GTV V6 First (real) car

[Park06]

Heya Alfa lovers!

Very fresh face here. I am in the market for my first car, (I used to drive my parent's old mazda 626 but that has unfortunately finally kicked the bucket) and have eyed off one of these beautiful GTVs. Actually, I'll rephrase: I can't take my eyes off one these GTVs

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/alfa-romeo-gtv-1998-13067726?base=&vertical=Car&cr=9&eapi=2&__N=1246+1247+1252+1282+4294967249+4294967199+1216&num=15&silo=Stock&sort=default

As such, I have a few questions about it, and figured this would be the best place to ask:
- I have close to no auto experience: I can change the oil, that's about it. How often will I be under the hood of one these things? How difficult is it to pick up basic DIY maintenance skills to keep it running?

- The car above is about 2-3g below the normal price for a V6 of that time period, yet the seller claims it is fine and all the required parts have been changed relatively recently (cambelt, clutch etc.). Do you guys reckon it is a great buy, or something dodgy?

- What is the average life expectancy (mileage) of these GTVs? This one is just past 200k, so is it already finished?? I would only be driving 3-4 times a week, but still would consider it to be my daily driver.

- Am I shopping with my heart as opposed to my brain here?


Thanks in advance,

Andy

[colcol]

Have it checked out by an Alfa Romeo Specialist to see what hasn't been done, it has a Roadworthy certificate, which is a good thing, but may not totally indicate condition of car, Cam belts and tensioners have to be changed at about 80,000 klms or 5 years, but check this out before taking it as gospel, also the water pump should have been changed for a metal impellor type from a plastic impellar, which are prone to cracking and overheating, make sure it has a good service record, with regular oil changes, were a $60,000 when new, can change the oil yourself, but oil filter is a pain, hard to get at, make sure it has been changed on time, some haven't and you have to remove power steering pump to get to it, great exhaust note, and true Alfa Romeo Motor, Colin.

[TFJ100]

hi Andy,

I own a 2001 GTV V6. They are great cars alright.

One of my first criteria was to buy a post-2000 model, because it has a 6-speed gearbox and a nicer interior.

I haven't tried to do maintenance - the expensive stuff (eg cam-belts) requires reasonably specialised knowledge.

I have heard that the V6 is generally good for 300,000km, and my experience bears that out (engine in seemingly perfect nick at 168,000km). Mine has also been pretty reliable with no rust or electric issues (the traditional Alfa bugbears).

The prices on these cars when they are for sale seem to vary a bit depending on how quickly the owner wants to sell...some people seem prepared to wait for while with a listing at a high price, others are obviously keen to sell. You may want to consider making sure the car you buy has a Q2 LSD diff upgrade (approx $2k) as broken diffs are easy to get and will cost double to get fixed ($4k for a new diff and bell-housing), and most of the post-2000 models have the 17 inch teledial wheels which look a lot nicer.

I'm in Victoria if you want to discuss what to look for on a GTV V6, you are also welcome to look at mine - I need to upgrade to a 5-seater now!

Torben