Here’s an Alfa Romeo parts-and-car package deal in Mansfield, Texas, and you’ll need a trailer for sure. This hoard is for sale on facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $34,000. We have BCB42 to thank for the tip! Let’s start with the car: the seller has had this 1959 Spider Veloce for twelve years, and restoration progress has been slow. It comes with a steel hardtop, but is sold on a bill of sale only. The shelves in the shop may not hold everything you need to resurrect her, but certainly you’ll have your pick of engines and gearboxes. This Alfa is on the shoulder of the shift from the short-chassis 750 Giulietta to the longer (by 2″) 101. The serial number or careful measurements will tell you which of these you own; other than that, visual differences are minimal. Assurance that the car is a factory Veloce will also be important to the car’s eventual value. Alfas rust while you watch, and it’s hard to tell from these photos how much car we have here, but that hardtop is nice!
The seller indicates that this pile contains at least one Veloce engine. Matching numbers will garner a higher value, but determining if you have the car’s original engine is not perfectly straightforward. Most forums point to Museo Centro’s documentation center to gain insight regarding VINs, engine numbers, and so forth, but there’s some controversy about what exactly is available these days. Matching numbers or not, the 1.3 liter twin-cam four-cylinder was a treasure, producing 79 hp with a single Solex and 91 hp in Veloce form equipped with dual Webers. The restorer might note that if this is a 750 car, the appropriate engine will have the fuel pump mounted to the block, while the engine in a 101 will carry its fuel pump mounted on the timing cover.
And then there’s the gearbox. Typical for the car in question would be a four-speed manual. Later, the five-speed was introduced. This seller is offering both types. Maybe, just maybe this pile contains a ‘box with a good second gear synchro! If such exists on an early Alfa, I have yet to find it….
The seller notes that inventorying all the parts for a prospective buyer is impossible, but in these piles are brakes, sheet metal, rear axles (always nice to have spares), front end components, convertible top frames, bumpers, trim, and gas tanks. Looks like Christmas to me! Are you an Alfa fan with a use for this inventory? What do you think of the package price?
Having been fortunate enough to run into a few parts finds like this one, but on a smaller scale, I’d say the price for this one is right on. The 22 years that we did Porsche 356s was filled with scrounging for parts from finding a complete front cut of a ’57 coupe in the middle of the Nevada desert to a ’60 roadster full of exhaust pipes headed to the crusher. Within a year we traced down the other 2 engines, a transmission, and boxes and boxes of hard to get parts all for a total of 4K. In recent years we found a solid ’64 AH Sprite race car that came with a trailer and so many fasteners and parts, to include 5 transmissions and 4 engines, had to split the bolts and nuts with a friend as there were so many. Friend got the trailer. Still using them today, still scrounging for parts.
The ’60 Roadster race car. 2 years to rebuild the car, sold it for $14,000 and kept all the other parts. Sold them to a friend for $6,000. Last information on the car as a Vintage racer in California it was sold for $75,000.. Maybe should have kept it.
Always scrounging for parts! Had various folk looking out for scrappers for me, too.
Sounds like a decent pile of stuff for a decent price. All you’d need is the space for it…!
Raced Alfas for years. When I quit I gave all my parts to my oldest son. He has my 62 street car and at least 5 engine and gear boxes. Countless other parts including race prepaired ported and polished heads. If this guy wants that kind of $$ his hord is worth a ton of cash.
Michelle,
Hoping to find a good 750 or 101 series 2nd gear synchro is akin to finding a Unicorn. I quickly learned to make leisurely shifts from 1st to 2nd gear on my 750D Spider and 101.12 Giulia Sprint. Usually managed to keep road speeds well above the need for a 1st to 2nd gear change so the weak synchro was not much of a problem.
I hada bout 1/2 that pile after 10 yrs of playin Italian car restorer (17 y/o to 27). I was lucky tho as 30 mi away was a complete Italian yard. Most of “Goldie’s” was full cars tho.
I think he had me hooked. Each time I went to wrench a part off (we cant do that any more round here) I’d see a shinny model I’d craved – new to the yard. What ever I was drivin would get sold for the next restore (hada get @ it quick B4 it was stripped). These (above) were not uncommon at home or Goldie’s (now gone).
I live 2 hrs west now and switched to one model & merican. No searchin, dozens of vendors and every part available after market. Auctions and the net have ruined the hobby for me (nota rich man). Rural now I poke about the trails, no more high speed 2 lane twisty black top. Just right fora ol man, his bronco and his dogs…