Here ya go Clive, found your next car for you...............

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CONVERTIBLE-1...rkparms=72:12|39:1|65:12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Well, well. 7 years have passed and I have just rediscovered this thread
Are any of you guys still around??
A friend of mine has just unexpectedly bought a Barchetta and he has got my juices dribbling....

Hi SS, remember reading this thread with interest, loads of friendly dialogue between you and LRB, I had just bought my Barchetta, and read with interest things that you and Doc were doing to your cars.
LRB I presume has sold up a good few years ago, not seen him on this site for ages. Doc I am sure still had his Barchetta, doesn't post on here so often now,
Just read through some of your posts good to read again.

Welcome back, SS - we miss you! The banter in your posts with LRB, Alan.D and Robot was priceless!

Your friend is very lucky (a) to have acquired a B, and (b) to have a friend who's such an expert on fettling them!

So the big question is ... has it whetted your appetite to put another B in that sad, empty garage of yours?

Thanks Dave M & Gar-074!
I spent two hours going through my old posts etc last night and I had even forgotten half of the things I and done to the yellow one. The one thing that did hit me is the fact that I truly regret selling it
My problem is the same as it was 8 years ago, I still do not spend enough time at home to warrant buying a second car to play with. I have just this week bought a 15 plate family estate and I told the missus that I may keep this one after the 3 years finance has ended and instead of investing in another "family" car, I very well may purchase another convertible but, I am thinking Mercedes SL.....I am still a little wide around the flanks and the portly Merc would suit me better

Has the warranty expired on R255 KAF yet? Do you recognize it? BiL posted on YouTube Paul's Sports Cars. I bought a AMG too

Its still running sweetly then? and still in spain? Miss that thing!

In Spain just now, never see another on 1300 mile e/w journeys but v/ often in UK too, managed about 3k miles pa ave ish, little gone wrong ever really, except throttle cable, only break down. Engine still v/sweet (thanks) variator noise unchanged. Over time, had full bare metal re-spray, welding, exhaust, new R pads & discs !, 3 sets of handbrake cables (still not 100%) new radiator, battery, both drive shaft rubbers, n/s/r wheel bearing + suspension arm (thread was peaned not nut) new R springs, another air filter box (std). Upper o/s/f strut bearing. New R bumper (RTA) Recent new hood after yours was up & down a zillion times. Still gets admired often with requests for a ride, but my MB AMG SLK has spoilt me, A/C, hard top for security, Harman Kardon sounds, 'neck scarf' electric everything etc. I bought a new S-Max 2.2 too which is v/nippy 200 Bhp. Time to out the B looming, too many toys.

CasaPaulo said:

Time to out the B looming, too many toys.

Click to expand...

Get in there, SS

Hmm. Give me first refusal Paul. I may not bite but I would appreciate the chance....
Also if it might be cheaper to buy it whilst its still in spain then I may be even more tempted as I can get there in my job for nowt!

Well, it's been a while, again.......
Reading this thread reminded me of how much fun I had whilst I owned the Barchetta, I quite forgot that.
So, now it's time I have a mid-life crisis, I went out and bought a brand new 124 Abarth, like you do!
This is purely a stress relief toy for when I am not working.....roll on summer!

Ah, good shout!!!

I came within a gnat's whisker of leasing an Abarth 124 from Mangoletsi a few weeks ago, at a ridiculously cheap price (under £200 pm) but stupidly managed to talk myself out of it ("why do you need another sports car? why not sort out the B instead?" etc).

Tell us about yours!

That's exactly what I have done and from Mangoletsi! I thought I would try the lease option first and then if I remain in love with it, then look to buy, which you can incidentally after the two year lease. I am paying £215 as I opted to up the mileage allowance to 7000 per annum.

Looks great! That's a better price than they offered me (they only had ones with Bose and metallic paint left by the time I joined the party, which bumped the monthlies up considerably).

I think they look better without the Heritage Pack, which is a bit too "Hey, look at me!" for my liking (as if everyone won't already be looking at you, with an exhaust note loud enough to wake the dead!)

Enjoy!

All those tools £££s of SS going to waste, you'll never need a spanner again. Unlike your goodself who considered a SL, with one of my earlier old age crisis I've still got my SLK bought back then, though I miss many aspects your Barchetta. But the latest B new hood @ £500 ish leaked more than the new one you'd fitted, couldn't get new window rubbers, etc. Never ever got the hand brake to bite properly & with the engine grenading on me, we parted company in FRance. Recently had a SLK tyre burst 500+ miles from home. A full size wheel won't fit in a SLK boot, lid up or down !!! You still gallivanting on airplanes?