89' tweaked-up Milano Verde for sale in Toronto

[yiminlu]

This is what I just heard. I'm no middleman, please contact seller: http://www3.sympatico.ca/marioricambi/

89' Verde 3.3L engine mod, S cams, S pistons, Koni, & lots more, charcoal grey. mileage unknown, but prepare to pay big bucks

[AlfaNewB]

i dont see the car

[yiminlu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlfaNewB i dont see the car

[ALFA-75-MAN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yiminlu This is what I just heard. I'm no middleman, please contact seller: http://www3.sympatico.ca/marioricambi/ 89' Verde 3.3L engine mod, S cams, S pistons, Koni, & lots more, charcoal grey. mileage unknown, but prepare to pay big bucks

[75evo]

Alfa 75 man,

I think you should think about importing a 75 from europe. Just get a 1990 75 3.0 motronic. It should be able to enter canada since it's past 15 years. Also get the EVO or TS kit. If I were in Canada, I would import a "1990" 156 GTA

[ALFA-75-MAN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 75evo Alfa 75 man, I think you should think about importing a 75 from europe. Just get a 1990 75 3.0 motronic. It should be able to enter canada since it's past 15 years. Also get the EVO or TS kit. If I were in Canada, I would import a "1990" 156 GTA

[yiminlu]

[quote=I think you should think about importing a 75 from europe. Just get a 1990 75 3.0 motronic. It should be able to enter canada since it's past 15 years. Also get the EVO or TS kit. If I were in Canada, I would import a "1990" 156 GTA [/QUOTE]

Problem is plus 4000$ freight, the 75 3.0 costs about the same as an high-priced excellent condition Verde. I took full advantage of the Canadian RIV too, but made the right move by importing a tweaked 2.5L in spotless condition from the US. I hardly use the word spotless ever, but this car, esp for the price I paid, is easily one of my best ebay buys ever. My Alfa mechanic checked too, and we do mean spotless: not one single mark in & out top to under. With K&N filtercharger, C&B cams, Magnet Marelli, 3.0 sway bar, exhaust upgrades(not sure which name), this 2.5 should match a stock 3.0 performance. So Alfa-75-man should probably just build up the Silver he already has, that is, if that Silver is structually solid and rust-free. You just need a solid car to start with, specs can be played with, colour can be changed (if one say Alfa must be red, Fine, I can change white to red the minute my spoiler kit arrived!) Nothing desirable for "original paint" on a 18-year-old car! you will repaint it anyway if you're serious about like-new condition.

Few has realized that the Verde's nowadays one of the highest value-holders: MSRP when brand new was a mere 22K$, same as a Platinum, but after 18 years it could still go as high as almost half of its new price. No one, even the best Euro value-holders like BMW can do that. Economically insane, this is one of the worst decisions any buyer could make, very much like early 90's real estate. I'm not saying Alfa is supposed to be worthless, but when those much younger and a lot more expensive when new Euro marques typically go for around 5K these days (including the 30K$ new but 5k used 164S), I will never justify what was a barely entry-level Euro luxury, now 18-years later, still asks for half of its midrange original price.

What's even more unjustifiable is the fact US cars usually have higher mileage. Most Verdes you've seen are over 130k miles old, low for 18-yr-old of course, still too high when you know 130k km are more common in Europe and Canada.

Good luck to you all! Ebay is indeed abound w/uncertainties esp when it comes to international car sales. The seller had been quite slow in correspondence and for the most pre-delivery part I was quite worried. It was the first car I bought without having seen across the border, and was a great risk to take. Well I guess everyone here is more or less a risky type otherwise you won't end up on Alfa board. This time I am just very lucky... Actually I'm always the luckiest with Alfa for no reason: the 164S and the Milano both happened to be the best-condition used cars that ever came to my family. I'm not Italian, never do their "touch-the-balls" thing, but my 164S just goes on and on like a damn Camry! and now the Milano seems even in a better state than the 164 when freshly bought.

Finally, no offence to possible envies: this pristine Verde-calibre tweaked white Gold is a steal ONLY for me. Remember it's an unwanted automatic. There's always give or take: no one wants it, but my woman does the most ironical thing is: pristine Verdes appear from time to time, but an exceptional Gold auto won't reappear for the next hundred years. Once I got all the cosmetic enhancement pieces, she will be one of the sharpest Milanos in Americas

[ALFA-75-MAN]

Okay we know you have a great car to match your great personality we all salute you!! Now find me a car for me....

