Hi all,

If anyone recalls from last week, my brother in law is buying a new Alfa 147 1.6 Lusso 5Dr and through Autotrader has found a company called Carstore UK, based in Glasgow.

They say they can get the one he wants for 12995, but it's currently in Ireland. Once he's paid, they'll put the process of getting it delivered into place.

So Questions again!

1) He's really worried that if he sends the money off to carstore, they might disappear with his money - what safeguards can you put in place to avoid losing all your money to an unscrupulous outfit?

2) does anyone know anything about Carstore? Even if you just live in Glasgow and know that they have a big showroom/etc.

I've suggested paying by credit card, but then I still don't know how safe that is either.

3) And finally, if anyone can get the same car in Africa Grey for the same money or less, I'd be pleased to hear (Gary!)

Many thanks,
Lee.
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Dear Madam, Sir

I would like to seek your help from to be able to complete the restauration of a unique car.

The car was ordered in 1935-1937?? By Count Rossi (of Martini Italy) from Carrosseria Viotti in Turin.
When the importer of Isotta Frashini in the USA went bankrupt, the remaining chassis were send back to Italy. Count Rossi bought two of them (typo 8B) and had them send to Viotti in Turin who was asked to produce a convertible for the counts own use and a coupe to be used as a publicity car for Martini.
The coupe received a futuristic coachwork with dorsal fin, a hole in the back to place a huge Martini bottle and offered seating for two. The doors were oval and the interior was done in light blue leather. The car was painted a metallic silver with chrome stone guards on the rear wings. On the doors was the logo of Martini and on the roof, a loudspeaker was fitted.
The coupe was used for a whole string of classical manifestations (tours of italy , mille miglia, tour de France, etc.)
Just before the war, the Martini subsidiary in Brussels was opened. They could use a publicity car and the coupe was send to Belgium. The car was used at numerous events like the 24 hours of Franchorchamps, the races at Zolder etc

At the end of the forties, the car was technically outdated, the cable brakes did not stand up to the modern demands and it was decided to place the coupe on a more modern chassis. Unfortunately they did not find a chassis that was large enough to take the coachwork and they opted for a chassis of a Lincoln Zephyr V12 of 1937. The job was performed by the ?Ets. Vermeulen? in Schaarbeek, near Brussels who altered the nose, the wings and bumpers (they used pieces from a Lincoln 1949 amongst other things)
Englebert magazine showed a picture of the car in 1954 and praised the fine job.

Ten years later, at the end of the sixties, the car was no longer suitable as a marketing tool and the coupe was send to the crusher. Fortunately he sold the car and after changing numerous times of ownership (used by a restaurant, discotheque and several second hand car dealers) I managed to buy the car in a rather sad state.
The car was only 90% complete (the dorsal fin was gone as were the bottle and the seats plus some of the interior).Therefore this call for help to all readers who might have pictures, information etc on how the exact look of the nose and the dorsal fin was , which seats were used and any other info regarding the life of this unusual coupe.
The aim is to have the car up and running next year , almost 70 years after the coupe hit the Italian roads.
Thank you

Bernard Berkein
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The climate control on my '99 2.5 Elite is not functioning correctly. Drive off on a cold morning and it heats up the car fine. But a few miles down the road and it will only chuck out cold air despite whatever setting its on. The only way to get heat out of it is to go right up to 'HI'. Originally this only affected the passenger side, but cured itself. Now, four months later it's back, but now it's both sides. Am I looking at just temperature sensors, or something ominously larger and more expensive? Read more

I have an older Philips/Vauxhall radio cassette player. Model number appears to be 22DC?81/63 and there is also an additional code WA049034 on the certification of purchase attached to the bottom of the machine. It appears to be an early/mid 90's device.

There are two connectors on the back, I've drawn a little diagram to represent the pins below ...

- - - -
- - - -

- -
- - -

Can anyone tell me what connects to each so I can wire this in ... ? It's a long shot, but if anyone can help then it's much appreciated!

Hitlife.
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A colleague has an R reg Ford Galaxy with a 2.3 petrol engine. It has done 100k miles and he needs to know whether the cambelt should be changed before he goes to France on holiday. In a previous post HJ suggested that the cambelt is a chain - does this mean that a change is not required? If that is the case then should his Ford dealership have agreed to book it in for a change when there are no rattles and the car is running well?

Thanks,

Paul.
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