My car mistake and the new Alfa | FerrariChat
Buy

My car mistake and the new Alfa

Discussion in 'Other Italian' started by MikeZ_NJ, Nov 15, 2005.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    #1 MikeZ_NJ, Nov 15, 2005
    About 2 years ago, I was at my now-wife's house when her Dad said to me, "Mike, did you see that the car place down the road had an Alfa Romeo?"

    Well... I went and looked at the car (a 78 Spider Veloce) - it was in rough shape, but not too bad. There wasn't much rust, and though it didn't run, the guy at the place told me it just needed a fuel pump. I traded in an old motor scooter that I hadn't used in a year or so and picked up the car for $400. I figured it would cost some money to get it in decent shape, but hey, the Alfa Spider series had always been "dream cars" of mine and I finally had one.

    I brought it to a VERY highly recommended Alfa mechanic, who really knows his stuff. Lo and behold, this car needed a lot more than a fuel pump. He worked on it on the side for me, and though it was a long process, he was thorough without gouging my wallet. He eventually got it running, but even with all the nurturing, it needed engine work. It became very obvious that this car would be a money pit.

    So here I am, 2 years later, and I'm trading up in models. (What do they say ALFA stands for again - Always Looking For Another???) My mechanic offered to take my car + all the money I've put into it as a credit towards a mechanically sound 1987 Spider Quadrifoglio. Hopefully, this will all go down this week, and I'll have a new toy in the garage. :)

    As a lesson to all of you that don't work on your own cars... never trust used car dealers, and know that fixing up cars is a labor of love that will always cost more than you expect. I can't say that I regret buying the car... I was 23 and carefree with little real responsibility (I've since gotten married and bought a house) and I will be driving one of my dream cars fairly soon. The whole ordeal has been draining, though.

    Enough of my rant - any Quad owners in this forum? Am I justified in getting excited?!
     
  2. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    #2 MikeZ_NJ, Nov 15, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  3. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    #3 MikeZ_NJ, Nov 15, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. JBsZ06

    JBsZ06 Formula Junior

    Dec 6, 2003
    761
    #4 JBsZ06, Nov 15, 2005
    congratulations and we've all been through this once in our life.

    Enjoy the new ride.
     
  5. masermartin

    masermartin Formula Junior

    Apr 18, 2004
    769
    Sugar Hill, GA
    Full Name:
    Martin
    #5 masermartin, Nov 16, 2005
    I know how you feel. I bought my Alfa 164L from a used dealer and thought it was an alright deal until I started digging in it. Now I am ready for another, only I may have to stay away from Alfa for a while.
     
  6. amenasce

    amenasce Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 17, 2001
    34,435
    Full Name:
    Joe Mansion
    #6 amenasce, Nov 16, 2005
    I had an 1988 2.0 Cloverleaf Spider in Rosso Alfa over dark grey leather. Bought it used with 40 000 miles in 98 and sold it with 65 000 in 2003. I loved it ! Its amazing to drive , sounds sooo good with the carbs . I swithced the silencer for a pipe ( 30 $ ! ) and put a pantyhose on the airfilter instead of the lid and it sounded fantastic. Tunnels were awesome. Last week i was in Paris when i hear a beautiful noise coming down the road , i turn my head and see my Alfa passing..i was so happy to see it again .

    You prob know it all about how they handle on the wet or on snow ..and how they need to be looked after otherwise they will bite you back..

    All in all a great experience . I will pick one again i am sure.
     
  7. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.
    #7 dave_fonz_164, Nov 16, 2005
    i think most alfa owners have gone through the same experience!

    i love the quad, some mite not like the back so much but its a beaut, i love them with the hardtop for some reason
     
  8. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    #8 MikeZ_NJ, Nov 16, 2005
    Funny... I like the back of the 78 better, and the front of the 87 better!
     
  9. chasking

    chasking Formula Junior

    Nov 27, 2003
    317
    Chicago, IL
    Full Name:
    Chuck King
    #9 chasking, Nov 16, 2005
    Black's a great color for a Quad.
     
  10. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    #10 MikeZ_NJ, Nov 16, 2005
    Thanks for the responses, guys... glad to see I'm not alone in the experience I had!

    Yes, I think black is the prettiest color of the Quads as well... :)

    Hopefully I'll be off and cruising this weekend!!!
     
  11. FerrariStuff.com

    FerrariStuff.com Formula 3

    Nov 1, 2003
    1,054
    www.************.com
    Full Name:
    Jack Habits
    #11 FerrariStuff.com, Nov 16, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  12. travisbickle

    travisbickle Rookie

    Nov 6, 2005
    2
    North Jersey
    #12 travisbickle, Nov 20, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. Maseroche

    Maseroche Karting

    Aug 10, 2004
    124
    Bahrain
    Full Name:
    Khalid
    #13 Maseroche, Nov 21, 2005
    Beautiful car, congratulations. Always liked them, especially in black.
     
  14. miked

    miked Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2001
    898
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    #14 miked, Nov 21, 2005
    At least your engine was in the front, my Alfa's was in the trunk, in boxes. The PO learned that you can't use heater hose as an oil supply line.

    I bought a very early Duetto way back about 1970, dark blue with a dark red interior and covered headlights. The roundtail Duetto is still one of my all time favorite designs. The car was quite a step up from the Brit cars that I was driving at the time although the Dunlop brake system (pre-ATE) was pretty miserable.
     
  15. angrydrone

    angrydrone Rookie

    Oct 12, 2005
    42
    north Fort Worth
    Full Name:
    Chris
    #15 angrydrone, Dec 21, 2005
    Sorry to go off topic, but does anyone know of any good Alfa forums? I am interested in purchasing a Spider Veloce and would like to know the reliability and cost of maintenance, etc... I would love to share the Alfa experience! Thanks guys,
    Chris
     
  16. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 21, 2005
    15,291
    FL / GA
    Full Name:
    Bill Tracy
    #16 BT, Dec 23, 2005
    In 1984 I had a 1958 Alfa convertible that I received with the engine in boxes in the trunk also. Went through the alfa mechanic working in his spare time on the car. After 18 months the car was ready to roll, but always needed a push start, or a jump, or a new fuel filter, or whatever. Until the day the next buyer picked it up from me, when it for the first and only time, started immediately and idled smoothly until it left on the back of the next owner's flatbed. Seems funny now, looking back on it. Since then I have moved on to family life, and now am back at the sports car game with a 1989 Ferrari 348ts. Much less hassle, but a much higher entry price than the Alfa. It was given to me by a friend of my father's back in 1984.
    BT
     
  17. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2003
    43,725
    26.806311,-81.755805
    Full Name:
    Dave M.
    #17 dm_n_stuff, Dec 23, 2005
    www.alfabb.com
     

Share This Page