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GlenCoombe · 09-20-2005, 10:51 AM

McNeon / Alan , I too have been an Alfa affectionado. Bought a 1988 Graduate and turned it into a Veloce. Added leather seats, 15" cast wheels, had a ball for about four years. Sold it to the first guy who came to look at it. Was a Texas car with 56,000 on it when I got it ($1200). Did the seats, new top, rear end, little paint, wheels, tires. Had about $3200 in it and sold it with 74,000 on it for $4700. Would like to have it back.

ALANSD · 09-20-2005, 11:13 AM

what is about us that so many of us have the same toy obsessions? Thats why when we rally we all seem to get along so well.
My wife and I went on our first date in my Alfa- the top leaked right onto her lap. Endeared me to her forever. That old rusty car was a lot of fun.
When I first got it I had pried it out of the hands of a guy who had it and an MGB, and he was slowly destroying both of them.
It was fun getting it running right. I ran over a railroad track in the middle of Kentucky or Illinois on my way to a music gig somewhere, and trashed the oilpan. Had to tow it home. Took many months to find a pan for it. Found it in New York City- Brooklyn, on the top shelf in a wrecking yard full of imports. One benefit of being on the road.

GlenCoombe · 09-20-2005, 11:20 AM

Alan, I was blessed with finding a mechanic who was Alfa and Ferrari trained. Worked by himself in Ocala, FL. Old country Italian who would not fix something that wasn't broken. He worked for $28 and hour when I met him in 1997.
It was the rear diff. hanger bearing that welded itself to the diff. that got me a total rear end replacement out of a junk yard in Michigan. There began a great relationship as they had tons of Alfa stuff. The phone dial wheels cost me $100 each!! I think I only paid about $200 for the seats too.

StingrayL82 · 09-20-2005, 08:46 PM

Glen, Alan,

There's a guy here in Baltimore, named John DiFatta. He used to be Mario Andretti's pit chief, so I'm pretty sure he knows his way around Italian cars. I used to have a 1975 Fiat Spider 1800, and John kept that car purring.

Frederic

Anon · 09-20-2005, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StingrayL82

Glen, Alan,

There's a guy here in Baltimore, named John DiFatta. He used to be Mario Andretti's pit chief, so I'm pretty sure he knows his way around Italian cars. I used to have a 1975 Fiat Spider 1800, and John kept that car purring.

Frederic

Do you know what Fiat stands for?
Fix
It
Again
Tony

pbnjsellers · 09-21-2005, 05:02 AM

I also heard it stood for Fix It Allada Time.

85MH325 · 09-21-2005, 05:21 AM

In the good ol' days, when I was young and foolish (now I'm merely old and foolish) we took seven sailors (fortunately for the three guys, four of them were women!) to the beach in a Fiat 124 Spyder over the bridges in P'cola FL. I don't think that everyone had a seatbelt...

Ahhh... to be young and indestructible again...

Roger

ALANSD · 09-21-2005, 06:34 AM

Well I have had two Fiat 124's and a 128. Enjoyed all 3. My dream car has always been a Ferrari 246 Dino GT. I could have bought a gorgeous wine colored one with that parchment leather interior, back in 1987 for $26,000. If only I had.
Now you can get deals on the Magnum PI 328s and similiar, even Testa Rossa 80's models for 40-60,000, but I am too chicken of the maintenance costs, even if I did it myself. I would love another Alfa, but my Porsche is a blast to drive and too darn reliable.
Next car for us may be a MINI Cooper. Replacing an SUV.