The Alfa Thread

[2mAn]

I dont know simon.......i dont think theses are cars anyone would want to buy sight unseen. One drop of rain makes a rust hole.

With that said, i am going to be in philly that day. I wonder how far away it is.......?

PM sent

The pre 1970 stuff isn't so bad, the Pre 1965 stuff is even better. Pre 1960 has a high chance of not being recycled steel. My Sprint sat in a wet barn with a dirt floor and all the rust on the car happened prior to when it was parked there, and it seems to have all been from the battery.

I see a Sprint on one of those pics, might be a solid project. Heck, might be a Veloce as well.

Will

Im looking for anything pre-75. Should I focus more on a pre-70 car?

[flyboyx]

PM sent



Im looking for anything pre-75. Should I focus more on a pre-70 car?

I got your pm. I left you a message on your phone. I'm down for an adventure if we can make it work out. personally, I would focus on a gtv or something like blackbird is restoring.

They seem to have the value these days.

[2mAn]

I got your pm. I left you a message on your phone. I'm down for an adventure if we can make it work out. personally, I would focus on a gtv or something like blackbird is restoring.

They seem to have the value these days.

I'll call you back soon, my work isnt too fond of me chatting on my phone while on the clock... technically they dont like me on the net either, but thats less obvious.

edit: Anyone know what the hell this is? Its really fucking with my imagination right now.

[LateFan]

^^^ wow...um...it has an Alfa.. in it...and an Alfetta transaxle rear end....

I don't know - that looks totally home made.

Here's that VIN list I saw on the auction..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5553HwNnxMsRjluazNaM3FDRk0/view

[2mAn]

^^^ wow...um...it has an Alfa.. in it...and an Alfetta transaxle rear end....

I don't know - that looks totally home made.

Here's that VIN list I saw on the auction..
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B55...NaM3FDRk0/view

Yup, reminds me of the kit car I was trying to build using a 944 transaxle & 944S motor, but this one looks like it was close to completion VS mine that was just beginning.

Do those look like carbs or a MFI/ Spica injection setup?

I've seen the VIN list, but I dont know how to decode any of it

[flyboyx]

Looks like spica injection to me

Will, you probably ought to pm me your phone number. Looks like there is a chance i may be going to this. I bet they have piles of parts not listed in the headline.

[BlackbirdM3]

On both sides of the 164, are Sprints like what I have. I didn't see anything listed as one however. The VIN numbers don't match up well either. An early GTV (such as the GTV I had) should read something like AR 1530324

Here is a listing of Sprints and Spyders so you can kinda get an idea of the early cars. https://giuliettas.com/giulietta-giulia-models/. There is a good chance that those Sprints could be 1600 Sprints. The VIN number will be on the passenger side firewall, around where the vent hose goes through it.

The GTVs are worth chasing. Those will be worth doing a restoration on, and replacement body panels are being made now. If you find a '69 GTV, its worth grabbing. there were only 640 built, less than 200 remain. They are the E30 M3 of the GTV world.

Of the cars I see there, the Sprints and GTVs are worth chasing. The rest are likely all rusted out and not worth investing $ into (aside from a 750/101 series spider from the fiftys up to '65) Look through the site in the link I posted above. Lots of good info on the 750/101 cars on there. (Somewhere on there is a link to my Sprint project, and my car is listed. 1493*20198

That tube frame thing is interesting, but not any real Alfa I've ever seen.

Will

[BlackbirdM3]

Looks like spica injection to me

Will, you probably ought to pm me your phone number. Looks like there is a chance i may be going to this. I bet they have piles of parts not listed in the headline.

Yes I would agree, Spica, but I can't tell if its early or late. I'm really looking for a set of wheels for the Sprint, Panasports or a set of American racing Lemans wheels (uber rare, but they are out there.) Its hard to explain what you see over the phone, and my phone doesn't do pics. That said, I might be able to tell you what sort of car you are looking at, and where to look for rust if you find something you think might be worth dropping some cash on.

Will

[LateFan]

I've seen the VIN list, but I dont know how to decode any of it

Oh, sorry, I see. You can send your VIN to the Alfa archives and they tell you when it was built, the colors, and where it was delivered to. But it's been down for months while they try to computerize it all.

