a little rant on newbie Alfa buyers and ownership

[Fred Sacks <fredsacks@domain.elided>]

AlfaBill--

You make some good points on your rant.  Having owned a 3 liter 
Milano, I agree that new (I hate the term newbie) Alfa owners be 
forewarned before buying a car of that type or a 164 (although I am 
told that they are somewhat less costly than Milano's to 
maintain...probably because they are newer.  But how many 4 door 
sedans can blow the doors off of most sports cars.  You'd probably 
have to spring for an M3 sedan to get better performance  (at about 
45 Big ones.)  There's nothing like putting the foot to the floor 
through a turn, using that perfect balance to your advantage to 
embarrass some hot shot in a German something or other or a Camaro, 
Mustang, take your pick.  Even with proper maintenance, it would be 
tough to get more bang for the buck.  Too bad that my baby was 
totaled.

However, as the prior owner of a 67 GTV and the current owner of an 
89 Graduate, I must tell you that maintenance cost has never been an 
issue. The cars are bulletproof, and parts for all models, as you 
know, are readily available.  The cars have proven very reliable and 
with the right tires will perform well in inclement weather.

But I think your point about the 6 cylinder Alfas is a great one.  In 
fact, the less that you spend up front, the more you will probably 
spend in maintenance.

Fred Sacks

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