WTB 164Q or possibly really nice 164S

[etmerritt33]

Got the 164Q bug and missed one this week on the east coast when the seller sold the car out from under me.

I'm located in Richmond, Virginia and would prefer a car on the east coast to avoid shipping if possible but would still consider 164Q's in other areas.

I would prefer red but would consider other colors. The optional Recaro seats would be a big plus as well. Obviously, solid service history would also be a plus.

Any current 164Q owners considering selling their cars please feel free to contact me.

I may also consider really nice 164S cars that might be available but prefer the 164Q.

Thanks,

Tom Merritt

[tiger0529]

How about this one?

164Q FS (Alfa Club of Colorado Classifieds)

[etmerritt33]

Thanks for the lead..just sent the seller an email to validate car is still available and to get some additional info.

[alfari]

No affiliation, but here is the link:
Delaware Valley AROC

[peglegtom]

I'm sure you'll enjoy a 164Q as much as I have. Had mine since early summer and drove it into November before putting it into storage. Love the car, and it was my daily driver during this time, except when I felt I had to drive my SHO to keep it from getting "lot rot." Mine is Nero (black) with the standard tan interior, which I really like. The black makes the gray lower cladding less noticeable in comparison to the red and white colors. (which as you probably know, are the only colors available for a Q) Good luck in finding one with the Recaro seats. You can find an S with them, but I think a Q with them is very rare, because Q's in general are very rare (I heard less than 50 1995's were imported, but not sure about 1994's). But Q's in general are rare, because only about 10% of 164's imported were this model.

By all means, place service history above almost everything else. Mine was a 1 owner with records going back to about 40K (I bought it with about 129K). It is a big advantage to look back to see when major components were replaced. The timing belt is critical, and if the owner cannot prove it was replaced recently (within 30K miles), assume that it has to be replaced (at over $1k).

I can't wait to get mine out of storage (the snow is finally melting) and getting my new wheels and tires (225/45-17's) on the car. The primary issue I had with mine was that the 15's on the car when I purchased it were not up to the performance of the car.

[etmerritt33]

Spencer, I really appreciate the lead and have emailed to inquire if the car is still available and to get pictures!!!

Tom,

Thanks for the insights. I've had several near misses on a couple 164S cars over the years. I have test driven the 164S but not the 164Q. I have researched everything I could find in the last few weeks including going through this board on the 164Q. That was the main reason I was really ticked about losing the 164Q last week that I thought I had a line on as I already felt invested in it and was planning for a new addition.

I'm a member of the Mercedes M-100.cc international group and have been working on a 79 450 SEL 6.9 for the last 3.5 years. I've finally sorted through all the subsystems in the car and have them working as Mercedes intended. I could never have done it without the M-100.cc group and the info it provided and I view the alfabb.com group as the same type of incredible venue to exchange technical information and to keep these cars alive for enthusiasts. The internet has been a tremendous boom to car lovers.

I've only owned one Alfa and that was a 1978 Alfetta GT. Even through I've owned a few Porsche 911's and BMW M3's in addition to the 6.9, the Alfa had something that I've found hard to describe. Even though it was probably the slowest car I've owned, it had a unified set of sensory feedback that was very appealing and unique. I've never quite forgotten that. The feel of everything from the handling, steering, brakes, and also the sounds. Also, I've always been very attracted by the uniqueness of Alfa and especially their extensive use of beautiful aluminum castings for their engines.

As for the Recaro seat option I've seen pictures of a couple 164Q's with it and it is a very nice to have thing I think. Some seem to feel that the stock interior is better from a comfort standpoint. It seems that being able to buy the Recaro seats separately in good condition at this point would be a big challenge.

Thanks guys! I'll let you know if I strike Alfa gold.

I continue to greatly appreciate leads from the Alfa group. Just when I think I have dug out every last one you guys come up with a new one. Just like in baseball it only takes one!!

Best,

Tom

[etmerritt33]

I've been in touch with the Delaware Valley AROC lead and it is very promising and I'm hopeful that I will come away with a 164Q in the next couple weeks.

