Welcome. Good choice of car ( I have one!). See mine here:

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/JPS130TC/slideshow/Detailed Strada

The NorthWest is a BIG area. You really want a garage that knows about old-school cars and carburettors, especially prepared to use care and patience on the car rather than rely on diagnostics and computer parts finders ( parts are hard to come by), not the latest Abarth garages which just bang out new modern Abarth badged 500s/ Grande Puntos etc bristling with electronics.

I don't know the NorthWest at all. Hopefully somebody up your way will see your enquiry and help.

However, depending where you are in the NW, it may not be too far for you to go over to Walkers Garage at South Otterington in North Yorks. It would certainly be a nice journey! Though really a FIAT dealership, they are the acknowledged North of England experts on Lancia Deltas, so would almost certainly have the knowledge/skills/techniques to sort your Abarth- at a cost!

One of the better-known and highly regarded specialists in Strada Abarth are Middle Barton garage,but they are in the Cotswolds- a long haul for you, but perhaps worthwhile if you want a really good job.

For other info,consider the owners' club at www.strada130.co.uk, perhaps someone on there ( there are only around 200 registered members,but only about a dozen reasonably regularly active) - perhaps someone on there may be from your area, or have knowledge of garages up there?

Good luck.Put some pictures up of the car....................

Steve,I see you've joined the O.C. this evening, and identify that you live in Manchester. I hope you find somewhere close to you, there MUST be somebody suitable in a place that size!

If you struggle, then a lot of engine work ( complete rebuild) was several years ago done on my car at Pershore, near Worcester- still around 100miles from you, but if you can't find a specialist nearer it may be useful to you:

http://www.njsalfaromeo.co.uk

(Alfa/FIAT/Lancia specialists)

Nice one - Thanks for this - At the moment the car is in Kent having a re-spray (its where I bought the car) - so I am having it transported North when its all done so I can get it taken anywhere between to have it looked over. Your the second person to mention Middle Barton so I might give them a shout to see if they could take a look, thanks again for the help and nice pictures by the way - will post some of mine when its finished off.
Cheers
Steve

Garrison Ranger said:

Nice one - Thanks for this - At the moment the car is in Kent having a re-spray (its where I bought the car) - so I am having it transported North when its all done so I can get it taken anywhere between to have it looked over. Your the second person to mention Middle Barton so I might give them a shout to see if they could take a look, thanks again for the help and nice pictures by the way - will post some of mine when its finished off.
Cheers
Steve

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hi, i live here in manchester aswell , middle barton garage only want to work on genuine abarths (i.e 1960`s) a fellow abarth owner from the wirral was turned away! try classiccarco of walkden nr farnworth,012045794545 mention stiggy to them,(oh god! you don`t know him?)

Hi Thanks for the reply - I didn't know of Classiccarco - just looked them up and they look good, may well look to use them going forward as they are so close to me. I actually booked it into Middle Barton to be looked over - they seemed ok with taking on a Strada and Tony seemed genuine and up for taking it on....lets see. Thanks again for the reply....I will let you know how I get on. Thanks Steve