This Modified V6 156 Is Frankenstein's Alfa
As a result of spending quite a bit of time in the Giulia Quadrifoglio recently, I often find myself looking in the classifieds for the closest thing to Alfa’s new super saloon I can afford: the old 2.5-litre V6 156.
That’s what led to me stumbling upon this curious creation. The seller may say it’s received a “face lift bodykit,” but it’s quite clearly a 147 front end that’s been grafted onto the nose of this 156.
It looks to be an aftermarket take on the 147 GTA’s front bumper, and quite why you’d want to add that to the front of a 156, we’re not sure. Elsewhere, there’s a pair of aftermarket side skirts, a vented rear bumper, Lexus-style rear lights, some spangly alloy wheels and a strut brace. It’s been lowered, and a Remus stainless steel exhaust system has been added.
The price for all this? £500. I’d almost be tempted to buy it and ‘rescue’ it - removing most of its aftermarket tat (keeping the exhaust, obviously), and maybe, just maybe, leaving that 147 front end on for teh lolz to confuse people. Just for a few weeks.
It is after all one of the very few V6s with the facelifted interior, made for one year only before the exterior facelift came along, at which point the 2.5-litre Busso-engined beauty was discontinued.
The problem? Other that the fact this will need a stack of parts to return it to near-stock condition (we’re thinking a parts car would be the way to go), it has no MOT, and apparently has a tendency to overheat in traffic. Ah.
Anyone fancy taking this project on?
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Alfa 156 + V6 busso = awesome
this? not so much… that grille and ridiculous spoiler? poor baby…
I have this big boot spoiler on my 156
I never liked it but it is where it was from the factory
Soo I will keep it just to piss you off ;-)
I’m just gonna say petrol 156s in general have a tendency to overheat in traffic.
this is good enough if you have a running 156 and looking for a parts car. other than that, just stay away.
this is not 147 front! Headlights are 156 and bumper could be cadamuro, zender or some homemade ugly creation!
Busso is best sounding v6 with good power. Buy it, put stock front and change tail lights. Oh and find 3.0 engine from gtv or 166 and put it in with 2.5 gearbox. Mmmm powaaahhhh
Rear bumper is the biggest problem combined with the rear lights. Those should be fairly easy to find on a scrapyard. The overheating with the Busso engine is often due to a worn waterpump. There are two variants one with a plastic impeller and one with a metal one. On the plastic variant the impeller tends to wear premature. This has to be done when the timing belt is replaced. Every 5year or 100 000km (what ever comes first). Not cheap on the V6 but certainly recommended given the price and probably questionable state of maintenance. Otherwise a pretty bulletproof engine. Oh and check for rust on the sills near the rear passenger footwells. New footwells can still be bought and are fairly cheap but you’ll have to remove the interior to do so. And obviously worn upper front control arms but thats more of a maintenance thing and they are pretty cheap.
Just buy one already. You deserve it. YOU DO!
Where is this?
I’d pay £500 just for that engine
Figure out later what to swap it into
Why put such a hideous spoiler on an Alfa? Looks rice. And those headlights? Ugly.
I think they might have been stock, I’m not European but it might have.
Its a factory spoiler!
Headlights and spoiler are as they come from the factory…
Reminds me of this. A 156 with a Giulia front end. I’m not sure what to feel.
Here’s the rear end.