1991 Alfa Romeo

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6 - Cyl.

Manual

ZAREA33E5M6200778

Gasoline

Twenty-one years ago, Alfa Romeo redefined the sports sedan in the United States when it introduced the 164. This sleek Pininfarina-designed car was fast, luxurious, and loaded with great features. It was also Alfa's first front-wheel drive offering in the U.S. There were three trim levels for the 164 in the U.S. The base model was fully equipped, the L (Lusso or Luxury) more luxurious, but the really exciting model was the 164S (for Sportivo). Its unique alloy wheels, rear spoiler and lower body cladding sent the message of this car's performance focus externally, while inside, red-stitched leather on the seats, steering wheel and dash made clear this sportiness was not at the expense of comfort. The 164 was sold here through 1995, when Alfa Romeo left the U.S. market. Alfa Romeo is planning to re-launch in the United States shortly (thanks to the Fiat-Chrysler partnership) so it's a great time to be an Alfa enthusiast. This particular 164S is a proven survivor that has 167,000 miles under its belt. It was brought to my favorite Alfa specialist for service and when the diagnosis was that it needed a valve job, the owner decided to sell it instead. The mechanic did the work and recently asked me to list it for him as he is not an e-Bayer. This car has some issues that, combined with its mileage, will make it very affordable. For a project to enjoy while working on, or to restore, or to customize, it has great potential. EXTERIOR: The exterior is quite straight. There are a couple of subtle dents at the front of the hood, in the driver side front fender, and on the driver's door. They are not very noticeable as the photos show. The paint appears to be original and is presentable other than chips in the clearcoat. The hood, however, is different -- it is missing most of its clearcoat and would really benefit from being repainted. This can be done for a couple of hundred bucks, or you might decide to have some fun. For instance, the hood could be painted in a green/white/red Italian flag design. All exterior trim is present except for the Alfa Romeo badges front and rear and the headlight washer units. The car has rust in a couple of typical 164 places -- the rear insides of both rear doors (only visible when the doors are open), and a quarter-sized bubbling beneath the gas cap. The photos show these. Honestly this is more rust than I usually see on even higher-mileage 164s, which were much better rust-proofed than older Alfas. There is typical corrosion on the mirror bases, a virtually universal but easily repaired 164 malady. INTERIOR: Inside this car shows its mileage but has never been abused; it is complete and serviceable. The seats are not torn, just a bit worn in front. The rear seat is in excellent condition. Carpets are good though front mats are at the end of their service. The car has an impressive-looking CD stereo with upgraded speakers, remote control, and CD changer in the trunk, but it is not functioning. I think a circuit or fuse is off as the cigarette lighter is also dead. The interior fan is also not working. So far as I've been able to tell everything else is working (sunroof, windows, seats) -- but I welcome questions and will be glad to check anything you are concerned about. A nice thing is that the lights on the dash all go off as they should, including the Airbag light, which is sometimes problematic on this model. MECHANICALS: I am familiar with this car since I own an identical twin of it, a 25,000 mile, mint 1991 164S (shown in a couple of the shots and likely soon to be auctioned here as well). The engine, brakes, and suspension all feel quite decent to me considering this car's mileage. It is still very much a 164S, an exciting and powerful car. Expect to have some repairs to do, but if you can do them yourself or have a good mechanic lined up nothing should be overwhelming. One item I noticed is broken is the fuel filler hose and this is a pain since I have not been able to put gas in it, though with a hose this should be do-able. The engine was running great until recently but needs some adjusting now. And then there is a weird problem. The battery died and I put in a new $140 battery a couple of weeks ago. Now when the battery is connected, the rear lights stay on. I have to unplug it each time to ensure they don't drain the battery. This is a mystery; my mechanic has not encountered this situation before. The car starts, and runs, and drives. I have driven it about 50 miles, including on the highway up to 70 mph, and I drove it two miles just yesterday. The engine does not idle smoothly initially, but once it is going, all 200 horses are clearly present and accounted for! Major systems like brakes, exhaust, and suspension all seem to be in good order. Do not however plan on driving the car far at this point as it does need some attention. Loading it onto a trailer or driving it a couple of miles is no problem, but it is not ready to drive to Chicago! Parts and service in my experience for a 164S cost about the same as a VW or Saab of this same era and if you are not familiar with the model I can point you in the right direction for parts and service. New and used parts are easy to secure online, and there is support from the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (www.aroc-usa.org) to help you enjoy and manage life in the Alfa world, and connect with fellow Alfisti. COST: I'm starting the auction at $600, which is what I sold a set of 164S wheels for last year. My mechanic was hoping to get $1,500 for it, which is about what he had in the recent engine work. I hope it will be worth that or more to someone but at this point the bottom line is, we need it sold. The goal is to get this Alfa out of my place and off to yours so you can start enjoying and fiddling with it. Bid what you think is fair and best of luck to you! The 164S is located at my house in Alexandria, VA. Please plan to pay deposit immediately upon the auction's end, and the remainder for the car within a week of the auction's end. I can mail the clear title once the funding clears. Bring a trailer, or, if you choose to use a shipper, I will work to meet the truck and ensure all goes off well. This is a purebred classic car. It also is a 20 year-old car with 168,000 miles in need of some servicing. I am active in the local and national Alfa Clubs and realize those considering this car could be people I know. I have described the car to the best of my ability but cannot promise anything beyond that. Please ask any questions you may have, especially if I missed something in the description. Many thanks for checking out my auction, and best of luck bidding!