Is there any more blood chilling statement for the auto enthusiast than 'project Alfa Romeo?' No? Well then let's see if today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Alfetta can scare up some interest for its asking price.
With its 86% Nice Price win, yesterday's rare but seemingly all there 1988 Subaru RX turbo certainly started the week off right. That Subie would probably be a barrel of monkeys to drive, but what would its ownership do to your auto enthusiast bonafides? Not all that much, sadly.
No, if you want to impress the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and the good folks at the AlfaBB then what you need is something along the lines of a '70s Alfetta GT coupe. And that's just what we have today.
The ad for today's 1977 Alfa Romeo project contains a not so veiled threat by the current owner that this offer is the last straw. If he doesn't sell the car from this ad… well, gosh-darn it, he's just not going to sell this car! He'll keep it, fix it up himself, and then sell it for a lot more, mother-effers!
If you're not put off by that ultimatum then perhaps you'll also appreciate the challenge afforded by an old Alfa, especially one being touted as presently in a project state. Now, this one's not half bad looking - in that the outside looks pretty good, while the inside looks like it needs some work. See? Half good/half bad. Hmm, I guess that does make it half-bad. Damn.
Mechanically, these cars came with a 110-bhp 1962-cc edition of Alfa's long serving DOHC aluminum four. The engine features SPICA fuel injection and this particular car's case, some pine needles thrown in for good measure.
The Alfetta introduced the transaxle and De Dion and the Belmonts rear suspension to Alfa's mainstream midsize cars cars, and both the driveline giubos and the cogs in the box can prove troublesome in the Alfetta. Here, the ad lays claim that both the engine and tranny are in good shape, and in fact goes on to say that this Alfa could be used as a daily driver.
I don't know about you but that statement gives me the giggles. I mean, I'm sure this car is rock solid and all, but just the thought of counting on an Alfa - any Alfa - to get you to work, the church for your wedding, or say, to the delivery room seems a little fantastical. Call me a pessimist. Better yet, call me handsome. Just don't call me late for dinner.
You can call this car handsome too. The body seems free of rust and/or significant paint issues. The turbines look pretty good and the tires seem to have plenty of tread. It is all jacked up like all GTs. I think they raised the U.S. cars to meet headlight and bumper height requirements, but it's not too much work to drop the car and it improves the looks immeasurably.
As noted earlier, the interior is where some work needs doing. I'd recommend a set of spongebob seat covers in the short term, and a reupholstering of all the seats as a long term goal. This edition of the Alfetta had a weird dash with the tach dead ahead and everything else in the center stack, so if you like oddball dashboards, this is one of the oddballiest.
Not so odd is the car's price, which is $3,500 and apparently the seller's final offer. What do you think about this car at that price? Is $3,500 a fair deal for this daily driver? Or, is this an Alfa project that you project won't sell?
You decide!
Put a bird on it! Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to picoFarad for the hookup!
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