Relocation: Need your comments!

[calvin1714]

Hi All,

I will be relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane in January and will work there for few years. I am thinking to sell my car originally, but I found that it is pretty rush and no private sell market before end of the year.

Does anyone knows the transit fee for my Alfa to Brisbane? Do I need to get the QLD rego? Any good service centres there? Is "trade-in" a good option (I mean trade-in in Melbourne, and pick up a new / used car in Brisbane?

Thanks for your comments!

Calvin

[1750GT]

Hi, read your post about going to Brisbane. it aint that bad, I used CEVA/TNT (their numbers in the yellow pages) to bring a vehicle from Sunshine Coast (1 hr from Brisbane further north) and it only cost $650 and they had it Melbourne at my front door in a week. By the time you trade in in Melbourne, change over etc. you'll loose alot more than that.

In terms of rego, you can drive your car in Brisbane for a period of time, I think 3 months (check with Roads Corporation in Brisbane with one call) without transfering rego and then transfer rego with normal roadworthy etc. When you transfer they give you a ceritficate for transfer date and Vic Roads will refund the balance of your rego on application. Then when you come back to Melbourne it's the same deal.

Don't stress unless the cars a dog and you want to get rid of it anyway, then it's not as hard as you think to move vehicles interstate.

1750GT

[calvin1714]

Thanks 1750GT,

Do you know any alfa dealership in Brisbane as well? There are couple of maintenance/repair service centre in Melbourne, I can't find any in Brisbane in this forum. My Alfa runs 93000km now, do you reckon I take the major service here first?

Cal. 

[Brad M]

There are couple of maintenance/repair service centre in Melbourne, I can't find any in Brisbane in this forum.

The forum is hosted by AROCA Vic, hence the dominance of Victorian sponsors. I am sure some of our Queensland friends have the appropriate suggestions.

[Gary Pearce]

Hi Cal, just click 'links' under contents on our front page and  click Qld state club. They have about 20 listed on their 'sponsors' page. Having said that I like your idea of having your car serviced by someone like Maranello 93869650 first to give you some breathing space to get settled up there and track down a good repair shop later depending on your suburb.

[1750GT]

Yes, to all, I agree, a good service before you leave Melbourne is the shot until you've had time to settle in and find a good spanner in Brisbane.

The Brisbane member site is a good idea as well. I wouldn't go near the modern Alfa dealers, they don't know and don't care.

1750GT

[alfagtv58]

I wouldn't go near the modern Alfa dealers, they don't know and don't care.

I'm sorry, but what a load of tripe.  They DO know, and what's more they DO care.  Most of the guys are club members and are passionate about the marque.  Are you basing your opinion on past experience or just making an ill-informed statement that puts at risk the good relationship this club enjoys with the dealers?

[spieret]

I would agree, AROCA-QLD has an excellent relationship with the Alfa dealership in Brisbane. They are great club sponsors who have opened their doors for club nightsas well as lending demonstrator vehicles for events. They promote the club to all new buyers of Alfa Romeo's and have excellent mechanics.

You can't base an opinion like that in a public forum from what could have been 1 isolated incident.

[1750GT]

I am sorry guys I didn't know that a bit of alternate opinion would get you all hot and steamy. But I am sorry its not a lot of tripe. Fact Alfa Romeo's are sold thru Arteco, if you want to contact someone about Alfa's you must contact a dealer, there is no co-ordinated push just like Fiat, you call a dealer about a 105 or 501 and no they don't care or understand. New Alfa dealers go after Alfa clubs because the principle is probably into his product and most importantly to sell new cars!

1750GT

[alfagtv58]

Fact Alfa Romeo's are sold thru Arteco

Actually, they are sold through Ateco

there is no co-ordinated push just like Fiat

Also Ateco......they are having a big push on Fiat at the moment, cars at the AGP etc, just like a couple of years ago when they had a big push on the 159 at Bathurst and lots of advertising through mainstream media etc.

you call a dealer about a 105 or 501 and no they don't care or understand.

Really, you are surprised that a dealer selling new cars is not interested in a 35 year old car that they havent stocked any parts for over 20 years......whats a 501?

New Alfa dealers go after Alfa clubs because the principle is probably into his product and most importantly to sell new cars!

Correct, and we are happy as a club to push that barrow for them.  They scratch our back and we scratch theirs, but comments like this put the relationship we have under strain.

your opinion is your own 1750GT, and it is not shared by the club as a whole and the majority of its members.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

.....whats a 501?

There's a Fiat 501 which was built in the 1920s?  Strange a dealer wouldn't be stocking parts for one of those...

[1750GT]

Thanks guys, good to see that you have the time to waste nit picking posts, pick up mistakes and you are so into your dealers. The point I am making is that I feel that Alfa dealers have left behind their past with respect to classic alfa's and given that Alfa's are now not factory but wholesaler backed, yes Ateco I suspect, there is no real service or parts distributership for classics.

But I suppose I needed to say it better so you needn't spend so much time spent cranking someones opinion rather than spending your time off loading the majority club opinions. As for you representing all members, I am glad that you feel you have such a common touch and are so in touch with yourself.

Not enough time driving your alfa I suspect.

[flighty]

Hi All,

I can see both points of view on this one, but feel that on the servicing of classics, it is more sensible to go to a specialist.  That's been my experience in the UK, Ireland and Switzerland.  I avoid anywhere that's got an Espresso machine!!

There are always exceptions, and it is good to see the dealers supporting the clubs; and likewise the club members use the dealers for their strengths.  There are also some less than perfect "specialists".

Also, I hope all misspelt posts aren't corrected with such a school master's tone!  We're all friends, or at least trying to be friendly

[Evan Bottcher]

Locking this topic - not the most pleasant exchange and doesn't need to be brought up any further.

My last word - Ateco and the dealer network are supporters of the club(s).  Many folk from Ateco and the various dealers are also members of the clubs and actively support the club for more than just promotion and financial gain.  Unfortunately the current operation in Australia doesn't support classic Alfa Romeos, we have to rely on the independant specialists to help.  The Alfa club helps here by connecting owners with trusted specialists and providing information.

This is a public forum - it works because users can express their opinions freely.  It should be taken as given that a single user or group of users of this forum does not represent the views of the club as a whole.