Hello all, introducing my 2001 20VT. I like to think it's quite unique. I’m the first and only owner with 6,030 miles on the speedo. All original, no mods. Cheers.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630179 28/02/201911:0628/02/201911:06
Thanks. Car’s garaged, serviced and maintained in Kuala Lumpur while I live in in Melbourne mostly. Hence, the low mileage. Have a very good mechanic in KL, specializing in Coupes and Alfas, who keeps the car humming.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630205 28/02/201915:2128/02/201915:21
Thank you. Interestingly, I just read a post on a 20VT imported from Japan with 8,298 miles on the clock, asking for £19,940 in Autotrader. I guess I have bought and sold enough assets to not scoff at any asking price, as there’s always a taker(s) out there for any asset at any price. Always. It all boils down to luck and/or timing. One of the car pics in Autotrader did strike me as odd though - that one giveaway pic is not consistent with the low mileage or age of the Japanese 20VT. I’d know as my car’s just 2,268 miles short and 2001 manufactured as well. I’m sure there’s a good reason(s) for that glaring inconsistency. Cheers.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: Kelv27]
#1630225 01/03/201905:1101/03/201905:11
Read another post on a Coupe red key and service booklet going for £500 on Gumtree. Believe it or not, someone, who’s a sucker for completeness like yours truly, will surely buy them!
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630231 01/03/201907:5801/03/201907:58
Thank you. Interestingly, I just read a post on a 20VT imported from Japan with 8,298 miles on the clock, asking for £19,940 in Autotrader. I guess I have bought and sold enough assets to not scoff at any asking price, as there’s always a taker(s) out there for any asset at any price. Always. It all boils down to luck and/or timing. One of the car pics in Autotrader did strike me as odd though - that one giveaway pic is not consistent with the low mileage or age of the Japanese 20VT. I’d know as my car’s just 2,268 miles short and 2001 manufactured as well. I’m sure there’s a good reason(s) for that glaring inconsistency. Cheers.
What inconsistency is that? Or am I being thick?
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630246 01/03/201914:3201/03/201914:32
The customised set of 17-inch alloys for the 20VT, an initiative by the local Coupe club then, was the best buy for the car. Inexpensive, they’re visually stunning on the car and fit like a glove. More importantly, they’re sparing the original alloys from wear and tear and damage by potholes aplenty in KL. Yes, a labour of love in keeping the car mint and original lol.
Last edited by ryvinson; 02/03/201906:57. Reason: Typo
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630275 02/03/201909:0502/03/201909:05
Plenty of elbow grease - the weekly wash and vacuum, even though it’s garaged and infrequently driven. The paintwork is as it was on the day I drove the car out of the showroom. It has never been resprayed.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630345 04/03/201909:4204/03/201909:42
No, I don't believe they (the 17-inch) are available now, even as used, as they were a one-off production run 10 years ago. I stand corrected on the cost of about £270 then for a set of 4 rims of export quality. If I recall correctly, no more than 20 sets were produced.
Cheers.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630437 06/03/201907:5606/03/201907:56
Lol. A matter of personal taste. All badges stuck on to keep car stock. Am stocked up on ”ricambi originali” badges, which are easily loosened, stolen or damaged given conditions here. The badges should be as rare as hens’ teeth to buy new today.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630581 12/03/201909:2312/03/201909:23
Understandably, being fast even by today’s standards, 20VTs will be driven hard by most owners. What is hard to understand is why many 20VTs are not as well maintained, with second-hand values falling through the floor.
The conditions of many pre-owned 20VTs on sale here are simply shocking, earning the 20VT an undeserving bad rap. They’re not even worth the dirt-cheap asking prices.
The fast speed of 20VTs has been its curse, with many already souped-up, and beaten up on tracks and country roads on a budget. The requisite periodic and specialist maintenance just do not correspond to their hard usage. Sad.
Oops. My bad-day-in-the-office rant. Lol.
The epic Sunday wash below.
Last edited by ryvinson; 12/03/201909:35. Reason: Pic sizing
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630592 12/03/201911:5712/03/201911:57
Ownership is a labour of love, it is an enthusiasts car for sure, which if driven and used as was intended demands what some perceive as higher maintenance costs...given the low outlay for the car some in the era Pete mentions failed to maintain the cars as required...for me the biggest outlay has been bodywork and the treatment and prevention of the 'hidden' rust traps the car has due to the environmental conditions in the UK. The mechanics of the car in standard form (well a Gtec) have been bombproof for me save for the expected maintenance of belts, clutch and suspension arms, droplinks etc.
The 'developing world' conditions of many of the roads in the UK now and the use of salt in Winter has proven to have taken its toll on the Coupe many of which are/were used as every day drivers.
Your style of ownership (hardly ever driven) is now more the norm with many of the remaining vehicle's being driven minimally in the Summer months, pampered etc as a second or third etc car,
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630642 14/03/201904:5414/03/201904:54
Yes, the 20VT’s an ideal lifestyle car for the frivolous weekend getaways and the lazy drives to pubs, restaurants, theatres and the golf club. While the other cars are auto variants, a 6-speed stick’s indeed a very nice change. Rarely feel the need to floor the accelerator, being largely satisfied with the 20VT as a docile beast of leisure.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1630701 15/03/201908:3215/03/201908:32
Came as dealer fitted. Saved bodywork from from dings and dents. A necessary evil, as parking bay spaces here are less than generous. Even a pygmy would feel claustrophobic.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1631382 02/04/201914:0002/04/201914:00
What kind of attention/comments does it get in Malaysia?
