Best of the Bargain Basement Vol. 2

[Hoofy]

Emeye said:

Hoofy said:

Emeye said:

Hoofy said:

Depends on how reliable a car you need. You can end up with the wrong one and it just lets you down when you need to get to a meeting.

All the better reason to have a spare....

That's something that's been on my mind for a while!

At one point I had an old 1.8 Freelander and an Alfa 155 1.8 Twinspark.

I was living on the edge baby! Living on the edge!

The Alfa never let me down, but it came in handy when the freelander was off the road for 3 months and 3 garages failed to find out what was up with it!

Christ. You do like to take risks. Impressive that the Alfa didn't let you down, though.

[Emeye]

Hoofy said:

Christ. You do like to take risks. Impressive that the Alfa didn't let you down, though.

I paid £401 for it. 67k on the clock. Everyone said I'd have to get the cam belt and tensioners done, but what is the point in spending the price of the car when something else might break? Sold it to the FIL eventually who ran it for a year or so who then swapped it for my BIL's Merc c200. BIL sold it to a friend. I need to get an update on it. In all those years the belt never snapped. Water did find its way into the passenger footwell in heavy rain, and the gear knob kept coming off, but other than that it was great. I miss it.

Would love another but after getting lucky with my £400 Alfa GTV, would my next Alfa be as good to me?

[Hoofy]

Emeye said:

Hoofy said:

Christ. You do like to take risks. Impressive that the Alfa didn't let you down, though.

I paid £401 for it. 67k on the clock. Everyone said I'd have to get the cam belt and tensioners done, but what is the point in spending the price of the car when something else might break? Sold it to the FIL eventually who ran it for a year or so who then swapped it for my BIL's Merc c200. BIL sold it to a friend. I need to get an update on it. In all those years the belt never snapped. Water did find its way into the passenger footwell in heavy rain, and the gear knob kept coming off, but other than that it was great. I miss it.

Would love another but after getting lucky with my £400 Alfa GTV, would my next Alfa be as good to me?

I wouldn't be so lucky. My Volvo has stuff that could do with fixing. I do get the occasional error message that goes after a couple of days, too. I am still thinking about getting the gearbox oil changed but it then involves other things plus spending a couple of hundred quid. I didn't service it last year. Hm. I guess I will just see how long it lasts before I trade it in for another £1k car.

[forsure]

Here's a tempting Alfa; good advert too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252281735269?_trksid=p20...

[defblade]

Surely, someone has to buy this one:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...


£650


And don't call me Shirley.

[Usget]

forsure said:

Here's a tempting Alfa; good advert too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252281735269?_trksid=p20...

Excellent use of the word "recalcitrant"

[wjb]

Usget said:

forsure said:

Here's a tempting Alfa; good advert too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252281735269?_trksid=p20...

Excellent use of the word "recalcitrant"

I'm not even ashamed to say that I had to look it up!

[BorkFactor]

defblade said:

Surely, someone has to buy this one:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...


£650


And don't call me Shirley.

That looks really, really nice. Quite fancy an old Volvo like that!

[LordGrover]

Shush! It's just a few miles away and I've just taken on an allotment.

[Hoofy]

LordGrover said:

Shush! It's just a few miles away and I've just taken on an allotment.

Would be perfect for carrying stuff to and from the allotment.

HTH.

[PoleDriver]

LordGrover said:

Shush! It's just a few miles away and I've just taken on an allotment.

Where is it?

[anonymous-user]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARGAIN-Alfa-Romeo-156-T...

Alfa, leather, 2ltr, MOT all for £250 or offers.

Can't see it lasting long before its sold.

[jas xjr]

The Spruce goose said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARGAIN-Alfa-Romeo-156-T...

Alfa, leather, 2ltr, MOT all for £250 or offers.

Can't see it lasting long before its sold.

Is it so bad that you think it would not last? I know Alfas have had a bad reputation but even then )

[Barchettaman]

The Spruce goose said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARGAIN-Alfa-Romeo-156-T...

Alfa, leather, 2ltr, MOT all for £250 or offers.

Can't see it lasting long before its sold.

It's a 'sort-after' model as well, apparently.

Although the seller doesn't mention exactly what needs sorting, after purchase, one presumes.

[LordGrover]

PoleDriver said:

LordGrover said:

Shush! It's just a few miles away and I've just taken on an allotment.

Where is it?

Keynsham: click.

[PoleDriver]

LordGrover said:

Keynsham: click.

HMMMmmm?

[Emeye]

Barchettaman said:

The Spruce goose said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARGAIN-Alfa-Romeo-156-T...

Alfa, leather, 2ltr, MOT all for £250 or offers.

Can't see it lasting long before its sold.

It's a 'sort-after' model as well, apparently.

Although the seller doesn't mention exactly what needs sorting, after purchase, one presumes.

If it goes and stops I can't see what there is to lose. If you are worried about it letting you down buy a spare! If that thing was nearer to me and as described it would be sat on my drive today. As I've said before, may be I've just been lucky with my two previous Alfas that cost me £400, but you can't beat the interior and character for the money.

[Harry Flashman]

I do not own a sensible car. A friend has gone travelling for 6 months, and before he left, he handed me the keys to his 170,000 mile 2002 Focus 1.6 Ghia, asking me to run it occasionally. He never cleans it, uses it to go shooting and cart dogs around.Working electrics and aircon, doesn't give a stuff if someone dents it.

And I've fallen in love with it. I drive it more than any of my other cars (admittedly it is winter)

I am now following this thread avidly.

[Hoofy]

Harry Flashman said:

I do not own a sensible car. A friend has gone travelling for 6 months, and before he left, he handed me the keys to his 170,000 mile 2002 Focus 1.6 Ghia, asking me to run it occasionally. He never cleans it, uses it to go shooting and cart dogs around.Working electrics and aircon, doesn't give a stuff if someone dents it.

And I've fallen in love with it. I drive it more than any of my other cars (admittedly it is winter)

I am now following this thread avidly.

It's a dangerous thread. Welcome.

[LordGrover]

Emeye said:

Barchettaman said:

The Spruce goose said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARGAIN-Alfa-Romeo-156-T...

Alfa, leather, 2ltr, MOT all for £250 or offers.

Can't see it lasting long before its sold.

It's a 'sort-after' model as well, apparently.

Although the seller doesn't mention exactly what needs sorting, after purchase, one presumes.

If it goes and stops I can't see what there is to lose. If you are worried about it letting you down buy a spare! If that thing was nearer to me and as described it would be sat on my drive today. As I've said before, may be I've just been lucky with my two previous Alfas that cost me £400, but you can't beat the interior and character for the money.

Couple of jobs probably still need doing, but not a deal breaker: click.