Tag: Classic cars

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TI Tidy Twelve: incremental improvements

Three hours is a lot of time when you know what you are going to do every step of the way, but when you are unsure of the next move, time without visible progress passes quickly. Indecision robs you of momentum.

I’m not saying I didn’t get anything done, just not nearly as much as I thought I would.

IMG_8875The Weber’s (40DCOE 27’s with 32mm chokes) have enjoyed the gentle touch of a natural bristle brush soaked in white gas followed by rattle can carb cleaner and are now not-so-firmly mounted in case I have to remove them to trace a difficult wire. A couple of feet of fuel line cut to length and clamped appropriately and this picture will be complete.

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Market 130: Bertone Giulietta prototype?

Giulietta 10591 prototype.  This car is available right now out of Finland.  It is said to have been made by Bertone but the styling cues seem to me to be a little later than 1959 though (1969?)  I do see a Sprint under there if a squint just a bit.  Anyone know the story here?  Sellers story is below.  Oh, and it’s 40K Euro’s.

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Looks a bit like this modified car.  Kind of approaches something sort of Opel or??

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TI Tidy eleven: Lots of loose ends

Surprisingly easy and yet frustrating is how it has been going since the engine dropped in. The easy part probably mainly the result of the intrinsic simplicity of these cars, the frustration mostly the result of the utter disregard with which this car was treated when it was taken apart. In any case, progress continues to be made and it may be that I will make my goal of driving this thing to Pixar’s 2009 Motorama the weekend after next.

Not pictured below is any of the two days I spent bolting the engine and trans mounts down, installing the giubo and basically under the car, on my back cursing. I will only have to return to that position and frame of mind when it comes time to install the new speedometer cable and mount the exhaust that Aaron gave me.

IMG_8867Not necessarily necessary but nice; the brake booster. PO simply cut the line running from it to the junction. A brake line making session ensued and I was triumphant. The celebrate I installed the booster and line. I’m sure you can already sense what will be the biggest job.

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Market 127: Sold Spider. Assembled in Mexico!

Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*02420.  This car sold on eBay recently for $18,100 after 38 bids.  About the right result for a car like this.  What do I mean ‘a car like this’?  See the sellers  description for the full details, but basically a largly unoriginal bitsa that spent most of it’s life in Mexico.  Not that any of that is in and of itself bad, especially if the result is fast and looks good, but Giuliettas are trending towards originality being reflected in asking and selling prices as interest and values go up.  Bringatrailer did a write-up which can be found here.
other other frontAlways a pleasure to see a Giulietta Spider nose that is well turned out in a color other than red, white or black.  Not a lot to fault up here!

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Market 126: Giulia Spider 375817. Nice!

Update 6/29: Alright people, come to order.  Yes, this is an attractive, well maintained Giulia Spider with a storied past, and very well presented auction, and yes, it is pretty cool, but $33,100 after 48 bids?  Wow, I’m glad to see 101 cars are still doing okay.  My Spider looks pretty good at $4000… maybe I’ll just fix it up!

Giulia Spider 10123*375817. This red Spider is currently attracting bids on eBay out of Denver Colorado. The write up is extensive and it’s ownership record reads like a who’s who of well-known long-time Alfa (AROC) Enthusiasts. With 2 days, 8 hours left in the auction it is sitting at $20,600 after 21 bids, reserve not met. Full auction write-up is at the end of this post.

spider 357817 noseNow that is nice! Trim finish is perfect, trim and panel fit is exemplary and the color red is right. Uncle Rick would complain about the ‘eye liner’, but then he’s that way. Eyeliner refers to the ‘licorice rope’ rubber edging that guys like to put under the trim to protect their $10,000 paint job from vibration scratches inflicted on the paint by the trim. I can dig. Why do these kind of headlights bother me?

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Market 125: Giulia Spider project 10123*379887.

Update 6/28: 29 bidders duked it out and the high bidder got this car for $6433.  Not bad, not bad at all.  Seller is probably back in the green on the sale and high bidder got if nothing else a fabulous parts car or tough but do-able project.

Giulia Spider 10123*379887 is available on eBay now out of Lafayette California, just over the hill from me. It wears Texas plates and has some significant but not terminal underside rust so don’t let the California auction mislead you. It is however an unmolested example (unmolested is another way of saying ignored), ready for restoration so the new owner will be the first one to take anything apart and begin the process.

379887 noseAppears to have been molested a little to the left of the grill. Center badge is missing (cheap repro is available) and so is the grill eyebrow above the license plate. All in all pretty good up here.

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Motherlode 400 event report

The Motherlode 400, organized by expert and enthusiastic haver of good-times Josh Prentis ran on June 20 – 21st, but began for me on Friday the 19th when I spent an hour rigging up an air cleaner for the Sprint from some borrowed components from shop mate Duff.  Sprint’s oil and water levels were fine so I chucked one of my better looking spares in the trunk, filled a pillow case with tools I might need, stowing it under the back parcel shelf panel and declared myself prepared for the worst.  Having commuted 70 miles a day in the Sprint for two weeks solid, I was confident my tools would stay stowed unless needed by a fellow motorist.

Joined by first timers Hoon and Coutney in their charming Datsun Fairlady 1600, we rolled off from Peet’s coffee in Oakland at 7am on Saturday.  Meet up was at the Jackson Lodge in Jackson. 

motherlode thumb stephPedal Pusher Citation bait getting used to the new and potentially improved Sprint that she is half owner of.  The tach cable started squeeling like crazy soon after this and I had to cut it at the firewall.

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Market 123: Barn Find late Spider Veloce

Update 6/17/09: “The seller ended this listing early to sell to the high bidder(s) at current bid price.”  50 bids, $25,300 and the seller ended early to sell to the current high bidder.  I guess eBay has figured out that there was no way they could keep this from happening so they have embraced the off auction sale.  $25k for this car is about right in my opinion.

Giulia Spider Veloce 10118*390214, engine 00121*01727. This car is available out of Southern California on eBay and includes the rare Pininfarina factory steel hardtop. Auction description is lengthy and included at the end. Seller states the car is a 1965 and no doubt that is what the title says, but d&T and Fusi both indicate it was manufactured in 1964.

spider 390214 noseThis is how you find them and when you are very lucky you are the first one to find them and get a very good deal. I don’t think I would do much to this car at this point, just make it safe and clean. By the shape of the ovals in the wheels these are Borrani’s. There late Veloce’s seem to always have these wheels.

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Market 124: Selling my SS and Spider

Giulietta Spider 10103*370645.  Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120*00413.  I am streamlining my operation, or, I suppose you could say simplifying my life while simultaneously lowering my overhead.  My goal at the end of the year is to have, gasp, one Alfa (no Fiats or vintage Toyotas) and no Second Mortgage.  Which Alfa is it going to be?  Probably the Sprint, but even that is not totally decided.  I am starting with the Spider and SS because they are frankly the easiest to let go.  Check out my For Sale page for more details.  I’ll post inventories of what comes with each next week.

giulietta spider before and after The nose and it’s nice original paint coming out.