Owner/customer here: Thought I'd provide some more info on this bargain Busso! We actually paid £600 for the car. The immediate plan is to get it through the MOT and use it as a daily, while slowly improving it to ensure it doesn't end up in a scrapyard as a parts car anytime soon! The paint is a lot worse than it appears but having driven it for a week or two every day it drives ok! The car came with paperwork to support £3700 of work over the last three years undertaken by an Alfa specialist and has been owned by an Alfa enthusiast who replaced it with a 156 GTA. Longer term the idea is to tidy up the underside, address all leaks, fix anything worn out and protect against future rust. Eventually when the rest of the car is solid enough we will paint it in the original red and replace the wheels with stock items and hopefully put lots more miles on it! This will be a slow and gradual process as we have several other modern classics in various stages of restoration! First time dealing with Neil at Italia Autos, have to take the time to thank him for being so straight forward and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend him. He seems to understand the point that these cars are at and has sensible ideas about how to keep them going on a sensible budget!
Any Alfa Romeo with a busso engine is a potential buy. I've got the last of the busso v6 156 autos and it's an absolute gem. Doesn't excell in any special way but it's the greatest car you can get overall for the money. Looks, sounds, power vs economy. I feel like a human dalek driving it.
Hi Neil , this 156 is what anyone would expect for the money and the new owner has explained what he wants to to do with the car . How many MK1 ford focus and Mondeo's etc are around from this era , they used drop to bits after a few years ,wheel arches ,sills and floors were always the weak spot . Alfa's still can't shake their reputation off from years ago . The car is at the best place to get sorted ..wish North Tyneside had an honest and skilled Alfa specialist like yourself .👍👍👍
Loved these back in the day - such a good looking saloon compared to the bland Mondeo’s and Vectra’s that the masses spent their money on. A red V6 just like this one would’ve been my choice 😍
Loved my old 156 sport wagon had it 13yrs unfortunately the dreaded rust forced me to scrap it daily driver went everywhere in it work holiday the lot let me down ONCE camshaft sensor what a fantastic reliable car it was
Bought a 2000 W plate 156 Twinspark last week for £350. 70k miles covered in 21 years and not a rust bucket at all! There’s some good bargains left out there!!!
Looks like a great project. Even though there is no engine light on I always think it is still worth plugging the reader in. I have seen one serious problem where even multiecuscan said in the comments, "Note: this error will not illuminate the engine warning light"
RIP W137 KBU, my old 156 V6.... SP3, black with white leather interior. No boot spoiler! Loved that car The 2.5 is the strongest busso I think, mine got red lined several times everytime I drove it. Was on 126k before being written off by someone else lol.
Hello Neil, mi father has a 156 2.0 ts 2002, the six years ago the timing belt broke and it was a disaster, but we decided to repair the car two months ago, we bought all the motor parts form the uk, the mechanic assemble everything but the car doesn’t start, he says that is the ignition module that’s is not working, so he told us that we need to buy an ignition kit including de ecu, what do you think of that, also he told us that the ecu of the 2001 model is different from the 2002 (is that correct?) we leave in Mexico and it’s difficult to fin parts here, thanks an we really enjoy your channel,
I had one 156 before but it was an 1.8 ts 144hp. I kept it 4 years. Nice car , car of the year in 1998 . Now I m searching for an 2.5 v6 but it's difficult to find one in good condition in France...when you find a good one it's too expensive like 7000€!
Where do people find these bargains?! That welding though... My only 156 experience so far was a JTS which was terrible thanks to the engine. Seeing this car is making me want to give them another go
My brother and I had been to view (and purchased) a black one for £700 and on the way home I said it was lovely, but it'd need to be red for me. Two hours later this red one was listed on Autotrader for £600 and I agreed to buy it over the phone without viewing it. Drove the £700 black one down to collect it! We are now slowly restoring both! Feel the red one was a particularly lucky find!
Finding a good 156 these days is really hard so great to see this one is getting a new lease of life 👍 Also noticed the Milano alloys on the 145 in the background 😍
Funny thing is Greece is floating on them and all of them are mostly in good condition too ! Really would recommend this as a first car especially for the price
The Lusso normally has white dials and wood centre console, gear knob and steering wheel, those look like they’re from a Veloce, unless this changed? These sing even louder the a Supersprint box on, sounds fantastic. The brakes are not up to it though. Back spark plugs a pain to do...lots of nuts and bolts to remove...
