[alfa] re: Picking up a car in Buffalo, NY Need a little help please

[Joe Elliott <jee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Generally speaking, I wouldn't worry about driving a 104k mi Milano 
across the country if the water pump and timing belt have less than 
30k mi on them, and the t-belt tensioner and the driveshaft giubos 
have less than 60k mi on them.

I think the issue here is that the car has been in storage for 3 
years.  Even if every rubber part on the car was new then, I wouldn't 
trust any of them.  This obviously has a lot to do with what kind of 
storage it was in--a climate controlled garage might preserve things 
pretty well.  If it's been driven 500 miles since coming out of 
storage and the only thing that broke was the slave cylinder, and 
that's why it's new, then you're probably okay.  If it hasn't been 
driven at all, and the slave cylinder was new 3 years ago, I wouldn't 
necessarily trust it to do it's job now.  Or the master cylinder.  Or 
the brakes.  Or the motor mounts.  Or the tranny mounts.  Or the 
driveshaft giubos.

I'm not some cautious old guy either--I love crazy road trips in old 
cars with unknown maintenance histories, but "3 years in storage" 
turns me off in a big way.  I guess if you're going to fly out there 
and look over it, that's cool, but I'd be prepared to get back on the 
plane and call a shipping company if things don't check out.

Good luck,
Joe Elliott
'82 GTV-6 (w/ 103k mi and about 2000 more planned for the next month)

At 11:31 PM +0000 11/19/03, alfa-digest wrote:

> Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 09:59:42 -0700
> From: "josh smiley" <joshsmiley965@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Picking up a car in Buffalo, NY Need a little help please
>
> I am new to Alfa's (former BMW) owner. I Here is my story. i was directed
> here by some of the Yahoo Alfa guys.
>
> I bought a car off Ebay. It is a 1987 milano gold from a guy named Anthony
> Zeroque. he lives in Buffalo,NY. I was wondering if I might be able to get a
> little help getting the car all checked out. Making sure that it is road
> worthy enough to make the trip back to DENVER.  I have heard that the timing
> belt,tensioner and water pump should be done every 30k. the car has 104k new
> cluthch, pressure plate and slave cylinder. it also has been instorage for
> the past 3 years.
>
> I have very limited mecahnical experience with cars. I know a few things.
> Just enought o be dangerous. If I maybe able to borrow someone for a few
> hours the day i am up there, to help me go over the car and make sur ethere
> is nothing that I ahve missed.
>
> Please call 3037102147 or email me
>
> thank you
> josh
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