[alfa] re: auto reliability - new vs. old

[Joe Elliott <jee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I guess this is all dependent on how we define reliability.  Sure, 
EFI, electronic ignition, and improved quality control mean that new 
cars rarely leave anyone stranded, warranty repairs are fewer, and 
maintenance intervals are longer.

But you're kidding yourself if you think you can maintain a 
secondhand '03 BMW 745i (out of warranty) with the same ease that you 
can an '83 745i.  And something tells me that maintenance costs for 
an '83 745i, with its DOHC "M" engine and Bosch Motronic injection 
are a lot higher than for a carbureted '73 3.0 sedan.  And while 
Jason's '88 735i may experience fewer major failures than my buddy's 
'83 735i, and parts for the latter aren't exactly cheap, I can 
approach a non-starting situation or non-functioning climate control 
on the '83 with no special tools and a fair amount of confidence. 
Not so for the newer car, and that first visit to the qualified 
mechanic could easily cost more than my buddy spends on 60k miles 
worth of maintenance for the '83.

As for Alfas, just look at expenses (both in terms of parts and 
labor) for a '73 Berlina vs. an '83 GTV-6 vs. a '93 164 vs. a '95 
164.  Even between the very similar GTV-6 and Milano/75 there's a lot 
more to go wrong, and consequently a lot more to fix when you own a 
decade-old example with 150,000 miles on the clock--which may never 
let you down, but always needs some kind of minor repair.

Just think about replacing that next modern Cadillac motor at 140k, 
when it's not under warranty.  Compare that to replacing or 
rebuilding an all-iron pushrod Cadillac motor of just a few years 
ago.  It shouldn't be hard to realize that replacing a frayed heater 
valve control cable on the '73 BMW is cheaper than replacing an 
iDrive ECU in an '03.  In addition, the failure in the older car is 
easier to diagnose.  And don't fool yourself.  iDrive systems do 
fail.  Or compare a throttle cable on any Alfa sold here ($12, IIRC) 
to the apparently failure-prone Bosch fly-by-wire throttle stepper 
motor on a 156.  Even that diagnosis isn't exactly easy--there's the 
position sensor on the gas pedal, the ECU, and the stepper motor 
itself!

Mark my words, 20 years from now next to none of you will have 164's 
as daily drivers the way many of you still use Berlinas today.  It 
just won't be practical.  Cherish your '91-93 Spiders, because that's 
about as simple as a car can get and still have the build quality and 
lack of age that comes with a '90s car!  I dream of buying an '02 
Maserati 4200GT for $450 in 2018, much the same way I acquired my 
GTV-6, but the sad truth is that resurrecting a modern sports car 
from a backyard heap to a reliable daily driver is going to be 
anything but feasible.

I guess my long-winded point is that there's a difference between a 
reliable, warranted new car, and a practical, high value-per-dollar 
used car.  A lot of us on this list who can't afford a new Maserati 
are more interested in the latter, but I'm afraid that's something 
that may very well not exist by the time that I have children old 
enough to drive.

Joe Elliott
'82 GTV-6
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