A steal for £650 in 2021. They were that price 7 years ago. Sure it'll need quite a bit spent getting it up to good condition but if a Busso engined car is what you want then this is a decent way to get into one. I had a V reg car before my 02 plate 156 and I'm wondering if the earlier ones rusted less....
Nice one that this old girl is holding up well. As for the blue interior lights yuck reminds me of a old fashioned nightclub ( if the radio worked) besides who needs a music system when there is a nice engine doing a soundtrack up front 😀
OMG..... I like your videos greeting from Hungary. Unluckily in Hungary Busso's like this more expensive sometimes owners of Busso want 2000 pounds for a rusty, fully demolished car... Absolutly horrible. If I could buy one of this diamond I try to repair to next generation! :D
3 k repaint plus rust repairs. Proof just buy a one owner cared for car from an enthusiast, save a fortune in the long run. Unless you can do all the fixes yourself. No such thing as cheap.
Behind the rear arches too. Mine just had it's drivers side rear arch rebuilt. Looked like that car but was bad underneath. Might have been a jacking point balls up by a low skilled mechanic in the past.
Most of the underside needs cutting out and welding properly otherwise its tidy enough for a cheap daily, I'd be worried about the outer sills behind the skirt judging by the wings
Worth saving but I hope this customer will get some new rims also remove all the stickers (and spoiler imho) :-) at least someone looked after her becaus, well, the exterior is a matter of taste anyway!
My last 156 V6 was Fantasia Blue 2001 car with one owner and 155k. Every single receipt and MOT from new, both keys etc. He just wanted it gone from his garage as the bonnet had stuck and the battery was flat. Would you believe me if I said I paid £80 for the whole car? Yes, £80. I was just as shocked. Literally paid him from the cash point. Car was MINT aswell.
Im going next week to another city to go hunting for one year 2000 156 V6 since i miss my old one. Any tips on what to look out for on the engine ? My old one for some reason mixed the oil and antifreeze.
That could have been one of the head gaskets. Just know when the cambelt was last done and look for advisories from the most previous MOT. Rust can gather at the back of the floor pans or down the sides of the floor. The top steady engine mount can wear out due to vibration over time as well. Check the feel of the gear change from 1st to 6th and make sure they all feel even. Depending on mileage it might be good to know if anything you are looking at has had a clutch. One of my 156 v6's needed a clutch at about 170000 miles. Also needed a new starter motor a bit before that.
How often do the crankshaft seals go on these bussos? From what i know and seen is that almost every v6 has that rear main seal problem. I've just sorted it on mine. Not a fun job...
Each to their own and all and obviously current owner isn't responsible, but I don't get why folks think they can improve on the look of the 156 with some of these tacky mods.
If the owner had jet washed it now and then esp winter salt and treated damaged sealant it would need no welding, my 15 year old 156 i sold 5 years ago was like new underneath, just a little care saves huge bills.
That was when 156 prices were rock bottom. Loads of V6 for that price, even the freshly built 3.0 conversion I got 7 years ago didn't fetch much more...
Of all the Alfa's I've owned, the one that I was least impressed by was a 156. I just never got on with the car, & the quality was the worst of any Italian car I'd owned. This one looks decent though (apart from the blue lights - zap!)
@@2008tourer Quality of the interior, interior trim that came loose, parts that just seemed to wear out prematurely, electrics that just didn't play ball at time. Having owned 164/166/GTV/146/147 I was a bit disappointed, I expected better.
@@marktoby8113 makes sense :D speaking from experience with my 156 I only had problems with front wishbones which were wearing out quickly but apart from that? Nothing but normal maintenance. Electrics are holding up great. Also before I got the car I read a lot of comments and reviews that the interior materials are bad but when I got her I was surprised how well it's put together. I honestly don't think it's bad, there are way worse interiors from those years :p
I can't believe how these cars go rotten on your weather guys, in Italy, my old Alfa Spider 1.8 ts, I bought new back in 1998, was basically perfect underneath, totally rust-free, the same for paint...what the hell do you put on your roads sulphuric acid?
