Topic: Final Drive: 1997 Alfa Romeo 155

[Fobroader]

For comparison's sake, the 1998 Contour SVT was putting out 195hp from it's 2.5L.

Good article though and certainly an interesting car.

the Contour SVT was 24v IIRC, and the 1998 156 2.5 V6 with the 24v version of my engine puts out a nice even 200hp. Change out the throttle body, intake runners, and add an exhaust and a tune and you are at 250 easy. So for sure it is on par.

Plues the Contour doesnt have chrome on it. That is at least worth 2hp! 

\

Absolutely!  Everybody knows that chrome adds power 

Nice car BTW....the whole power thing needs to be taken in the context of the times. Our 96 V6 Mercury Mystique had 170HP

My condolences!  We had a 95 V6 Mistake that we leased for 2 years.  It sounded like a steam engine when i took it back when the lease was up and it had slightly more that 50K on it.  Lease was dirt cheap though!  Nice driving car actually, but that's the only positive thing i can say about it! 

Crikey, we had a few Mystiques and Contours at the Ford dealer I worked at....and yeah, they were nice driving cars....FULL STOP!! I have never cars that developed as many problems as they did sitting there for the few weeks we had them. We had a V6 with a manual.....it ate its transmission when I went to get new tires put on it, just gear stopped working and the box sounded like it was full of gravel. Had a 4 banger than developed a huge headgasket coolant leak, one that backfired once and blew a hole in its muffler....bad cars. Even the SVT Contour we had, POS.

[ChaosphereIX]

"Personally, I never did understand the attraction to Alfa Romeos."

If driving an Alfa does not restore vitality to your soul, then just pass the hospital and park at the morgue to save everyone time.

Cheers,
John M.

epic...

[KD]

For comparison's sake, the 1998 Contour SVT was putting out 195hp from it's 2.5L.

Good article though and certainly an interesting car.

the Contour SVT was 24v IIRC, and the 1998 156 2.5 V6 with the 24v version of my engine puts out a nice even 200hp. Change out the throttle body, intake runners, and add an exhaust and a tune and you are at 250 easy. So for sure it is on par.

Plues the Contour doesnt have chrome on it. That is at least worth 2hp! 

\

Absolutely!  Everybody knows that chrome adds power 

Nice car BTW....the whole power thing needs to be taken in the context of the times. Our 96 V6 Mercury Mystique had 170HP

My condolences!  We had a 95 V6 Mistake that we leased for 2 years.  It sounded like a steam engine when i took it back when the lease was up and it had slightly more that 50K on it.  Lease was dirt cheap though!  Nice driving car actually, but that's the only positive thing i can say about it! 

Crikey, we had a few Mystiques and Contours at the Ford dealer I worked at....and yeah, they were nice driving cars....FULL STOP!! I have never cars that developed as many problems as they did sitting there for the few weeks we had them. We had a V6 with a manual.....it ate its transmission when I went to get new tires put on it, just gear stopped working and the box sounded like it was full of gravel. Had a 4 banger than developed a huge headgasket coolant leak, one that backfired once and blew a hole in its muffler....bad cars. Even the SVT Contour we had, POS.

Strange thing is that i still see a few driving around!  Owners must be of Cuban descent! 

[Fobroader]

For comparison's sake, the 1998 Contour SVT was putting out 195hp from it's 2.5L.

Good article though and certainly an interesting car.

the Contour SVT was 24v IIRC, and the 1998 156 2.5 V6 with the 24v version of my engine puts out a nice even 200hp. Change out the throttle body, intake runners, and add an exhaust and a tune and you are at 250 easy. So for sure it is on par.

Plues the Contour doesnt have chrome on it. That is at least worth 2hp! 

\

Absolutely!  Everybody knows that chrome adds power 

Nice car BTW....the whole power thing needs to be taken in the context of the times. Our 96 V6 Mercury Mystique had 170HP

My condolences!  We had a 95 V6 Mistake that we leased for 2 years.  It sounded like a steam engine when i took it back when the lease was up and it had slightly more that 50K on it.  Lease was dirt cheap though!  Nice driving car actually, but that's the only positive thing i can say about it! 

Crikey, we had a few Mystiques and Contours at the Ford dealer I worked at....and yeah, they were nice driving cars....FULL STOP!! I have never cars that developed as many problems as they did sitting there for the few weeks we had them. We had a V6 with a manual.....it ate its transmission when I went to get new tires put on it, just gear stopped working and the box sounded like it was full of gravel. Had a 4 banger than developed a huge headgasket coolant leak, one that backfired once and blew a hole in its muffler....bad cars. Even the SVT Contour we had, POS.

