Update 8/28/12: Rufus has been growing, changing and leading me on a new adventure. Here are some pictures I took this morning when he was in a really good mood. Note the shirt!
Market 439: Spider Veloce 750F 06380 w/ hardtop
Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 1495*06380. This car is available out of Connecticut on eBay. Engine is not original and it needs a lot of help in all the usual areas, except it doesn’t appear to be too rusty. Presence of original Pininfarina hardtop is unusual and will add a few thousand bucks to the result.
So far so goo. Some bits are missing but they are included. Headlights look like the original Carello units
Continue reading “Market 439: Spider Veloce 750F 06380 w/ hardtop”
F.I.S.P.A. Air cleaner for most single carb Sprints and Spiders + mystery
I got this FISPA (TIPO: FATS 5032, DISEGNO: 9815) air filter canister from a reader as sort of partial payment for helping sell a car. I thought it would be right for my Sprint but it turns out it’s got a slightly different shape than another one I had on hand for a Sprint.
Applications: I decided to check the parts book and found there are three versions of this part. If anyone has an original older Sprint or Spider I’d be interested in hearing which box you have.
- 1315.53.820: For Spider up to engine 1315.43709; after that see 1315.53.832.
- 1315.53.832: for Sprint from engine 1315.05874 to 1315.09002 – for Spider from engine 1315.43710 to 1315.45854; after those numbers see 101.02.08.010.00.
- 101.02.08.010.00: for Sprint and Spider after numbers above.
Failure mode: rusts out, stabilizing mount to valve cover Splits, it gets lost.
Current state of parts: Classic Alfa UK sells a new repro. eBay usually has a one listed in need of restoration for about $400.
Notes: Early versions seem to have a bolt instead of the loop (part 11 below) for tightening to the top of the carb. I have seen several sorts of FISPA labels, from a stamped metal plate to a screened on decal. Bill Gillham has repro’s of some of these.
Continue reading “F.I.S.P.A. Air cleaner for most single carb Sprints and Spiders + mystery”
Heater part 3: Air intake, front, with motor 1493.54.708
The car I’m working on will eventually retire to a leisurely life in Washington -a state well known for its rainfall. As such, I decided a good forced air system to heat the cabin and defog the windscreen was a good idea. I have the original fan impeller mounted on a modern motor in my Sprint and it works okay -you can feel a little moving air, but it’s not very impressive (admittedly most of my ducting is leaky original BS or ill-fitting replacement BS, so maybe an unfair test). Anyway, I was perusing the McMaster catalog when I found a 4″, 12 volt all-in-one in-line blower fan.
Applications: Sprint and sprint Veloce.
Failure mode: electric motor failure.
Current state of parts: repair original or find something to adapt in place of the original.
This is where the Air intake plenum lives. It’s designed to act as a ram-air and I imagine at over about 40 mph the air forced in is moving faster than the original fan could push it in. The rest under here looks pretty nice…
Continue reading “Heater part 3: Air intake, front, with motor 1493.54.708”
Market 436: 1956 Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 02239
Update 8/23/12: $310,000 hammer has members of the exclusive club known as ‘early lightweight Sprint Veloce owners’ all calling their insurance agent to up the agreed value, and then thinking about whether or not they really need that jewel in their jewelry box at that price.
8/11/12: Giulietta Sprint 750 E 1493*02239, 1315*30135, Bertone body number 77117. This car will be auctioned by Russo and Steele next weekend with an expected hammer around $200,000. With a high expected price comes high praise and/or high scrutiny. d’Amico and Tabucchi list this chassis number as a 1956 Sprint Veloce 750E, good enough for me! It has been magnificently restored to a semblance of ‘last raced’ specification, with lightweight seats, a lack of bumpers and other details deviating from stock. It is doubtful it wore the Borrani wire wheels shown since -not only have I never seen a period picture of a Giulietta racer with wire wheels, they were very likely heavier than the usual Fergat or Borrani wheels due to the required extra splined hub adapter.
A lot of the ‘lightweight’ treatment was replacement of chrome-over brass parts with aluminum. Body fits together with the typical Bertone precision. Would be nice to see it wear it’s original, most likely lost 50 years ago aluminum bumpers. I have read they are available -I know ClassicAlfa and Alfastop list a few of the aluminum parts, not sure if they have bumpers.
Continue reading “Market 436: 1956 Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 02239”
Market 434: Winning-est Giulietta racer Spider 750 03083 ‘Sophia’
Update 8/23/12: Sold for $72,450 including premium.