@@lilbasis5266 You know Lil, watching at nowadays cars, included my old 98' Alfa Romeo spider 1.8ts, I was persuaded of the big step forward in rust protection of structural and body parts. I remember penetrant rust to eat bodies of old 70's and 80's Fiats, but, as I told, I'm really amazed by the level of relatively fast body degradation of 2000' vehicles in England. Our northern Italian winters are quite warmer in the last 20 years compared to the '70s and '80s. I live on sea level near Venice, in a seaside city, so we have quite a salty environment, but roads are clean and very little salt on a couple weeks on January and February...very different scenario I guess...cheers buddy
Quality of that rust welding is really terrible. Whoever did that should not be allowed to perform such a repair again. It is really disgusting. This car is I would say totaled. To fix that properly it would need to be completely disassembled, sandblasted or dipped into acid, cut all that patchwork and then welded properly. This is just shit.
The bubble welding is insane. I'd imagine welders must be going crazy looking at it. If a car works and is enjoyed by its owner then it's fine. Nothing is going to be perfect, especially for that money and age.
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Owner/customer here: Thought I'd provide some more info on this bargain Busso!
We actually paid £600 for the car. The immediate plan is to get it through the MOT and use it as a daily, while slowly improving it to ensure it doesn't end up in a scrapyard as a parts car anytime soon! The paint is a lot worse than it appears but having driven it for a week or two every day it drives ok!
The car came with paperwork to support £3700 of work over the last three years undertaken by an Alfa specialist and has been owned by an Alfa enthusiast who replaced it with a 156 GTA.
Longer term the idea is to tidy up the underside, address all leaks, fix anything worn out and protect against future rust. Eventually when the rest of the car is solid enough we will paint it in the original red and replace the wheels with stock items and hopefully put lots more miles on it!
This will be a slow and gradual process as we have several other modern classics in various stages of restoration!
First time dealing with Neil at Italia Autos, have to take the time to thank him for being so straight forward and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend him. He seems to understand the point that these cars are at and has sensible ideas about how to keep them going on a sensible budget!
thanks for letting me work on it.
That will surely go up in value if you look after it. Great car and your in good hands.
I have a brand new set of Sachs Sport front dampers for this.
Nice one! And cool you are getting some new wheels for it!
Nice one thanks for saving it 😎😎😎
Any Alfa Romeo with a busso engine is a potential buy. I've got the last of the busso v6 156 autos and it's an absolute gem. Doesn't excell in any special way but it's the greatest car you can get overall for the money. Looks, sounds, power vs economy. I feel like a human dalek driving it.
I've got one also. Mine is a SW. One of only 5 left on the road apparently.
I've got a facelift V6 wagon with the auto, good for cruising but not as quick as the manual.
“Fly zapper interior lights in a chip shop!” Brilliant Neil! 😂🤣
Jesus that floor's a bit of a patchwork quilt! Fair play to the previous owners for fixing it though; rust has scrapped many in better condition.
one of the most beutiful alfa of recent time
Hi Neil , this 156 is what anyone would expect for the money and the new owner has explained what he wants to to do with the car . How many MK1 ford focus and Mondeo's etc are around from this era , they used drop to bits after a few years ,wheel arches ,sills and floors were always the weak spot . Alfa's still can't shake their reputation off from years ago . The car is at the best place to get sorted ..wish North Tyneside had an honest and skilled Alfa specialist like yourself .👍👍👍
i had a 75 2.5 v6 auto,,, jeez handled crazily
"Blue Boudoir lights!" LOL I had all the exact same issues on my 156 V6, took a while to sort them all out but a lovely car so it's worth the effort..
Loved these back in the day - such a good looking saloon compared to the bland Mondeo’s and Vectra’s that the masses spent their money on. A red V6 just like this one would’ve been my choice 😍
Thanks for sharing!
I've got 2 of those things plus a 147 and wouldn't change them for the world. I'm smiling every time I walk up to them to drive off in either of them.
I loved my 156. I had a 2.0. Veloce. I wish I’d kept it.
