Market 385: Spider 10123 377929 some assembly required

Giulia Spider 1600 10123 377929This car is available now on eBay out of Florida.  It was painted about 5 years ago, comes with a bunch of parts, and needs a lot of work.  These are straight forward cars to work on -but it helps to either have worked on one before or have been the one who took it apart, so don’t rush headlong into this if neither of those applies to you, but I guess you have 6 days to think about it.

Nose looks pretty reasonable.  There’s always at least 1 broken off bolt in a front bumper mount on a car like this.  It’s hard to judge the quality of a white paint job via small pictures -especially after 5 years!

Continue reading

My Sprint: a tail light upgrade

I was in Palm Springs a recently and while there went to visit Bob, who is restoring a Sprint near in number to mine, to a high standard.  I checked out his car, the progress he was making and all the parts he had restored, was in the process of restoring, had recently bought or replaced and spotted this pair of tail light lenses in the ‘not going to use’ pile.  I had been shopping for a good set of used tail light lenses and these fit the bill perfectly -the bill being not to dress the car up so much that I want to paint it or anything outlandish like that, yet being an improvement on the cloudy pink lenses my car has worn since I got it -and likely since it was new.  A deal of sorts was struck (Thank You !!) and the lenses slowly made their way onto the car.

Can you guess which is which?  Much better!  I really need to paint my trunk lid, but that’s the top of a slipper slope, that I really want to begin in the engine compartment when the engine comes out for some upgrades (I’m looking for a cast Veloce oil pan if anyone has one to sell…).

Continue reading

Market 382: Spider 1600 10123 379587 -true barn find!

Update 2/24/12:  Sold for $8101.  Not bad money for this car.  Will be interesting to see if anyone is public about buying this car and shares their fixing it up story.

Update 2/16/12: This car was listed on BringaTrailer resulting in the Buy it Now price being removed from the auction, then, when most of the commenters gave it a thumbs down the auction stalled.  Remember gentle reader -there are at this moment a lot of guys (and some gals I’m sure) out there toiling away on worse cars than this of all nationality and desirability (car and owner alike I suppose…) -this car resurrection business we are all contemplating is a crazy pursuit -but what else are we to do with our time?  At least it’s a tangible object and requires learning, skill development and resourcefulness to see through.  A failed restoration is not wholly a failure -just the car never got done.

2/10/12: Giulia Spider 1600 10123*379587, 00112*45195.  This car is available now on eBay out of Connecticut, where it was just awakened from a 40 or so year sleep in a not so well insulated barn.  Car is rough -as should be expected, but it’s a Spider, it’s complete looking and it’s not much money.  I know some will say it’s a losing proposition if it’s free, but it takes a few owners to carry it along to the viable point sometimes, and this car is far enough away from that edge that it will happen.

Look at this pair -you could take my idea to just make some POS work and drive it around to a new level and have both these guys -the coupe and the convertible.  They look like they were just released from some ordeal they weathered together -would be a shame to break them up.  Dig the fog light in the grill -might start a new fad.

Continue reading

Market 347: Another Spider 750D 04335

Update 2/14/12: The auction reached $17,000, stalled for a few days then was ended early -cancelled really, so no record of it’s listing is on eBay, the it was relisted.  I don’t really think it’s correct or complete enough the get much past (or even realistically see) $20,000 and they are hoping to get $24,750 out of it.

Update 2/4/12: This car has found its way onto eBay.  Same pictures, same etc.  Description calls it a daily driver.

Update12/16/12: Hard top is not an original.

Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*04335This car is available now from Beverly Hills Car Club for $26,500.  It’s a good looking car at first flush, but a lot is not original, incomplete and funky.  Would make a good non-originali starter car.

Red.  750D.  Decent paint.  105 Giulia wheels.  No rocker trim.  Meh. Continue reading

Market 384: Sprint Veloce Zagato 1493*06184 at auction

Giulietta Sprint Veloce ‘Zagato’ 750E 1493*06184, 1315*30851.  This very interesting SVZ is going to be auctioned by RM in Monaco soon.  While most cars I write about are straight forward subjects, and anything I say should be taken as insightful mainly due to heavy exposure to the subject if nothing else, and as being typically off the cuff.   A car like this demands careful consideration and wording.  Why?  The genuine article -a Zagato re-bodied Sprint Veloce, that was re-bodied ‘back in the day’ i.e. the late 1950′s, is a very valuable car.  See this thread on the AlfaBB for some lengthy but enjoyable reading on the subject.  Interestingly, this car is listed as MIA since 1960.  It’s important to note that there was no search party out looking for it -it just stayed under the radar since then.  So, with a spirit of caution, I start, and will reserve my comments to ‘ooh’s and ahh’s’ once more.

That is one desire-able object!  Note squared off wheel openings.  Hood is a low as they could practically make it and still fit the engine.  Color scheme is bold -red headlining is fantastic.  Any significance to that license plate number? Wheels look to be period cast wheels -magnesium?  This is pretty close to the top of the Giulietta food-chain.

Continue reading

Market 383: 10120 Sprint Speciale at Hyman

Update 2/13/12:  It is the same car -the vin has been verified.  Sold for about €38,000 in 2006.  Market has changed!

Update 2/12/12: I heard from a previous owner of this car -the vin is 10120*177259.  He sold it into Spain 6 years ago.  He’s not positive it’s the same car, but pictures indicate it most likely is.

Silver grill -yes.  Same tires?  I think so.

Definitely looks like the same engine to me.  There you have it -a piece of the past puzzle of this car.

Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120This car is listed by Hyman Ltd, in St. Louis.  No asking price, vin or other info is provided, but judging from the pictures it’s a nice car and knowing Hyman’s MO, it will undoubtedly be expensive.  I looked through my files but was unable to find this car.  Anyone know it?

Like Fantasy Junction and their brick wall, Hyman uses this stage to good effect.  I wonder if it’s set up all the time?  I’m helping a friend listing a ton of Jaguar parts from the 50′s and 60′s on eBay and we plan on setting up a permanent photo area.  Note the screen behind the grill is in silver (or possibly chrome) -not original (if you care).  Windshield wipers are parked on the opposite side form usual.  Nice looking car!

Continue reading