The Morning After Topgear......

Originally Posted by alfa_147_jtd_16v

I find it frustrating (and very very boring) that the same old comments keep coming up that Alfas fall apart, rust and breakdown etc. Even Clarkson keeps saying this and he is 'supposidly' in favour of Alfa's.
Nothing has fallen off my car, its not broken down, it has no rust and I don't see the state of my car changing for the foreseable future.

Ahh sure that's old news, anyone who says that will never ever buy an Alfa so what's the point in givening out about it. Sure I even say it as a joke. Amongst all my friends who have Jap cars it's fun getting into an argument with them about reliablity and it's boring ways

Originally Posted by chrisd_b

Because anyone that has a GTV/156/166 will lose out on even more reduced residuals....this then stifles the money that can go back into purchasing new or newer Alfa's

I wonder how many people that were turned off, that may have thought about a 156/GTV perhaps 6-8 years old, that could be bought at a sensible price (even with poor resale values already in place because of bad rep)

Man old Alfa's are worth about 4p hardly going majorly effect them now. Most older 156's etc have hit their bottom and if they haven't I can't see how Top Gear will cost them to drop their asking prices for the car. And if and it's a big if, I would imagine it would only be 500 pounds at most they would be taking off.

Can't see dealers giving away free money like.

I enjoyed the show I think it showed how reliable Alfa's are They survived a hammering round the track. Hammonds Spider would have been fine if he bothered to replace the water pump. May's GTV with it's TS engine was great a beacon of reliability. It had the ring driven out of it, been off the track numerous times and all that did slightly break iwas the clutch peddle which fixed itself.

Clarksons 75 was brilliant too Sideways in an Alfa what more do you want to see, it was hammered on it's side the gearbox sounded like as if it was going to implode but it didn't even with towing hammond.

So how can it possibly be bad for Alfa's sales any where?? All of ye that are jumpin up and down about this are being a bit melo dramatic for the sake of being melo dramtic and awkward for the sake of it.

You'd swear Top Gear where the be all and end all for cars.

I'd be more worried with the bad reviews the Brera has been getting for it being heavy etc Than what Top Gear did last night.

Originally Posted by rafe005

Would be insteresting, go for it

done.

Originally Posted by jonwood79

Is this the fastest growing thread of all time?

I watched last night and laughed more than I've laughed in a long time at a TV show. The point is whenever TG do a cheap car challenge, they all fall apart and break down, regardless of the marque, and they all laugh at each other's misfortune and their own. You buy any car for less than £1000 and it'll break, that's why someone's selling it in the first place for goodness sake.

It's normal fare for TG, and anyone expecting those three Alfas to get different treatment was misguided.

it's funny, now, in the same way that throwing bottles at a wall is funny

doesn't matter if it's milk bottles (how old am I?) ir coke bottles or beer bottles

it's still funny - right?

what? not any more? throw more bottles? throw all the bottles?

I thought the show was ace Like Chrisd-b, I and those watching did have an issue with the car wrecking. However, we accept it's all part of it. I thought is was obvious the TG guys really loved the Alfas and had a real hoot making the programme.

The 75 looked fantastic on track
Even the old Giulia based Spider gave Hammond thrills, and why shouldn't it?
Even James May loved his GTV as evidenced the the loving wash and polish. I remember he was similarliy praisefull of the 159.

Wasn't it great to see that the sub 1 grand cars lasted so well in the face of not just an ordinary track day, but one filled with so much abuse? Remember these cars were all made before Alfas renaissance so are flawed gems- and that was the point of the feature. They were all proper Alfas. It encompassed it all. Timeless classic, idosyncratic and flamboyant sports saloon and gorgous coupe.

They didn't just trash the cars- that treatment was reserved of the SD1, Dolomite and Princess

I don't remember them being quite so passionate about the Italian supercars or the Porsches. Relatively speaking, it was a hugely positive programme. It is a shame we all couldn't be quite so positive about it, but I will respect others opinions as I can see the points being made.

I think that we should all remember that Alfaowner will likely get more hits from prospective owners due to the publicity so we should bear that in mind. Personally, I think the moderators have allowed considerable free reign within this thread, and hope that others may agree with this in retrospect. I never like to hear of people being 'moderated'. We must be remember to be respectful of each other, and of each other's views.

I haven't been out in either of my cars today, but I do look forward to my next drive in the 75. I reckon I'll have an even bigger griin

Blimey! Thanks to francesca, OperationAlfa, steveisfrowning, EddieGTA and Fast frank for your kind comments!

I'll go along with steve-it must be the pollen...or the seagulls. Have I mentioned that I hate seagulls?

Originally Posted by AlfaTech 70's

Blimey! Thanks to francesca, OperationAlfa, steveisfrowning, EddieGTA and Fast frank for your kind comments!

I'll go along with steve-it must be the pollen...or the seagulls. Have I mentioned that I hate seagulls?

Come to N Devon then chap, we have massive ones here with rolled up sleeves and tattoos (working in ilfracombe at the mo)

hmmm...the 75 sideways was cool

i'll give you that

Originally Posted by EddieGTA

I found some old episodes from 1989 1990, and by God were they Baaaaad. Discussions on the benefits of split folding rear seats Zzzzzzzzzzz

...you don't have kids then...

Overall, thought it was a good humoured attempt to explain why people get attached to old alfas.
Clearly the producers challenges were designed to destroy the cars but then also to show them how fab they can look if some what briefly ..they could easily have had them chopped and converted into bin lorries as the next task ..
Some of the jokes are tired on TG. but obviously work as we all tune in every week, eg bumping the car, Hammond's tanning/teeth thing ..but it was good entertainment and was certainly better than watching yet more foreign tennis players walk off with our silverwear ..

only downside ..and this is a forum so i will state my opinion, it isn't going to do Alfa trade in prices in the £500 - £2000 bracket much good as no one wants to be reminded by our local car trader about Alfa's that break down, whatever the circumstances and I am sure they will use this program, seen by millions as a negotiation lever if they have any sales experience.

Does it make me worry about my spider ...not at all ..it rattled, shook and 98% of the car's bits work 98% of the time, albeit at different times before the show and the same is true this morning !

Bellisimo !

Originally Posted by VO2Max

...you don't have kids then...

No, hence I can afford to run a GTA

Sorry for being a spoilsport at the start, dunno what came over me,

But why must they wreck great cars week in week out!!!

You have a GTA?

Originally Posted by Darren156

Sorry for being a spoilsport at the start, dunno what came over me,

But why must they wreck great cars week in week out!!!

I agree about wrecking them. But the only one I worried about was the 75 they are rare and well the spider Hammond got was a heap and the GTV that James got was very clean but there's plenty of them knocking about. But 75 esp the V6's are rare enough.

But it does go to show how reliable I think Alfa's can be.

Originally Posted by PaulR

What he actually said was:-

....the first thing you do in any car "when you get on a track" is switch off the traction control...............

This is puts it into a somewhat different contex

Paul.

Agreed, so in this case apologies.

But they do make a big deal about switching it off and one day some young impressionable youth will mis hear as I did and do it at the wrong time because he heard it on Top Gear. Also on many cars the traction control is only a part of the stabilty programme.
I've had the ESP "take over" twice on me due to road conditions. On both occasions I was unnerved but very grateful it was there when I needed it.

I had stopped watching Top Gear although I used to enjoy it. I'm sad to see the show in it's death throes, it was good for a long time.