[Zarcon]

Milanos overpriced?
I dont think so. Yiminlu, you seem to be looking at these cars as though they are used car commodities. You have made an interesting observation about the price of the used verde reliative to when it was new.
after 18 years it could still go as high as almost half of its new price. No one, even the best Euro value-holders like BMW can do that. Economically insane, this is one of the worst decisions any buyer could make, very much like early 90's real estate. I'm not saying Alfa is supposed to be worthless, but when those much younger and a lot more expensive when new Euro marques typically go for around 5K these days (including the 30K$ new but 5k used 164S), I will never justify what was a barely entry-level Euro luxury, now 18-years later, still asks for half of its midrange original price.

You refer to the best examples in the world. Even if the condition of a Verde is just ok, it is still an extremely rare car. The Euro marques that were more expensive are far less unique than our Alfas. Mercs and BMWs have big sections in the classified sections of every US newspaper. Very few of them are very special even though they were expensive in their day. I also dont like the way you have classifed the Verde as entry level Euro luxury. I think that a Verde is a performance sedan with sophistication, but not a luxury sedan. The BM and Mercs that are all over the sunday paper are long in the luxury dept, but have no sporting soul. Hardly more sporting than a VW Golf, IMHO. (I am not refering to special racing editions of those cars like the Cosworth [190E?] or E30 M3).
V6 75/Milanos represent a very small percentage of the overall production of the 75. Making all of the models that exist in the US special and therefore collectable.
In the game of baseball card collections, there are types of cards that are very vulnerable to damage. These cards will fetch extra high values if you have one that is in good condition.
Milanos tend to be in shabby condition these days. The mechanical systems are very vulnerable to being messed up if a Ford mechanic even opens up the hood and looks inside.
Many have out of balance driveshafts, ruined synchros, and leaky gaskets. The interiors tend to fare even worse. The headliners are often saggy, the door liners sag as well. Then, on the verde, there is the issue of the seat fabric which is the most fragile I have ever encountered on any car.
These factors make a v6 75 or Milano, in genuinely good condition, a very rare item. Rarity drives the prices.
Furthermore, I dont think anything from 1980s BMW really compares to the presence that these cars convey. Ok, the e30 M3 is quite a machine, but I have heard of people paying gaudy sums for those things.
The GTV6 was a cheap car even in good condition a few years ago, now it is becoming a true collector car. The Milano is in transition right now. The 164 is still an unnappreciated "used" car. Since it is aging well, good 164s will become harder to get as the nice ones will tend to be spoken for (like yours yiminlu).
Also, with regard to milage, I think that the Milano cannot be assessed in the normal fashion. If you are looking at a used Toyota, you can assume that the 1995 Camry with 50,000 miles is in better mechanical condition than one with 90,000.
With regard to the Milano, time shut away in a garage can do as much or more damage to the car than use by a good owner who sees to problems at their outset. I have heard of more than one garage queen that turned out to be a mechanical tar baby once the new owner started driving it again. Same with the 164, I have heard of many a 164 with low milage and all kinds of problems. Meanwhile, you continue to drive yours all the time, seeing to every minor issue that crops up. Your car would most likely require less maintainance than one that has less milage but has been in a garage since 2001.
These are the reasons why I dont think the nice US examples are overpriced.

[DonBeeson]

Did anyone get to test drive the 3.3L?

What would a ballpark spec be? Im guessing upwards of 215? at least.

[realdriver]

European 75 3.0 prices are below Milano Verde prices. You can get excellent medium mileage cars (less than 100'000 miles) for approx. 5'000 US$. Only top low mileage cars go for more and rarely for more than 8 grand. Some of the cars exchanging hands in the US for 6-8 grand in the US would be worth 3-4 grand for a 75 in Europe.

Milano Verdes going for 2-3 grand in the US are nearly worthless over here...

It's way easier to find a superb unmolested 75 3.0 than a Milano Verde, hence the price difference.

If you're canadian and looking for the best available, I do think that it would be interesting to import a 75 from Europe...