[alfa] Milano on craigslist.org (SF) and other stuff

["Michael Pordes" <mdpordes@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Digesters:
 
This red Milano Gold that you see on Craigslist.org has "issues."
 
 I saw the car and drove it when it was first donated. This guy named
Mark buys all the Museum's donation cars for cash, and sells them
himself as his business. You are not dealing with the non-profit. He
tries his best to "put lipsticks on pigs" by fixing them up a bit,
detailing them and selling them and making a few hundred a car. This
Milano is purported to have 76,000 original miles. I drove it, (it
needed a water pump and the timing belt cover was missing) and the
muffler was shot. The big thing was the speedometer didn't work and it
was not registering miles! He wanted $1,950 for the car and promised he
would detail it to look like new. ('cause it was REALLY filthy.) He
claimed it was a one owner car, etc, etc. I pulled the CARFAX and found
out this car had several owners and  75,000 miles on it in 1995, so who
knows HOW long it has been driven with a broken speedometer! He is down
to $1,450 now.
 
The car has a straight body and the interior is all there, and it has a
factory Verde Spoiler and a working sunroof, but the inside fabric
covered metal panel from the sunroof is gone - (this could be hard to
find. ) The car is a gamble, but worth a flyer at a grand, especially
since my own Milano Gold just went South with the timing belt/alternator
belt incident last week. (see Milano woes)  I'll let you guys know if I
break down and buy this thing, but I would have the compression tested
in the motor first and check the car out on the rack first to see if the
car has had past major damage.
 
As for what I am going to do about my poor Milano Gold with the bent
valves, I am still in a quandary. I have to confess my friend and Alfa
mechanic Rich took pity on me and loaned me a 164LS to drive, and after
a week of commuting to work, I have come to really like the car.  I may
be buying something I thought I would never get- another front wheel
drive car!  The car is big, heavy on the road but LOTS of power with the
24 valve 3 liter - 210 hp. People have told me be careful - complicated
car -big price tag to fix.. but I am as sick as the rest of you Alfa
junkies after only a year into this Alfa stuff.
 
I still have my red Verde, which still has a vibrating driveshaft
despite a new centering bearing, and two new donuts. The shaft has had
the bolts loosened and spun, the hose clamp tricks have bee tried, etc.
It may have to go to a drive line shop in SF to be balanced (My Spider
is not a car for the rainy season!)
 
Anyway, I am still looking for a good price on a donor 2.5 V6 in the Bay
Area. A nice dinner finder's fee for the person who turns me on to the
"gem" engine for my baby.  I have found 2 in the LA area and one
possible in Chico, but nothing local yet. I might have to break down and
do the "Larry and Larry" show and buy a transplant motor from APE.
Several people have told me that rebuilding the valve train/top end will
spell an earlier demise for the lower end of the motor I have with 153K
- rings, etc burning oil, all sorts of possible side effects. I think I
am better off putting in an under 100K motor if possible and driving the
car another 50 to 75K. Time will tell.
 
Regards,
 
Michael Pordes
87 Milano Gold (so sad, bent valves)
87 Milano Verde (with a built - in seat vibrator driveshaft!)
91 Spider (needs trailing arm bushings - God , does it EVER STOP with
these Alfas? This is a DISEASE!!!)
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