blues

["Doug Gould" <dgould@domain.elided>]

Alan

I know the feeling. My last 164 was totalled when a tree fell on it. I
looked at every car under the sun and finally settled on another 164. The
164's in Australia are getting old now, they ceased importing them in 1992
so, I had some reluctance about buying such an old car again. But 6 months
later I know it was the right decision.

If you've owned a 164 you already know that it is critical to buy one that
has been looked after well. There are a million problems that can arise if a
164 (or any other Alfa) has been maintained by a gorilla. This applies
equally to the owners attention to the interior trim and fittings.

Regarding your turquoise dilemma - if you think its a one shot stuff up then
you can fix it and you should proceed. The issue in this case is just about
purchase price. What about the other mechanics that worked on the car? were
they OK, did the gorilla only get one go at messing up the car?

My initial thoughts are that you will need to look carefully at the valve
clearances and do a compression check. Check for cylinder head gasket leaks.
Are the belts and tensioner OK now or are you likely to need to replace them
to be sure?

If the timing belt / turquoise issue is an indication of the car's
maintenance history or an indicator of the owners attitude toward
maintaining it carefully - then stop wasting your time and keep looking.
Sooner or later you will find a one or two owner one that will reward your
search through increased reliability and lower running costs.

Doug Gould
Blue 164
Melbourne Australia

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