Like in the UK, I've noticed it tends to be true car enthusiasts (those that don't care about badges) and kids who comment on the Coop.
Apart from that, nobody else really seems to be bothered nowadays.
For instance, something like a Supra will turn everybody's head, whether or not they are interested in cars. The amount of attention that car gets is just unbelievable!
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1631403 03/04/201904:0503/04/201904:05
Gosh, you have kept it in perfect nick the way people do with their Ferraris! I would be scared to drive it in case I scraped it.
Thanks to an amazing mechanic and a trusty driver who maintains the 20VT’s condition while I’m away on business or back in Australia. Other than that, no special effort for its upkeep. That said, I’m careful where I park, as vandalism and tight parking spaces are nightmares.
Sorry for the drama with your coupe. Moot point I know, but it would be an easy, fast and inexpensive fix over here.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: JKD]
#1631407 03/04/201907:4303/04/201907:43
What kind of attention/comments does it get in Malaysia?
Like in the UK, I've noticed it tends to be true car enthusiasts (those that don't care about badges) and kids who comment on the Coop.
Apart from that, nobody else really seems to be bothered nowadays.
For instance, something like a Supra will turn everybody's head, whether or not they are interested in cars. The amount of attention that car gets is just unbelievable!
The 20VT’s not especially attention-grabbing here, although I have seen people doing double takes when parked at bars or clubs. On odd occasions, some will mill around the car to check it out. Expats and tourists seem to be more drawn to the car than locals. That’s just about the extent it stands out from my limited experiences. Perhaps, the many head-turning supercars here have taken the shine off the 20VT lol.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1631465 05/04/201909:5505/04/201909:55
Almost all enquiries begin with a startled “why’s the mileage so low for a 19-year old car?”!
The gentleman in the pic, an ex-racer and pit stop technician, spent nearly an hour poring through the car for rusts, dampness, damage, mechanical faults et al, but just couldn’t find any to his frustration. He, especially, couldn’t find any evidence that the mileage was tempered with, saying it was a trade secret in knowing how he could tell.
I didn’t show him the carefully collated maintenance records from Day One, attesting to the mileage at each service interval, excluding the wheel changes and tyre rotations, which I made sure the mileage is recorded as well.
I think my legal background has something to do with my OCD in documenting evidence lol.
No, I’m not hell bent on keeping the 20VT as the lowest mileage in the world. It’s strictly a leisure car for the lazy Malaysian weekends, which I’m not around to enjoy, being mostly an Aussie resident.
For the record, the mileage is 6,048 miles (9,734 km) today.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1632023 27/04/201918:5427/04/201918:54
ryvinson, would you say that Malaysia's overall warm weather and therefore little rain and therefore little mud as well as little snow and therefore little salt on the roads, has all played a big part in helping to keep your Coop rust free?
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1632431 11/05/201902:2711/05/201902:27
No snow here and no salt put on roads, but plenty of rain and high humidity all year round. I think garaging the car and frequent washes help to keep the rust at bay. That’s excluding the fact that its seldom driven.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1632432 11/05/201904:4811/05/201904:48
The best thing about owning a 20VT here is the low-cost maintenance, spare parts availability and a handful of excellent mechanics specialising in the car’s service and repairs. And yet, many 20VTs are under-serviced and overdriven, as owners stinge on preventive maintenance. 20VTs with a full service history with dated workshop invoices as proof have to be very rare.
The mechanic (pic below), who keeps my car’s mechanicals in top shape, is so 20VT experienced that I swear he can do a cambelt change blind, and in half the time it would take the next best mechanic with 20/20 sight! A no-frills workshop in the outer suburbs, but has to be the best for Alfas and 20VTs.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1634905 20/08/201910:5820/08/201910:58
Nothing like a cast of thousands to keep a car squeaky clean. Almost criminal to have labour that cheap here, but that’s another story for another day.
Been away (US/Canada) for a while. Looking forward to drives to pub/bars to keep the mileage low lol.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1635119 30/08/201908:1730/08/201908:17
Just why the 20VT’s original paintwork’s still looking damn good, after 18 years from the factory, has to be a happy mystery. Could it be the “foreplay” washes?
Last edited by ryvinson; 08/11/201903:00.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1636752 08/11/201923:0108/11/201923:01
Just why the 20VT’s original paintwork’s still looking damn good, after 18 years from the factory, has to be a happy mystery. Could it be the “foreplay” washes?
I could think of 9,776 reasons.
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: JKD]
#1636755 09/11/201902:1509/11/201902:15
Just why the 20VT’s original paintwork’s still looking damn good, after 18 years from the factory, has to be a happy mystery. Could it be the “foreplay” washes?
I could think of 9,776 reasons.
Lol
Re: Rarest 20VT in the world?
[Re: ryvinson]
#1637860 31/12/201908:2031/12/201908:20
Bidding adios after 14 years, with such sweet sorrow: sexy looks and demonic speed, but a pain in the butt to upkeep. The new owner paid a premium price that could buy 2.5 “normal” coupes, but he’s a shrewd investor and collector. I wouldn't have parted the car for anything less, and certainly not to anyone less than Italian classic car cognoscenti. Hoping the enthralled owner will continue this thread. Bye folks!