I'm getting frustrated ;-)

saw a 740 on an M plate for £2500 the other day if only I had the money and the space and the need etc

Simple - you like italian, odd, quick, sharp handling....

You like exclusive, rare, hard to find....

Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole....

Heh.

Yeah, it's on my list.

Quite a few turn up at the 'Autoitalia' days - including a couple with the 5-cyl Coupe engine.

But try finding a straight one for sale.

You've never owned an italian car?????

They become part of your life, they are stubborn, awkward, moody, yet oddly rewarding, characterful, chirpy. They seem to enjoy a good hard backroad blast as much as you do, and yet save you from a mundane day at the office by refusing to start because the day looks dull.

Doesn't matter whether it's Fiat, Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini (although I reckon the new lamborghinis should be as reliable as Audis) they all have the one thing that few other marques have, you park, walk away, pause, look back, grin, then carry on walking.

No, not really. Well, i did have a rental Fiat Seicento for a week....enjoyed revving the nuts off it in town....mighty loud exhaust note as well !

:)

Indeed - it suffered 205 syndrome - except you did have to lift off (or think mid-corner braking was a good idea) to provoke it, mid corner bumps wouldn't send you into the hedge.

Shame really - one of the best things Fiat ever did and they never matched it with the Bravo (although they're pretty neat to drive).

As you've already got a 33 in the family, why not get an X1/9...

Agreed...there's one parked down my street and a lady driver owns it. Both bumpers have the paint peeling off, rear bumper is held by strings, body has dings and dents and a rear passenger window is missing. But it has very nice looking alloys and red brake calipers which looks real smart. Interior is very clean as well.....shame about the exterior.

Exactly the point - they enjoy being driven by people who enjoy driving - pulled a 6 mile old Bravo from a rental company once, was doing 100 in 3rd less than 2 miles from the depot.

Because I already have a s**te old open top on the drive..... and the other 33 is going in the spring. Being replaced by a Seicento Sporting 'Schumacher' (I have been told.....)

I'm a helpless 33 addict, too ;-)

Only good thing about the 33 is the boxer motor

Keep holding out for a 75, or get a 164 and waddle your way down every backroad!

Lol. This one has a Recaro interior. Which is nice.

Heh..... wouldn't mind a 164. But it would have to be a V6 Auto to really make sense.

75s are rare as the proverbial.

A 4wd 33 is a pretty good compromise.

No it's not.

How about an Uno Turbo? Or a Y10.

As driven by bouncers, dealers and wannabe council estate gangsters these days.

And most of the older, affordable, ones aren't. See above.

That'll be because you're as fussy as f*ck, and expect the world for 10p.

80k is nothing on most modern cars... and if its ex lease or company, you can expect it to have had spot on, no expense spared servicing, all its life.

Not only that, but it has probably clocked up the majority of those miles up on a motorway - far better than something which has clocked up say 50k just doing school runs etc.

Honestly Mr H, it's about time you got over this stigma you attach to higher miles cars, cos the only persons losing out as a result, is the vendor(s), and yourself.

Yes, your local Alfa main dealer, I should think... only trouble is, low miles cars cost low miles money - can't have your cake and eat it!

-- JackH

Whereas Punto Sportings are driven by airheaded peroxide tarts who take it up the ring... which would you prefer to be associated with?

Rubbish... there is the odd exception out there... you just have to look for it.

The good thing about the E34, is that a lot of people have aspired to owning one... yes, even the older ones, so when they do finally get their hands on one, they tend to keep it well fettled, rather than just driving it til it falls to bit.

-- JackH

Uno turbo was OK. But they're all shagged or terminally rusty these days.

The Y10 was an abomination when it was launched. And most have rusted away by now.

Oh, 'fussy as f*ck' in wanting the cars to be as described, owned by the person flogging them, or even not needing several hundred pounds spending on 'em before you even start driving them?

Wrong. I've seen / phoned about several cars that were disposed of by the lease company rather than splash out on the 'big' 72k miles service.

That's true.

High miles isn't a problem, so long as the maintenance has been done properly. Most of the Alfa / Fiat kit I've seen has been flogged before the expensive stuff comes up. Or needs a pretty expensive job doing because someone took the cheap option on the last big service (ie. that

155 and cam variator)

I don't mind paying proper money for a proper car. But I have yet to find one.

Don't forget the bit about it *HAS* to be eytie...

You've been sniffing around the bargain basement, that's half the point; you seem to expect a minter with no problems for under £500, and whilst they do exist, it takes time to root them out.

The fact you insist on just looking at brands which have a tendency to fall to bits and cost the earth in repairs compared to some of their compatriarts, isn't going to enhance your chances of finding something worthy of your hard earned / blagged.

They've stated this, have they?

Maybe if you widened your sights slightly to other brands, you may find something which meets your criteria (in this respect at least), after all.

But yet again we come to the definitive point - the brands you insist are all you will consider...!

-- JackH

Well, i guess we only drove the way we did because it was a rental car. I would never do that to my own car....at least not for a sustained period of time.