It is quite unusual here at Barn Finds to be able to use the words “Alfa Romeo” and “rust-free” in the same sentence, but this is as close as I’ve been able to get so far. This beautiful 1959 Giulietta Sprint is offered for sale here on eBay. Located in Wylie, Texas, it comes with a clear title. The seller has set a BIN of $19,800 but there is the option to make an offer.
The very first Giulietta Sprint was debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1954. The car was the creative result of celebrated designer Franco Scaglione of Bertone. Our feature car was produced as part of the 1959 restyling of the Giulietta which resulted in a number of cosmetic changes. This particular Giulietta is in remarkable condition for an older Alfa. Yes, the paint is quite crispy, but the underlying steel all appears to be solid. The seller states that the only rust or corrosion is located in the battery box. Certainly, the comprehensive catalog of photos included with the ad seems to back this claim. It also appears that this little Alfa started life painted black, but has been resprayed at some stage in its life. What is missing though is the front and rear glass?
The interior appears to be largely complete, and many of the components either look to be in good condition or are in the sort of condition that would make restoration a viable proposition. The dash looks really good and the instruments are just amazing to look at. The door trims seem to be in good condition, but I’m a bit unsure about the seats. They may clean okay, but they may need new covers. Certainly, the car will require new carpet and a new headliner.
Unfortunately, we don’t get any shots of what should be the 1.3-liter twin-cam 4-cylinder engine. This would be backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. In fact, we don’t get any indication of the mechanical condition of the car. What we do know is that the little Alfa has been in dry storage for a number of years, so there is no doubt that mechanical work will be required. As stated earlier, we do get plenty of shots of a remarkably clean and rust-free underside of this Alfa, as you can see from this shot.
So, here’s your chance to buy a collectible Alfa that doesn’t have the structural consistency of a colander. It isn’t a cheap proposition, and even though it is essentially rust-free, it is still going to require a full restoration. Is it worth the price of admission? Recently a nicely restored Alfa identical to this one sold at auction for $85,000, so I’d say that’s probably a “yes”.
Why does the bottom photo make it look like the right side engine mount is GONE, as the oilpan is offcenter and it looks like the whole powertrain is cockeyed, with the left side lower than the right side. Also, it appears that the tailpipe was knocked sideways to the right, which broke the Y junction with the two exhaust pipes – one of which also shows some holes closer to the front of the car. And is what looks like a large 2 in. diam donut bushing, which might be a trans mount, hanging down from where it should be? All this might explain why there is no photo of the engine compartment – methinks things are amiss upstairs……… Did someone DROP the whole powertrain into the car and break a few things? The body sure deserves a pic of the engine bay – what serious seller would omit that?
Hi Ken,
Found photo of engine bay. Here is a direct link to the seller.
https://collinsbrosjeep.com/collins-classics/
Joe
It’s a Dennis Collins special. Dennis Collins is Richard Rollins (GSMG)bestest buddy. Don’t know how ethical he is but that is just FYI.
@ Ken Nelson. I think that just about every classic Alfa that I have seen, including the many that I have owned, have had the engine leaning to the left hand side. It’s an Alfa thing. I think the exhaust pipe Y joint has just rusted through. As for the broken rubber hanging down, I think that it’s a dust gaiter that fits around the prop shaft where it exits the gearbox.
Ken the engines of all the Giuliettie’s are slanted from the factory to facilitate a lower engine profile and to make servicing easier. Having owned an number of them I can tell you that it works very well. Access to the exhaust and intake sides of the engines is very easy. The only worry would be the oil pan as they are often damaged.
I have worked on maybe 30 to 40 Alfas of this age and I have yet to see one with a failed engine mount. These engines both do not weigh that much or put up that much torque that engine mounts would fail.
As for the battery box being rusted that is so common it is almost not worth mentioning. The spiders, coupes and sedans all have the same problems. This is an extremely good one to start with and there is factory support now for the older models as they have brought the status of Alfa back to what it should have been all along.
That’s good old Dennis Collins of Collins Bros Jeep and Fast ‘N Loud fame selling another found gem…
eBay now has another new listing rule only 60 pictures go to http://www.cbjeep.com and you can view complete set of pictures under the classic car icon.
Considering who is selling this Alfa an in-person inspection is mandatory. Everything that might be hard to find other than the front and rear glass appears to be present and other than how much bondo might be lurking under the peeling paint there is nothing apparent that causes immediate alarm. If the car is as low rust as the pictures indicate (rust free and Alfa Giulietta is a contradiction of terms) this could be a deal.
nice