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selespeed:how long will it last?


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#21
Redd

Posted 04 March 2006 - 05:31 PM

Redd

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sengthee, what can i say? i have no life. :D

but really, i have a 156, an automatic to boot, and ive never had any
real problems with the car. now considering the way i drive and the
mileage and activities i put her thru, im really surprised that she
hasn't broken at all!

but i never stinge on maintenance and i only use the best workshops. from
experience ive found that a lot of the problems alfa owners face can be
traced to incompetent mechanics. having a good mechanic is paramount if u
want to have a good alfa ownership experience.

i hear alfas are rare in italy cos of the price. its a premium marque
even over there. dont talk about maserati and ferrari la. but apparently
fiats are a dime a dozen everywhere. the punto is the best selling car in
italy from what i hear.

redd

#22
suaz164

Posted 06 March 2006 - 02:33 PM

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Redd is right, I was there in Rome few years back. I thought I will see
many alfas on the street as our protons here in Malaysia...sadly thats
not the case! There are more french babes (the peugeots and citroen) on
the streets. And yes, I did asked the taxi driver...and he just said that
the french babes offers better value and thats why most used them. There
are lots of puntos and unos (and more of older fiats) there however
competing with the much popular Pugs 206/205/306.

Pretty wierd if you think about it..local car but not many local users. I
stayed in German for some time and I can say majority of the cars on
street are VW and Audis...thats ok since both are the German's
brand...and amazingly lots of mazdas too..hhmm

#23
arist188

Posted 30 March 2006 - 08:40 PM

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redd... hi long time no see.. will always remember your squeaky clean
engine bay!Big Smile ThumbUp

#24
arX

Posted 14 April 2006 - 11:46 AM

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My 156 V6 Q has been the most reliable and cheapest to maintain car I have
ever owned. Definitely cheaper to maintain than my previous BMW328. Bought
in December 1999 and now done about 95K km. Just routine maintenance and
replacement of wear & tear parts. Fuel pump had a crack last year but no
other surprises...so far.

Sadly as the children grow up, the 156 is now too small for us. Will have
to part with it over the next few months.

So, when buying a 156 you can now follow your heart and brain as well.

Happy Motoring !.
arX.



#25
invisible

Posted 14 April 2006 - 11:08 PM

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just diff`rent strokes for diff`rent folks. :)


eric, i like this quote

#26
Redd

Posted 16 April 2006 - 01:14 PM

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arX, do post up ur car at the IA website (link below) when u decide to
sell her. we'll see if we can find her a good new home. :)

i agree with u tho, the 156 V6 Q is surprisingly tough. i, too, had heard
all the alfa horror stories before i bought the car. in fact, my parents
questioned my sanity when i told them of my purchase. now, 3-yrs down the
line, i really dont understand what the fuss is all about.

all this alfa talk, plus the alfa classic race at sepang today, and the
two alfa 156 articles in the papers... i think ill go take baby out for a
spin. :)

redd

#27
invisible

Posted 17 April 2006 - 01:15 PM

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no 1 shd doubt the 156 2.5 Q especially redd's car, ahhaha. but i m quite
worry abt the SS

#28
Alfie

Posted 20 April 2006 - 10:28 PM

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have used the selespeed for 5 years now and only changed the actuator once.
not cos it broke down, but cos i wanted to upgrade to a newer version. my
upgraded version is into its fourth year and doing great. main thing is to
check fluid levels and don`t force the car to change gears repeatedly. i
heard about this idiot who kept on pulling his left and right paddles like
he was playing computer games. needless to say, his car was frequently seen
at the workshop with actuator and gearbox problems. finally he sold it and
got a japanese car. so these are the types who will tell you alfa got lots
of problems.

another reason why alfa has got image problems is due to the previous
franchisee who was always having cash flow problems. they couldn`t pay for
the spare parts they ordered, so eventually they couldn`t get spare parts
in la. i was personally a victim of such situations. ofcourse they won`t
tell you they can`t get the parts because they don`t have money to buy
them. you just wait and wait and wait for the parts to arrive. that makes
you think alfa parts are difficult to get, when infact, if the franchisee
got the money the parts would arrive within a week or two. the new
franchisee does not have this problem.

finally, there are the people who work on your car. get hooked up with the
wrong shop and your problems will never cease. a dishonest and incompetent
mechanic will tell you to accept that alfas are problematic, rather than
admit that he is stupid and screwing you.

the relationship with your car is just like your people to people
relationships. you got to work at the relationship. be attentive and alert
to what your car tells you. and don`t be a cheapskate, i.e., use poor
quality parts or pick up other peoples` discarded parts that seem to look
still useable. girl friends/wives, if they love you enough, may overlook
and put up with cheapskateness, but don`t expect the same from your car,
especially if it`s an alfa.



#29
Tourist

Posted 21 April 2006 - 03:41 PM

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Talking about cheapskate. Once when doing my oil change at a workdshop, a
gentleman came up to me and asked for my used oil filter......Shock

#30
Alfie

Posted 22 April 2006 - 12:27 AM

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this reminds me of those japanese perverts who approach school girls to buy
soiled underwear. the more soiled it is, the higher the price they are
willing to pay.Tongue i guess it's a bit like mouldy, blue cheese. to the
uninitiated it's disgusting, to the connoisseurs it's a great delicacy.
Deadsomewhere there's a guy who's sniffing your used oil filter. Cool