@@Project40Cars miss both my 166s. Both were t-sparks, toured France with one, wonderfully comfortable and capable grand tourers. Got a Busso now though, GTV6
Make sure the heater matrix has been done. Front upper arms and ARB links. Good alignment. Upgrade pads to Ferodo DS2500. Garage21 in Yorkshire are the uk experts on 166. I’ve got 2 of them, both facelifts.
Personally I wouldn't go for Ferodo 2500 if you will be doing mainly unspirited driving. On my f/l they squeaked beyond annoying despite being bedded in properly....
Seats are a common issue, heater blower is going to be a pain to fix if it’s the motor itself as the dash needs to come apart. My heater flaps are stuck hot at the moment, so regardless of the temp the airflow either hot or roasting 😅
A/C is often an issue with this era of Alfas. It's never "just a re-gas". I've had to repair/replace pipework on my 156 GTA three times, and had to do substantial work on the AC of both my prior 156s. Also, compressors for the 3.0 and 3.2 Bussos can be hard to source, so keep your eyes open and grab one if you see one. I now have a spare sitting at home for the GTA just in case. Be warned even if you get the AC working properly it will be just passable at best. My GTA is black on black, and the first summer I owned it, A/C was dead and my home town (Perth, Western Australia) had a record run of +40C days. I've lived here all my life, and we never had AC growing up at home or in any of our cars, but I seriously thought I was going to pass out at times. So getting it fixed was a priority before the next summer came along. As weak as it is compared with the AC in a Toyota, it does just enough to make summer driving comfortable. At the same time, I ripped out the defunct AC in my '81 Alfetta GTV - despite being a real glass house, having cloth seats instead of a black leather interior and a huge factory sunroof makes it bearable when the temp is up. Plus, the twin carb 2.0L is so much more responsive without it. That's just not an issue with the 3.2.
True, I suspect it’s got a leak from somewhere. I’ll get the system tested but summer hasn’t really arrived in the UK yet (highest here has only been 25c for a few days) so it doesn’t seem a high priority. Good tip on keeping an eye out for parts, I’ll set up some searches on eBay.
An acquired taste - I much prefer this version to the facelift, just has more character and doesn't have the "safe styling" of the later versions. Same goes for the 156 - I've had three, all pre-facelift, my current daily is a 156 GTA 3.2. So glad Alfa never tried to fit the facelift front to the Big Busso. Bes of luck with the car - they are superb value for money.
@@johnphaceas7434 a 156 gta was on the list but sadly out of budget for a decent one. Maybe in the future. I agree on the styling of the 166, the facelift is a bit dull in comparison.
What should I do with my new Alfa Romeo 166?
Sort it properly, look after it, enjoy it.
@@jonnyabba25 sounds like a plan!
Drive it like you stole it.
@@Project40Cars miss both my 166s. Both were t-sparks, toured France with one, wonderfully comfortable and capable grand tourers. Got a Busso now though, GTV6
@@jonnyabba25 I’d love a GTV at some point. A design classic.
Make sure the heater matrix has been done. Front upper arms and ARB links. Good alignment. Upgrade pads to Ferodo DS2500. Garage21 in Yorkshire are the uk experts on 166. I’ve got 2 of them, both facelifts.
Matrix is more of a risk on the auto (gearbox ecu sits underneath) or can it do equally bad things on a manual?
Personally I wouldn't go for Ferodo 2500 if you will be doing mainly unspirited driving. On my f/l they squeaked beyond annoying despite being bedded in properly....
@@Project40Carsyeah sportronic ecu needs a bag around it but heater matrix is essential
Knowing Phil you have got a decent motor there.
Those are the sport alloys
Yup was a sound chap :)
😍😍 Nice choice! What a Beautiful interior and fantastic engine, I can't wait to see more
Thanks! I think it’s the perfect long distance cruiser.
Lovely, I've also just picked one up. 3L Busso. No heater blower, seats won't move . But , hey ho ... it's fantastic.
Seats are a common issue, heater blower is going to be a pain to fix if it’s the motor itself as the dash needs to come apart.
My heater flaps are stuck hot at the moment, so regardless of the temp the airflow either hot or roasting 😅
@@Project40Cars I fixed the seat issue, relay in boot compartment. I'll tackle the fan job sometime.
A/C is often an issue with this era of Alfas. It's never "just a re-gas". I've had to repair/replace pipework on my 156 GTA three times, and had to do substantial work on the AC of both my prior 156s. Also, compressors for the 3.0 and 3.2 Bussos can be hard to source, so keep your eyes open and grab one if you see one. I now have a spare sitting at home for the GTA just in case. Be warned even if you get the AC working properly it will be just passable at best. My GTA is black on black, and the first summer I owned it, A/C was dead and my home town (Perth, Western Australia) had a record run of +40C days. I've lived here all my life, and we never had AC growing up at home or in any of our cars, but I seriously thought I was going to pass out at times. So getting it fixed was a priority before the next summer came along. As weak as it is compared with the AC in a Toyota, it does just enough to make summer driving comfortable. At the same time, I ripped out the defunct AC in my '81 Alfetta GTV - despite being a real glass house, having cloth seats instead of a black leather interior and a huge factory sunroof makes it bearable when the temp is up. Plus, the twin carb 2.0L is so much more responsive without it. That's just not an issue with the 3.2.
True, I suspect it’s got a leak from somewhere. I’ll get the system tested but summer hasn’t really arrived in the UK yet (highest here has only been 25c for a few days) so it doesn’t seem a high priority.
Good tip on keeping an eye out for parts, I’ll set up some searches on eBay.
Very elegant, nice car
Thank you! Pure class (it does need a clean though)
Love them, bit of an ugly duckling but they are a relaxed drive. Might see you about if you’re in Essex
It’s such a marmite car, people either think it’s ugly or beautiful with no gray area in between 😁
An acquired taste - I much prefer this version to the facelift, just has more character and doesn't have the "safe styling" of the later versions. Same goes for the 156 - I've had three, all pre-facelift, my current daily is a 156 GTA 3.2. So glad Alfa never tried to fit the facelift front to the Big Busso. Bes of luck with the car - they are superb value for money.
@@johnphaceas7434 a 156 gta was on the list but sadly out of budget for a decent one. Maybe in the future.
I agree on the styling of the 166, the facelift is a bit dull in comparison.