For a spell, we were convinced that the best way to get a sample of Alfa history was to bridge the gap between the new and the old. New to us was the torsion bar front suspension and DeDion rear suspension with rear transaxle and inboard rear brakes. And old was the venerable 4-cylinder hemi Alfa powertrain. We took one on as a project for our dad, and never managed to piece it together before it became apparent that it was never going to get the attention that it deserved. Then along came a running a driving example that wouldn't require assembly - today's blue Alfetta GT.
We remember late spring snow flurries coming down as we insisted that our dad purchase this clean, low-mileage Texas car in 2016. It came in on a transporter, and while the car was dry as expected, it was pretty apparent that the original paint wouldn't clean up. Add to the fact that 1976 wasn't the best year to be a SPICA car, and the Alfetta was clean, original, and dry, but not the most inspiring car to have taking up a garage space.
We've fallen prey to the allure of a dry Sprint Veloce before. Disassembled, chock-full of brown boxes from that overzealous attempt at restoration, it arrived at our garage on an auto transporter and left a couple of years later on a U-Haul auto hauler. Ours was half the current bidding of this brown example, and in better shape too.
Peter Egan advises against buying a car disassembled by someone else, and we would tend to agree, for the most part. That's why, despite the obvious cosmetic needs of this example, we're on board. It's completely usable as it sits. Drive it this summer, take care of the seats and dash this winter, and attack the paint next winter, if you get to it.
A 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 2.0 Sunroof coupe. Brown with a cream interior. An extremely straight body, dry Arizona car. The paint is not perfect, it has cracked all over. The interior is original but the cloth seams on the seats have split. There are also cracks on the dashboard. The original engine was taken out and completely rebuilt some years ago. Approximately 148k miles are shown on the stopped odometer, with an estimated 2,500 added by the seller and total mileage unknown. The 2.0L inline-four was rebuilt under the seller’s ownership, with bottom-end assembly performed by Bearing Services of Portland, Oregon. The engine features a resurfaced cylinder head with lapped valve seats and new shims, 10.0:1 Alfa EFI/Motronic pistons, new bearings, a replacement timing chain and oil pump, a balanced rotating assembly, fresh gaskets and seals, and more. The DOHC four was installed an estimated 2,500 miles ago with a new electronic distributor, thermostatic ignition components, and more as documented on included receipts. An oil and filter change were conducted approximately 200 miles ago. A new stainless exhaust system features a Euro-spec 4-into-2 cast iron header leading to a collector, resonator, and muffler. The service file is said to include 10-15 years of receipts, with the majority being from current ownership. An owner’s manual is also included along with the collection of used and new spares seen in the gallery, including thermostatic actuator and SPICA components, used giubos, and an extra 5-speed manual transaxle. The car runs and drives very well.Typical oil leaks in the engine. Comes with some books, records and an original brochure.
Click to view listing
The fresh engine bay has us salivating. And, while minimalists might frown upon it, we welcome the functioning air-conditioning system in this example. If the cooling system is in proper functioning order, this car would make a fine companion across lonely landscapes - Reno to the Bay, perhaps.
We love a no-excuses vintage roadtripper like this Giugiaro-designed coupe. With a healthy bump in compression and a nice, free-breathing exhaust system, it will be up to the task, should the traffic clear up. Transaxle Alfas ride wonderfully, especially with stock torsion bars, which we expect this car to ride on. Time to free this Sprint Veloce from Cleveland.