Strange thing is that i still see a few driving around!  Owners must be of Cuban descent! 

  Nothing like making your own water pump and cylinder heads out of old washing machine parts.

[mixmanmash]

"Personally, I never did understand the attraction to Alfa Romeos."

If driving an Alfa does not restore vitality to your soul, then just pass the hospital and park at the morgue to save everyone time.

Cheers,
John M.

I guess I am not old enough or haven't had enough experience with them.  Gotta remember, they exited our market when I was 9 years old.

[Triple Bob]

I'll just leave these here...

 


Engine V6 by rob smith photography, on Flickr


147 GTA Last Sunrise by rob smith photography, on Flickr


STOP! by rob smith photography, on Flickr


Pan Left by rob smith photography, on Flickr

[dirtyjeffer]

My bro-in-law had a similar looking alfa back in the 90's, obviously not a 155, but it was red with wedge-type styling and had a fabulous sounding V6 as well!  It was a cop magnet though!  Good article Paul!

possibly the Milano?...there were a number of Alpha Milanos and Spyders from the mid to late 80s here in London...all were junk...looked interesting, but fell apart.

[ChaosphereIX]

My bro-in-law had a similar looking alfa back in the 90's, obviously not a 155, but it was red with wedge-type styling and had a fabulous sounding V6 as well!  It was a cop magnet though!  Good article Paul!

possibly the Milano?...there were a number of Alpha Milanos and Spyders from the mid to late 80s here in London...all were junk...looked interesting, but fell apart.

yeah would have been a 75 or a 164 - but the 164 was bigger. And yes, in those days Alfa was not known for its build quality. It stepped things up after about 1995, but it wasnt until about 2000 until they were about on par with the Germans, TBH.

And yes my car is a bit of a cop magnet, got one saying my car was illegally modified or imported [it wasnt]. Was quite a conversation, and an education for the uninformed officer who wanted to ticket me as a "fast and the furious type" lol

[JacobBlack]

I will always regret not buying that $800 repossessed/stolen-recovered/whatever-the-reason-it-was-there-was, 1996 Alfa Romeo GTV. Bargain price because I was mates with the auction house - but I walked away because the karma bothered me.

[johngenx]

I don't get the kerfuffle about the HP ratings.  Alfa has NEVER been about making big numbers.  Their cars have always been about style and other things.

The Spider Veloce is one of my favourite designs of all time, and it's no bahn-burner.  Elegance defined.  I'd rather have one than the Miata in many ways, but I can't stomach the asking prices for worn-out cars and the cost of upkeep.  Sorry, owners of old Alfas, I don't want to pay $5K or more for your basket case...  (and judging by the number of cars I see that are for sale for YEARS, no one else does...)

[ChaosphereIX]

I for one relish in every opportunity to work on and drive my car - even working in the engine bay is fun...

well worth the money, and will be doing it again once I can get the 156 GTA 3.2 Sportwagon.

and Tubo Bob, that is a gorgeous car with phenomenal power [Autodelta engine can put out 330hp]. Even with the LSD, would make for a very lively drive with FWD!

and as for the power - it feels more powerful than 164hp. Much more. Probably that at the wheels, so about 190-200 at the crank. Or at least that is my guess. Driving 180hp cars all day at work, mine feels much stronger...must be that italian horses are more enthusiastic than NA ones...or something

[Triple Bob]

and Tubo Bob, that is a gorgeous car with phenomenal power [Autodelta engine can put out 330hp]. Even with the LSD, would make for a very lively drive with FWD!

Oh it was.  My mate put it into a ditch a few months after that shoot. 

[phazotron]

Great article.  Takes me back (ok further back then 97) to my big Euro trip with some buddies in '92. The European cars vs the stuff we had at home  IIRC it was the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV that caught my attention + well, pretty much all the cars for me.

[dkaz]

Beautiful. I want one now.

[MKII]

Every car person who loves a driving car should own an Alfa once in their life   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXaaZeqlUI

[ChaosphereIX]

Every car person who loves a driving car should own an Alfa once in their life   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXaaZeqlUI

THAT is how I feel going to work every day...only in an Alfa...

[dirtyjeffer]

Every car person who loves a driving car should own an Alfa once in their life   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXaaZeqlUI

haven't seen a lot of Alphas that made me go "Hmmm, I like that", but Hmmm, I like that.

[rrocket]

haven't seen a lot of Alphas that made me go "Hmmm, I like that",

Same here.  The only Alfas I like are the uber-expensive classic ones.