Same had a 2.0 ltr twinng red sw all the toys, elec seats, sport pack a much missed car
Today I've bought the same car for only 325 bucks! :)
Loved my old 156 sport wagon had it 13yrs unfortunately the dreaded rust forced me to scrap it daily driver went everywhere in it work holiday the lot let me down ONCE camshaft sensor what a fantastic reliable car it was
Just bought a 156 with 160k on the clock.. keep the content coming, gonna need it!!
Very interesting thanks Neil. Not concours obviously but there is a great car there. The £650 worth it for the exhaust note alone 👍
Bought a 2000 W plate 156 Twinspark last week for £350. 70k miles covered in 21 years and not a rust bucket at all! There’s some good bargains left out there!!!
Looks like a great project. Even though there is no engine light on I always think it is still worth plugging the reader in. I have seen one serious problem where even multiecuscan said in the comments, "Note: this error will not illuminate the engine warning light"
Just checking the workshop manual for something else and noticed it says read the ecu for errors every 40,000 miles
I had a gt 2005. You could see the exact line where Guiseppi at the factory had knocked off early and only undersealed half the car! Baffling
156 and gt are the same car
Enjoying these see how its holding up vids , the fly zapper lights lol
RIP W137 KBU, my old 156 V6....
SP3, black with white leather interior. No boot spoiler! Loved that car
The 2.5 is the strongest busso I think, mine got red lined several times everytime I drove it. Was on 126k before being written off by someone else lol.
Correct, you can redline them all day everyday and they just love it
Hello Neil, mi father has a 156 2.0 ts 2002, the six years ago the timing belt broke and it was a disaster, but we decided to repair the car two months ago, we bought all the motor parts form the uk, the mechanic assemble everything but the car doesn’t start, he says that is the ignition module that’s is not working, so he told us that we need to buy an ignition kit including de ecu, what do you think of that, also he told us that the ecu of the 2001 model is different from the 2002 (is that correct?) we leave in Mexico and it’s difficult to fin parts here, thanks an we really enjoy your channel,
Sweet engine note 😌
Very!
I had one 156 before but it was an 1.8 ts 144hp. I kept it 4 years. Nice car , car of the year in 1998 . Now I m searching for an 2.5 v6 but it's difficult to find one in good condition in France...when you find a good one it's too expensive like 7000€!
Very nice!
Enjoying these profiles of customers’ cars Neil. Really interesting. 👍
More filmed. Hoping that customer car videos will be my 1 extra video a week.
That's really not shabby at all for £650. Bit of a bargain really especially when I read your comment about the cambelt change.
Think the customer did well there...not too much rust and cam belt doesn't need to be done 👍
Another superb honest video Neil, all the best...
Fly in a chip shop comment tickled my chuckle muscle Neil 😂😂😂
Where do people find these bargains?! That welding though... My only 156 experience so far was a JTS which was terrible thanks to the engine. Seeing this car is making me want to give them another go
My brother and I had been to view (and purchased) a black one for £700 and on the way home I said it was lovely, but it'd need to be red for me. Two hours later this red one was listed on Autotrader for £600 and I agreed to buy it over the phone without viewing it. Drove the £700 black one down to collect it! We are now slowly restoring both! Feel the red one was a particularly lucky find!
That's a bit of a bargain. And Michelin pilot sport tyres.....someone has spent a bit of money at some point....
forgot to say its also had a £1200 cambelt change done last year.
Ouch £1200 for cambelt...Even with water pump and a service that's a bit steep!!!
@@ItaliaAutos
That's way overpriced. What else did they have done at the same time to get that £££?
Love the chipshop in the summer comment !!!
Finding a good 156 these days is really hard so great to see this one is getting a new lease of life 👍
Also noticed the Milano alloys on the 145 in the background 😍
Funny thing is Greece is floating on them and all of them are mostly in good condition too ! Really would recommend this as a first car especially for the price
The Lusso normally has white dials and wood centre console, gear knob and steering wheel, those look like they’re from a Veloce, unless this changed? These sing even louder the a Supersprint box on, sounds fantastic. The brakes are not up to it though. Back spark plugs a pain to do...lots of nuts and bolts to remove...
Not too bad underneath?! Did you not see the entire driver side sill is a patchwork quilt?
