Situations change, life changes, and I sold my last Alfa Spider 4 or 5 years ago. There are cars that scream "Drive me! Don't Leave me sitting here in the garage!" My Spider was that kind of car. The last summer I had it I drove it maybe 4 or 5 times. I tucked it away in the garage that winter and mice moved in. They ate the wiring harness for the fuel injection. I'm pretty good with car electronics (I had no real choice but to be. I've owned a ton of British and Italian cars.), but the wiring harness, which is no longer available from Alfa, was more than I wanted to tackle. I sold it. Last I knew it was living in Albany, NY, with a new wiring harness and being driven on a daily basis in the summer. It's happy now.
This car came to me via JaCG reader, Frank. He forwarded an email from someone named William. The car is owned by a man named Chris. It was kind of like a game of Chinese Whispers.
Over the weekend I finally made contact with Chris.
From Chris' email (the first one, which came to me via Frank, who got it from William, etc. etc.)...1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Survivor! The last of the stainless steal bumper Alfa classics. Records show and speedometer read 36,000 actual miles. Mechanically excellent. Runs and drives exceptional. The car is part of a collection being sold from an estate sale. It has been selectively driven and painstakingly taken care of by the same owner for 37 years. All service records included.
Stored in a heated garage. Interior, top and rubber trim are in excellent condition. Starts and drives as new. Most of the paint is original, There has been some minor paint touch up on the nose and some of the lower body panels. The nose discoloration from the blending of the new and old paint is clearly visible in the photos. The upper original painted surfaces have oxidized and have lost some of there luster and several areas on the tops of the fenders and body panel edges have worn into the primer for years of polishing . The body is virtually rust free.
The car has been started and driven regularly but has not been legally licensed for several years. All fluids have been drained and new fuel, oil and injection filters and lubricants have been changed. The seats, interior door panels, instruments and all other vinyl coverings are in great shape. All original factory stickers/labels are still in place.
All lights and electrical components work properly. Stainless bumpers and trim are in great shape. Brake system hardware and function as new.
Currently the only minor issues are a non functional tachometer and fuel gauge (easy fixes) and a minor crack in the dash near the upper defroster vents.
This car, like mine, is screaming to be driven. This car, unlike mine, has not been invaded by rodents and could be driven the minute you buy it. (The tach and gas gauge won't take long to fix. Until you get the parts you'll just need to remember when you last filled up and shift by ear. That just adds to the excitement of owning an old sports car.)Chris is looking for $7800.00 for this car. In my opinion, it's worth it. He has a Photobucket album with close to 100 pictures and 2 videos. You can find it here. (It's not the easiest thing to navigate... Look for the "All Albums" and click on that to see all the pictures. According to Chris it's in the upper left corner, but on my computer - using Firefox - it's in a box on the right.)
Located in Rochester, NY, you can contact Chris directly at 585-330-5456.
No comments:
Post a Comment