I am very happy to report that the Alfa 156 I bought on eBay a few months ago for just £430, sailed through its MOT last week. It is proving to be a really good car after all. The driving position and seat is so comfy and it is surprisingly nippy. The estate part is very handy for my two Springers, and I am using it for hospital runs because it's more economical than the Coupe. My husband is having chemotherapy so we do a lot of 15 mile runs to hospital. I have always wanted an Alfa and to find one so cheap with under 70,000 miles is brilliant.

Excellent news

I hope your husband recovers/feels better soon too

Great cars and quite a timeless design.

Good luck wth husband's chemo. With Charlie, our round trips were 360 miles. But chemo is grim.

Any advisories on the corrosion, Annie? That was a concern when you first bought it.

My 156 saloon rotted out in the outer sill in front of the o/s rear wheel, the inner wings behind the top part of the hub, and behind the front wheel arch liner. The floor pan showed corrosion along the inner sills, but that was treatable and not holed. The fuel tank straps needed treating, along with the boot floor.

Looking amongst the breakers for parts, it seems that rot, broken cam belts (replace every 3 years or 36k for the ts) and cylinder failure due to bore wash due to a stuck open thermostat finish of the 156 most commonly. Like a Coupe, if the temp struggles to get up to 70 degrees, the stat is faulty and must be replaced. (There is no oil temp gauge on the 156 to get confused with! Ahem. Sorry Jim )

Hope hubbies chemo is having the desired effect

Aw thank you so much everyone for your good wishes about the chemo. We won't really know how things are until a scan in April. There was an advisory about the corrosion again, but only an advisory. I had a Rover 25 with that advisory for 3 years and then I sold it. Hopefully will part with this before it needs welding too. But if not we know a cheap mobile welder.

A pre-warning to anyone then, don't buy this car in 3 years time cos it will be a rusty shed

Good luck with the chemo btw, hope all goes well