“luv the lights” yah 😝
If its a runaround with a years mot its a good buy just for that engine noise
A steal for £650 in 2021. They were that price 7 years ago. Sure it'll need quite a bit spent getting it up to good condition but if a Busso engined car is what you want then this is a decent way to get into one. I had a V reg car before my 02 plate 156 and I'm wondering if the earlier ones rusted less....
Help thes 156 make it go more in the next generation 😎
Next generation? Aren't they all either electric or hybrid?
Love the Busso!
Bellissima la 156 complimenti
'Relatively' rust-free 156 for just £650… an absolute bargain!!!
Seen that floor lol.
It will be much worse on the other side
Nice one that this old girl is holding up well.
As for the blue interior lights yuck reminds me of a old fashioned nightclub ( if the radio worked) besides who needs a music system when there is a nice engine doing a soundtrack up front 😀
OMG..... I like your videos greeting from Hungary. Unluckily in Hungary Busso's like this more expensive sometimes owners of Busso want 2000 pounds for a rusty, fully demolished car... Absolutly horrible. If I could buy one of this diamond I try to repair to next generation! :D
Thanks for watching!
Portugal the same, my 159 ti would fecth double there.
Fetch
3 k repaint plus rust repairs.
Proof just buy a one owner cared for car from an enthusiast, save a fortune in the long run.
Unless you can do all the fixes yourself.
No such thing as cheap.
Id run it for a year and sell engine and scrap car, get the money back.
Free years motoring
Love it Neil, yeah my welds are better than that.. been welding like 2 weeks hahahaha.
Thanks 👍
Beautiful car
Bellissime Alfa 155 e 156 V6
😂😂”chip shop fly killer....”....🤣🤣
Black visors are from a GTA.
You should remove the side skirts. You will definitely find more rust, especially in rear area and also fenders front
Yep
Behind the rear arches too. Mine just had it's drivers side rear arch rebuilt. Looked like that car but was bad underneath. Might have been a jacking point balls up by a low skilled mechanic in the past.
Good videos...😊
Cheers
Most of the underside needs cutting out and welding properly otherwise its tidy enough for a cheap daily, I'd be worried about the outer sills behind the skirt judging by the wings
£600 car and its solid so i wouldnt worry about ripping it all out.
Worth saving but I hope this customer will get some new rims also remove all the stickers (and spoiler imho) :-) at least someone looked after her becaus, well, the exterior is a matter of taste anyway!
Another great video, and I've clicked like!
My last 156 V6 was Fantasia Blue 2001 car with one owner and 155k. Every single receipt and MOT from new, both keys etc. He just wanted it gone from his garage as the bonnet had stuck and the battery was flat. Would you believe me if I said I paid £80 for the whole car? Yes, £80.
I was just as shocked. Literally paid him from the cash point. Car was MINT aswell.
Do you still have it?
@@paulbrowne5049 sold last year mate, maybe the year before actually
@@rezaq1 I saw the ad in autotrader but was too slow, you'd already got there! T plate veloce with grey leather if I recall. I wonder where it is now🤔
@@paulbrowne5049 X reg 2001. I sold it to a film producer.
I always thought that the zender wing was an option from the factory.
I had a Veloce with that wing. No idea if it was factory....
Great video, but shocking welding!
Yeah not the greatest but it will hold the rust at bay.
Time for equal length front pipes!
Who did the welding? Stevie Wonder? Thats awful.
I was expecting a load of holes in the floor for that money.
There is no original floor left lol
@@salvofarnia8046 this is true....
Customer looks to have smashed it for £650!
Hi can you tell me where I can get a pair of front mounts from. Mine have just gone at the bottom.
Im going next week to another city to go hunting for one year 2000 156 V6 since i miss my old one.
Any tips on what to look out for on the engine ? My old one for some reason mixed the oil and antifreeze.
That could have been one of the head gaskets. Just know when the cambelt was last done and look for advisories from the most previous MOT. Rust can gather at the back of the floor pans or down the sides of the floor. The top steady engine mount can wear out due to vibration over time as well. Check the feel of the gear change from 1st to 6th and make sure they all feel even. Depending on mileage it might be good to know if anything you are looking at has had a clutch. One of my 156 v6's needed a clutch at about 170000 miles. Also needed a new starter motor a bit before that.
