Now wintertime was appraoching, I was anxious to replace the King by a daily driver 156.
In the summer I saw one green 156 with roofrails, for sale at a workshop in Noord-Holland, Purmerend. The price was relatively high, the car had a nasty dent in the back door, at its right.
No option.
Surfing my favorite pages on Autoscout24.de I found several 156's, but never had a good feeling. I visited a black one in Vught. That was not an well manintained car, rust, scratches, oil, so I let it pass. Some sellers I contacted with mails and messages, even phoned one. My interest in selling from a private seller was not very high. Some dealers had some interesting sales, like the one in Ter Apel, who reduced the selling price in one phonecall with 250 euros. Interesting, but too far for having a quick visit (a drive from my place to Groningen is about 275kms). Although the car had a good maintenance history and look inside and out, very good. But I did not like the color, nor the milage.
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| Not a nice color, somewhat old fashioned |
My criteria where: 1.8 (1.6 is too lazy, 2.0 too consumptious and the six cilindre too heavy), low milage, and with a light, but not gray color, good maintenace history, no rust. Leather interior would be nice, but not essential. Clean is more important.
After having a good talk with my wife and after the first very wet and cold weather conditions, she was convinced that hte King was not able to act properly in the winter trafic. So now I had to decide which car to buy. The Purmerend car was still on my mind, so I called my own dealer, workshop Creemers The salesman who works here was so kind to make a phonecall for me to Purmerend to ask in what condition the green one was. His story was convincing, he even sthought it would be a good reliable company which was selling the car. That did it. So I made an appointment for a test drive on the next saturday.
I packed the whole family in the King and at 9 in the moring we went to Purmerend, a good 2 and a half hours drive and only (...) 205 kms. Vakgarage Willem Schoon seemes a solid company and the salesmen, father and son, are very trustfull and honest. So the deal was made. The car would become an new APK (MOT or TüV). Next saturday...!
So after a very nervous week, we fetched the green one past saturday travelling by bus and train and foot (never thought 3 hours could last this long!).
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| Train travellers in Purmerend |
Willem Schoon once had an Alfa Romeo dealership and sold this car to the previous owner who drove it till last spring. Always had its maintenance done at Willem Schoon's Vakgarage. All bills and APK-documents inside the car. Good engine, good body, good brakes, tires and battery (believe me that I double checked it, even on the workshop's bridge). Nice interior with wooden steering wheel and green seats... My wife has baptised it Olivia (hey, why would a car be a man, at last we're living in a gender neutral time.).
2001
135.200km
Good timing belt
And a dent
(The deal with the wife was to repair it otherwise the car would not be purchased. I was convinced instantly. This seems to be a nice little job for my welder, painter Jan).
My life has a new fullfilment again.
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| My wife's favorite dent |
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| After getting the car at Willem Schoon's Vakgarage |
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| On our drive way, looking good |
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| Driving home, after 200 km of highway, no pain at all. |
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| I decided to keep the dealership number plate cover for a while, for the sake of Willem Schoon Vakgarage. |
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| In our street, matching the neighbor's foliage. |
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| Best angle for a sportwagon. Still a little bothered by the roof rails. The wife likes 'm. |
I already have a list with little works like my wife's favorite dent in the passenger's door, checking the watertemperature gage, replacing the polyester bottom plate under the engine, (mmmh ...) replacing the passenger's seat rail and the door seals, giving it a good Dinitrol treatment (Jan?).
