Faults:

Hazard warning switch repaired. $20 part and 2 hours labour.

General Comments:

This car is still in showroom condition.

Paint is flawless and the interior leather is in top condition.

Have made a few mods. High-performance discs and pads. Free-flow exhaust. R-rated tyres.

Handles superbly, sounds amazing.

Great seats and plenty of room for my 6ft 4 frame.

Faults:

Where do you begin?

Clutch

ABS Modulator

Starter Motor

Air flow meter

Brake Discs.

General Comments:

I bought a stunning black example and all went well with the car to begin with - then all hell broke loose.

You name it, it packed up. The clutch cost £700 to replace and took 3 days to fit.

Then the ABS Modulator packed up, and these cost £1400 brand new, but I was able to get one second hand for a tenth of that price.

Great all is well I thought - except the starter motor then packed up - then the Air flow meter, followed by the ABS sensor, then a front brake disc cracked... Oh did I mention that the Air Bag Light flashed an error all the time and nobody could switch the damn thing off? All in all it spent 3 months of 2005 in the garage getting fixed...

As for the dreaded Italian tin worm - lets just not go there...

I paid £1700 for the car and spent £2000 maintaining it for less than 2 years - I eventually gave up and sold it for £800... And I cracked open a beer to celebrate it departure from my life!

I've owned Alfa's before and honestly thought I'd always have one, either as a everyday car or a weekend toy, but this car has proved to me that the Italians can design beautiful cars, but they just can't build them well. I doubt I'll ever buy one again.

If you must have one buy the basic twin-spark version - the 24 valve is just a complex bomb ready to go off in your face - you have been warned!

Faults:

Nothing 'that' serious:

-power steering hose punctured, the only time I had to have it towed.

-in first gear, oscillation in RPM can cause transmission to disengage. despite overhauling gearbox twice, problem persists.

-odds and ends regarding sophisticated electronic/electric systems, mirror folding doesn't work etc.

- 2nd cylinder oils the spark plug, adversely affecting firing.

-rugged idling.

General Comments:

So many things to be said, due to so many factors. these cars are problematic mostly because their previous owners let the issues build up, ignoring anything that doesn't force a breakdown on the road. same for maserati as well.

Despite having bought it in a not-so-well-looked-after condition, lacking a complete re-haul of the engine, which is at 177k now, the car is an incredible ride. my turbo pressure had been increased somewhat and I suspect it generates some 220+ hp. as long as you can down-shift quickly, the car propels itself instantaneously, passing on winding and narrow roads, even, takes about 1 sec. handling simply defies laws of physics, imagine playing the first version of 'need for speed', where no matter what you do, the car stays firmly on the road. it simply outclasses anything short of a porsche or serious 4X4's sports cars in this aspect.

Unlike the aforementioned cars, it's either cheaper, better built, looks thrice as good, is more fuel-efficient, more comfortable, more luxurious/hi-tech or all of the above.

I'll either sell this for a newer 166 3.0 or 2.0 turbo, a bargain '95-'97 Maserati Ghibli or Quattreporte, a '95 Jaguar XJR or put serious money into it and keep it for another 2-3 years. There simply aren't better choices in the Turkish car market with respect to my personal preferences.