Maserati vs. Alfa

[VLADDS@xxxxxxx]

While I agree with the handling in the wet problem, I don't think the Biturbo 
IS a bad proposition. I say "is" refering to today's prices. You can easily 
afford to have one in combination with another vehicle and not have to drive it 
in the wet. if you do, there are couple things to be remembered that will 
ease the problem. 
But on the positive side, as opposed to the 164 at least, the Biturbo has the 
habit of not needing the same part replaced over and over. There are no 
stepper motors with 5 year life span or water pump (IAP) 2 year life span. Even the 
tire consumption was low on my '85 Biturbo S. The parts are 1 notch higher in 
price than Alfa, and going down since the change in ownership at MIE.
While I have heard various horror stories about technical problems that 
Biturbos were said to have had, and was repeatedly adviced to not buy one, I bought 
it and enjoyed it very much (in dry weather). I did get on a fender bender in 
rain, at low speed.
The car blew a headgasket eventually (still had the original ones since 1985 
and there is no guarantee that any of the previous owners did not turn the 
boost up to 11), so I regard that as predictable, not horror. Besides, no surface 
was warped in the process, and if you do it, you won't re-do it. Timing belt 
is straight forward job. Suspension bushings last.
The steering on the S was a different setup, the most direct I've 
experienced, and the brakes are 4 pistons in the front, stock.
If you want to talk about what happens in the dry though, I think that 0-60 
can be something like 5 to 5.5 seconds (stock it's 6.5, but that is with 3 
catalytic converters and swerving exhausts). I was faster 0-60 than a '00 stock 
mustang GT 5 speed convt. As long as I didn't lift my foot off the gas in mid 
turn, the handling was nice too. I didn't have fishtailing in the dry, but had 
nice size rubbers in the back.
I would buy another one, to enjoy in weekends.
I'm sorry I don't sound nicer about my 164 and that there's so little Alfa 
content. My 164 is now at a phase where I re-change this and that and watch in 
disbelief the prices of these cars on e-bay. I have invested overall since '98 
$14 000 in my 164 (including purchase price) . But, on a good note, I was 
still faster than a brand new SAAB 9-5 2.0 T (possibly automatic). 
Vlad
'91 164L
NY
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