo. I've heard good things about the 1750 TBi so I wish you the best of luck with it. I seem to remember you having a MiTO at one point so I'm sure you'll get on just fine with it


----------



## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

cheers mate, it's the metallic black. I wanted solid but this is a lovely one. She's now finished at the bodyshop, so work will pick her up Tuesday. I had a sneaky peek of her down the bodyshop yesterday, didn't look too bad, little peel on the lower front bumper but I need to wash her to check it out properly. 

Just want her so I can crack on sorting the paintwork! I have my new PTG ready!


----------

