BMW Z3 vs Alfa Spider
Discussion
Vitorio said:
You have a GTV as well? are you planning on opening up a used car lot specializing in italians?
Blimey, i need to get stuck in and get the house/garage in order for an italomotive project...
My old GTV from page one. Wish I still had kept that one. Blimey, i need to get stuck in and get the house/garage in order for an italomotive project...
"Wish I had kept that" could be applied to 90% of the cars I have owned and sold on.
Vitorio said:
Liquid Knight said:
Italian, Bertone and four seats. 
Not exactly classic, but punto convertible?http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112086678881?_trksid=p20...
Very nice.
I kind of won the Punto. Twelve hours before the auction for the Punto ended I got a message from the chap with the Spider. He'd been twunted and was offering me first refusal.
Hmmmmm....
I offered the Punto. As he was only selling the Spider because he had trouble getting in and out of it I suggested the Punto was higher, more practical and had four seats.
So I could be getting the Spider in exchange for the Punto and the cash difference.
Either that or I'll keep the Punto cabriolet and work out how to fit the turbo bits from the GT to the 1.6 block.
I kind of won the Punto. Twelve hours before the auction for the Punto ended I got a message from the chap with the Spider. He'd been twunted and was offering me first refusal.
Hmmmmm....
I offered the Punto. As he was only selling the Spider because he had trouble getting in and out of it I suggested the Punto was higher, more practical and had four seats.
So I could be getting the Spider in exchange for the Punto and the cash difference.
Either that or I'll keep the Punto cabriolet and work out how to fit the turbo bits from the GT to the 1.6 block.
The Punto is off the table. The owner accidentally put twenty four volts through it when they needed to jump start it. Burned out the ECU and they have bypassed the fuel control module to get it running. So not the "Starts and drives well" as advertised.
Certainly not safe enough to drive home let alone part ex' with someone else.
New plan....
Certainly not safe enough to drive home let alone part ex' with someone else.
New plan....
This one?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Ta-daaaaaa! Ask and you shall have more nonsensical clap trap to kill ten minutes with.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Ta-daaaaaa! Ask and you shall have more nonsensical clap trap to kill ten minutes with.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401172463362?_trksid=p20...
I probably won't need these but look at the price.
I probably won't need these but look at the price.
So I treated today like a Top Gear-esque race.
12:50 bus 1 - £2.00
13:16 bus 2 - £6.00
15:55 train - £68.00
Arrived at Leeds 17:31
Total spent £70
Total time four hours and forty one minutes.
Left Leeds in the Alfa at 18:33
Stopped for fuel, air and water (the tyre pressures were all over the place) £20.50
Home at 21:55
Total cost £20.50
Total time three hours and twenty two minutes.
Cars rule.
It would have been quicker but the HiD headlights are quite frankly crap and will be in the bin along with those gash DRL's in the morning. If I had proper headlights I would have been sticking to the speed limit and not stuck behind people do 45-50mph on "A" roads. Still pretty good progress.
139 miles / 3.36666 hours = 41.3mph average (1dp)
A few niggles.
1/ The Spider has been resprayed yellow not Zoe Yellow. Originally blue. But it's close to Fiat Broom yellow and not a terrible job. I could use it as a base to top coat Zoe yellow some time.
2/ Reverse sensors. Also destined for the skip. First I'll need to disconnect it and find a pair of bumpers without holes.
3/ HiD's and DRL's. Bleaugh!
4/ None of the trim has been refitted properly and the whole car rattles like crazy.
5/ The radio will only pick up Radio One. Not so bad as it was Annie Mac tonight but it will be addressed.
6/ Needs a bloody good wash. I'll wait for the cold light of day tomorrow and do a proper assessment of the paint while I get the sponge out.
I really like this car, loads of Alfaisms and character and a little bit of effort. I wasn't expecting another project but this is part of the fun. £750 was a good price all round and will only need a few more hundred to put all the little things right.
In theory.
12:50 bus 1 - £2.00
13:16 bus 2 - £6.00
15:55 train - £68.00
Arrived at Leeds 17:31
Total spent £70
Total time four hours and forty one minutes.
