General 16 years and still going

[sixpotman]

I bought my 1.8 Stilo 11 years ago, it's now 16 years old a little battered a few mechanical problems over the years mostly it eats wishbones every couple of years, but it's passed the MOT again with some advisories,

It's the longest I have kept a car on the road without having to weld it and it's a Fiat. WOW well done Stilo.

Cheers John

 

[yampug]

Bought mine in 2004 and no welding either

 

[Ralf S.]

Mine is a 2004 vintage too.

I have a slight bubble on one of the sills that looks like trouble... but the beast seems to have received a fair bit of new paint over the years (just the roof and front bumper seem to be on original factory paint) so it possibly got repaired following a knock and that might be a paint issue rather than a rotting sill.

Other than that, some surface rusty on the underside here and there ... but otherwise it's years off needing welding. I think sooner or later something electronic is going to pack up and it'll be impossible to find a replacement part and/or someone to fix it for less than the car's worth... otherwise it just keeps going.


Ralf S.

 

[bertiebumblebee]

Another Stilo with no rust 2004 JTD

The question I have is why are most Alfa's and some panda/punto's of the same age in various states of tin worm infestation while the Stilo seems to not suffer so much?

 

[Ralf S.]

The Alfas of the same age (145/146/155) were built on the old Fiat Tipo platform. Tipo introduced a lot of galvanised steel for the outer panels but for some reason the floorpan was not galvanised.

Instead Fiat/Alfa relied on that rubber Shutz coating, which to be fair does a reasonable job until it ages and splits over the raised edges (e.g. the sill-to-floor joint seam, where the factory-supplied jack fits) or at the ends of the half-moon shaped drain hole covers. Then the rot spreads under the rubber Shutz, lifting it as it goes.

Stilo was an evolution platform of the Tipo, even though it's the same age as the later Tipo-derived cars. It seems to have a galvo' floorpan, has no half-moon drains and hardly any underbody rubber protection (I get the impression it's there more for noise suppression).

My previous wheels is/was an Alfa 145 but ignoring the softer suspension on the Stilo (I have a 5-door) it actually has a pretty good chassis. It feels much stiffer than the '45 although the 145 seems to handle better overall being a lot lighter, I guess... but Stilo has the stiffer shell.


Ralf S.

 

[jonti]

Stilo was an evolution platform of the Tipo, even though it's the same age as the later Tipo-derived cars.

Ralf S.

I thought the Stilo floorpan came from the GM Astra floorpan of that era, it was shared? I think I recall there was also a Fiat / GM link up around that time.

Certainly it's not related to the Tipo which as you say rusted, it is noticeable on the Stilo the classic rust traps inherent in the latter don't exist on the Stilo.

 

[sixpotman]

Well new I shouldn't have been so pleased my stilo was still on the road

It got tail ended while I was stationery in traffic on a 40mph stretch of
road. No skid markes visible - thrown around in the car that much the drivers
seat was twisted out of position by the seat belt mounting, been written off
payout less than I had spent to keep it on the road.

RIP Stilo

Sixpotman

 

[Ralf S.]

Well new I shouldn't have been so pleased my stilo was still on the road

It got tail ended while I was stationery in traffic on a 40mph stretch of
road. No skid markes visible - thrown around in the car that much the drivers
seat was twisted out of position by the seat belt mounting, been written off
payout less than I had spent to keep it on the road.

RIP Stilo

Sixpotman

That's a pity.. I think these days even the smallest knock is going to be terminal to a Stilo, given their "basement" values. At least the beast kept you unhurt.

I think if my car was remotely straight following a minor incident, I would try to not claim on the other geezer's insurance... just ask them for a couple hundred quid not to go through their insurance/to fix it myself and then kick the beast straight and carry on.

Even a dented wing is a few hundred quid via a proper/insurance bodyshop rather than a friend of a friend you might know who offers mates rates, so it's a write-off, unless you happen to have a Pro-drive Schucaher mayber. An old '04 JTD with 180k on it.. no chance.


Ralf S.

 

[kokkolin]

I bought my 1.8 Stilo 11 years ago, it's now 16 years old a little battered a few mechanical problems over the years mostly it eats wishbones every couple of years, but it's passed the MOT again with some advisories,

It's the longest I have kept a car on the road without having to weld it and it's a Fiat. WOW well done Stilo.

Cheers John

do you have any oil consumption?

 

[Ralf S.]

Not any more. Somebody wrote it off.

It got tail ended while I was stationery in traffic on a 40mph stretch of
road. No skid markes visible - thrown around in the car that much the drivers
seat was twisted out of position by the seat belt mounting, been written off
payout less than I had spent to keep it on the road.

RIP Stilo

Ralf S.

 

[jsp]

Still going 16 years later but, only 60k

 

[A Hitman]

I wonder who has the most miles on their Stilo here, my Abarth has done just under 210,000KM (130k miles) with the only real fault being the Selespeed ECU stopped working at midnight on the way home...

The paint is rapidly starting to fail due to the harsh New Zealand sun though, and it developed a spot of rust under the rubber on the drivers door where the mirror is mounted.

 

[Ralf S.]

Gerrard on 196,000 miles.

The most serious issue I've had is when the Body Control Module had a problem that prevented high beam from working. I had to replace the BCM, with the added complication of replacing the new (second-hand) BCM's chips with my old ones, since that's where the immobilisor information is stored. I found a lad who did it for me.

Other than that, I think it's just been stuff wearing out, although that makes it sound like not much has been done to it.. In my time it's had;

New battery (no.2) @ 120k
New clutch slave cylinder (and clutch) @ 125k
New (second-hand) instrument console @ 130k
New exhuast silencer (no.2) @ 140k
New refurb'd rear calipers
New handbrake cables
New MAF, Boost Valve and MAP sensor (the latter were okay but needed to work out that the problem was the more expensive MAF)
New glow-plugs @ 140k
New radiatore (Paris ring-road traffic jam and 38C outside was too much for it)
New rear brake flexi lines
New inner CV spider
New driveshaft (the other side) @ 170k
All four wheel bearings @ 160-180k
New front dampers, springs, top-mounts @ 180k
Alternator @ 180k
Turbo boost valve intake pipe.
New (second-hand) interior light switch
Various discs and pads, tyres, oil and filters.

I also replaced a few pieces that were tatty or broken - the undertray was missing and the battery box looked like it had been removed one time and re-assembled by Herman Munster. The window switches were slightly cracked and I had to scrape off the sticky from the lights panel and controls switches... otherwise, the beast has been pretty much well-behaved.


Ralf S.