Alfa Owner member review
Forum name: Ivo
Real name: Ivo (duh)
Age: Jesus man, why this question. (Anyway, the answer is cryptically hidden in my reply)
Occupation: Account Manager, selling Fiber Optic related products.
Lives: below sea level
Marital status: living together with girlfriend & cat
What cars do you drive and why?
Alfa 147 (company leasecar)
Golf III (girlfriends car)
Why? The Golf because she wanted a Polo, but that’s just a crappy womens car (hehehe, I drove 3 Seat Polo’s (Cordoba) for many years). The 147, well see below >>>
What started your passion for Alfa Romeo?
I wil get flamed for this, but I have no real passion for Alfa in specific. Nor do I know a lot about the heritage and all that other Alfa marketing stuff. I have a passion for cars in general, let’s say I’m mad about cars, and I keep track off the modern car news etc.
Though I can remember a father of my brothers friend having a 75 3.0 tuned by SaVaLi years ago … very impressive ….
What I do know is that Alfa makes the best looking cars around and that my girlfriend insisted on getting a 147 above the Leon, Stilo, Golf, Bora, Passat, Laguna and all other cars I was looking at.
I must admit though, that since I’m driving my first Alfa, I became more interested in other Alfa’s and the brand in general. Heck, I even visit a brand related forum many times a day. I never did this before. Hmmm, is that the Alfa virus getting to me?
What do you like most about Alfas?
The looks, sorry, but that’s it. In my diesel case, the engine is not the best around, performance wise that is. I would have got a 150 bhp Golf TDi, but at this moment I’m glad I didn’t … this 147 has something special.
What do you like least about Alfas?
The image of the people driving it here in Holland. Alfa drivers have a bit the name of being over-ambitious yuppies. Like the marketing guy in the BBC serie The Office, I think you know what I mean.
Perhaps I needed to talk about reliability related issues here, but that’s not my style…
What would be your dream cars?.
Maserati GT3200. It has been for several years now. I actually decided that I will buy one if I ever loose the privilege of a company car. I only got to sit in a few brand new ones @ the Dutch importer, never driven one though…. damn Rapallo should be so happy
Also (on shorter term) any more then 4 cylinder JTD or TDi would be very welcome. Hey,
can’t a guy have common (rail) dreams as well ? :-D
I had the chance of driving in a Bentley Continental R (turbo stuff) with about 750 bhp once, damn that would be ok for me also.
What car would you least like to have?
Any Opel (sorry Pete). I just do not like their heritage, errr, I mean looks and baseball cap people driving them.
What would be your ideal drive in an Alfa, (destination, passenger, driving music, etc)?
On my way to the Maser dealer to pick up my brand new 3200 GT (well, they had it in stock for some years and as I insisted on not wanting the Coupé, the sold me the oldie).
Serious, as my girl and I decided to have NO kids, we’re planning to stop working when I’m about 45 and then move to a country with a lower living standard (read cheap to live). I just cannot get used to the idea I’ll have to work in Holland for ever. So my ideal drive would be the one were me & my girl drive in our Hanomag 4x4 Camper towards some place in Africa to settle for the rests of our lives.
Any humorous Alfa or car related stories you wish to share with us?
My first car was a 21 year old Daf 46 SL Variomatic. The SL meant SuperLuxe: headrests and sky leather upholstery … Daf use to make not only Trucks, but also normal cars in the early 70’s. The Variomatic (you know, the CVT avant-la-lettre) was their best invention. I was member of the Dutch Daf Club and there was a guy (there always is one) who had put a Renault 5 Turbo engine + open webers in a Daf 66. This fitted very well, because the later liquid cooled Daf engines were in fact built by Renault.
So imagine, this Daf 66 (having the same image as the Robin Reliant in your country), looking all original, blasting a BMW 320 @ the traffic lights… It just went and went and went, having max power at all speeds thanks to the Variomatic. Great stuff!
Anyway, you had to be there …..
Not very humorous, but I have great memories related to Rollers and the UK. My ex-brother-in-law had an old Silver Shadow I. Together, we visited the UK about 8 times in total to follow technical courses, visit the Crew factory, visiting the yearly Rolls & Bentley show in June and looking for spare parts on different scrap heaps around your wet but friendly country. Especially the Aston Martin factory visit I will remember, guys hammering on metal bodywork and that gorgeous V8 engine build by hand ….
What interests do you have outside of Alfas?
Hmm, let me see. As I wrote before, cars in general are my passion. Music, I just need to have and maintain my CD collection (any buying tips anybody?).
I also picked an old sport I started years ago: skydiving. And I’m absolutely crazy about this. Furthermore, in addition to my normal occupation, I’ve got my own website related company, like almost all the techies in my generation
Tell us something nobody knows about you. (e.g. special skill, ever been on TV, etc)
I like to cook Italian, in fact, I do this every weekend. Genua style Spaghetti and home baked Ciabatta with sea salt are my specialities ….
Any ambitions?:
I’ve just got to have more post# than you Pete. And I have the dream about completely change my lifestyle when I’m 45 off course.
What do you like most about Alfaowner forum?
Having a laugh at off topic posts, but surely also the amount of advice, nice-to-know-things and tips that you can share amongst the complete internet connected world.
Any favourite threads, posts you wish to share?
