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Potential Fun: 1959 Alfa Romeo Spider Project

Driving a classic Italian convertible has a unique romantic air to it. Sure, everyone likes a Ferrari, but an Alfa Romeo gives its own special flavor to driving. They say to not judge a book by its cover, but when your car’s logo is a picture of a snake eating a person, maybe that gives a hint that this isn’t your typical Toyota Prius driving experience. This Spider is further away from any driving experience than the typical one you can see at your local Cars and Coffee, but it does come with two engines and transmissions! You can find it here on eBay.

The original engine is a 1.3-liter inline-four with a single Solex carburetor driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. However, the seller also includes a 1.6-liter four-cylinder breathing through dual Weber carburetors and a five-speed manual. Maybe, if you know the right people, and ask super nicely, Abarth might be willing to tune it for you. No matter which engine you choose to put in it, you’ll have a blast tooling around town. Classic Alfas have such a way about them. They’re an experience.

The only image they include of the undercarriage is lower resolution than the rest, but it looks decent. The seller mentions that the car is not rust-free, and since it’s in a state in the middle of a restoration, you can see the body behind bits of trim. The rust that is present and pictured doesn’t look to be more serious than surface level, though they do mention a few holes. If you’re willing to go through the effort of putting this on a rotisserie, you’ve got a rewarding driving experience ahead of you.

Inside, most of the trim is present, the floors are clean, there are no visible rips or tears in the seats. A large, two-spoke steering wheel with a horn ring fronts original gauges in a very aesthetically pleasing vintage finish. There’s a thick layer of dust on just about every surface, but I see no reason why the surfaces beneath the dust shouldn’t be in good shape. The seller has plenty of documentation of the work already done to the car, and says it’s been inspected by a reputable shop, but they do recommend you inspect it yourself before buying. Always a good idea. This is a project car, so it won’t be ready to run without some work. If you’re willing to put the work into it, though, you’ll be left with a fun and peppy Italian roadster, and how cool is that?

Comments

  1. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Cool looking rig. As I know nothing of Alfa’s and have no desire or knowledge to restore this I wiil have to pass. Happy to just fall into my Zed 3 and have fun! These rigs do interest me so I am hoping Bob has some thoughts.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Beyfon

    It generally looks like a good starting point for a restoration but of course always difficult to start with a car that has been disassembled for 10 years. But other than that awful white respray it looks surprisingly original and unmolested.
    Two notes, one is that the seller isn’t “including” the 1600 drivetrain as the write-up says. He will offer it to the buyer at additional cost. Secondly I don’t understand the reference to Abarth? What do they have to do with Alfa Romeo other than both being Italian brands? Plenty of ways to get an Alfa twin cam tuned but this car seems too unmolested not to be put back in original shape.

    Like 3
  3. Avatar chrlsful

    this is the way I got’em & that wuz in the 60s’n 70s. Some outta the junk yrd. Only way a kid could afford. Rehab, drive, sell when finding the nxt one to make my heart throb. All the buddies hada 442, the Boss, couldn’t afford that. Mine’d wipe`em till the long straight-a-ways. Now w/all the auction sales, the internet sales? gotta compete w/too deep pockets again. Ruined a hobby, lifestyle.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Araknid78

    Located in:
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Like 0
  5. Avatar V12MECH

    Alfa 750’s can reach 80 K, + correctly restored, this could be one.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar t-bone BOB

    Ended: Aug 16, 2021
    Current bid:US $10,601.00
    [ 49 bids ]
    reserve not met

    Seller has relisted this item:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/265270896089?ViewItem=&item=265270896089&vxp=mtr

    Ended: Aug 26, 2021
    Current bid:US $11,400.00
    [ 37 bids ]
    reserve not met

    Like 1

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