The weld job looks like it had been done with a fluxcore welder, lots of blobs.
How often do the crankshaft seals go on these bussos? From what i know and seen is that almost every v6 has that rear main seal problem. I've just sorted it on mine. Not a fun job...
around 120k ish im finding.
Each to their own and all and obviously current owner isn't responsible, but I don't get why folks think they can improve on the look of the 156 with some of these tacky mods.
Just stick to standard.
Decent price £650
Compare fookin German leather seats after 22y even premium are fucked up
Is that the cambelt moaning in the background?
Ассалаумагалейкум из Казахстана good
Hmmm, non sport seats with lumbar support. Don't' see them a lot. I'm jealous.
Notting wrong with upgraded alloys and doing your own bits. Standard wheels looked awful.
Thanks for watching
Depends on the wheel. The best alloys for a 156, by face, are tele dials all day long.
What do you treat your underbody surface rust with Neal ??
omnicote
If the owner had jet washed it now and then esp winter salt and treated damaged sealant it would need no welding, my 15 year old 156 i sold 5 years ago was like new underneath, just a little care saves huge bills.
I sold it in mint condition only got a grand for it.
That was when 156 prices were rock bottom. Loads of V6 for that price, even the freshly built 3.0 conversion I got 7 years ago didn't fetch much more...
Of all the Alfa's I've owned, the one that I was least impressed by was a 156. I just never got on with the car, & the quality was the worst of any Italian car I'd owned. This one looks decent though (apart from the blue lights - zap!)
What do you mean by quality?
Sure you owned one?
@@salvofarnia8046 You somehow think I'm unsure as to if i owned a 156?
@@2008tourer Quality of the interior, interior trim that came loose, parts that just seemed to wear out prematurely, electrics that just didn't play ball at time. Having owned 164/166/GTV/146/147 I was a bit disappointed, I expected better.
@@marktoby8113 makes sense :D speaking from experience with my 156 I only had problems with front wishbones which were wearing out quickly but apart from that? Nothing but normal maintenance. Electrics are holding up great.
Also before I got the car I read a lot of comments and reviews that the interior materials are bad but when I got her I was surprised how well it's put together. I honestly don't think it's bad, there are way worse interiors from those years :p
What wheels are those on the V6 156?
dont have a clue sorry just after market ones.
650 quid !!!!!!!
I can't believe how these cars go rotten on your weather guys, in Italy, my old Alfa Spider 1.8 ts, I bought new back in 1998, was basically perfect underneath, totally rust-free, the same for paint...what the hell do you put on your roads sulphuric acid?
Here in Portugal these rust issues are basically unheard off
too! I think acid may be the only acceptable explanation ;)
No just loads of salt.
come live in north europe for a while and you will understand why they rust lmao
@@lilbasis5266 You know Lil, watching at nowadays cars, included my old 98' Alfa Romeo spider 1.8ts, I was persuaded of the big step forward in rust protection of structural and body parts. I remember penetrant rust to eat bodies of old 70's and 80's Fiats, but, as I told, I'm really amazed by the level of relatively fast body degradation of 2000' vehicles in England. Our northern Italian winters are quite warmer in the last 20 years compared to the '70s and '80s. I live on sea level near Venice, in a seaside city, so we have quite a salty environment, but roads are clean and very little salt on a couple weeks on January and February...very different scenario I guess...cheers buddy
@@3dvorator cheers mate!
156s suffer badly at the wings like paper thin
Hang on, forget the 156, where did you get a haircut? 🤣🤣🤣
Chip shop lol
£600.....for abusso daylight robbery haha
Quality of that rust welding is really terrible. Whoever did that should not be allowed to perform such a repair again. It is really disgusting. This car is I would say totaled. To fix that properly it would need to be completely disassembled, sandblasted or dipped into acid, cut all that patchwork and then welded properly. This is just shit.
on a £650 car lol. its just MOT cheap as chips repair. it will hold but wont look pretty.
The bubble welding is insane. I'd imagine welders must be going crazy looking at it. If a car works and is enjoyed by its owner then it's fine. Nothing is going to be perfect, especially for that money and age.
Hey, you bought a future classic for nothing!
Pigeon poo welding