hello all, this is my first post here. At the moment i'm trying to sell my Alfa 147 & as soon as i do, my next car should be a Coupe.

When i initally thought of selling the 147 (i'm having to to clear the loan on it & please my prospective mortgage company), i had two cars in mind, either an Alfa GTV or Fiat Coupe, i've sort of ruled out the GTV as they're (in Ireland) far more expensive than a comparable Coupe & i never liked the interior of the mid 90's GTV.

So, barring an unforeseen disaster, it'll be a Coupe for me, i have my eye on one already, i'm just hoping the owner doesn't sell it before i sell my 147. Its a 1996 16v turbo with 72000 miles on the clock. Looks to be in great condition. Is there anything in particular i should look out for, do Coupe's have common weak areas that need attention, & roughly what sort of running costs am i looking at given that i'm actually quite gentle on my cars, only every so often when the mood takes me will i give them a good blast.

Cheers for any help!

check cambelt date on a 16vt,every 30-40k i belive but correct me guys.

wishbones causes car to wander,i noticed mainly on boost when foot went down.

Oil pressure readings are rubbish on a 16vt.along as its around 1 bar hot you will be fine but 16vt can be very inaccurate.

Buyers guide in the faq section aswell

Hi and welcome.

I used to have a 147 2.0 TS and currently have a coupe 20V turbo and a 3.0 GTV so we're on the same wavelength!


My advice is to read the buyers guide on here and commit it to memory. Everything you need to know is there.

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7718#Post7718

If you use your car as a daily driver, you should reckon on £1000 per year for servicing/repairs/parts unless you are lucky enough to find a car which has had all the major jobs done recently. In that case, £500 per year should do it.

Buy on condition and service history rather than mileage. Personally, I always judge a car by the seller and his/her home but others disagree. Also, I wouldn't touch a modified car but again that's a personal opinion and others on here will disagree.

From my experience, don't buy a car without air-con. I regretted not having it in my first coupe.

Good luck

Totaly agree with all the above, condition is more important than milage, buy well in the first instance and it will pay off over the years, make sure you pick the engine spec that suits you and you needs.
20VT are very fast and lots of fun but don't rule out a non turbo car, less bills less petrol ect.

Hi Toby,

You mean this 16VT?

It looks quite tidy. Just be aware that the 'enthusiast owner' is not the current owner in Ireland, but rather the last owner in the UK. This seller had two coupes for sale at the same time, just in from the UK, so he's a bit of a trader not a private seller as advertised. I think the other one was a Red 16v.

Anyway, take a look at the Buyers Guide here on the forum.

You need to check the service history meticulously. With a car that's done just 72,000miles, it's possible that there are a lot of parts that are worn and may need replacing, for example the turbo (check for white smoke on startup and after 5 mins of hot idle). On the other hand somebody else might have done all the work for you!

When you arrive to view, feel the bonnet to see if the engine is hot or cold. Cold is preferrable to check turbo. Hot engine may be hiding issues. Check when the belts were last changed etc. and check for worn suspension (jack up the front tyres and feel for play when you push/pull on the top and bottom). Check oil levels and ask seller what oil they use and how often the top up.

When you drive (and go for a good drive) keep an eye on all gauges to make sure they're within normal range.

Enjoy yourself.

Oh yeah, go onto the RAC website (or similar) and to a Datacheck on the car to see if it's ever been in an accident etc. £5 well spent!

NB: Just checked RAC online and this car is shown as a 16v not a 16v Turbo. Also, if my eyes don't deceive me the side shots of the car don't seem to have a turbo badge on them. You need to confirm whether this car is a turbo or not!

wow guys you are a helpful lot! didn't expect so many replies so fast (and a good bit of detective work there daithi28!!

i'd actually prefere a non turbo to be honest, i reckon it might be the best trade off between gorgeous looks, speed, & running costs?

Oh & i have to say, i wouldn't touch a modified car, the Coupe needs no such nonesence! (i feel!) I like cars that are in their original form.

Oh yeh, have you checked your insurance yet?
You need to factor that in big time, though a non turbo shouldn't be too bad.

€2,250 ain't bad by the way. I sold my 16v non turbo just over 18 months ago with same spec and same mileage for €3,500 and that was a bargain price back then.

You can get more off though if you haggle. It's been for a sale for a few months now

Good luck with the viewing.

yeah had a look at insurance, i pay €400 for my 147, this would rise to €520 for a non Turbo Coupe, so its not too bad. I had a look at importing one from the UK, but whilst the car itself would be cheap enough, even including the VRT, the road tax would be through the roof as it'd fall under the new co2 based emissions tax

Try to find a 20v n/a if you can...newer and sound absolutely fab

sadly i will have to sell my 147 before hand though, & that could be a problem, Alfa's are hardly popular new, 2nd hand no one wants to know!

Toby,

The new CO2 tax relates to cars first registered NEW in the Republic after 1st January 2008. As all coupes are pre-2008 and second hand, you will be taxed as per the old system, i.e. €590 per annum, not €2000 per annum.

The VRT will however be charged as per the new system.

€520 insurance is good for a non-turbo. I guessing you have 5+ years NCB. It's just over double that for me for a 20v Turbo and I'm 31 with 7 years NCB and no claims whatsoever

I took my coupe in from the UK. It's a bit of hassle yes, but there is a much better choice over there. I think the cost for me and a mate was about €80 for the flights, €60 for B&B, €150 for the Ferry and €60 in fuel, so €350 all in, plus two days away from work!

However, if your budget is around €2,500, it's a bit cost prohibitive as it's nearly 15% of your budget!

Let us know how the viewing goes

ah thanks for that, with an import being taxed under the old regulations that'll making importing much cheaper!!