It's gone. Left me.. and now I'm sad.

alfa is ugly jag is a bit lardy/rusty and nothing works on them and the merc

Burn the heretic!

It's pure Pinninfarina at their best. Clean, sharp, ageless lines.

The later 'slim light' models do look better, though.

In news:4071e221$0$251$ snipped-for-privacy@news.dial.pipex.com, Vamp decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Alfa is a great car, and I think it looks excellent. Best looking standard car of its size I reckon.

Nothing works on the Jag? Hmm, the handbrake is a bit iffy, but apart from the main beam flash, everything (including the AC) works.

As for the Jag being rusty, it's got a couple of bubbles here and there, sure, but it's a 13yr old Brit motor.. it's more solid than most 13 yr old Toyotas :-P

The Jag and the Merc are both eligible for classic Insewerance too :-D

I don't think many people would agree with your view that the Alfa looks better than a bunch of Ferraris and the 406 Coupé :)

What does the Merc need doing? god this might get me into trouble.

Look! Nom's found the é button!

Douglas

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, MeatballTurbo decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

two small welds on the chassis, two small brake pads (£9 each from MB), a rear shock (£30.00 from ECP), and a backbox (£60 from ECP)..

although I'm half in the mood to do them this week...

Oh, it's got two new front wings included, and two new rear wheelarch panels (which aren't cheap)

In news:75xcc.4011$ snipped-for-privacy@news-text.cableinet.net, Pete M decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

I meant pipes, I did, I did!

I really shouldn't. She would kill me, and it is close enough to home=20 for her to make me take it back.

--=20 The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

far more sensible than that crap u drive tbh.

Nah mate, I doubt it.

Failed the MOT this year on a badly adjusted handbrake (stuck new pads in while I was setting it as I already had them), and a leaky caliper which was actually a recon replacement, so I swapped a few dust shields round and put the old one back on. Past.

Emissions on an old car? Not a problem .3 CO and 400PPM without a CAT, running Optimax.

Parts prices, no biggy, tuned stainless exhaust bigger bore, less silencers £300, Aluminised mild steel, £150.

Caliper, recon £60, nobody makes them new anymore, and depending who you go to, some places don't even have a surcharge. Brake discs (OEM Saab) £15, performance from £40. Pads, original Saab, £20, Pagid standard, £8.99 a set, Pagid fast road £15 a set, Tarox £23 a set.

How can a 5 litre Merc with Merc parts tax (I.E you have to be rich to afford full price parts) be a more sensible option than a 2 litre turbo?

MPG 27-30 on my normal commute, about 32 on a motorway run, but I have gotten it down to 15MPG playing before. There is lots of fun to be had with an old motor mate, and I don't have to worry anything about depreciation. It has already gone there. If it costs me £2k in running and servicing for 3 years, it will mean I have spent £2300 to run a car for 3 years less what ever I get back on a car that already has an increasing value, if I go out and spend £15k on a new motor, the minute I drive it off the forecourt, I've probably lost upto £5k, plus any other depreciation that occurs in the 3 years of ownership. Plus at the end of it, I still need to MOT it and it seems these days more and more cars need serious MOT work in 3 years.

Somehow, I've gotten a car with all the toys, for bargain money, that I can still work on myself, with affordable parts, that is still fun to drive, and has real performance without having to sound like a fartcan.

LMAO don't start a flame war, i already said alfa's are a bit fugly, well the older ones :)

In article , snipped-for-privacy@none.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

Nah, fella, it is the newer ones that have had an overdose of the ugly pills, the old ones looked absolutey spanking tidy. All beautiful curves and lines.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, MeatballTurbo decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

affordable parts for a 500 SEL? Have a peep at the GSF catalogue.. You'll be surprised ;-)

Probabley right mate, haven't looked TBH. Would prefer to keep something as classy as that on genuine Merc parts though.