Re: Fatter checkbook

["Eric H." <ejham@xxxxxxx>]

I wrote:
>>> bullet proof mechanicals'?!? Checkbook mechanics would
be
>>> encouraged to purchase a Miata...reliable, long-lasting,
and
>>> no soul. Limited aggravation as well.
>
>
>>> That's my 2 cents for the week...


Then Brian wrote:
>I used to enjoy doing my own work on my cars, motorcycles,
etc. but now I use
>the checkbook method most of the time since I earn enough
to do it. Anyway, I
>would rather be driving my Alfa or riding my BMW bike than
working on them.
>And since my time off is limited I trade cash for driving
time.
>
>I don't care if the Alfa costs me a bit to keep on the road
as long as I can
>drive it fast and enjoy it. My wife wanted to know when I
was going to paint
>mine (needs it) and I said when I run out of performance
mods to do.

True...it all depends on how much you wish to spend. Buying
an Alfa these days can often be a costly event for people
who want perfection in a car and don't (or can't) fix some
things. Most of us have certain places we trust to fix the
big stuff and not take us for a ride on costs. Even minor
repairs can cost enormous amounts of money if the mechanic
isn't familiar with our cars. For example, if a shop found
that the O2 sensor had failed and called the jobber NAPA for
the part, they would be told that the part would cost in
excess of $200. Someone with experience would know that
there are alternatives that cost around $25.

There are usually lots of little things that need attention
in an older car and most Alfas on the road are 'older.' Most
of us fix these things all the time. Would you pay a labor
rate of $50/hour to replace spark plugs, cap and rotor? Or
the rubber exhaust donuts? If you noticed that the hose that
runs from the auxiliary air device to the airway had a big
crack in it, would you take it to the shop for repair? It
gets even worse with trim and interior parts.

I think the average Alfa owner probably fixes a lot more
things on his/her own than most other auto owners.

Alfas don't have to cost a lot if you are willing to get
dirty once in a while. And if you haven't the time, you'd
better have the money -- there's nothing wrong with spending
money (if you've got it) on a hobby. But there's a point
where it makes no sense: pouring money into a Guilietta
project car (which could have a resale value)is far removed
from spending more than the market price of a GTV6 in
repairs on it (as the prior owner of my car did -- I'm
grateful for his attentions...it's a great car, but he was
left with a net loss equal to the value of the car when he
bought it 3 years ago!)

A hard and fast rule for prospective buyers: with few
exceptions, most hardtop Alfas will never have a resale
market in the US beyond the Alfa community. Convertibles
fare a little better, but still...8 out of 10 times you are
simply buying a lovable money pit if you buy an Alfa.

Compare the resale potential of ANY Alfa to that of the Benz
ragtops, Mazda Miatas, and Porches (excluding the 914 or any
other model with '4' in it.) Even Ferraris do better and
they're just zippy cars from the mind of man who ripped off
Alfa and formed his own company. Only Audis seem to possess
resale values that plummet as fast as Alfa Romeo in the US.
Most Alfas are well-made autos, my experience has shown them
to be more reliable than the majority of cars I've owned.
But understand that if you buy one and you're not a mechanic
(even of the shade-tree variety), you WILL be a checkbook
mechanic.

Unless you buy one of them new-fangled 164 things...those
front-wheel drive half-Saabs are an example of how Alfa/Fiat
finally got things right for the US market. Too bad they
gave up!

- -Eric H. who didn't set out to write a novel like this!
1983 GTV6 with rust near the windshield due to labor strife
in Italy in the early 80's
1988 Volvo which lives the dream of being solid and mediocre

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End of alfa-digest V7 #469
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