Am I crazy?

[poohbah]

Advice sought folks. I love my 2.5 156 to bits - best car I've ever owned, but I have the capacity to pay for its upkeep.

Now, I'm starting to look around for a manual first car for my son to learn in and then take possession of (cost up to $8k). I don't think teaching him in my V6 is a good idea - given heavy clutch etc - and the potential threat of him damaging my pride and joy...

Happily, my son is dead against any sort of hatch (phew - no Barina!) and ideally wants a car that has at least something cool about it. Unfortunately my missus insists that whatever does end up in the driveway must have fairly current safety features.

You see, in these modern times it seems you are considered a bad parent if you allow your progeny to drive anything that doesn't have 250 airbags, ABS, ESC, parachutes, roll cages, ejector seats etc... Bit different from my day when you got whatever old banger you could afford (my mum's 73 corolla cost me $50!)

Which got me thinking - for the price I need to look at "early adopters" of said safety gear. So I could look at a boring 2nd hand Accord, Camry etc, or instead go for a +10yo Euro sedan.

So I am thinking - would it be madness to get a manual four pot 156, which as far as I can tell, should come with min of 4 airbags and ABS from 2001 onwards, has style but not so much power it would invite drama?

I've already had a look at a couple of GTVs and Spiders, but the 2 airbags don't pass the "mum test".

Am I tempting fate looking for a 156? And what might make a good alternative? I've thought about older Saab 9-3s, and Volvo S40s, but its bloody hard to find any with a manual box. First world problems I know, but would love to hear from anyone else who has encouraged their offspring to start out with an Alfa.

I'm also a bit wary of coming across as one of "those" parents who try and force their poor kids to dress and act the same as them...

[bendover]

I keep trying mine to leave home, bugger the car.

He is into drag racing and has a 2004 Berlina with full leather and a donk that defies description, DONT let him get a V8 PLEASE.

[colcol]

A 147 is quite safe, not quite as much crushable safety zones as a 156, but still good and the 147 had 4 airbags, curtains and stability control that the early series 1 156 didn't have.
Let your kids get whatever they want, if you force them to get what you like, then when it goes wrong it will be your fault.
Bendy, i used to work with a bunch of dragracers, and it really did my head in, [they all wore moccasins!].
A BMW Mini is a good piece of gear, but because its such a good car and in demand, you won't get one for under $8k, Colin.

[poohbah]

Cheers guys. Rest assured there is no chance he will be allowed to get a V8!

The key part of the exercise is to teach him to drive in the car he will actually use once he gets his licence, so ideally it needs to be pretty light, easy to handle and not too powerful.

My wife's car is an auto, and as indicated previously, its neither practical nor desirable to teach him in mine.

He was actually pretty chuffed when I suggested maybe we look at an Alfa. He never considered it previously, as he assumed they would be outside his price range. It's the missus who will be hardest to convince (she already thinks it's just me trying to get another one to play with on the sly).

While the boy is broadly anti-hatchback, I haven't shown him a 147, so it might pass muster.

I guess my only nervousness about going the 156/147 route is the upkeep imposts for a P plater. While I should find one with the right safety features at the price, it will involve higher ongoing maintenance than a comparable rice burner.

So maybe I should just suggest a more conventional motoring choice for a first car? Especially given teenagers' tendency to neglect the upkeep of their stuff. And I forget - when I was 17, my burnt orange Corolla was the coolest thing in the world simply because it allowed me to go anywhere I wanted, when I wanted.

And of course, the missus is right - it really is partly down to me looking for an excuse to get another one!

[bendover]

A 147 is quite safe, not quite as much crushable safety zones as a 156, but still good and the 147 had 4 airbags, curtains and stability control that the early series 1 156 didn't have.
Let your kids get whatever they want, if you force them to get what you like, then when it goes wrong it will be your fault.
Bendy, i used to work with a bunch of dragracers, and it really did my head in, [they all wore moccasins!].
A BMW Mini is a good piece of gear, but because its such a good car and in demand, you won't get one for under $8k, Colin.

Any time he races i have a horrid feeling in my stomach. Somewhere between hunger and why in the hell is he doing this. He wears Crocs, i suppose they could be indian foorwear.

[Cool Jesus]

Who's buying the car?

[poohbah]

I'd be paying upfront, to be repaid by son, who will also be responsible for upkeep once he has his licence.

Actually, am going to have a look at an alternative on weekend. I have found a manual Volvo S40 T4 for $2500. I suspect its overdue for cambelt change (not sure how costly v 156) but seems worth a look.

[datwazclose]

Actually, am going to have a look at an alternative on weekend. I have found a manual Volvo S40 T4 for $2500. I suspect its overdue for cambelt change (not sure how costly v 156) but seems worth a look.

We have a Volvo S40 T4 Manual and love it.  Beautiful gearbox, great handling, awesome brakes. Engines go forever if serviced correctly, as does the M46 (T4 models) super strong and reliable gearbox.

The seat of the pants feeling when driving the S40 T4 is every bit as good as any Alfa l have driven and way way better than similar sized Japanese cars around the same year models.   

The best part about this car is the 950ks per tank on the hwy and about 800 to 850ks around town and yes it's a lively turbo petrol engine that flies with huge performance tuning,  It's loads of fun to drive and has never let us down. 

Good luck with it, hope it turns out to be a good car.  The safety aspect of the Volvo is a good thing as well.  l could put you in touch with a free Volvo technical adviser if you go this way, l have found him to be great.   

Cheers

[Beatle]

Don't forget to consider any P-Plater restrictions in your state/territory.  Turbo may rule out the Volvo?

My opinion only, but I wouldn't be worried about teaching someone to drive in the 156 V6.  If they can't use the clutch because it's heavy then I question that person's ability to be allowed a license in the first place.

It's also not a bad idea to teach them to drive in a wide range of vehicles so they don't freeze in fear should they need to drive a friend home, drive a rental, drive a work vehicle, or drive you home from the pub one night.......

[poohbah]

Cheers guys. Paul, P-plater restrictions in WA are not anywhere near as tight as Vic/NSW - no power restrictions at all - so turbo will be fine. As for not teaching in my V6, its more to do with not wanting to risk my pride and joy in the hands of the boy!

Datwaz, thanks for the positive feedback on the S40 - they've been on the watch-list for a while, just tough finding a manual, hence my interest in this one. The safety aspect is a key reason for looking at it.

Out of interest, what's the turbo lag like in the S4? Is it something that might surprise a novice driver, and make it tough to handle?

[datwazclose]

Out of interest, what's the turbo lag like in the S4? Is it something that might surprise a novice driver, and make it tough to handle?

No nasty power hit, smooth with no turbo lag, but strong power delivery so l would not think it to be a problem for your son.

On the safety side of things you could not buy better than the Volvo S40 T4 an extremely well built car.

One stand out for me is the driving position and the vision from the drivers seat, you can see everything from every angle.  Most modern cars have at least one or two bad visibility spots.

Cheers and good luck with the Scandinavian Alfa
 

[poohbah]

Update. Test drove the S40. It was a good little car for a knockdown price, but have decided to pass.

Was an import from the UK, owner couldn't tell if the cambelt had been changed, and it was making some slightly odd sounds ticking over and under revs. Drove well though, and I was surprised at how much poke it had. You were right, it handled and drove in a very Italian way.

As I'm not in a super hurry, I will keep eyes out for a slightly newer one that was imported by Volvo. Or something else. Still open to a decent 156 Twin Spark with good service history.