Update later the same morning:
I got this picture taken at Road Atlanta circa 1983 from Michael McClure, then owner of the brown Giulietta racer and wearing the gold race suit talking to Martin Krilanovich (in green sleeves). The red car is Sophia with Phil Mason in white racing suit leaning over it talking to his crew chief Jerry. Time flies.Â
Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*03083, 1315*41849. The late Al Leake Jr. raced Sophia to much success on the west coast. I can remember seeing them many times at Sear’s Point and Laguna Seca -always out front or nearly so -even against cars that on paper ought to have gotten around the track faster -even if driven by lesser drivers. I don’t remember where I heard/read it, but I seem to recall that Sophia is one of the winning-est race cars in history. Lineage includes prior ownership by Phil Mason and connection to H. B. Luginbuhl, who some say had a lot to do with development early on. Anyway, Sophia is being auctioned by Bonhams this coming Monterey weekend. Estimate is $65,000 – $85,000. It’s too bad the seller chickened out and omitted the rubber chicken that used to be seen dangling from the trunk -oh well, maybe that rubber chicken is a stuffed trophy over someones mantle now next to a 12 point buck or buffalo head.
Tasteful for a dedicated race car. Development started in the mid-70’s and by the late 80’s Sophia was a potent machine. Fiberglass grill and trim?
Continue reading “Market 434: Winning-est Giulietta racer Spider 750 03083 ‘Sophia’”
Market 383: 10120 Sprint Speciale at Hyman
Update 8/21/12: Sold for $138,000. Well, er, bought and sold. The journey continues.
Update 2/13/12: It is the same car -the vin has been verified. Sold for about €38,000 in 2006. Market has changed!
Update 2/12/12: I heard from a previous owner of this car -the vin is 10120*177259. He sold it into Spain 6 years ago. He’s not positive it’s the same car, but pictures indicate it most likely is.
Silver grill -yes. Same tires? I think so.
Definitely looks like the same engine to me. There you have it -a piece of the past puzzle of this car.
Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120. This car is listed by Hyman Ltd, in St. Louis. No asking price, vin or other info is provided, but judging from the pictures it’s a nice car and knowing Hyman’s MO, it will undoubtedly be expensive. I looked through my files but was unable to find this car. Anyone know it?
Like Fantasy Junction and their brick wall, Hyman uses this stage to good effect. I wonder if it’s set up all the time? I’m helping a friend listing a ton of Jaguar parts from the 50’s and 60’s on eBay and we plan on setting up a permanent photo area. Note the screen behind the grill is in silver (or possibly chrome) -not original (if you care). Windshield wipers are parked on the opposite side form usual. Nice looking car!
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Market 433: Spider 10103 171827 auctioned by Gooding & Co
Update 8/22/12: So I was wrong -this car only made $41,800. That ought to keep every 101 1300 (and 1600 too methinks) Normale owner with a clean example from getting too big a head over their car. Of course -I heard from some in-person inspectors that it was more tired than it ought to have been…
8/2/12: Spider 10103*171827. At the Pebble Beach weekend this year Gooding will possibly be attempting to set a record for the sale of a Normale 1300 Spider. The car is very nice and it’s easy to say it could use some detailing, but I imagine improvement would be difficult without major expense. It is for the most part a preserved car by the description, but a lot has been replaced -even so, this is the kind of car I prefer -lightly used and well maintained.
Tidy little creature. Great shut lines and good trim alignment. Wheels appear to be Borrani’s.
Continue reading “Market 433: Spider 10103 171827 auctioned by Gooding & Co”
Monterey auction results
I missed out of the Monterey weekend festivities again -oh well. I heard a few Giulietta results come back from the auctions, but am still waiting to hear a few. Anyone care to comment on some?
I heard from the second to last bidder that the Market 436 lightweight Sprint Veloce sold for $275,000. Is this accurate? What was the sale price total with fees?
How did Market 434’s Sophia do at Bonham’s?
I heard Market 433 Spider went for $38,000.
Weren’t there a few SS’s too?
Market 438: Spider Veloce 750F 04699
Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 1495*04699, 1315*31090. This car is on eBay right now. Has it weaknesses and strengths. No surprise why it’s on eBay this particular week. Here’s an idea: you provide the captions, I’ll add them. Just say which picture your comment is for. Hint: B- or C+…
Scott’s intro: “Looks like a few of the cars that have come up for sale in the last year. Fix a few details and it would sell for a fair bit more.”
Craig’s overall: “She could use a little rust cleanup in the engine bay,a set of the green Cavis ignition wires, white plastic on the horn ring, seat repair, proper exhaust system, gauge inserts and a Veloce tach. Nothing to bad here I give her a B.”
Mike I says: “First photo. As per Mr Hamilton: nice complete trim. Good shut lines correct borrani wheels. Good stance, with shiny paint……”