A thread combo

[AlfaCyberSite <acs@domain.elided>]

Some of these darn threads (flames) are just too hard to resist.

Why don't we simply accept the fact the US is an island (true, a very
large one) but an island nevertheless. Alfa / Fiat (and possibly the CIA
/FBI / EPA) have gunboats surrounding us which are there to prevent any
importing of 'critical' supplies (read Alfas) into the country. There
are always those with enough clout (read, cubic yards of money) who are
able to get around it. But for us ordinary citizens, we must 'make do'.

DAMMIT ALL TO HELL, QUIT CRUSHING OUR DWINDLING SUPPLY!!!

You want a pristine Alfa? You want it to be reliable? It can be done.
You want it  reliable And fast? It can be done, but it'll cost you. You
want a nifty neeto sound system in your '73 Spider? It can be done.

I could go on as to what can be done. I'm not advocating buying an Alfa
then bastardizing it out of 'blockade' frustration, but Alfas can be
gently massaged to do just about anything...except be a 2000 model car.

If you've followed me this far, there are two things you absolutely
cannot do:

(1) Convince yourself you can always sell the car and get your money
back. {You will probably 'invest' 4 to 40 times what the car is worth.
Just think of it as the cost of fulfilling your dream (and getting back
at those damn unreasonable Eyetalians)}.

(2) Once you've bought the foundation for your dream (actually you might
already own it) Don't Take It Apart! Should you feel compelled to do so,
there is about a 99.999% chance the car will end up (indirectly) as a
Toyota, or possibly worse, landfill.

Now comes the easy part. Make two lists. One is what the car needs to
make it a good, reliable, and attractive runner. The other list is what
'additions' you want to include while restoring  this magnificent piece
of Italian machinery.

Then check your bank account. If necessary, delete items you can do
without. Then start the 'process'.

If you are comfortable having a life which takes you to work and back
and while home you are allowed to go only to the edge of the garage
without that special collar shocking the shit out of you, then I
certainly admire your spunk.

Should the thought of cleaning yucky engine parts while your friends are
basking in Acapulco possibly not appeal to you--farm the work out.

If you are organized, in a year you'll have the Alfa of your dreams.

You might want to take take a drive to one of the coasts to show it
(her) the nasty Eyetalian gunboats lined up facing the shore. Pop open a
good bottle of 'Merican wine, (if available) give your honey a squeeze,
then thumb your nose at them until the sun sets.

Note, this self-serving message has been brought to you by:

Biba
Biba Restorations
Irwindale CA, USA

Someone want to do a T-shirt which reads, "The best revenge is having
better Alfas than the Eyetalians"?

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