How do you approach a car for sale that is described in the most pessimistic terms, yet even that might be optimistic? This 1964 Alfa Romeo GTC in Ohio and offered for sale here on eBay is a conundrum. The seller makes no bones about the fact that only the most audacious of buyers should inquire, yet the mysterious description leaves more questions than answers.
The only positive note is the seller’s statement that the car “is complete.” Well. My only experience about the veracity of this claim is derived from disassembling many things over the years—watches, power tools, even that ’55 Willys Bermuda I foolishly purchased—and then attempting to put them back together after time has elapsed. Without fail, something—or many somethings—is either missing or I forgot where it went in the first place. Putting this car back together will be like attempting the world’s most devious crossword puzzle.
If, however, one were to complete this gargantuan project the result would be a beautiful and rare Italian roadster. The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTC was offered for three years as the cabriolet version of the Sprint GT and had a very small production run. But as is shown by this interior photo, every last tidbit of the car has been removed and is said to be in one of the boxes of parts that comes with the purchase. According to the seller, “It will need a new floor and structural work.” The extent of that structural work could only be determined after preliminary work begins, and that would mean having already passed the point of no return.
The engine and transmission are said to be still together, but no photos are provided and no claim is made about running condition. The engine bay appears to be the most structurally solid part of the chassis, but no suspension parts exist. Any guess about sorting the mechanicals is a complete stab in the dark.
In trying to piece together the threads of the seller’s scant description, it seems the car was first restored sometime prior to 1983 when it was disassembled for a second refurb. (The period between the first restoration and when the 1983 project began must have been quite a tale of abuse.) The car sat in pieces in a restoration shop until 1991, at which time the owner apparently became exasperated, gathered up the bits, and placed them in storage where they have remained until now.
It’s difficult to know what to make of this car. One reputable online price guide lists the value of a 1964 Alfa Romeo GTC in the mid-$30,000 range. If so, the $20,000 buy-it-now price of this car is, well, eye-popping. Then again, the seller concludes the description with encouragement to “Make those offers!” which sounds like they are really attempting to find the market on this car and locate a willing buyer. One thing can be said with great certainty, however: Anyone attempting this restoration is a very courageous individual.
What is it with the really sad-looking Alfas lately? This makes number three in a row, right?
YEah & if you Put all 3 Together you MIGHT have a Project car that still needs 50-100k$ Worth of Work.
Yes, you could if had the money and 20 years on your hands.
This might interest the folks who own my local Italian pie shop because this is a true “PIZZA SHIP”
Another you gotta be kidding me…for 18 large, must be influenced by the Greek gods baritus-jacksonus, and Mecumonous. What makes them tick is beyond me. And he thinks he is being cute by asking 17,999…oh wait he knows what he’s got…..sorry about the negativity.Anyone that pays anything over a buck 3 eighty is nuts.
Cheers
GPC
What’s “a buck 3 eighty?”
“Buck 3 eighty” is a term very specific to areas in the Northeast and Upper Mid-West. In Buffalo, NY it was used in the perjorative sense to mock the Polish-American population in the 1950’s. Anyone from Buffalo will remember the advertising tune for a department store in the Polonia Section. The store was named “Lucki-Urban”
“Lucki-Urban is the store, buck 3 eighty buys you more” I kid you not!
this has been restored one time previously? wow. that is a total surprise based on what I am seeing here. The license plate from Michigan does not help the sale – expect lots of rust in places you cannot even see. Ravenna, OH is just sought of Cleveland a bit, I would wager this Alfa has never left the salty midwest.
Ummm, I hate to rain on the parade, but this isn’t a GTC, this is a 101 series Giulia Spider.
Still a desirable car whose values have been rising, but not nearly as rare as a GTC.
One of the charms of Barnfinds is the vivid imagination of some of the writers who see rare birds and race cars amidst the rust and debris of certain offerings. Nevertheless, it’s not a bad thing to have a rich fantasy life. Why else would we be on this site? :)
omg!
Uhhh, its a 101 series Giulia spider, not a 105 series GTC….think they made less than 200 of the GTC..
Right- first of all it is NOT a GTC. That was entirely different chassis and vintage And it sure doesn’t look “complete” to me. In fact it looks like it’s missing most everything. Might make a nice parts car or donor car for some other restoration but that’s about it.
In my Expert Opinion, you are ALL incorrect-this is in all actuality the very common model Alfa Romeo Cadaver which apparently met its demise after contracting a fatal case of tetanus from an overdose of salt..
This is a spider with what looks like a Parish Plastics hard top. This would have to be a rotisserie restoration to save it. Only the chassis number will determine If it is a Veloce or Nomale. I wonder if this I’d my sister’s former normal as she had that hard top on a white spider?
At what point does a ReBody make more sense, at what point would you rather ride in a solid original ? Sure i know people who live to have a mig welder in one hand and a grinder in another.. or maybe its the last one of its kind
I’m sure the seller meant $200.00 or maybe $2,000.00 definitely not the 20K printed.
Might only be worth a buck two ninety…
This is so funny. here In the south its a buck two twenty five unless its a really good deal a dollar two 98
Yes it’s expensive at that price, but by european standards it’s very “doable”as long as you are not looking at it in terms of monetary values. But then to me that’s no way to look at old cars, you do them because you like them, knowing full well you will lose money but the satisfaction of another saved from the scrapper is recompense enough.
I own a bunch of classic Alfas. This one is not even a decent parts car, not a GTC and not worth anyone’s time. Every image shows wheel wells, floorboards, rockers and even upper front fenders rusted through. There are only a few aftermarket replacement sheet metal parts available and the rust repair alone looks like it would be several hundred hours of labor. I hate seeing these cars break up, but this one will never be driven again.
Sad but laughable.
Would cost more to haul it away than it is worth as scrap metal. I know ALFAs well am a 1600 normale wouldn’t be worth the cost of any level of restoration for this piece of junk. Anyone checked on the price to rechrome a bumper recently?
I agree with all the comments here but I do recall an Alfa Spider some time ago (and I wish I had the photos) that was in Much Worse shape than this one (no floors) and was sold for around 20k before being shipped to Europe for a complete restoration. Obviously the buyer would be underwater and may have been using the cheap Romania labor when it was still available- but it just “shows to go ya”