I had ordered a 164 CarDisc in anticipation of the first 164Q I missed out on and I have been reviewing the contents for a few days. I'm amazed at the complexity of the 164Q and how extensive the workshop manual is. It may be partially due to my newness but there is much more to the 164Q than meets the eye from looking at the car from the outside. This along with the uniqueness of the car is what attracts me.

One of my favorite cars is the Mercedes Grand 600 SWB limo which is widely considered to be one of the most complex cars ever made. It is way more complicated than any casual observer would ever know. It is interesting to compare the 164Q to the 600 SWB in that regard and I expect to enjoy digging into the 164Q and learning about the various subsystems.

Tom

[peglegtom]

I'm sure you would be a suitable owner for this car and that would appreciate it for what it is.

I'm not sure if the 164Q is more complex than any other car of it's vintage, but I do know that it has it's own computer diagnostic code in comparison to other 1995's. I think in 1996, the EPA and other federal agencies required a "uniform" computer code (OBD I) that permits standard "code readers" to let you know what's wrong. Therefore, it's a lot more work to figure out what's wrong with a 1995 164 in general (and not just a Q") in comparison to a "normal" car of this vintage. Bu this is more than offset by the pleasure in driving this car in comparison to most mid-nineties cars.

I'm not sure if a 12V 164S would be much friendlier in solving "computer" problems relating to fuel economy, driveability, or performance. I've only had one problem with my 164Q in the 9 months that I drove it, and it wasn't a computer or engine related issue.

So go for it if the car has proven service history and runs great (including rev'ing to the limit in at least the first few gears) to assure youself that the engine and drive train is in good condition.

[etmerritt33]

Still looking and finding it difficult to find the right 164Q. Several nice ones which I considered to be overpriced ($ 25K-$35K) and some needing more work than I want to take on. Unfortunately, the nicest one I've seen was the first one which Steve from Pa. sold out from under me after I was willing to pay more than his asking price.

All that being said, if anyone has a nice 164Q and is considering a sale or knows of one coming up for sale please respond to this post or send a private email.

Thanks,

Tom

[Alfissimo Int.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by etmerritt33 Still looking and finding it difficult to find the right 164Q. Several nice ones which I considered to be overpriced ($ 25K-$35K) and some needing more work than I want to take on. Unfortunately, the nicest one I've seen was the first one which Steve from Pa. sold out from under me after I was willing to pay more than his asking price. All that being said, if anyone has a nice 164Q and is considering a sale or knows of one coming up for sale please respond to this post or send a private email. Thanks, Tom

[164 FAMILY]

Here is a nice 164 S for sale it is in CA though but is 100% rust free.

1991 164S - 84K miles
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[Del]

Another option might be to buy a really clean 94/95LS for a whole lot less, throw on the Q intake runners, Koni shocks, and better wheels and tires. You will have a sleeper car equaling the Q performance without the added on skirts and spoilers. You could even install some S/Q seats to get the sportier style (I personally prefer the 91-93 S seats because they don't have the zillion way front seat controls of the LS which tend to get all out of adjustment as soon as you accidentally touch the multi-direction adjustment knob).

[Decame]

I have had my 94Q since I purchased it new from Spruell in Atlanta and never had any thought on parting with it. It is an incredible car, the power, the handling and most importantly the way it sounds. After 14 years the look is still modern, turns heads everywhere and is just as fast as a lot of so called new "performance" cars. Can you tell that I really like this car? By the way it has been incredibly reliable which is really a blessing as I can't even change the oil.

Decame
94 164Q

Past cars
1973 Spider
1989 Milano Verde
1991 164S
1981 Fiat Spider Turbo

[Alfisto Steve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by etmerritt33 Still looking and finding it difficult to find the right 164Q. Several nice ones which I considered to be overpriced ($ 25K-$35K) and some needing more work than I want to take on. Unfortunately, the nicest one I've seen was the first one which Steve from Pa. sold out from under me after I was willing to pay more than his asking price. All that being said, if anyone has a nice 164Q and is considering a sale or knows of one coming up for sale please respond to this post or send a private email. Thanks, Tom

[jontg428]

Wow that is an incredibly fair price for that car, makes me want to buy it now and throw down my credit card info!