164s

["Jon Inge" <joninge@domain.elided>]

Just weighing in (late) on the various 164 questions floating around
recently:

- my '93 164L also made sharp, knocking noises from the front end on both
left and right sides when manoeuvering out of tight parking lot spaces.
Turned out to be a lower ball joint; I hadn't noticed the split boot letting
water in.  Replacing it made a surprisingly significant difference.  Or
maybe it was just the lack of arthritic noises.

- I am, however, puzzled by a different noise, like a piece of cardboard
left on the rear parcel shelf sliding from side to side under moderately
hard cornering.  I'd swear I'd left something back there, but there's
nothing on the shelf, on the floor or in the trunk.  At all.  The ghost in
the machine?  Luigi leaving his newspaper in the roof lining during
assembly?

- on 164 reliability.  My '91 164 was great, but I bought it just after a
full 60k service when all major items had been done.  Loved it, but killed
it inadvertently in the wet.  Those stories about how well the rear crumple
zones protect the occupants are really true.  My '93 164L had 115k on it
when I acquired it, so I was a little wary since it felt "looser" than the
'91, had a few creaks and groans and was a bit twitchy on the road. But the
price was right, and it came with a full service history of a lot of the
important stuff (timing belt, steering rack, brakes, etc.) having been taken
care of recently by a dealer I trust.

The heater core went as the seller was driving me to the bank to make the
sale... we split the cost of fixing that (seemed fair - I still wanted the
car, and if it had happened a day earlier or later one or the other of us
would have felt stuck with it).  Since then I've had to replace the
thermostat, radiator and hoses (the water pump will be done at the upcoming
120k service), the aforesaid ball joint and a couple of electrical switches
and sensors, and have chosen to replace the after-market 17" wheels and
aggressive tires it had with 16" Borbets and Kumhos from the Tire Rack.
Total transformation - it's now steady, smooth, quiet, warms up quickly and
doesn't overheat, and is still just as wonderfully fast and responsive to
drive - lithe, muscular, confident.

Yes, maintenance on these cars can be more expensive than you'd expect
(though a friend tells me that it's just good training for when you own a
Ferrari), but get it straight and keep it straight and the rewards are also
much higher.  As others have said, for the money you can't get anything
remotely approaching a 164's level of performance, handling, room, comfort
and style.  And, if you treat it right, reliability.  When I totaled the '91
and was looking around at replacements, my wife just asked, "Well, what else
WOULD you get but another 164?"

With acknowledgements to John Hertzman, enjoy yours.

Jon Inge
Edmonds WA
86 Spider
93 164L
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