"wbizarre - OEM fetishist" (wbizarre)
02/18/2019 at 14:15 • Filed to: Alfa Romeo, Fiat, GTV, 20v
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"wbizarre - OEM fetishist" (wbizarre)
02/18/2019 at 14:15 • Filed to: Alfa Romeo, Fiat, GTV, 20v | 0
| 10 |
I’ve always been curious about these two: the Alfa GTV and the Fiat Coupe. And now they’re approaching eligibility for the 25-year rule for importing into America. If y’all have any experience with these, I’d love your opinions!
Are they unreliable buckets? Are they all style and no substance? Is the GTV 2.0 Twinspark any good, or is the V6 a must-have? Is the Fiat 20v turbo the only one worth having? Have they already reached widely-known “classic” status with the requisite price jump?
Klaus Schmoll
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/18/2019 at 15:22 |
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The 2.0 Twinspark is a lovely engine and everything but could you ever forgive yourself for not getting a Busso?
This is the cheapest one I could find in Germany right now. TS start at € 1K.
Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/18/2019 at 17:52 |
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Here you go...
glemon
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/18/2019 at 23:57 |
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Like this? https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/d/wood-dale-alfa-romeo-gtv/6804835879.html no experience, but just found this a week or so ago.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/19/2019 at 03:41 |
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make sure you keep up with it needing timing belts
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wbizarre - OEM fetishist
> glemon
02/19/2019 at 10:36 |
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Hey, yea! that’s what I thought the 4cyl would sell for here. Although I wonder if the demand is there for it to be a good sell. As far as I know there are no V6 GTV’s here yet, as they started production in 1997. But of course, they’re considerably more expensive to buy in Europe too.
BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/19/2019 at 14:32 |
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They’re good, if you’re comparing them to other similar things from the ‘90s. Very nice to drive, if ‘90s FWD coupes are your thing, though I found the seats in the Alfa weirdly uncomfortable compared to the ones in the 155 or 156. I’ve not driven the Fiat, but it shares the Tipo/155 torsion bar rear suspension rather than the one on the GTV - so I’d expect it to be more like the 155 I used to have was
, compared to the GTV & 156
- a bit less planted and more tail-happy;
a bit
old-school hot hatch.
Reliability is fine, depending on how you define reliability - they’re mostly fine, but go through wear-and-tear parts quite quickly. Wishbones (OEM ones are only available as a complete unit, though are fairly cheap, and aftermarket rubber bushes don’t seem to last at all) and cambelts, in particular.
Rust - the panels themselves are well galvanised, if they’re rusty it’s seriously bad underneath. Inside the rear arches can go quite bad, and to a lesser degree the floorpan.
V6/5cyl turbo are fairly pricey (depending on how you look at it - they’re probably pretty cheap compared to US prices), particularly the last GTV 3.2 GTA.
If you don’t mind RHD, the more unloved ones are still dirt cheap in the UK, but the in-demand ones are going up and are close to LHD prices.
I’ve not driven the Fiat so can’t comment on the engines, but the Alfa, the V6 is noticably heavier in the nose, but it’s also noticably quicker and sounds obscene. Cambelt for the TS is 36k, ~50k for the V6. Both are low because the tensioners don’t last.
For the TS, budget a little extra every 2nd or 3rd cambelt change for the cam variator - it’s a little hydraulic thing that controls the variable valve timing. It tends to wear - there’s usually a long period between it being ineffective (it’s not full VTEC Just Kicked In or anything, but there’s a noticable pick up around 3500rpm if it’s working, and a bit of a tappetty sound when cold if it isn’t) and it starting to seep oil. It just goes on the end of the cams so it’s not a big deal to change it, it just costs about $100.
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BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/19/2019 at 21:39 |
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$11k is a rip off.
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wbizarre - OEM fetishist
> BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
02/22/2019 at 11:33 |
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I don’t know... if it’s in good condition, with the hassle of buying overseas, shipping and registering taken care of, and if he’s willing to come down a bit, to 9-10k... I know rarity doesn’t equate to value, but that might be the price to get one in the States.
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BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
02/22/2019 at 16:38 |
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T
here’s guys on here who could get you one for a fraction of that.
$3k-ish to get a good LHD one
, $1.5k to ship it, some fees on top, you’re looking at about $6k
tops
.
4x98
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
03/08/2019 at 07:50 |
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If you want hilarious 80s turbo delivery in a FWD package with odd wheels, go for the Coupe. I had one briefly and it was alternately fast and terrifyingly torque steery.
A friend had the Alfa and it was fine but then he might have got the only one that was. I have read and heard first hand some utter horror stories from them. And the V6 ones are nose heavy.