RedFrog Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Hi fellow owners of Rat Shit frog cars. Many years ago I had the pleasure of having the use of "mums car" - a Renault 12. This introduced me to the joys of French engineering and front wheel drive car handling. It was most fun when I had the handbrake on - because then on a wet road, or downhill in any conditions the direction that the body of the car was facing in didn't really matter - point front wheels where you want to go and (hopefully) the rest of the car will follow. So when I saved up enough pennies I bought myself an Alfa Romeo with 50:50 weight distribution and RWD... It was a Superleggera - but only because it had been lightened through quite a bit of oxidation... But it did (after emptying my pockets and filling my mechanics) go really well. Anyway, since then I've tended to stick with vehicles driven and steered from different ends (and I don't have a forklift licence) with a few AWDs thrown in. It was with much joy that the significant other and I set out to buy a "newish not another Alfa" (if anyone wants one I have a few spare) that befitted our relatively new freedom from the need to transport offspring and was a bit of fun. Unfortunately all the driven from the correct end 2 door "sports cars" remotely in the price range were incapable of fitting a 6'4" driver (a regression from Alfetta GTs...) so it was onto "hot hatches". If Honda hadn't had the Civic type R's styling designed by or for a 13 year old boy I'd have bought one. If Volkswagen could somehow stop a Golf R from being boring I'd have bought one. If it were possible to find a used BMW 140i with decent suspension, an LSD ideally not an auto for sane $ I'd have bought one. If an i30N Hyundai that was so simple that it reminded me of those older things wasn't hard to get a discount on as it is (apparently) clearly "the cheapest, best value, hot hatch" I might have bought one. And so I bought an RS 280 Cup, manual, in Flame Red... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedfiend41 Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Wow. Ummmm - congratulations on buying a car you really lusted after? 🤔 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokinacha Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Welcome! Sadly I also have the Italian disease but even more sadly have never owned a rwd Alfa. Have owned a Busso tho, so a good middle ground. I hope your intro doesn't throw the mob offside. I think your sense of humour will fit in very well here. Lend your hand to the bushfire thread for a night of frivolity 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachlan8 Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Umm hi and welcome. Wasn't sure what to think after that challenging intro... If everyone here who considered a CTR could settle for its looks this would be another Honda forum (Oh ok a little extreme) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttimbo Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 You’ve owned an Alfa, with everything that entails, so you’re clearly a car nut, and most welcome here. Just don’t dwell on the Alfa too much [emoji15][emoji33][emoji23] 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckovski Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Lol that's awesomePics!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFrog Posted 2, February 2020 Author Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 It is OZRS - and I thought in Oz RS only meant one thing... I also thought RS owners would tend to be racers. Winning matters. The RS won, having started near the back of the field due to some issues (the Renault 12) that can be solved by simply replacing everything except the badge (another thing the racers will be familiar with). You get the Cup/Trophy! Anyway, if you have to explain the joke - my bad to anyone offended. To those that got it - thanks for the welcome. And yes, I've owned an Alfa - about 10 or 12 in total I think. Still own 5. Happy to reduce to 4 if anyone wants a cheap Busso 24v - take my 166 off my hands for less than it costs to get the just done cambelt and pump done... The RS Cup through/out of a bend is a joy. That 4ws is a bit interesting though - it feels extremely pointy, heading for oversteer and then you go - hmm - fwd - so lifting off probably NOT the right thing to do... And then it magically sorts itself out anyway. I'd have to be doing something very illegal for this to matter/the slow fossil behind the wheel to have to figure it out - so it is all good fun (at least until I dare turn ESC off)... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokinacha Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 7 minutes ago, RedFrog said: take my 166 off my hands for less than it costs to get the just done cambelt and pump done That could cost anywhere between 3 and 5k depending on the bravery of your mechanic. The 166 is a gorgeous machine though. My Giulietta QV needs a time and then it might be suitable for the OZRS forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFrog Posted 2, February 2020 Author Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 14 minutes ago, Pokinacha said: That could cost anywhere between 3 and 5k depending on the bravery of your mechanic. The 166 is a gorgeous machine though. My Giulietta QV needs a time and then it might be suitable for the OZRS forum Asking 1/2 your higher estimate... Saw someones Giulietta (yours?) in a smokey Canberra post in that thread you so kindly referred me to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPE Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 Yes Red Frog, got to agree with your Honda and Golf R conclusions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttimbo Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 And yes, I've owned an Alfa - about 10 or 12 in total I think. Still own 5.Oh! [emoji33]You do need help!!Good thing you’ve joined OzRSYou’ve started by admitting you have a problem Next, sell some of those Alfa’s and buy a couple of CliosBetter than a Bex and a good lie down! [emoji23][emoji23] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudy Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 A 166 you say.... pre facelift or post facelift? photos please 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokinacha Posted 2, February 2020 Report Share Posted 2, February 2020 11 hours ago, RedFrog said: Asking 1/2 your higher estimate... Saw someones Giulietta (yours?) in a smokey Canberra post in that thread you so kindly referred me to That was @Haakons Giulietta. I wasn't silly enough to leave mine in a place where the golf balls could hit it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 3, February 2020 Report Share Posted 3, February 2020 3 hours ago, Pokinacha said: That was @Haakons Giulietta. I wasn't silly enough to leave mine in a place where the golf balls could hit it. Yes, the smokey shot was the last photo I had of intact. Looks more like this now... Stupid sky golf balls... Welcome, Alfa nuts are not so bad. Proof that there is something sillier than being a Reno nut 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFrog Posted 3, February 2020 Author Report Share Posted 3, February 2020 9 hours ago, Haakon said: Yes, the smokey shot was the last photo