Classic cars – Page 46

October 15, 2009

69 GTV go over: trying to make the wipers work…

I had a kind of disagreement with the Mrs recently. It rained like crazy on Tuesday and Wednesday and I had to use our modern car (BMW, aka: her car) to get to work, which leaves her asking a friend for a ride, because the Sprint doesn’t have working wipers, the GTV doesn’t have working wipers (or reg), the Fiat isn’t running, the SS is in a million pieces and, well, you get the idea. I promised that the highest priority for me would be getting a car together to drive to work that was appropriate for all weather. I’d rather not drive the Sprint in the rain anyway, so the GTV is the logical choice for this sort of daily duty.

What I figured would be a blown fuse has morphed in to a full restoration project. Sigh.

The wiper motor lives under this cowl. They say it’s a good idea to remove these occasionally to clear leaves out. I wonder what I’ll find?

Continue reading “69 GTV go over: trying to make the wipers work…”

October 14, 2009

Market 119: Cheap Giulietta Spider Racer

Update 10/20/09: 28 bidders resulted in a seling price of $13,500. This is very low for this car. A competitive 1300 engine alone is close to $10K to build. I wish I wasn’t paring down myself or I would have jumped in! Another Giulietta heads for Germany.

Update 10/14/09: This car is back on eBay. Previous buyer and now seller has a pretty comprehensive description and you now know exactly what you are getting. If nothing else, the auction is worth a visit to see some vintage pictures of it in action. I wonder what has been done to the engine? Cams? Big valves? Look for a solid end price this time.

Looks like fun. These cars look good with no grill trims at all.

It’s hard to put a price on proven track time. This car seems to have it. I want a race car!

Giulietta Spider Race Car 10103 1495*11341. This car was on eBay briefly last week and ended BUY IT NOW on 5/22/09 for $12,000. Someone got an amazing deal or ripped off and I suspect the latter. If you know this car drop me a line.

Good color, great panel fit, very nice trim condition.

Continue reading “Market 119: Cheap Giulietta Spider Racer”

October 13, 2009

Fiat Fresh-up part 3: path of least resistance…

Sometimes I am reminded of how always in the Odyssey Athena with the frequently flashing eyes is giving help, good omens and occasional back rubs. Last Saturday (as in three days ago) I was at the ARA All Italian day in Alameda and what should I spy but a Fiat Spider with a note on the windshield saying something along the lines of “1800 Engine for sale, hear it run!” Well, the owner was on hand, I heard it run, monies to the tune of $250 were required to take ownership of said engine, with certain parts removal caveats of course, and I blinked twice, summoned my check book and bought it. Athena never showed, with flashing eyes, to have her maidens give me a rub down with finest oil, but things were definitely right in my pagan world.

What led me to such extremes? Why the change of heart from a polish and go with a few new parts on the 1438? Please find herewith pictures of what I found when the Fiat’s humble engine was opened up.

This had been staring me in the face since early May. Pretty grimy, but then again it is an oil and water cooled engine that gets really hot. Note how clean the outside of this engine is compared to the inside.

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October 13, 2009

Market 153: 750D Spider roller project

Update 10/20/09: 8 bids drove this car to $5451.45, a nice round number. Decent money and probably right at that point where the buyer and seller are happy. Another Giulietta off to foreign shores?

Giulietta Spider 1495*06230, 1315*05817. This roller of a project Spider is on eBay right now out of Huntington Beach california. Car was made 3/9/1959 and is a short wheelbase interim car. Looks fairly complete but in need of a lot of help. Engine is not original. Opening bid is $5000, less than the aggregate parts value and very reasonable for a project this complete.

Nose is a little busted up but not horribly. Hood does what it was designed for. These cars look tough without a windshield.

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October 7, 2009

SS 00121 Engine #2: Clean up and assembly

After 9 months in gestation, this baby is going back together. I have been stumbling over parts to this engine (main caps here, front cover there, toe stubbed on crank under rag) while treadng the circuitous detour paths paved by the Sprint, Berlina, TI, Fiat, Multipla, and GTV and it is time to get it together before any of it’s parts disappear.

I’ve been throwing in one part for this rebuild with every Centerline order and, with a few exceptions, I think I have everything required to get this thing together.

This engine had been sitting in the corner until the Sprint engine came off the stand, at which point it went back on. Refreshing the 2 liter for the TI meant it came back off. A couple of weeks ago in a fit of working against entropy, I got it back on the stand, gathered up all the parts I had stumbled over in the last 9 months and made the practical decision to put it together soon. Practical becasue a: it’s hard to loose engine parts that are assembled with foot pounds and sealer/glue to a very large heavy object and b: if I have nice shiny three thousand dollar engine waiting to go in the SS I might be more motivated. Continue reading “SS 00121 Engine #2: Clean up and assembly”

October 5, 2009

Market 151: Nice Red Spider

Update 10/12/09: No takers at $34,500 which is a surprise, usually cars that have had this much work lavished on them sell because there is a whole segment of buyers who know you get a lot for free when you buy a restored car. Isn’t the saying that you buy the restoration and get the car for free? Has a few faults but is as good as or better than cars that have sold for more. If I were the seller I’d do some light detail work under the hood and relist it next March when everyone has convertible fever.

