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So, on Ferrari Chat they have their "Other Italian" section. Someone posted asking about buying a 164, and got this repsonse:
"As a former Alfa Romeo Service Manager I would advise you...Don't Do It. A weekend inside Guantanamo is probably more pleasureable! Leaky engines, leaky steering racks, noisy A/C "stepper" motors, inoperative "stepper" motors, woozy struts, automatic transmissions that are prone to failure, 5 speed transmissions that are prone to failure (especially on the hotshoe S / Verde version), mufflers that were most likely pressed from old Biscotti tins.
And all these faults happened in the mid-1990's when the cars were still relatively new. This was the car that ultimately torpedo'd Alfa in the States, quite an accomplishment.
Just imagine how these cars are now, 10-15 years later with minimal parts support, and I suspect most owners now do not want to pay to fix them, or else cannot afford to fix them.
When new they were very nice to drive on the highway, plus with the early 2V cars you got a Chrysler radio!
Least anyone here think I am anti-Alfa I am not...I've owned 14 over the years.
I am sure however, someone will post that they have owned a 164 for a quarter of a million miles and it has been painless! They're lucky."
Any comments?
"As a former Alfa Romeo Service Manager I would advise you...Don't Do It. A weekend inside Guantanamo is probably more pleasureable! Leaky engines, leaky steering racks, noisy A/C "stepper" motors, inoperative "stepper" motors, woozy struts, automatic transmissions that are prone to failure, 5 speed transmissions that are prone to failure (especially on the hotshoe S / Verde version), mufflers that were most likely pressed from old Biscotti tins.
And all these faults happened in the mid-1990's when the cars were still relatively new. This was the car that ultimately torpedo'd Alfa in the States, quite an accomplishment.
Just imagine how these cars are now, 10-15 years later with minimal parts support, and I suspect most owners now do not want to pay to fix them, or else cannot afford to fix them.
When new they were very nice to drive on the highway, plus with the early 2V cars you got a Chrysler radio!
Least anyone here think I am anti-Alfa I am not...I've owned 14 over the years.
I am sure however, someone will post that they have owned a 164 for a quarter of a million miles and it has been painless! They're lucky."
Any comments?