I’m always posting in the Way Off Topic thread
Forum name: Ivo
Real name: Ivo (duh)
Age: Jesus man, why this question. (Anyway, the answer is cryptically hidden in my reply)
Occupation: Account Manager, selling Fiber Optic related products.
Lives: below sea level
Marital status: living together with girlfriend & cat
What cars do you drive and why?
Alfa 147 (company leasecar)
Golf III (girlfriends car)
Why? The Golf because she wanted a Polo, but that’s just a crappy womens car (hehehe, I drove 3 Seat Polo’s (Cordoba) for many years). The 147, well see below >>>
What started your passion for Alfa Romeo?
I wil get flamed for this, but I have no real passion for Alfa in specific. Nor do I know a lot about the heritage and all that other Alfa marketing stuff. I have a passion for cars in general, let’s say I’m mad about cars, and I keep track off the modern car news etc.
Though I can remember a father of my brothers friend having a 75 3.0 tuned by SaVaLi years ago … very impressive ….
What I do know is that Alfa makes the best looking cars around and that my girlfriend insisted on getting a 147 above the Leon, Stilo, Golf, Bora, Passat, Laguna and all other cars I was looking at.
I must admit though, that since I’m driving my first Alfa, I became more interested in other Alfa’s and the brand in general. Heck, I even visit a brand related forum many times a day. I never did this before. Hmmm, is that the Alfa virus getting to me?
What do you like most about Alfas?
The looks, sorry, but that’s it. In my diesel case, the engine is not the best around, performance wise that is. I would have got a 150 bhp Golf TDi, but at this moment I’m glad I didn’t … this 147 has something special.
What do you like least about Alfas?
The image of the people driving it here in Holland. Alfa drivers have a bit the name of being over-ambitious yuppies. Like the marketing guy in the BBC serie The Office, I think you know what I mean.
Perhaps I needed to talk about reliability related issues here, but that’s not my style…
What would be your dream cars?.
Maserati GT3200. It has been for several years now. I actually decided that I will buy one if I ever loose the privilege of a company car. I only got to sit in a few brand new ones @ the Dutch importer, never driven one though…. damn Rapallo should be so happy
Also (on shorter term) any more then 4 cylinder JTD or TDi would be very welcome. Hey,
can’t a guy have common (rail) dreams as well ? :-D
I had the chance of driving in a Bentley Continental R (turbo stuff) with about 750 bhp once, damn that would be ok for me also.
What car would you least like to have?
Any Opel (sorry Pete). I just do not like their heritage, errr, I mean looks and baseball cap people driving them.
What would be your ideal drive in an Alfa, (destination, passenger, driving music, etc)?
On my way to the Maser dealer to pick up my brand new 3200 GT (well, they had it in stock for some years and as I insisted on not wanting the Coupé, the sold me the oldie).
Serious, as my girl and I decided to have NO kids, we’re planning to stop working when I’m about 45 and then move to a country with a lower living standard (read cheap to live). I just cannot get used to the idea I’ll have to work in Holland for ever. So my ideal drive would be the one were me & my girl drive in our Hanomag 4x4 Camper towards some place in Africa to settle for the rests of our lives.
Any humorous Alfa or car related stories you wish to share with us?
My first car was a 21 year old Daf 46 SL Variomatic. The SL meant SuperLuxe: headrests and sky leather upholstery … Daf use to make not only Trucks, but also normal cars in the early 70’s. The Variomatic (you know, the CVT avant-la-lettre) was their best invention. I was member of the Dutch Daf Club and there was a guy (there always is one) who had put a Renault 5 Turbo engine + open webers in a Daf 66. This fitted very well, because the later liquid cooled Daf engines were in fact built by Renault.
So imagine, this Daf 66 (having the same image as the Robin Reliant in your country), looking all original, blasting a BMW 320 @ the traffic lights… It just went and went and went, having max power at all speeds thanks to the Variomatic. Great stuff!
Anyway, you had to be there …..
Not very humorous, but I have great memories related to Rollers and the UK. My ex-brother-in-law had an old Silver Shadow I. Together, we visited the UK about 8 times in total to follow technical courses, visit the Crew factory, visiting the yearly Rolls & Bentley show in June and looking for spare parts on different scrap heaps around your wet but friendly country. Especially the Aston Martin factory visit I will remember, guys hammering on metal bodywork and that gorgeous V8 engine build by hand ….
What interests do you have outside of Alfas?
Hmm, let me see. As I wrote before, cars in general are my passion. Music, I just need to have and maintain my CD collection (any buying tips anybody?).
I also picked an old sport I started years ago: skydiving. And I’m absolutely crazy about this. Furthermore, in addition to my normal occupation, I’ve got my own website related company, like almost all the techies in my generation
Tell us something nobody knows about you. (e.g. special skill, ever been on TV, etc)
I like to cook Italian, in fact, I do this every weekend. Genua style Spaghetti and home baked Ciabatta with sea salt are my specialities ….
Any ambitions?:
I’ve just got to have more post# than you Pete. And I have the dream about completely change my lifestyle when I’m 45 off course.
What do you like most about Alfaowner forum?
Having a laugh at off topic posts, but surely also the amount of advice, nice-to-know-things and tips that you can share amongst the complete internet connected world.
Any favourite threads, posts you wish to share?
I’m always posting in the Way Off Topic thread
