Anyone in the UK care to help me collect a part I bought?

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Update 5/16/13:  I want to thank all of you who acted on this so quickly!  The Bike Barn has heard from several of you while I slept last night and it appears they are now thinking about me and my order again.  I’ll keep you all posted on what transpires.

I don’t know if any of you care, but this engine is just a few numbers off from a frame I have (CB72 13073) -which is how they tended to come from the factory -much like our Giuliettas.  Honda only made about 3000 of these 1961 CB72′s and they are among the most sought after early Hondas.

5/15/2013: All, I bought a rare early Honda motorcycle engine case CB72E 113024 from UK eBay seller ‘The Bike Barn LTD’ and have not received my part.  It’s been 5 months and I am not getting my emails returned anymore.  Unfortunately I bought directly rather than through eBay, and the time window which I can contest the charge through paypal has long since closed. I don’t really have any idea how to make a formal complaint to any UK authorities or anything, so I thought I’d make an appeal here.

Would any UK based reader be interested in giving them a call and seeing if they can get an idea what’s up?  Their phone number is: 01905 622122.  I’m not sure where in the UK they are…

Thanks.

Reproduced: Gauge restoration kit -inserts, o-rings and more part 1.

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I was taking my monthly cruise of the AlfaBB the other day and found a post by Uncle Rick praising the efforts of partscorrect.com to make gauge inserts for our Giuliettas.  I went to their website and found out that they were local to me and they were David, who I met a few years ago while out in my Sprint.  An email exchange ensued and now I sit with his complete gauge restoration kit on my work table.  It’s a pleasure to report that my high expectations have been greatly exceeded!  These gauge inserts are simply stunning!

On the product explanation/description sheet that came in the box with the parts is the message: “Parts made to be absolutely correct.  Not my interpretation of it… not different because it was easier… just plain not different!  Exact reproductions for enthusiasts!!!”IMG_6697 

The kit:  gauge inserts in a clear plastic that will not yellow in time, asymmetric o-rings that go between the chrome ring and glass, o-rings that go between the gauge body and recessed ring and/or dash (depending on whether it’s a Spider or Sprint), small o-rings that go under the drive mount screws and flat insulating rubber gaskets that go between the speedo or tach drive and gauge housing.

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Market 480: 1900M ‘Matta’ AR5101384 in Florida

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1900M AR51 01384, AR 1307 00610.  This interesting piece of Alfa history is available now out of Florida.  The Matta is very rare in the US -I think I may have seen one or two over the years in pictures, but never in person.  It is a fairly standard 1950′s ‘serious’ 4×4 offering – a sort of next step from the 4×4′s designed for WW2.  It occurs to me as I type this that the long lived lines of serious 4×4 players grew out of this period: Unimog, Jeep, Land Rover 88, Austin Gipsy, Toyota Land Cruiser, Fiat Campagnola, NIssan Patrol, yougettheidea.  Had Alfa based the Matta on the Giulietta engine, maybe there would be tens of thousands of them around -I know I would dig an open Fiat Campagnola type Alfa from the 1950′s!  I suppose there probably is one that I am not aware of…

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Great grill on these -has a modest character.  In the cramped garage with poor lighting for my auction pictures?  Why not!  No one else will be listing a Matta at the same time. Continue reading →

Market 479: Spider Veloce 10118 390616 -”very simple project”

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Giulia Spider Veloce 10118*390616, 00536*07913 (not original).  This Spider Veloce is on eBay right now out of Princeton NJ.  The body looks to be in great shape and is described as having been finished to the point of being ready for paint.  Original color was Black with probably red interior -a stunning combo!  Biggest drawback I can see is the lack of the original engine.  The 00121 engines it shares with the Giulia Sprint Speciale’s do come up, but not often and not cheap.  I know where there is one right now…

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Always a pleasure to behold.  Stance is per original -not with the modern springs and all that lowers it quite a bit.  Wheels are Borranis.  Looks like a good place to start.

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Market 20: Waterloo Sprint Veloce 750E 08721

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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 470: Project Spider 10103*11198 in FlOrlando

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Update 5/6/2013: This charming candidate has found its way onto eBay.  Already at $6600.

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Exciting stuff when you take an unfamiliar road in your neighborhood and find something like this.

4/19/2013: Giulietta Spider 10103*11198. At the other end of the spectrum from yesterday’s Spider Veloce is this Spider out of the land of ahem.  Asking price is $14,500.  Looks like a real gem -especially the interior.  It runs in a recently-freed-up-with-Marvel-Mystery-oil sort of way.  Steering wheel is without cracks.  Good times for all!

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One of those what were they thinkings on the color, neglect etc.  It is all there, but how much of it is usable.  

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Market 478: Unknown Giulietta SS in England

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Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120.  This car is currently on eBay out of the UK.  It looks like a very clean well cared for example.  No price is given, but you can bet that the price of good SS’s in the US has not escaped their notice.  The stance of the car is aggressive, suiting the shape of the body.  I like it!  If anyone catches the vin, please let me know.

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You know I like a good picture!  This has the small corner markers that I think are indicative of an originally US bound car.  Nicely presented.

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