Scottish Elises

It's been something of a crazy month - Five weeks ago I was happily pootling around in my old Audi A4, when out of the blue a friend calls me up offering to buy it for a surprisingly decent price...

Deal done, I end up with said friend's Nissan Almera as transport till I buy something else - I offer to help sell it for him, and am a little too successful...It sells a couple of days after I stick it on Pistonheads, and I'm completely without transport...(!)

Cue a call to Arnold Clark rental, and a Toyota Aygo diesel for the next fortnight (great wee car - Got 80+mpg out of it).

Pondering what to get next...

...when Robin's Shed appears for sale - Cue huge amounts of deliberation...I'd always had a soft spot for this car, and know it's history well...In fact I've probably driven it as much as Robin has, if not more!

I'd been looking to get back into an Elise next year (probably a 135R), but with a wedding & home improvements on the horizon this looked unlikely...The Shed offered the opportunity I'd been waiting for, and Hazel was surprisingly in favour...So finances were juggled, and a deal was reached...



(One careful owner?! ... Think Si took this pic...)

However this didn't solve the issue of family transport...

...then another friend pops up, and indicated that his brother's immaculate Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon was coming up for sale if I was interested...I've always liked the 156, and the Sportwagon is the best looking of the breed IMHO...Cue more finance juggling, purchase of a mint Veloce pack'd Sportwagon, cherished from day one by it's owner...(He used to remove the alloys every fortnight to clean the inside of them!)

More or less identical to this one...



Delighted with both cars - Although when I picked up the Shed in monsoon conditions a week ago, I had to laugh...You forget the Elise's tendency to wag its tail on greasy roundabouts (!)

Little opportunity to drive it before I returned to work (insurance issues), but during the one little blast I had, I was pleased to see the difference the PTP kit makes over the standard car...(It feels blooming faaaaast!)

Can't wait till the Spring...Roll on 2007!

Ross.

Good choice of family car....underrated

so now you drive a Lotus and an Alfa. You might want to keep the number for arnold clark rentals close by

mckeann wrote:so now you drive a Lotus and an Alfa. You might want to keep the number for arnold clark rentals close by

And the AA!

If its not been done already have a good look at the timing belt on the Alfa or change it . Mates experience was his went at 30k miles and it cost him £1500 to fix.

tenkfeet wrote:If its not been done already have a good look at the timing belt on the Alfa or change it . Mates experience was his went at 30k miles and it cost him £1500 to fix.

He's owned it from a few months old, and has been more particular when it comes to checking levels / servicing than some Elise owners I've known...

It's definitely had new belts, plus (I think) a new variator & MAF sensor last year - And it doesn't use much oil (something the 156 is famed for)...

Who knows if it'll hold out, but it's never let the previous owner down in the past 4.5 years, despite him being an 'enthusiastic driver', and taking it on regular family jaunts to the continent...

(Famous last words!)

my old boy did 60k miles in his 156 sportwagon and nothing ever broke / went wrong / misbehaved. Lost a FORTUNE on it though.

Mandy's 156 sportwagon has developed a taste for coolant (with no signs of where it was going too) and a seriously dodgy fuel gauge.

It's been said that the gauges on the Alfa are more for show than anything else though - despite that it was a cracking car.



Mac

Good choices Ross

Going a bit left field, we tried a C6 yesterday

Malcolm

Ross,

good to see you back in a decent car again!

John

greyrigg wrote:Good choices Ross

Going a bit left field, we tried a C6 yesterday

Malcolm

C6 as in citroen? HELLO DEPRECIATION! It would by kinder to give a stack of money to charity, buy an old german exec barge with the change, enjoy better reliability and feel good about yourself...IMHO

Dominic

We get demo cars quite often and I just run around in them......free miles

No intention what so ever of buying a C6.

I also don't fall for the old low depreciation BS the german manufacturers try to peddle, bitter experience I am afraid.

Malcolm

The C6 was great BTW.........really comfy.

greyrigg wrote:We get demo cars quite often and I just run around in them......free miles

No intention what so ever of buying a C6.

I also don't fall for the old low depreciation BS the german manufacturers try to peddle, bitter experience I am afraid.

Malcolm

The C6 was great BTW.........really comfy.

Best way to experience C6 then I really don't rate newest German stuff.... especially Mercs (which are sh*t IMHO), but old 80's stuff is good.

Dominic

Well fcuk me after seeing you in the aygo i though you were finally dead or even worse beige

right back to sleeping off last nights adventures in Malaysia which has unfortunately/fortuantly (delete as needed) very cheap beer