Update 4/26/10: This car is back on eBay with the same pictures and a zero feedback seller. Scam? Chances are…Â
Update 7/2/08. Auction has been pulled off eBay as of about 1pm. I guess I was right to express my doubts about the validity of this auction. Buyers beware, this is the third time I have personally seen pictures from this group used to create a fake eBay auction. Has anyone ever fallen for one of these scams?
Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121*380999. This car is available right now on eBay out of Los Angeles with a starting bid of $45,200. This particular car, with these pictures has been on eBay twice in the last year, once in Hayward California and once in Savannah Georgia. On both of those occasions the auction was pulled within a day of being posted. Is this the real seller offering this car for sale right now? I don’t know, but more pictures and information is provided in this auction than either of the other two and both the others had buy it now prices that were way under market for this car, I think less than $20,000. There is no reserve and the starting bid is slightly under market for this car if everything checks out. Maybe this is a real no-scam auction.
No engine number is given so I would first ask about the number and request a picture of the number on the engine to make sure the stamping looks unaltered. In this price range, you have to verify everything. I would guess the engine number would turn out to be in the range 00121*00850 – 00121*01150.
Is it just me or is the bumper corner on the drivers side drooping a little? The supports and bracketry in this area are not very robust and as such easily damaged but also easily realigned. Other than that it looks great!
I think I am right about the bumper, here the U shaped groove at the center is seen to be off-center compared to the grill heart. Again just a pains-taking realignment job. Grill heart, moustaches and mesh all look good. There is usually black rubber edging under the grill to protect the paint that I don’t see here.
It appears that the lower two inches of the car have been protected by undercoating all around and under the car. You can’t look in the rocker cavities so the magnet test would be the only way to test for hidden rust or bondo. Everything looks good in the two underside pictures so I doubt this car has more than the usual unseen internal rocker surface rust.
One of my favorite views of the SS shape, as aerodynamic in plan view as profile. Blacked out US? plate at least makes sense with the auction location in the US.
Steering wheel looks solid with the correct two-part center button, rear view mirror is right, overall interior looks to be in good shape. The piping around the passenger seat cushion looks weird, like it bunched up when it was stitched. As always I could do with out the busy red piping.
Speedometer and odometer are in MPH and the car is a European import, having originally been delivered to Palermo and wearing an Italian market designation number IGM 2677 OM for homologation and taxation purposes. Maybe not the original Speedometer? Nothing is ever for sure with Alfas from this era and I’d be inclined to believe the car came over to the US later in life and when it did the speedometer was changed to an MPH unit for ease of use, making the mileage an unknown number of KM’s, probably not many based on condition, added to the indicated miles.
Engine compartment looks great with the correct buckle type clamps on the intake hose from plenum to airbox. Very nice indeed!
Exhaust appears recent or the car hasn’t seen much use and has been stored indoors. Differential casting is very shiny. Finish on the gas tank underside looks great. Not much to complain about under here.
A nice SS for a lot of money but depending on condition, maybe less than retail. Overall condition looks great though I couldn’t spend this kind of money without a visit and neither should anyone else. The pictures are just not adequate to convey all of the details and I would want to drive it. I would be on a plane tomorrow if I was ready to buy a nice red Giulia SS but unfortunately I’m not in the market, I’m not excited about red and I want a Giulietta. If this is a real offering that is not a scam I expect is may get a few bids. We’ll see.