Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagen 2.5 V6

Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagen 2.5 V6

This picture is of another 156, albeit in the correct Alfa Red colour, and will be replaced with a current photo, once available.

It is such a shame that you can't hear this magnificent engine howl - it really encourages you to work through the gears!

Do you know why the car manufacturer is called Alfa Romeo ?
In 1909 Alexander Darracq started building cars in Milan, and the company later changed its name to Association Lopmbarda Fabrica Automobil. After A.L.F.A ran into financial difficulties, a local banker Nicola Romeo helped out .... and since then, the company has been known as Alfa Romeo !!

EVENTS LOG

Date	Miles	Average fuel consumption	Item	Action	Date
26.01.01	79	----	Car delivered - 1) LHS rear window doesn't lower more than 3cm. 2) Airconditioning doesn't work.	1) fixed by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf	19.02.01
06.02.01	1290	26,14 mpg	Central locking faulty - will not lock with remote or key, rapidly switches between locked and unlocked when attempting to unlock with key	Fixed by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf	19.02.01
05.07.01	10590	24,47 mpg	1) Central locking faulty - will not lock with remote or key, rapidly switches between locked and unlocked when attempting to unlock with key 2) First inspection due shortly	Fixed (& first inspection done) by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf, but indicators no longer flash when remote control used for locking/unlocking	17.07.01
17.07.01	11160	24,56 mpg	1) Airconditioning still faulty 2) Indicators no longer flash when remote control used for locking/unlocking	Fixed by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf	08.08.01
09.01.02	21100	24,48 mpg	1) Cable burnt away under bonnet on front left side, sidelight not working (also front left side) 2) Rumbling noise when braking 3) Plastic oil sump guard loose	Appointment to fix 1) and 3) under warranty (& second inspection) made with Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf for 28.01.02 Postponed on 28.01.02 (by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf) to 01.02.02 (when rear brake pads for point 2. were replaced)	01.02.02
06.02.02	22725	24,51 mpg	Ownership transferred from Alfa dealer in Duren (Waldner) to Quantel GmbH, car re-registered (from DN-DB 155 to SU-DB 289)	New TÜV & ASU required for above, since car was previously registered as a rental!	06.02.02
11.03.02	24642	24,47 mpg	40.000 km inspection due	40.000 km inspection done by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf	11.03.02 ??
19.10.02	36803	24,79 mpg	1) Central locking faulty - will not lock with remote or key, rapidly switches between locked and unlocked when attempting to unlock with key 2) 60.000 km inspection due shortly	Fixed (& 60.000 km inspection done) by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf (Euro 356,77), but indicators no longer flash when remote control used for locking/unlocking	31.10.02
26.10.02	37143	24,79 mpg	Winter tyres worn out (after 27500 km)	Four new winter tyres (Dunlop 205/60/15, Euro 391,69)	30.10.02
21.01.03	41466	24,92 mpg	Damaged in accident	Repaired by Autohaus Schmickler, Troisdorf	18.02.03

On 21.01.03 (just five days before we could celebrate Alfies' second birthday) at 08:07am, a Ford Escort Estate (guided by an impatient woman) decided to try to commit suicide by pulling out of a side road directly in front of Alfie. The weather conditions were not ideal (damp and drizzling), so I could only reduce my speed from 40 kph to ca. 30 kph in the second or so before the inevitable mating of German and Italian steel. The impact spun the Escort through over 180°, which now has a customised rear door, rear axle and rear bumper bar.

Alfa crash

Alfie decided very nobly to sacrifice his crumple zones to save the occupants of both vehicles from any injury, so after only 66880 kms, he now needs a major face lift ....

Alfa crash

.... including the front left wing, front left headlamp & fog lamp, front left rim & tyre, bonnet, bumper bar, upper valance, lower valance ....

Alfa crash

.... but the list of donor organs required is increasing rapidly as the surgeons prepare for the operation (or more accurately, as the "independant" accident damage assessor adds more and more items that "need" replacing to his list - not only does the Alfa garage benefit from this, but the fee paid to this assessor is based on the total cost of repairs - a case of appointing the cat to guard the mice??) - so recent additions include the front left suspension, steering rack, front subframe, grill, engine & gearbox mounts, seat belts, both catalysers, etc.

Alfa crash

Alfie is currently lying in intensive care at a Fiat/Lancia/Alfa hospital for sick cars.

Alfa crash

It was touch and go as to whether he would survive the major surgery required. Luckily, the insurance company decided not to send Alfie to that great scrapyard in the sky, but to pay out the Euro 8500 required to rebuild him and give him another go at life in the fast lane, to live on and sip (guzzle) many more litres of Super Plus Unleaded nectar.

Alfa crash

It took six days for the third-party insurance to agree to the repairs, and 13 days after the accident, the front and rear suspension had been removed so that the chassis can be attached to the jig, then straightened ....

Alfa crash

.... before the new parts can be slowly welded onto the Alfa.

Alfa crash

This cage of assorted bits are still to be fitted to the Alfa.

Alfa crash

Whilst Alfie was being slowly repaired, we had Alfie's noisy, rattly oil-burning brother (a blue 156 Sportwagen 2.4 JTD)
- this has quite respectable mid-range punch and acceleration plus superb economy (the on-board computer indicates an average of only 6.1 litres / 100 km, despite my enthusiastic attempts to increase this figure), but the clattering and rough vibrations of the 5 cylinder diesel engine are no substitute for the superb howl of the V6.

We finally got Alfie back exactly four weeks after the accident !! According to Herr Bayer (the Service Manager of Autohaus Schmickler in Troisdorf, our nearest Fiat / Lancia / Alfa main dealer), there was an additional two week delay because a large number of the required body parts are no longer available for this car, so they had to heavily modify some parts from the "latest" model of 156!!! Can you believe that it is no longer possible to get front body panels for an Alfa 156 that is less than 2 years old ?!?!?!

I even had an argument with Herr Bayer as to whether it was necessary to fit the winter tyres from Alfie onto the replacement Alfa - he did reluctantly agree to swap the summer tyres and rims off the rental over with those from Alfie, but only after I insisted that they took the rental car back otherwise.
What was that about the customer is always right? Don't worry Herr Bayer, you won't see me again - I will take Alfie to another Alfa dealer for all future inspections (Autohaus Kremer in Bonn?), and would strongly advise all other Alfa (and Fiat or Lancia) owners to avoid Autohaus Schmickler too.

Incidentally, the motto of Autohaus Schmickler is .... "We want to be better" - yes, we (your paying customers) want you to be better too ....

Just before fitting a towbar, the individual components are laid out behind the car on our driveway.

Here is the Westfalia towbar with removable ball hitch and 13-pin electrics.

After removal of the rear bumper bar and wheels from the Alfa.

The interior trim also had to be peeled back or removed.

The larger strengthening plate was bolted down on the left side of the interior boot floor.

The smaller strengthening plate was bolted down on the right side of the interior boot floor.

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