Left Leeds in the Alfa at 18:33
Stopped for fuel, air and water (the tyre pressures were all over the place) £20.50
Home at 21:55
Total cost £20.50
Total time three hours and twenty two minutes.
Cars rule.
It would have been quicker but the HiD headlights are quite frankly crap and will be in the bin along with those gash DRL's in the morning. If I had proper headlights I would have been sticking to the speed limit and not stuck behind people do 45-50mph on "A" roads. Still pretty good progress.
139 miles / 3.36666 hours = 41.3mph average (1dp)
A few niggles.
1/ The Spider has been resprayed yellow not Zoe Yellow. Originally blue. But it's close to Fiat Broom yellow and not a terrible job. I could use it as a base to top coat Zoe yellow some time.
2/ Reverse sensors. Also destined for the skip. First I'll need to disconnect it and find a pair of bumpers without holes.
3/ HiD's and DRL's. Bleaugh!
4/ None of the trim has been refitted properly and the whole car rattles like crazy.
5/ The radio will only pick up Radio One.
Not so bad as it was Annie Mac tonight but it will be addressed. 6/ Needs a bloody good wash. I'll wait for the cold light of day tomorrow and do a proper assessment of the paint while I get the sponge out.
I really like this car, loads of Alfaisms and character and a little bit of effort. I wasn't expecting another project but this is part of the fun. £750 was a good price all round and will only need a few more hundred to put all the little things right.
In theory.
So I needed to de-gash my Spider and I have found the perfect place to mount those DRL's.
The mystery as to why I could see sod all last night could well have been due to two issues. First the headlights weren't bolted in. The drivers side had two out of three bolts and the passenger side only one; all finger loose.
But best of all they weren't even the right bulbs for the car!
H7's cut to fit the HB3 holes...
...glad to see they were wired by a professional though.
So new bulbs, a proper wash and hood treatment...
...and more de-gashing...
...I only had one more job today before I could have some fun. The radio. Radio One is like Candy Floss, amusing and fun but after ten minutes it makes you either sick or want to kill people. So to remedy this...
...Pale Emperor and the complete works of System of a Down.
Just finished in time for a storm front to take a moody shot.
The mystery as to why I could see sod all last night could well have been due to two issues. First the headlights weren't bolted in. The drivers side had two out of three bolts and the passenger side only one; all finger loose.
But best of all they weren't even the right bulbs for the car!
H7's cut to fit the HB3 holes...
...glad to see they were wired by a professional though.
So new bulbs, a proper wash and hood treatment...
...and more de-gashing...
...I only had one more job today before I could have some fun. The radio. Radio One is like Candy Floss, amusing and fun but after ten minutes it makes you either sick or want to kill people. So to remedy this...
...Pale Emperor and the complete works of System of a Down.
Just finished in time for a storm front to take a moody shot.
Vitorio said:
Excellent stuff LK!
Good to see the spider cleans up decently, and the pseudo-broom-yellow looks quite good on the car, even if it isnt alfa original.
Im madly jealous, i always really wanted a GTV, never got around to it..
As it's a respray and needs retouching here there and everywhere it doesn't have to be Alfa yellow at all. I've always liked BMW Dakar yellow and Volvo did a T5 is an almost Ford Citrine yellow. Good to see the spider cleans up decently, and the pseudo-broom-yellow looks quite good on the car, even if it isnt alfa original.
Im madly jealous, i always really wanted a GTV, never got around to it..
I've solved the indicator issue. Using Panda knowledge. The left indicator works perfectly, hazard lights as well so I know it wasn't the relay, fuse or bulbs. Took the steering column apart to clean the terminals on the switch and remembered...
Pandaing rule 5 - Whatever you think it is chances are it is.
...flicked the stalk up to turn right, pressed the hazard light button, let it flash once and turn the hazard lights off again. Hey presto. The right indicator works.
So new relay on it's way.
Just need to solve the front fog light issue.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191951199578?_trksid=p20...
Outbid with three seconds to go.
As much as I like black wheels on a yellow car I hate Nottingham. Driving around that city without getting out of your car and going on a wild killing spree is near impossible.
Outbid with three seconds to go.
As much as I like black wheels on a yellow car I hate Nottingham. Driving around that city without getting out of your car and going on a wild killing spree is near impossible.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff