The forum has been pretty quiet lately. I really like this tight-knit community, so I figured I'd share my latest project here, even if it's a little different from the usual BMW stuff.
As some may know, I moved back to Germany last summer (although I plan to return to the US as soon as I can) and took my E46 with me. I've taken it on some memorable road trips through the Austrian and Swiss alps, but as we near winter yet again, it's time to store it in the garage. I didn't want to miss out on the convenience of a car and longer road trips this winter, so I've been searching for a suitable winter beater.
I've always loved the late 90s and early 2000s Alfa Romeos. They are both beautiful and quirky in a way that really speaks to me. This was also the period where Alfa really upped their production quality and made some genuinely reliable cars (for the most part). In fact, if Alfa hadn't pulled out of the US market in 1995, I would probably have gotten a 2000s era Alfa Romeo instead of the E46.
With my need for a second car, I was finally able to revisit that dream. Now, my top pick would have been something like a Busso-powered Type 916 GTV, but since I needed a beater, it had to be something more sensible. The 156 (also known as the Type 932) was my second choice. I found a Sportwagon (usually just called SW) with a really interesting color combination near Munich. I wasn't specifically looking for a wagon, but the spec was too good to pass up on.
The car seemed decent on paper but meeting the seller was what really blew me away. This guy had 12 Alfa Romeos in a place where each parking spot costs more than a ZHP, and part of his collection was a pristine SZ and Montreal. He was an enthusiast through and through, exactly the kind of person you want to buy an Alfa from.
Needless to say, we agreed on a price and he seemed happy that the car was going to another enthusiast who understands what it means to buy a more than 20 year old car.
Pics:
Specs:
- 2000 Alfa Romeo 156 SW
- 2.0 Twin Spark engine
- Nero Fuoco over brown Momo leather
- Factory Sportpack
- Factory carbon-style steering wheel
- Factory Blaupunkt carphone
- 17" OEM sport wheels with Michelin Alpin 6 tires (225/45r17)
- Bilstein coilovers
History and details
Interestingly, when you search for Nero Fuoco, you mostly get BMW pics because it seems that the Individual program adopted that color at some point. It's described as a metallic color but looks more like pearl to me, meaning it's black in the shade and brown in direct sunlight. Either way, I absolutely love the color combination. The car came with a maintenance history spreadsheet. It passed inspection this summer and doesn't need anything for a little while, but it should be easy to continue right where the previous owner left off with the spreadsheet.
The car was actually a summer car until 2020, then the previous owner started using it in the winter. As such, it has some minor rust, but overall it's really in the right spot of "nice enough while not being too nice" for winter use. The sills have been replaced on both sides with 1mm sheet metal, then treated with rust prevention. The rest of the underbody is also greased up, which really got me the first time I touched it while inspecting the car. It should survive a couple winters just fine, but I'll still do my best to avoid leaving salt on it.
For anyone who wants to learn more about the 156, the Wikipedia entry will get you started and Big Car on YouTube made a video with some nice background information. There is some interesting history and engineering behind the 156 as well. For example, it has a double wishbone front suspension and an aluminium rear subframe with MacPerhson struts. For a FWD platform, this car feels absolutely amazing to drive, especially with the Bilstein coilovers.
Future plans:
For now I want to address some of the smaller but fundamental details that annoy me. Just like our E46s, the badges on Type 932s like to fade. I've already ordered new ones. The shift knob is not my cup of tea at all so I've ordered an aluminum knob, which is what I'm used to in my E46 as well. One of the window regulators doesn't work either (deja vu) so I'll probably troubleshoot that when I upgrade the speakers.
The timing belt needs to be done every 30k or years on these. It's due next year. Luckily the cam phaser has already been replaced with an upgraded unit. I really like the Sportpack wheels and the tires are surprisingly good in dry conditions, but I am itching to get a set of teledials and all seasons, given that it's rare to ever drive on actual snow with all the snow plows around here.
Since I'm returning to the US at some point, I'm thinking of shipping this out ahead of time so that I'll have transportation the day I land. Kind of hard to function without a car pretty much anywhere in the US.
I have very specific plans for my next "actual" car, so the 156 should hold me over just fine and turn into a nice little project/cars and coffee show car after that. The Twin Spark is relatively durable, but I am still planning something like a K swap down the road. That would make sourcing parts in the US easier and would let me tune the engine to the exact power output I want.
Stay tuned for more pics and updates.
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