Project Car Hell: Lagonda or Giulietta?

Wouldn't you jump at the chance to own 1/645th of all the Aston Martin Lagondas ever manufactured? Do we even need to ask? Better start piling up a stack of cash- and don't stop until you get to something in the neighborhood of 20 grand- because here's a 1989 Lagonda just calling your name (go here if the listing disappears). This car has the looks, the temperamental electronic dash, the 4-cam V8... it's got it all! Unfortunately, what it doesn't have is a functioning water pump- well, maybe it's the water pump- and then of course it has some leaks. The paint is bad and so are some interior wood panels, but when you're talking about a car that sold for $180,000 when new (that's over 300 grand in 2007 dollars), you need to count on some additional expenses to get it fixed up. Thanks to T.K. for the tip- no T-shirt for a single PCH tip, but if T.K. sends in one more PCH car the PCH Tipster T-shirt is his or hers.

That Lagonda is cool and all, but can a car that might as well have the custom license plate COCAINE really measure up to a sexy Italian sports car from the 50s? Especially when the car is a super-rare Alfa Romeo Giuletta? Such are the choices one grapples with at the entrance to Hell; take a look at this '58 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce and see what your heart says (and ignore your heart if it threatens to go on strike if you're crazy enough to buy that car). Current bid price is a bit more than half the Lagonda's, but there's plenty of time left on the auction; you'll need to start assembling a stack of Benjamins now. This Alfa has been in storage since Gerald Ford was president, which means the usual stuff about seals and components that have touched gasoline, plus some fool done hacked up the wheelwells (no doubt for reasons that made perfect sense in 1971). On the plus side, it's a reasonably rust-free California car, the seller seems to be a non-scammer, and... well, it's a Giulietta!