Alfa Romeo 164l

Beautiful cars...just make sure you have the hook-up (or if you do it yourself) on the maintenance portion of it.

I love those cars & sure hope to have one in my stable one of these days.

 

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You would be better off if you posted pictures with this... but from what I hear OVER PRICED! Just what I think. Go to alfabb.com and read some and post some there. Those are real good guys to be with. Thats where I get ALL my info for my Gtv6.

 

Did somebody say 164????

Beautiful cars. I use my 1991 164S as a daily driver. Of course you have the quirks of an Italian car (esp. electrical), but nothing horrible. Definately good to know a good mechanic, or learn to do the work yourself. Like our ferrari's preventative maintenace is the key. If you buy one, budget an extra $2k or so to make the car right (sort of like buying a ferrari). Do it from the start, and you will have a reliable car.

And, like the ferrari, I definately suggest getting a mechanic (or do it yourself if you are mechanically inclined) to do a pre-purchase inspection (PPI).

Things to watch out for: Stepper motors in AC unit. Expensive (IIRC, cost me about $1000 to repair). High pressure fuel line in the gas tank- this will leak over time, and cause sluggish starting. You can fix it yourself, but it is a messy job. Oil leaks (duh, it's Italian). Electrics- Buy youself a bottle of Deoxit or Stabilant-22 and make sure you clean all fuses, switches, grounds. This will make the biggest improvement in all of the electronics.

Check out www.alfabb.com for a Alfa related board.

The 164 IMO still stands out and looks modern, considering it is a 15 year old car, in my case. Believe it or not, I think I get more comments in my 164 than in my 308 GT4.

Dom
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Egads, I just reread your post, and I agree with the above, those cars you mentioned are waaaay overpriced. At that price, the cars better be perfect, and I just don't believe it (no car is perfect )

I am a member of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, and I regularly see 164 L's for under $5000 in the newsletter.

Maybe you can get a hold of some of these newsetters and use them to help you bargain down the prices?

Dom

 

1. Prices seem very optimistic.

2. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

On second thought don't. My bud made the mistake of putting his fire out and suffered terribly compared to a total write off.

 

Always keep a fire extingusher in all of your cars.

But, I've never seen a case where a 164 has burned. Bad fuel lines??

Probably something to watch out for in a 15-year old car. Definately buget in to have the fuel lines replaced, if they haven't been already.

I replaced the fuel lines in my 90k mile service on my car in June of 04. Cost of the service, plus replacing hoses came out to ~$1300. Money well spent.

Dom

 

Definately Pininfarinas best looking sedan, aside the QP. Gorgeous to look at and to drive, solid and stylish cars.

The prices are way too high, for that price you can find a good 164LS with a 24V engine which greatly improves performance. I believe the 164L shouldnt be priced over 5000$. In that case go for the S model.

check points:

stepper gears/ac unit
overheating
noisy valves
timing belt change due?

if the car has records and has been maintained by someone who knows alfas, dont hesitate, they make reliable italian transportation at a decent price, these cars still impress people after 15yrs, not something an 1990 525i would do.

 

I used to have 3 (12V,24V and QV24V) of them before my 166. The 164 is a GREAT Executive Express and you won't be dissapointed. Just make sure you check the necessary troublespots as mentioned in the above posts and you're fine. One worthy upgrade is H&R springs and damper kit all round. They'll make the good handling even better.

 

I've had THREE 164's. Great cars.
You should be able to a great one for 6,000 or less.

 

I have a 91 164L....although mine is not in that great of shape and has 130K on it, I would be lucky if I could get 1800 for it.

I would not pay much over 4K.

You are probably getting emotional involved so it is harder to say no, but if you are patient, you will find that you can get one like that for a lot less.
Then again if this is local, it certainly does help. Question is what you would pay of premium to buy it local.

Here are pics of mine
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How is the clutch and shifter action on the L's?

 

You need to post on Alfabb and www.digest.net. I am guessing that you will find somebody on one of these who has a nice car available for less than 5k.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought these were over priced. The car looks great, but I am still standing behind my original statement. Hold out a little longer for a better price or find another one.

 

for that price you can seriously get a nice 164S with a 200hp engine and much better looking body kit and interior trim, its worth the upgrade.

 

Well don't know which 10 disc system it has but this for instance
http://www.audiooutfitter.com/store/cdx555rf.html or this one
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002CTPJI/002-9181515-4604060?v=glance

all about $150 or so. Again you have to look at the mechanicals things like sound system just are not nearly as expensive as bent valves from a broken timing belt or a number of other really expensive repairs.

A 164 is a great car, but get one that's really nice and in very good mechanical condition above all. Parts prices for a 164 are really not all that far off a Ferrari.

 

That 73K mile car is also an automatic. Those are worth considerably less than the 5 speeds since the transmission ruins a big part of the enjoyment of the car. Also, the auto has a tendency to pack it in after 100k miles. A one owner, low miles L with all records might be worth $5,000, but there are very few of those. Most of these cars were purchased as daily drivers, and by now they have been driven into the ground.

 

at $5200 that blue ont is still a little high. Do any of the cars come with service records? If you buy a car with over 50k and it doesn't come with a service history you should budget $1000 to have the time belt and bearing changed right off the bat. I know a local guy that bouth a 164Q off ebay with not records and his timing belt broke within 600 miles of owing it.

I wouldn't even consider a 164 that's an auto. They are very picky transmissions and very expensive to have serviced. Another friend had one fail and it was $3000 to get it back on the road. Plus they aren't nearly as fun to drive as the 5 speed.

Don't by an L until you get a chance to drive an S they really are more fun. Most of the time S's are in better shape too. The owners know they are a little more special and tend to keep them up a little better. Plus the resale will be better.

Don't worry too much about mileage. If the car is in good shape and well cared for the miles don't matter as much. My Q had 95k on it when I bought it, but it was in great shape with a full history. I haven't really had many unexpected mechanicals to date. a well kept 164 is a great and dependable car. Don't be in a rush to find one. take your time and fine the right one.

How you looked in the Seattle area? There are quite a few 164's here and you may even be able to find an S for sale. I don't know of any right now, but I'll keep my eyes open.

In additions to the alfa bb try this forum. It's a 164 specific forume there's lots of great info here http://www.digest.net/alfa/FAQ/164/bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi

good luck
Brian Jones
1995 164Q

 

Excellent.....when it is in good order.

When I bought my car, the guy I bought it from failed to mention that the clutch was almost shot. Anyway, I bought a new clutch kit and since then shifting is always easy, precise and smooth.

 

definately go for a manual, makes that V6 sing alot better.