When I think of what it means to preserve a classic car, this Alfa Romeo is the perfect example of what I think of. When it was found, it had been parked for a number of years and wasn’t running. Since the body and paint were original and in decent shape they were left alone. The floors had some rust, which isn’t surprising for an Italian convertible. They repaired the rust, sorted the mechanical systems, installed new seats and rebuilt the suspension. It’s now a good driver that can be enjoyed without fear of scratches and dings. If you’ve been looking for a preserved barn find drop top, you can find this Giulia 1600 Spider here on eBay in Venice, California with a BIN of $44k.
Preserving and reviving a find like this is actually quite a bit of work. The engine and transmission were both checked out closely to make sure they were still in good order. It turned out both were in good shape, so they were left alone. The fuel and cooling systems had to be rebuilt though. I love the way the engine bay turned out. Everything works as it should, but it looks barn fresh. Fully restored, it would look great as well but its current condition tells the car’s story.
The interior received a new dash cap and seats. I’m not sure about the choice to install newer Alfa seats, but they look great and should hold you in place nicely. I’ve always loved the simplicity and clean lines of the interiors in this era of Alfa Romeo. You have just what’s needed for spirited driving and that’s it!
In my opinion, this car looks fantastic in its preserved form. Of course, it would look great restored as well. We all have our own style, so if you want it repainted that’s an option. You can always restore a car, but you can’t ever take it back to original. So, what do you think of this Alfa? Would you leave it as is or does it need a new coat of paint?
love the patina
I think I’d have the rusty bits (of the body) repaired and painted and leave the rest as is. As close to perfect as I’ve ever dreamed…
These really are neat cars. I’ve told this story before, but seeing this posted right after the TR4 , bears repeating. In the early 70’s, my brother, just out of HS, bought a ’63 Alfa just like this, pretty much same condition, for $500 bucks, and the guy “threw in” a very tired ’64 TR4, like in the previous post. We got the Triumph running, sold it for $250 bucks. The Alfa was a really fun car, high winding, neat sounding motor( note, no radio on this one, you were suppose to just enjoy the sound of the motor), 1st car I drove with a 5 speed, rare for an early 60’s car, handled nice, stopped great,( for big drum brakes, I believe) it was a very nice car, a Fiat it ain’t. Not without fault, though. #3 spark plug blew out a stripped hole ( not the Alfas fault) we took it apart, and upon reassembly, must have had the cams a tooth off, as it never ran the same, and he sold it,and picked up an AH 100-6 for $1,000 bucks. Those were the times to buy cheap sports cars, nobody wanted them. I’m simply flabbergasted at what these bring for prices today, I send my brother these just to rub it in what they’re worth. If you have the money, I can say from experience, this is one car that’s well worth it.
I love that the color combo is reverse of what it would be today. Matte gray interiors have outlived their welcome with me.
I found a similar car within spittin’ distance of the Mexican border – but have never found the owner. Shame it’s just out in the weather, weeds growing up through it . . .
Where exactly is it?
I imagine you checked with the state and county, but they will have records of who owns the land. Tax records find everyone…
what is the approximate maximum speed of this Alfa Romeo vehicle ?
It was wonderful living in Europe when these were running around (though rarely seen), more of my friends got the new Duettos, others had the GTs and GTVs. I continue to be amazed how much these are now going for…
nice original car. I would treat the rust and leave it lone