The AlfaBB is bloody awesome.

[Evan Bottcher]

(note: not taking away from this forum - this forum is a great local resource and way to spread news about the club's activities)

I've been a member of AlfaBB.com since March 2003 (I think it started in late 2002).  It's an incredible site and full of great information, reasonable signal-to-noise, the occasional soap opera episode (e.g. Orczyk, Dretceterini), characters who come and go (Ossodiseppia - where'd he disappear to?), and great threads like 'women and alfas'.  Recently I've been using it to find a lot of odd parts for the GTV project, or even just to identify bits and pieces.  There's always lots of knowledgeable folk who are keen to help (or sell you bits at reasonable prices!).  It's still a bit dominated by the Americanos but there's a great euro and international population too.

The site is still run by the guy who started it way back when, he hardly ever posts on there any more but it must take a lot of his time.  I shelled out a few bucks last year to get a gold membership - if you use it regularly you should do the same.  (that's the same here - if you use this site regularly and aren't an AROCA member have a think about it).

A few stats from the bottom of the page: AlfaBB has over 42,000 registered members and hosts over a million posts.  The most users using the forum at the same time was last year - 1696 users.  The highest poster on the board (Alfisto Steve) has made 13,640 posts to date.

So if anyone's on here with an Alfa and new to the Internet, don't forget to check out http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums !

[pancho]

yes, alfabb is a great resource for all things Alfa Romeo, there are some characters on there who you'd think used to run AR workshops in their time and probably still do. It does seem to have an older following but there I guess is where the experience comes from and it shows. I put my stepnose resto project on there as it seemed like the best place to do so with the most amount of user traffic for assistance on it as needed (nothing against this forum) - it has been great thus far.

[Davidm1600]

Hi Even, I totally agree with your comments.  I too am on board as Super1600.  I joined back in mid 2008 and have been a gold member since joining.  I post pretty frequently there, as between that forum and this one it really helped re-kindle my passion in classic Alfas.  Not that I really needed to given I have 2 105s in the "garage" plus of course the daily driver 156.

I am also on the FiatBB (as I got into Fiats back as a 17 byear old before finding Alfas), which is an offshoot off the AlfaBB, but it doesn't seem to get used much.  I still love to bits my '69 AC 124 sport (aka-Enzo).

Although I do post reasonably frequently here I remain, regrettably a non Alfa club member, albeit I was a member of AROCA from the early mid 80s until probably around the mid 90s before allowing my membership to lapse.  I probably should get off my lazy butt and rejoin , I guess the only real thing having stopped me being that as a remote member down here in Tas, I am unable to take advantage of all the activities that are available to members on the mainland.  Does AROCA have a interstate membership with a lower cost, ie. Magazine only membership ??

[SimonR]

Yes I agree too. The alfa BB is awsome, you get many replies overnight with many people keen to respond who have heaps of experience and are keen to share it with everyone out there. Its also very helpful when you may need to search a problem you may have with your car as someone most likely has already posted some info that will be useful to you in overcoming your problem.

[aggie57]

It does seem to have an older following but there I guess is where the experience comes from and it shows. .

Maybe thats a result of Alfa's being out of the NA market for so long?

[oz3litre]

I agree. I have been a member since mid 2005 and am up to almost 1,600 posts now. I have learned an enormous amount from it. It is a fantastic resource for anything you need to know about Alfas. It is also a great way to find out about life in other countries. You find that most people are the same as us and want to enjoy a peaceful, healthy life with their family and friends doing the things they enjoy. There are members in almost any country you care to name. Most of the members would be happy to meet you if you visited their country. I am more than happy to contribute to its upkeep by being a gold subscriber.

[Paul Gulliver]

There are members in almost any country you care to name. Most of the members would be happy to meet you if you visited their country.

To True. Last year i had the opportunity to host an American Alfa BBer who was out here for a few weeks.  I picked him up in the city spent a great morning via Beninca's , Lance Dixon's  lunch in the Yarra Valley then on to Monza motors for some hard to get parts for his Alfetta .

He thought he had died and gone to heaven

[aggie57]

There are members in almost any country you care to name. Most of the members would be happy to meet you if you visited their country.

To True. Last year i had the opportunity to host an American Alfa BBer who was out here for a few weeks.  I picked him up in the city spent a great morning via Beninca's , Lance Dixon's  lunch in the Yarra Valley then on to Monza motors for some hard to get parts for his Alfetta .

He thought he had died and gone to heaven

Now that's the Alfisti spirit Paul!

[oz3litre]

I was telling one of the Italian BBers about our time living in Italy and that we would love to go back some day and he offered to lend me one of his Alfas if we visited him! You feel as if you have friends all over the world, as we do here in Australia. I often say that Alfas attract the best people.

[Davidm1600]

You are not wrong there Oz. I too have invites to drive various BB's Alfas, to drinking beer etc and chewing the fat Alfa talk, from guys in Canada, Texas, California etc.  Just need to get to the US one day.

I reckon that is one of the seriously good things about this internetweb thingy, it shrinks the world and opens up new opportunities. 

Even this forum, itself, has introduced me to a bunch of great people with a common interest, and even better still the chance to catchup with some of you.