Tag: Vintage cars

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Market 14: “1961 Concours 101 Sprint” 20825

Update November 11, 2016.  This car is listed on ebay again out of Greenville South Carolina.  It’s funny to read my old write up – so earnest!  This car has been improved a tiny bit – most notably with Sprint seats being added, but still has a few things that could be improved if the new owner so desired.  Or not.

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Still a good looking example.  This dealer had a Giulietta TI listed recently.  Very little distortion on the side of the body in the reflection.  

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Suspension 5: Sprint Speciale Differential housing clean up

Having this blog to look back on is pretty neat – I get to revisit my younger self, see what I thought about stuff, and reflect on what’s changed.  Most people can probably relate to how it feels when they discover an old essay they wrote for school, or a set of pictures from some big event in their life – a very human mix of nostalgia, slightly embarrassed introspection and my-god-where-has-the-time-gone reflection on changing priorities.  Anyway, I was doing some house keeping and found this post.  I think it is as useful now as it was then.

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Me in a younger mans clothes – a few days before I wrote this post.  How’s the Sprint Veloce doing Corey?

From July 30, 2008:  Cleaning up the differential housing was one of those jobs I resisted doing for a while.  Every time I looked at it the 2 hours of scraping, solvent bathing and degreaser scrubbing I would have to do flashed before my eyes and I found something else to do.  Last week I rearranged a lot of my stuff to fit the Berlina in my space and found myself once again faced with this greasy lump in a tray sitting on my bench top waiting for me to clean it.  It was time to face the subject of so much procrastination.

The housing was covered in a thick coating of dirt that had bonded with oil and built up over the years.  To save time and solvent I used a small scraper to remove the big stuff.  By the time I was done I had removed probably three pounds of the caked oily dirt.

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Greasy oily goo scraped off easily, but there was so much of it that it took about an hour to get it ready for a solvent bath.

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Market 20: Waterloo Sprint Veloce 750E 08721

5/8/2013:  This feller has popped up for sale at Bonhams at their up coming Spa Auction.  Estimate is $53,000 – $66,000.  Probably a bit on the low side.

“‘The Alfa, in a few words then, is a small car with a rev-happy dohc engine that can carry two people from point A to point B over all types of roads quicker than most cars twice its size. It does this not with blinding speed but with a wonderful combination of roadholding, compact size and sheer willingness.’ – Car & Driver on the Giulietta Sprint.”

Five years later and no new pictures.  Thanks Jerry for pointing this sale out to me.

6/10/2008: Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750 AR1493E08721, Engine 1315*32399. Listed for sale on Classic Driverfor 31,200 GBP, or about $61,000. The ad text says it is a 1958 Confortevole but Fusi lists the chassis number range for 1958 ending with 07921 though there is a typo where the page breaks for the 1959 year information and beside the 1959 750 designation Sprint Veloce’s it says 1958. Conforevole’s end with car 06611 so its a stretch of the accepted definitions to call it one. In this condition and at this price I don’t think they added any premium for calling it a Confortevole and I doubt there is any dishonesty at work, likely just a lack of solid information combined with the usual regurgitation of hear-say.

“Perfect in all respects.” This is a car that the seller means for potential buyers to come see in person, and who in their right mind would buy a car at the absolute top of the market without viewing it in person and taking it for a spirited drive. I want to go see it just to get a better look at the sellers facilities.

This presentation is great. More museum than Classic car dealership with period pictures and statistics built into the display. You probably have to qualify to even step into the ring for a closer look.

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Market 22: Mexico City Giulietta Sprint survivor

Update 7/1/12: 1 bid, reserve not met.  No sale.

Update 6/25/12: This car has turned up on eBay after 4 years with the same pictures and from the same seller. Sprint values have come a long way in the last 4 years. I expect it will find a buyer this time.

Original post 6/20/08: Reserve not met! $12,099 was the ending price, $1 less than the black plate car out of Cottonwood. Seller added some new pictures of the car outdoors in daylight that show it is a pretty nice car. I think either of these cars was a pretty good deal and would be a great basis for putting together very nice original driver. I think both suffered from somewhat poor presentation and the fact that they both went through eBay at the same time. There can’t be that many guys (or gals) out there looking for Sprints, so any more than 2 or 3 a month in a given area is market saturation, and we’ve been seeing 5 or 6 a month since I started this blog. Last, I suspect both these sellers, encouraged by the strong sale prices mentioned earlier for project cars, put these on the market just to kind of see what they would do, without a real necessity to sell them.

Added pictures include this nose shot, always a pleasant sight. I wonder if a yellow curb has the same meaning in Mexico.

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Market #1: White Giulia SS project

Update 5/31/12: Now on Craigslist.  Look at the pictures at the bottom of this write up. Looks like the same car to me. I wonder what you would receive if you sent them $25K?

Update 9/20/10: A Giulia SS was listed on Craigslist this morning for $30,000 with pictures of this car.  A scam?  Borrowed pictures?  I’m sure it will be answered before long…

5/20/09 Update: SOLD after 377 days! A guy I spoke to on the phone about this car last month, giving advise etc, has taken the plunge and bought this car.  I told him exactly what I have been saying about this car all along, it’s probably a good car that everyone interested in an SS is tired of seeing for sale (you only get one shot at a good eBay auction).  The selling price was around $45K and he seems very happy with the purchase.  Look for it to be present at shows and events in Southern California.  If anyone knows a good place to get keys made in Southern California post a comment as he needs to get door, trunk and glove box keys made.