Giulietta Spider 10103*170689. This car is on eBay right now out of Southern California. Car looks great in the pictures but for the $34,500 buy it now asking price, there are a few details that should be a little better, especially if the claimed outlay of cash is genuine. It does look great though!

Very nice angle on the iconic Giulietta Spider. I agree with the seller that the front is a little cleaner without the grill ‘tusks’. Stance looks good and if it handles like it promises then it will be sweet.

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September 30, 2009

TI Tidy XXVI: Clutch Master time

The saga continues, like a Halloween horror movie sequel or a Star Wars excuse for merchandising spin-off/splinter story. I’ve been relying on this car for my daily get-a-body-where-it-needs-to-go duties which seem to never be less than 100 miles and I am impressed by how good it is. Starts right up, flies down the freeway and stops pretty good. Given how much I had to do to bring it this far, a little thing like the clutch master acting up is no more than an irritation.

Like it supposedly is with people, what’s on the inside matters most. Here we have a rusty grungy exterior and a virginal interior. Baby drank some bad DOT3. When I opened it up the assembly was sticking in some old black gooey fluid that brake cleaner took care of.

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September 29, 2009

Market 118: Nice Giulietta TI in Mexico

Update 3/18/10: Story continues only the sale venue has changed… now available at MaercadoLibre for $95,000, pesos that is. About $7300. A good deal methinks if you are cool with the idea of buying a car out of Mexico…

A little Q&A from the ad:

Q: “buddy for the linkage is that if you put it like this for the velocities to the column has not been since ?—- and second type of box I adapt it ?…. I have on hand 80 one after another? if you are not interested ‘… and if you can send more pictures of the board xxxxxxxx@hotmail.com trunk etc. .. saludos”

A: “he adapted the case of an Alfa Romeo, the original box tiene.junta not more money (notice it’s clear I’m not topping.)”

Update 10/12/09: 2 bidders, $6100, reserve met. I wonder if it sold? Would be a great bargain at that price if it was around here!

Update 9/29/09: Back on eBay after a brief respite. This TI seems like a pretty good deal for someone in the western hemisphere looking for one.

Update 5/28/09: Sold! $7000, reserve met with 13 bids. Andrew says: “Seems like a steal if you’re in Mexico or have an assured way of getting it out of the country.” I agree. Let’s see if it sticks.

1959 Giulietta TI 1468*22622. This car is available right now on eBay out of Guadalajara Mexico. Seller states it is a 1960 model, but from the time of manufacture to crating it up to be finish assembled in Mexico by Willy’s, a period import requirement to provide jobs, to the time spent on a show room floor, I could see a year or more easily passing.

I really like this series of Giulietta Sedan. The grill work up front has a more jovial expression than the Sprint and Spider. Overall the car looks good. I like the color and everything seems to fit together well.

Continue reading “Market 118: Nice Giulietta TI in Mexico”

September 28, 2009

Market 138: 750D Spider project

Update 10/12/09: $4250, 25 bids, reserve met. Doesn’t happen very often that a car does better the second time around. This means my Spider is under-priced!

Update 9/28/09: It’s back. I guess the high bidder last time got cold feet.

Update 8/10/09: Sold for $3102 with 15 bidders. I guess this means my $4000 asking for my Spider is about right.

Giulietta Spider 1495*05384. This project car is available right now on eBay out of British Columbia Canada. $400 opening bid is a sensible starting place and with the amount of information given about the car it may not be far from the end price. To it’s credit it is basically complete.

Average Spider checks in for some work and never checks out. The body looks to have been in pretty good shape. Rust, rust and rust seem to have exerted themselves. No quarter (wing) windows. Sigh.

Continue reading “Market 138: 750D Spider project”

September 28, 2009

Market 149: One owner 1600 Spider Veloce kit

Update 9/28/09: 39 bidders managed to get it up to $10,100 but the reserve was not met. That price would have represented a good buy, heck, anything under about $15,000 would be a good buy to someone who can put it together from all those parts in the pictures. It costs the same amount and takes the same amount of time to restore a Normale versus a Veloce and the Veloce ends up worth nearly twice what the Normale is so there is no reason this car shouldn’t go for good money.

Giulia Spider Veloce 1600 10118*39018X. This 1964 one owner Spider is on eBay out of Milwakee Wisconsin right now. Seller has withheld the last number in the vin “for privacy”. This is sort of funny since for new vehicles the VIN is a requirement and 85%+ of old vehicles (Alfa’s at least) list their vin. Sounds like typical ingenuous internet paranoia to me.

Body looks okay. Door shut lines aren’t great, hood fit isn’t either. Wheels need finishing. I think the new owner will have a lot to do.

Continue reading “Market 149: One owner 1600 Spider Veloce kit”