Re: Alfa cheep cheep? AD #822

["C.M. Smith" <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

"Cheapest" and "Alfa" don't fit in the same sentence very well. My 164 was
very reasonable to service for 6 years, costing no more than say a Lexus,
and certainly less than a BMW to maintain. Then all h*ll broke loose. AC
pulley seized on the compressor shaft requiring a new pulley and rebuilt
compressor($2,000 ), then the manual tranny bearing went tick tick whine
($2,000 incl clutch at 60,000 miles), then just as the tranny parts came in
the steppers went ($1,000) and the windshield ($250 ded) and the summer
tires wore out necessitating new Pirelli P6000, great tires but ($800). All
prices Canadian dollars so take off a third to compare to US $$$ ( there's
a reason we "fondly" refer to  Can bucks as Loonies). So at $6,000 per year
I could buy a pretty decent replacement new car, if anyone imported one to
North America that is, they certainly don't build any here.

Nothing serious busted this fiscal year, but I did replace the tired oil
pressure sender to allow me to guess at the actual oil pressure a little
more accurately, and the power mirror switch, and  the driver's side
doorhandle, (cracked again) for a total this year of $600 for 4 months of
motoring bliss.

As my beauty doubles as my business car during office hours, I keep
scrupulous (?1?) records and review them whenever I feel excessively
cheerful. Repairs and Maintenance for the last two years (20 months
actually, but I haven't been near the shop for two more months, touch
wood), incl. the foregoing, have slightly exceeded $10,000.

So, the answer to your question, is definitely not a 164!.


Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner 

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