I bet the seller of this SS would be happy if one of you kind readers would buy his 1965 Flavia Sport Zagato that is currently on Craigslist for $26,000 or trade.

3/31/09 Update: I think it will be a while before another car is featured here so many times. This car is on eBay again and this time it can be bought NOW for $47,500. Lets see if my ‘auction fatigue’ theory holds true. Now is your chance, you know you want it. I’ll offer the correct gauges to the new owner at 10% off.

3/18/09 Update: This car is now all repainted and spiffied up. Check it out on eBay now. $56,000 asking is big money but the car is pretty nice now.

low-frontVery nice work. The shut lines look good and the trim is all as it should be. Seller says he got it all ‘triple chromed’.

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Market 15: "Beautifully restored Giulietta Sprint"

Update 9/15/11: A note from the seller: “Actually I did quite a lot to the car since I bought it from the man in Savannah GA who offered it on ebay.  That was about 30 months ago.  Paint was carefully hand cleaned, hand clayed, hand polished and waxed. Carpet was replaced with custom colored wool woven plush material, of very tight linear weave.  Engine bay was extensively cleaned and detailed. Original Lodge spark plugs and Cavis wires installed. Original air cleaner canister was refinished and re-installed with an adaptor to the dual barrel Weber. Engine was fine tuned and a complete new centerline exhaust system was installed by Mike Besic. Brake system was completely fine tuned.  Five new Pirelli Cinturatos installed. Interior was cleaned and extensively detailed. Trunk was extensively cleaned and detailed. Fog lights were replaced with Carrellos.  It all seemed like a good idea at the time, and then the 1958 Veloce Confortavole came along last Spring.  I actually took the 1960 Sprint and 1969 Duetto to the Concorso Italiano last August.  That’s where the buyer saw it for the first time. He drove it the following week at Fantasy Junction.  Car sold yesterday. Five days after Fantasy Junction offered it on their website.”
Maybe I didn’t ask enough.”

Update 9/14/11: First -I had to really dig to find this old post.  I’ve been at it a while now it seems.  Champagne all around!  Okay, wishful thinking aside -this car is now available from my frequently frequented, frequently well stocked with frequently above average -in this case way above average cars, Fantasy Junction.  Asking price is an inspiring $49,500.  Yep.  “Sale Pending” the website says.  Mines parked on the street in Oakland California with the windows open.  Heh!


My car looks almost this good from space on a rainy day before they fixed the Hubble lenses.  That’s a nice car!
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Market #31: Restored 1960 Giulietta SS

Update 3/13/11: More pics from Bill.


Update 3/12/11: Not your usual resale tale here.  This car sold for $140,000 + 10% at Amelia Island.  Buyer was the Malamut Auto Museum in LA.  Thanks for the tip Eric!  Anyone have pics from the auction to share?  Oh, and congrats to the seller on a big cha-ching.
A nice one from Bill Gillham, the restorer, who is no doubt proud of his work.

From the sellers own hand as the bidding passed the estimate.
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Market #7: Giulia SS racer 380352

Update 1/8/11: This car is available again -this time it looks like it’s in Germany.  The asking price is 41,900 Euro’s or a little over $54,000.  The SS’s keep coming!
Makes me wonder if it really is in Germany…

Originally posted 5/13/2008: Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121-380352. Available through Alfaholics for 39,000 Euros, about $60,000 at time of writing. Entire text of the advertisement reads: “Body # 380352. LHD. Body excellent. Engine tuned at 150 BHP. Roll bar. Racing tuned. 2008 FIA papers. Ready for season 2008. This car has done Tour Auto many times. Price: € 39 000. Car is in Paris.” I assume an inquiry would receive a in depth account of the car. Details of the car reveal a decent car was used as a starting point to make a pretty serious FIA racer. I like the lightweight plexiglass windows and lack of trim and if it was a track only car I could live with the interior, but for street use I’d like a little more of a period look on the inside.
Always a nice profile. Wheels are later Sedan or GT items, the cheap way to put more tire under one of these without major body or suspension rework.
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Market #29: Nice Red Giulia Sprint Speciale in Los Angeles

Update 4/26/10:  This car is back on eBay with the same pictures and a zero feedback seller.  Scam?  Chances are… 

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!

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Modified Sprint Speciale’s part two

So many of you enjoyed the last rerun about modified SS’s that I thought I’d rerun this one.

Originally posted July 16, 2008: The last modified Sprint Speciale’s installment highlighted some fairly successful modifications, mostly done in the youth of the featured cars. This car glared at me from the same file directory I used to store the other pictures but I just couldn’t work it in. It would have been like accidentally finding reverse while speeding down the highway.

I know, you’re looking at the picture thinking ‘that’s an SS??… NO WAY’. Look closer, you know it’s true. My first impression was someone built an interpretation of something from Bubblegum Crisis or another cyberpunk Anime, but without the ability to fly.

Not an altogether unsightly proposition if it was based on a 70’s Spider -which is where the nose appears to have come from, but in my opinion an abberation as a Franken-SS unless based on a horribly smashed SS that would have been recycled if not for this.

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