164 (Type 164) 1987 - 1998

I'd been wanting to experience the legendary V6 "Busso" for sometime and thought that a 164 or 166 might also be a good supplement to my 145 1.6 TS that is a little short-geared and "buzzy" for longer journeys.

I spotted "my car" on the Mathewson's website coming up for auction on 15th December 2024. It included the following description from the then current owner:

1988 Alfa Romeo 164

Powered by 3-litre Quad-cam "Busso" V6 engine / Very Good Condition throughout / 70,000 recorded miles / One owner from 1991 - 2022 (31 years) / Maintenance records include work by Alfa specialists and stamped service book / Always been garaged / Paperwork includes book pack, service book and quantity of invoices / Recent set of Dunlop tyres fitted / MOT August 2024

ESTIMATE: £4,000 - £4,500

All looked good in the photographs and video review (I particularly liked the slightly unusual colour and Zender alloys) and the Estimate was in budget so I planned to go and see it for myself. Unfortunately work commitments meant that I didn't get to go for an in person inspection........

Come the day of the Auction, I had decided that if it was coming in on estimate then I would have a crack and accept the gamble that i was effectively "buying blind".

Come the day of the Auction, I logged on and registered to vote. Then, drama!! Just as F98 PCW came up I lost my internet connection. Frantically, I turned it off and turned it on again........... I got back online just as Derek was winding-up the sale. The price was still in range so I hit bid and won the Auction with my one and only bid!!

I don't re-call exactly what I bid (it started with a "3") but the final bill including Commission, etc was £4,187.60. So far so good. I went into the Christmas holiday the proud owner of F98 PCW........ 

I considered travelling to Mathewson's to collect in person but thought the 155-mile journey home might be a little ambitious as a first drive!!

So I contacted J P Transport who was recommended by the Mathewson team and is actually based quite close to me in Bedfordshire. J P is a real enthusiast himself, is a regular on the local car scene with his great collection of Fast Fords (ranging from a modified Anglia to an original, low-mileage Cossie) and has a long-standing relationship with the Mathewson team going back to when they themselves were Bedfordshire based.  Turned out to be a great choice. 

With the Christmas holiday and New Year's out of the way, I collected from J P in January and haven't really looked back! The 40 minute drive home was enough to convince me that whilst all was not perfect, I seemed to have chosen well. Plus I was already intoxicated by the Busso......

The first thing was to get the car across to Days MK in Milton Keynes for an initial inspection and cambelt change. David Day is a true enthusiast. He already looks after my 145 and owns his own 164 Cloverleaf that he is in the process of modifying and upgrading so I knew I was in good hands.

Good news. nothing major to report and overall a pretty clean bill of heath but the inevitable list of jobs to be prioritised over time.

Jobs to date have included the replacement cambelt, replacement fuel feeder pipe, re-wiring the horn, change oil / fluids, removal of superficial corrosion and apply stone chip guard.  Also, both driver and passenger front air vents were damaged. After a considerable internet search, I managed to find suitable replacements for each side from different sources and these have also now been fitted.

I highly recommend Days MK for both Classics and Moderns ; www.daysmk.co.uk / 01908 610700

I am a Member of the South Midlands section and in March of this year the Committee organised a fantastic drive out weekend in the Peak District. 

This included 350+ miles on a wide-ranging variety of roads; from the drive there on the M1, through congested town traffic jams (watch the temperature needle.....) through to the spectacular Peaks themselves. I am delighted to say that the car performed faultlessly throughout and a great weekend was had by all. 

The only slight downside for me is that at 6'6" tall I actually have less headroom in the 164 than the 145. So whilst the drive is mechanically far better on a long journey, the lack of space does make it quite cramped for me. Small price to pay!!

I have recently managed to "re-claim" our double garage and converted it back from the family room it has served as for the past 17-years. This means I now have both the 164 and 145 at home rather than in rented storage a few minutes away at the other end of the village.

This has enabled much fettling and tinkering in recent weeks!!

I try to give both cars a run at least once a week and regularly attend AROC Section meetings and events as well as other local shows and regular attendance at Bicester Heritage events (Scramble, etc). I was delighted that myself and the 164 got a mention in the Model Section of the last club Magazine following my social Media post from Bicester and I look forward to meeting more fellow-Alfisti at the upcoming National Alfa Day which will be the first I have attended. I will be bringing the 164.

Delighted (and a little shocked!!) to say that the car has sailed through it's MOT this week with NO ADVISORIES. Took the opportunity to undertake a general health check and service at Days MK and the clean bill of health is really a testimony to the skills of David Day and his team over the last few months. On a wave of optimism I have also replaced the interior rearview mirror with a used replacement found via eBay. The original had been too loose ever since purchase and wouldn't hold it's position. Swapping them over turned out to be a 5 minute job and didn't turn into the kind of saga these jobs often seem to become so much relive all around.

Onwards and upwards. See you at NAD!!