Any Alfa Romeo fans out there??

[jimwh]

I have some relatives that live in Peru that are willing to give/sell cheaply me an '83 or '84 Alfa Romeo 164. I am basing this solely according to the emblem on the rear. But while researching the car at various sites, it appears to be a Alfasud ti (based on apearances only). I need to get some pictures of it to post, but I am curious to know if there are any Alfa fans that are here in Autopia-ville that might be able to answer some questions and offer some advice.

I am hoping to have the vehicle shipped here soon and should be able to get VIN/serial numbers for it then.

TIA

[bretfraz]

I imagine Steven (Lowejackson) could help. Send him a PM if he doesn't respond to this thread.

[K_Csaxo]

i am not entirely sure about the alfa sud, but apparently it was really prone to rust. but i am sure as stated lowejackson can answer your question. and yes i am an alfa romeo fan, love the new alfa GTV

the 164 which i got is:

[K_Csaxo]

sorry that is a 1994 model

[jimwh]

Thanks you, sir!

He's over in England, right? That may actually be an advantage, as the vehicle may have been imported either directly from Italy or possibly Brazil.

[K_Csaxo]

yes he is from england and same here. alfa's are beautiful cars, there's something about the italian design

[jimwh]

K_Csaxo - Nice 164. The new GTV is quite a looker as well. Some of their recent styling takes some getting used to (from an American perspective). While I was in Spain last summer, I saw plenty of the newer Citroens which have "unique" styling, as well.

It's a shame about the Alfasud's being prone to rust. The one that I'll be importing only seems to have a couple minor spots that I'll need to work on. Primarily it's blistering paint.

[K_Csaxo]

my apologies there, it isnt my car its just an example that i thought would help sorry! i actually own a citroen saxo which to put simply is a tiny car, if you can imagine the new mini coopers in the remake of "the italian job" you will get an idea of my car's size.

i do hope you get many years of enjoyment from your alfasud, remember to post pics after a good detail!

[jgv]

jimwh, the Alfasud is considered the worst Alfa ever produced. They even called it Alfasud cause it was made in the south of Italy, with very low quality standards. They didn't wanted to call it Alfa-Romeo because of this. It has bad suspension, bad engine, bad body... It had a nice look tho. If you want to buy a good Alfa I'm sure you'd find a lot of them much better, like the old GTV, for ex.

[jimwh]

jgv - Thanks for the heads up...I'm hoping to get the car for free (shipping costs only) or nearly so. I've liked the looks of it since I first saw it 10 years ago and it is fun to drive. I did get a rude shock, though, as once I had to brake suddenly and found that the brakes are not "power-assisted. I call myself "the silly American" now because of it (since we're so use to power-everything). <grin>
I have high hopes, though, as my relatives are the original owners (I believe) and although it's had a life of rough city (Lima, Peru) streets, the suspension seems to be reasonable (lots of squeaks, of course!). The engine runs well enough and relatively speaking, it does not have a lot of km's on it for a 20 year old car. As my cousin says, it's not a daily driver, just a car for fun.

[Lowejackson]

Sorry I am late in seeing this. The Sud did have a bad reputation. The Russian steel was of low grade. Some Suds are fine, I guess a lot depends on the conditions it has lived in. As long as the basic structure is fine, it is easy to replace wings etc with replacements if necessary. I would disagree about the engine and suspension. The boxer was a great engine and easy to work on. The suspension can easily be improved with modern items or upgraded if desired.

As with any car, check the basics and make sure it is safe.

Alfa's have a heart, they are not soulless eurocars.

Enjoy