I had of intact. Looks more like this now... Stupid sky golf balls... Welcome, Alfa nuts are not so bad. Proof that there is something sillier than being a Reno nut Ouch. That 166 I'm trying to sell was in the 2014 hail storm up in Brizvegas. It usually lived under cover but it just had to be the day that I drove it into work for once. There wasn't heavy damage (no smashed glass, just tail lights) but it still got almost every panel. I had it repaired by a PDR mob I knew were good, not the mob the bulk assessing etc was being done by (insured with Shannons - who despite their default being to process claims just like any of Suncorp's other brands do cope when you just organise repairs and tell them where the car is and they can expect a quote). That was an impressive storm not for what it did to my car which was partly sheltered but for stripping most of the paint and smashing all the windows on one side of the house and media blasting the furniture on the opposite side of the rooms (removed varnish from timber)... Anyway, the PDR was good - no issues at all - though I did have to scour the world (electronically) for a year to source 166 tail lights - took a year to find one of them, in UK, the other I'd found in Italy after a month or 2. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 3, February 2020 Report Share Posted 3, February 2020 27 minutes ago, RedFrog said: Ouch. That 166 I'm trying to sell was in the 2014 hail storm up in Brizvegas. It usually lived under cover but it just had to be the day that I drove it into work for once. There wasn't heavy damage (no smashed glass, just tail lights) but it still got almost every panel. I had it repaired by a PDR mob I knew were good, not the mob the bulk assessing etc was being done by (insured with Shannons - who despite their default being to process claims just like any of Suncorp's other brands do cope when you just organise repairs and tell them where the car is and they can expect a quote). That was an impressive storm not for what it did to my car which was partly sheltered but for stripping most of the paint and smashing all the windows on one side of the house and media blasting the furniture on the opposite side of the rooms (removed varnish from timber)... Anyway, the PDR was good - no issues at all - though I did have to scour the world (electronically) for a year to source 166 tail lights - took a year to find one of them, in UK, the other I'd found in Italy after a month or 2. I find out on Friday if Allianz will write it off... Bulk hail repair centre set up in town. I think I’d prefer a write off, there is also paint work needed. Roof is pretty bad too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokinacha Posted 3, February 2020 Report Share Posted 3, February 2020 10 hours ago, Haakon said: I find out on Friday if Allianz will write it off... Bulk hail repair centre set up in town. I think I’d prefer a write off, there is also paint work needed. Roof is pretty bad too. Looking at your pics with the dents on the creases, it should be a write-off. colleague of mine had her written off due to hail damage on creases with paint peeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 17 minutes ago, Pokinacha said: Looking at your pics with the dents on the creases, it should be a write-off. colleague of mine had her written off due to hail damage on creases with paint peeling. Yeah,, there is another crease with cracked paint on the bonnet too. The next will be what they want to give me and that'll be a fight. Paid 33 for it new, need 35 to replace it and im tipping theyll open offers at low 20s and start off a shitfight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttimbo Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 Talking to people, it seems the write-off decision is done on the numbers: the difference between the car’s insured value and its salvage value. So, if a car has a high insured value (might be the case for a near-new Alfa) it may still have a low salvage value (unfortunately, also likely the case with a near-new Alfa; if the market depreciates them heavily, so do the scrappies). That means, hypothetically, a repairer might be given, say, $30k to use for repairs...which I’m sure he’ll say he can do [emoji22] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 19 minutes ago, ttimbo said: Talking to people, it seems the write-off decision is done on the numbers: the difference between the car’s insured value and its salvage value. So, if a car has a high insured value (might be the case for a near-new Alfa) it may still have a low salvage value (unfortunately, also likely the case with a near-new Alfa; if the market depreciates them heavily, so do the scrappies). That means, hypothetically, a repairer might be given, say, $30k to use for repairs...which I’m sure he’ll say he can do This is my fear. And as soon as any body repair person is let near it the car will be fucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No152 Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 (edited) Hey @RedFrog welcome to the forum, congrats on the new Rat Shit and a great intro post. You will definitely fit in around here. Like some others here, i managed to bypass the RWD Alfa thing - partly because they seemed to rust away faster than I could save up for them, and partly because watching mates with them suffer financial and emotional pain I thought better them than me... I recently bought a 147 for my daughter to learn on and so she can say for ever more her first car was an Alfa. Cruel, I know... I loved the rationale upon which the Meg arrived, so enjoy. I look forward to more posts from you! 👍 Edited 4, February 2020 by No152 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFrog Posted 4, February 2020 Author Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 A 166 you say.... pre facelift or post facelift? photos pleasePre face-lift. I genuinely don't like the face-lift, the styling was cohesive in the original.Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokinacha Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 sigh. I miss my 156 GTA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 Very nice. I still have questionable urges every time I see a Busso equipped 147 for sale... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFrog Posted 4, February 2020 Author Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 Very nice. I still have questionable urges every time I see a Busso equipped 147 for sale...Replace Giulietta with an anniversary GT? Last of the Bussos....Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haakon Posted 4, February 2020 Report Share Posted 4, February 2020 (edited) 22 minutes ago, RedFrog said: Replace Giulietta with an anniversary GT? Last of the Bussos.... Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk Alas the G is Kirsty's car, not mine - auto is mandatory. She is perfectly capable of driving a manual, she just doesnt see the point... I got her as far as appreciating cool european cars, getting her to love a manual was just a bit too hard! If she was a manual driver, I reckon we would have gone with an RS280 and just had one car between us. Edited 4, February 2020 by Haakon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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