I found this - there's an Alfa bible written by a guy named Fusi, who apparently worked for the factory long ago. He compiled all the production numbers and serial numbers. There are some errors here and there, I've read, but it's pretty good. These guys scanned a bunch of it here...

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/alfa-romeo-history/27900-scans-fusis-production-numbers-tutte-le-vetture-dal-1910-a.html

Regarding Fusi's book -
"Well, if your point is to make note that there can be errors in Fusi, you're of course right. If with that you intend to play down his work, I have two observations:

1) Fusi did an exceptional job in gathering and sorting data, putting it all together, remembering himself old episodes and/or asking knowledgeable witnesses, and so on. Over the huge amount of data, computed without technical help (no excel, no computers) by an already retiree then, just exceptional, the number of errors is on a remarkably low side compared to the amount of job done.

2) The GTA is a special case. Fusi's first edition dates 1965. Alfa cheated with production numbers (1000 were required for homologation), thus they needed to create discrepancies in the chassis numbers. Remember that in recent years, Fiat decided that the GTA files would be kept classified... Since Fusi wrote in the sensitive period for that issue, no wonder his data just add another layer of mist..."



Here'a a VIN decoder that seems to list old models. I didn't try it to see if it works..

http://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/Alfa%20Romeo

I think the old numbers don't tell you anything like modern coded VINs do - engine / trans / color / trims...it's just a serial number that the archives can look up. The County or State guys will just tell you that number falls in the 1963 model year or whatever.

[LateFan]

If you actually see the cars, these marks cast into the front of the head will verify which engine it is.

[LateFan]

Sounds like it's Peter D'Amico's old shop in Vineland. DiFatta Bros is in Baltimore and still open.

I would guess the 70s Alfettas would be the most likely to be rusted out, like the white 4 door that looks pretty bad. They rusted even when taken care of. Then it's a matter of age and how long they all sat there. Somewhere I saw they haven't moved in 5 years. There's a few inside the garage, but they look to be mostly spiders.

[flyboyx]

my guess is there are a lot of cars in that lot that haven't moved in 20 years.

my question is what is that black convertible in the last pic?

i called and talked to the auctioneer company today. they said there is a lot of parts and "valuable antiques" to be sold that aren't mentioned in the ad. i am assuming this is going to go on all day.

its still looking like i am going to check it out. if anyone needs anything alfa related, send me a pm with your phone number attached. i'm no miracle worker, but if i end up going, i will do what i can.

it looks like the spider on the lift inside the garage has lemans wheels.

[LateFan]

Yep, might be. Good thing they were protected with those blue tarps!

Yeah, is there a whole Alfa shop worth of tools in there?!

I see a Mercedes SLC or something inside. There's a nice old Chevy truck - different location? Oh, the black one is I think a Lancia Scorpion. I see a 156 sedan inside - they never sold those here.

Black Spider on the lift has old BWA wheels I think.


Blue one by the garage door looks good. 71 to 73 probably. It's got rare wheels on it. Seems to be a couple of GTV6s inside.

[2mAn]

It looks like we're going to be shooting for the White 66 GTV and the Green 73 GTV. Im slightly interested in the 72 4 door listed and the Blue 74 Berlina for myself, but I think I saw in the pics that the Berlina was outside and looked to be in bad shape. I still have bad thoughts about that tube chassis roller. My guess is that they used an Alfetta as a parts car as it looks like the components are all from an Alfetta. Just guessing though at this point

[LateFan]

Agree on the Alfetta source for the home-built. Do you think it has enough depth / height in that little chassis for stiffness? It does look pretty short (WB) though.

The list shows a bunch of "2-doors" late 60s to early 70s - those have to be GTVs. Hard to find them in the pics. Berlinas are funky things - probably the least re-sale-able of anything. What are the colors?....YW, PM, CM...? Cream maybe.

Hard to tell - it seems like there are a couple of cars worth many thousands, a few for a couple / 5 thousand, and a lot of $200 parts cars.

I wrote to a NJ Alfa wizard to ask his opinion. Don't know how close to this he is, but he certainly knew the shop before it closed. He has a beautiful euro 1750 GTV he restored himself.