OT.Very.Heretical even.About CARS! Guzzi/Duc owners Italian=pile of shit. True?

[kerryg]

[QUOTE=vifferman]Fiat (actually F.I.A.T.)
QUOTE]


F.I A T.= Fix It Again Tony

[vifferman]

Fiat (actually F.I.A.T.)

F.I A T.= Fix It Again Tony

That would have to be "Fix It Again Tonio", surely?

We call Fiats "Farts" in our household, because with the extractors, the 132 sounded kinda farty. The Punto on the other hand is way too quiet and inoffensive (unlike the 205GTi...)

[Ixion]

Pitchers,we need pitchers to know what this thing is.
.

This. 2001 GTV 3000 coupe. 3 litre quad cam V6. 60000k. NZ new.

[Pixie]

According to Marion's Grandad, Italian tanks were so good during WW2 that they could go as fast backwards as they could forwards - now THAT has to be a plus in some circumstances??

---- just trying to be helpful here ---

Let's lay this bullshit to rest.The british Ferret scout car also had as many reverse gears as it had forward

[vifferman]

This. 2001 GTV 3000 coupe. 3 litre quad cam V6. 60000k. NZ new.

Oh, nice!! Very, very nice!!

[Lou Girardin]

There's nothing wrong with Italian engineering and design, it's the ancilliaries that let them down. Pasta for wiring and rust while you watch bodywork.
The lateish stuff is OK though, find a Alfa specialist mechanic and give him your firstborn.
You'll be right.

[TerminalAddict]

I've just sold my '89 75 twin spark.

Great car to drive, but a bitch to own.
I always said to people "you own an Alfa to drive, not to be legal"
The pasta for wiring comment is spot on

Parts are crap to find, but since yours is far more recent than mine, I don't think you'll have that problem for another 10 years.

Pity its front wheel drive aye ?

The 105's are the money shot, but are pushing $10k now

[idb]

I used to own a Fiat Bambina.
I don't know how it ran cos when you opened the bonnet there was no engine, and it only needed water added when the windscreen washers stopped working.
It gave no problems at all over about three years and I think is still going 15 or 16 years later.

I have owned the Darmah for about eight years and despite showing no respect for its age it has never let me down.
Mind you the maintenance regime is a bit more onerous than a Japper but I think that connects you to the bike and makes it that much more interesting to own.
Because of that I wouldn't own a Duke to commute on but I suspect that your Alfa is going to be used as a toy as well.

[Ixion]

There's nothing wrong with Italian engineering and design, it's the ancilliaries that let them down. Pasta for wiring and rust while you watch bodywork.
The lateish stuff is OK though, find a Alfa specialist mechanic and give him your firstborn.
You'll be right.

I think they've sorted the rust problems now. In fairness to the Italians EVERYBODY had rust issues in the 60s and 70s.

[Paul in NZ]

Let's lay this bullshit to rest.The british Ferret scout car also had as many reverse gears as it had forward

I know. I used to own one... Farking funny watching peoples faces as you change up in reverse going back down their driveway!

Forward / reverse was managed by a big lever hooked up to a seperate box. Had a big lever to pull in to shift it.

It also had a 5 speed preselector 'box so 5 forward and 5 reverse... Brilliant..

[Motu]

One place I worked we had a Glouschester drill with a Bedford truck gearbox,you could work the gearlever from the table.It had auto feed and there was nothing like a blunt drill going to stop it going through a piece if 1/2 plate.Those Poms can make some scary machinery.

[myvice]

Own a little Alfa 33, love my little car! Never let’s me down and I don’t do a thing to it!
Ideals beautifully on 3 cylinders (goes to 4 after 1500rpm) brakes are a joke, no power steering making it one of the hardest cars to park and backing is a mission as you cant see anything!
Cost me $500 3 years ago and Iv spent about $100 on it in that time.
Will be my son’s learner car, doesn’t want to own one, but has to know how to drive, wants MY bike!!! Maybe, ‘Tis a good first/learner model.
Cheep on gas as 40lts goes over 500k's, and no speed cut-out so it’s FASTER than Jax's tru bro Subaru!

[Timber020]

The old alfa's were far worse than anything else I can think of for rust. They were rusty when they landed in NZ new. They made late 70's subarus left by the sea seem like deloreans. Great driving cars and sound great.

Italians, who has ever won anything meaningful having them on there side?

[Lou Girardin]

at.

Italians, who has ever won anything meaningful having them on there side?

World War 1?

[scumdog]

I used to own a Fiat Bambina.
I don't know how it ran cos when you opened the bonnet there was no engine, and it only needed water added when the windscreen washers stopped working.
It gave no problems at all over about three years and I think is still going 15 or 16 years later.

I have owned the Darmah for about eight years and despite showing no respect for its age it has never let me down.
Mind you the maintenance regime is a bit more onerous than a Japper but I think that connects you to the bike and makes it that much more interesting to own.
Because of that I wouldn't own a Duke to commute on but I suspect that your Alfa is going to be used as a toy as well.

Had a Bambina too!
Only instrument it had was the speedo!
If you sat on a rolled up sleeping bag you coud drive with your head sticking out through the sunroof.
Went o.k. until it dropped a valve.
Only electric problem I had was that the lights went off when you turned off the ignition ( on the face of it a damn good battery saving idea) but it was easy to 'bump' the ignition key while getting something from the 'glove-box' and turn off the ignition, ergo no lights. Made for some scary moment on windy gravel roads in the country!!!