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Worth The Risk? 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV

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I have a weakness for Alfa Romeo GTV6’s, and this one is no exception. This particular car has a rare Zender body kit on it as well, which I happen to really like. It’s located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is up for sale here on eBay, where bidding is currently at only $860 with no reserve. 

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I wish there were more whole car pictures, but what there is really piques my interest. The wheels are perfect for the car as far as I’m concerned, although I’m wondering why they aren’t the same distance from the fender on both sides in the back. I thought it was a Zender body kit, but wasn’t sure–this post on the AlfaGTV6.com forum confirmed it for me.

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It doesn’t look like there is any serious visible rust, although you don’t know what’s underneath without some investigation. The seller has commented that they are trying to get some more pictures posted.

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For a car that looks like it’s been in outside storage for a good while, the interior doesn’t look that bad, albeit a bit dated (is that a CB radio?) I could certainly live with it for a while after a good cleaning.

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The heart of the GTV6 is one of the sweetest V6’s ever to grace a car. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about this one other than that it will crank over but without a spark. It could be a really easy fix, or it could be an expensive one. Is it worth the risk to you? I’d really be tempted by this one if it were closer!

Comments

  1. Avatar Jeff Staff

    These always picqued my interest, too. The 80s Alfa scene is one I wouldn’t mind getting into….love me a 164 or Milano.

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  2. Avatar flmikey

    …beautiful to drive…when it ran…bought one and literally never stopped working on it…timing belt, rubber donut u-joints, 2nd gear syncro’s, electrical gremlins… it just never ended…and don’t get me started on the rust!

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  3. Avatar RX-7 TURBO II

    The reason the right rear wheel is not the same distance from the front to the back and centered in the wheel well is because it has been hit in the rear, also this car is at a salvage yard which worries me even more.
    On the plus side, I am in love with those Wheels, I have those same ones on my 1981 Mazda 626 and the body kit screams 1984 is back! Lol. Great Looking car… I wouldn’t want to own it for reliability reasons though.

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    • Avatar Don

      I’m not seeing the rear accident damage in the photographs. Is there another link?

      Like 0
  4. Avatar MikeG

    I had 2 very low mile Milanos, same drivetrain. Loved those cars, especially the Verde that had bigger 3.0, a few problems here and there, expensive to repair. I applied press on letters to the rather large warning light on the main console that said, “check bank account”. If delivery drivers hadn’t demolished both in rear endos, I’d probably still have one.

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  5. Avatar TomL

    I had an ’82 GTV6 when I was in college – it was the best bad decision I ever made. It only ran half the time I owned it, but when it ran it was awesome.

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  6. Avatar Bill

    This seller also has a nomad for sale on eBay, not very good but it’s a nomads

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  7. Avatar 55chevy Chuck F

    I’m the seller on Ebay, the Nomad is mine, it was a package deal with a 55 BA, I was in Ft Wayne for step daughter’s wedding, with Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival and 40th high school reunion a side benefit, wasn’t even looking for a car, let alone 2. The Alfa is at a Pick a Part that my buddy Scott manages, he said it’s been sitting for 3 years. A prospective buyer a while back took it to a shop to figure the no spark problem, and they couldn’t diagnose. He’s had comments that no shop in Ft Wayne area can work on Alfas, he also said the title came from the Salvation Army, maybe donated to them by PO. He is supposed to look at the rear end and get pics of bottom, I think it is rust free but I didn’t look under it. These are the first two cars I’ve put on Ebay, if the Nomad goes for above $4700 I’ve got a free 55 Bel Air 2 dr ht. No wait, I do have to get it back to Florida, anyone coming to NWFL panhandle with empty trailer?

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Mark

    I owned one of these back in the late 80’s. It also suffered from a mysterious no-spark condition. With all the cranking to troubleshoot I managed to fill the cat with raw fuel. After it finally fired up, I ran it around the block and ignorantly parked it in my wood-floored garage. As I climbed out, the converter went super nova, burst into flames, and would have burned the house down had it not been for a well-placed fire extinguisher. I learned to pull the fuel pump fuse prior to testing. I had a muffler shop replace the melted exhaust with dual mandrel bent tubes and a pair of cherry bombs. What a wonderful racket that made! It was like the Formula One had come to town. Local police were not amused, however.

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  9. Avatar michael

    These cars rust faster than you can patch them up

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  10. Avatar steve

    Just the sound of the engine is worth the risk!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7nacFjssVo

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  11. Avatar Ron

    I bought a GTV6 new back in ’83. The cars were a reliability nightmare even when new, to include electrical problems, failing synchromesh, and leaking head gaskets. I unloaded that POS after two years and forever swore off of Italian cars.

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  12. Avatar Dairymen

    Alfa’s are cool cars as long as someone else owns them! Mechanical, electrical and rusty nightmares, but for the 10 minutes you’ve got them running they’re fun!

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  13. Avatar Don

    funny every one likes them so much then says all the trouble they have with them

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  14. Avatar Peter

    Don,

    Good point!

    But how are Alfas DIFFERENT from women? ;-)

    Peter

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Pretty much everything said about the GTV6 here is correct. Mine is the other car I’m working on right now, bought from So Cal, so no rust, even in the battery box at the back, which is the way you want to buy them. There are enough of them and they are cheap enough that nobody needs to bother with a rust bucket. I would also suggest that they are cheap enough that nobody needs to bother with this modded, non-running car either.

    It’s true that Alfa built them but didn’t do enough development before selling them. The head gasket problem can be fixed with the improved head gaskets that are now available. The electrics can often be fixed by adding relays to circuits for lights, etc. Lots of info on that on the web. The 2nd gear synchro problem be fixed by…..replacing the 2nd gear synchros. But it can be pretty much prevented by a short pause between 1st and 2nd. The timing belt problem can be fixed by changing the timing belt at the proper intervals, like so many other cars back then that also needed to have belt changes as routine maintenance.

    The reward is a great handling car with a great chassis and engine.

    Like 1
  16. Avatar MikeH

    I didn’t have the six, but had a ’69 GTV 4. It was like a beautiful, temperamental woman—difficult to live with, but when it was good, it was wonderful.

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  17. Avatar 55chevy Chuck F

    Added more pictures of bottom to ad, not your typical northern rust bucket.

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  18. Avatar michael

    what??? this thing hasn’t some? I guess it’s not surprising after all

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    • Avatar michael

      Sold*
      not some…geesh

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  19. Avatar 55chevy Chuck F

    It’s going to sell to high bidder, it has last day of 7 day auction to go, price at $2,025 now.

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  20. Avatar michael

    Does the car run now?

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  21. Avatar 55chevy Chuck F

    No, it has been sitting for 2-3 years my buddy says, a guy took it to a shop and they couldn’t figure why it wasn’t getting spark, the engine turns over.

    Like 0

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