To Buy or Not to Buy...

"stuttgartobsessed" (grantharmsen)
08/06/2013 at 13:54 • Filed to: None

Ok so I'm getting bored with my '04 Chevy Tahoe and want something more...interesting. Now I know it's an Alfa so theres bound to be some funky electronics and so on and I've read up on some of the more ingenious (complicated?) mechanicals that make it fun to drive (expensive to repair). Have any of you had any experience with the Milano/75? The one I'm looking at is an '87 platinum with 122xxx on the clock and a rebuilt engine @ around 60xxx. What do you guys think??

*also its not the exact one pictured and thats most definitely not me behind the wheel, although I wish I could grow a mustache like that.

DISCUSSION (12)

Casper > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 14:00

Do you like wrenching on cars? How much are you willing to spend to keep it maintained? What do you plan to do with the car?

Those are important considerations.

DasWauto > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 14:01

IIRC, commenter 'Bob Loblaw' has a Milano. If he doesn't chime in here, have a look for him in the comments elsewhere.

Bret > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 14:04

The engines in those are super sturdy. I've seen Milanos with multiple hundreds of thousands of miles on them that still ran great. Mind you, maintenance is key to this longevity.

The Platinum cars had all the bells and whistles, so make sure you check that all those things work. The Automatic Platinums had a self leveling rear suspension, avoid that.

I believe some manual transmission Platinums might have had limited slip diffs. My memory is hazy on that though.

These cars are ridiculously fun to drive and make great sounds. Buy it and enjoy.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 14:33

I'm rocking a Milano currently. Aside from the A/C being pitiful, the window motors starting to die, and having to replace the starter (worst job on these cars, bar none), it's been dead reliable.

Motors are workhorses and should last just fine. Regular valve adjustments (15k miles?) are all that is needed to keep them in check. Timing belts are the only real weakness, along with the belt tensioners; they need to be replaced at the same intervals as the valve adjustments, but they're not expensive and it's an issue that's been well covered on the Alfa forums.

Gearboxes are a little bit vague, but are good, solid units. Many will have a second gear crunch from worn synchros and that's fine, just requires a little double-clutching; mine doesn't have the crunch, but I double-clutch to conserve it anyway. Platinums did have the LSD, which is a bonus.

Ride is fantastic on these cars. A little inherent understeer, but wonderfully balanced and well damped for a sedan.

Parts availability really isn't bad. Lots of stuff is remanufactured or shared with other cars, and for those parts that aren't, there's a consistent stream of parts cars available on Alfabb.

Speaking of, get on Alfabb.com if you haven't already; great resource for parts, information, and vehicles.

I think most people speaking about the expense and unreliability of Alfas are generally talking out of their asses and have little to no first-hand experience with them. I think how reliable mine has been so far (*knock on wood*) may not be a reasonable expectation, but it's perfectly possible. Most Alfa horror stories begin with cars that had issues to begin with; pick a good car to start with and you'll be well ahead of the curve.

Additionally, I've been thinking about selling my Milano Platinum ('87, 86k miles, located in Texas) to fund my purchase of a used Cayman S. Probably going to hold on to it, but it won't get driven much if I do, so if you're interested I'd be willing to give you some info on it.

If not, feel free to shoot me the information/a link/pictures to the car you're looking at and I'd be happy to tell you what I think of it. I'm not the world's foremost authority, but I have a good feel of what to look for and what I would want in a Milano.

Don't fear the Alfa. There may be small headaches from time to time, but the cars are an absolute fucking joy to drive.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 14:52

I always wished that one day I'd be able to own an Alfa in high school as my first car. They just seem so impractical for daily use but at the same time you REALLY want, nay, NEED one.

stuttgartobsessed > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
08/06/2013 at 16:11

Wow! Thanks for all the info! I'm even more excited now about the Milano! Unfortunately I'm in Tacoma, WA so I think picking up a car in TX isn't in the books for me. It sure sounds like an amazing car and I'm sorry to hear it wont be getting driven much.

stuttgartobsessed > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
08/06/2013 at 16:12

Me too! I've always wanted one but always heard about reliability issues and now that I have the chance to have one I'm up for the challenge!

stuttgartobsessed > Bret
08/06/2013 at 16:12

Thanks!

Bret > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 16:25

I see below that you're in Tacoma. Seattle here.

Take the car to Alfa of Tacoma and get a pre-purchase inspection. Carlo Durante is a trustworthy mechanic who will give you a good idea of the car's needs. (Disclosure: I used to work for Bellevue Alfa)

I've seen the craigslist ad for that car and it looks shiny and straight. Could be a good one.

stuttgartobsessed > Bret
08/06/2013 at 16:34

I've already talked to the guys at Alfa of Tacoma (I drive past it any chance I get and would like to spend a day 'inspecting' all of the beautiful machinery in there) and have Carlo's number! Definitely going to bring it to them for an inspection.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > stuttgartobsessed
08/06/2013 at 17:23

Ha, no worries! Had mine shipped here from North Carolina; it seems like there's a good stock of them up in the Northwest/northern California, though, so you're in a good place.

I don't like that it won't get driven, either, but selling a Milano is not exactly the quickest process in the world, and they're not worth that much so it won't really financially burden me to hold on to it. I'd like to slowly turn it into a more special example/get it ready for track days if I keep it, so it will get its due soon enough.

stuttgartobsessed > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
08/06/2013 at 17:44

A track day Milano would be so epic! Good Luck!