My neighbor's sad Alfa Romeo

[brider]

This is how it has sat for a couple of years now, after he pushed it out of the garage. This was taken today after our snow/ice storm. He won't even put a cover on it. There are NO side windows. Convertible.

I posted about this thing a while ago and many people chimed in about similar stories, and of course, lots of Guzzi tales (Guzzi content).

The man is only in his late 50's with (2) kids in college, and he is NOT what I would consider a curmudgeon like you would expect. He's Italian, born in Italy, and his wife gave it to him about 17 yrs ago. It has never been driven by him, and I heard about 10 yrs ago from his wife  that "...he knows a guy who's going to restore it for him...". So much for that.

I am on good terms with the guy, we wave to each other every day, we just don't talk. But I've resolved to take a neighborly saunter over there next time I see him and ask how the kids are, and then ask what he'd take for that poor thing.

Any bets on what he'd say?






Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili = ALFA     
-R59

[Tom]

No guess on price but wifey gave to him.  He's Italian.  It's an Italian car.  Could be more than you'd like to pay.

[dxhall]

Alfa (it’s an acronym).

[PhilB]

It stands for "Always Looking For Another".

They're fine cars.  Between my parents and my wife and I, we owned 10 of them between 1965 and 2010.
Mostly '60's vintage, one '70's, one '80's.  Most of them were daily drivers for significant periods of time.
Those that were, lasted well -- three over 150K, and three over 200K.  (I've found this to be true of Ducatis as well,
and heard it's so for Guzzis -- use them regularly, and they'll take care of you; let them sit and they'll be nothing but trouble.)
Somewhat oddly, none of the ten were Spyders like that one, which is the most common type in the U.S.
Four were GTVs (2-door hardtop coupe), and five were Giulia sedans (4-door).
The only convertible was an unusual one; dad had a 1965 2600 Spyder (6-cyl) for a while.

I miss them.  I make do with a 2002 Mini Cooper S, which is fun to drive and has also (counter to reputation) held up surprisingly well.
It's over 200K now.  Same deal; use it regularly and vigorously, and it'll treat you right.

Once I retire and/or settle down somewhere, and I'm not travelling for work so much, I could definitely see tracking down a good '67 Giulia Super sedan.

PhilB

[arveno]

Judging by the bumpers it should be a late model . I believe in the USA they imported only the 2 liters engine . ( Fuel inj. )
Considering that has been sitting outside .... Alfa Romeo are known to rust ....

I have seen them on e bay going from 4 to 10 depending on condition and mileage but it's not easy to put a price on someone else property...
good luck !

[brider]

I have no intention of making him an offer, I'm just curious if whatever psychology that compels a man to allow a neat rig like that to rot, applies to his sense of value, as well.

He COULD just be lazy and would LOVE to get rid of the thing to the first schnook for a SONG, or he MAY be the type that still thinks it'll only take a day or two of tinkering so it's obviously still insanely valuable, and will let it stay that way until the frame snaps in two beneath it.

I had a friend once who was like the latter scenario. Kept telling me about a Porsche 914 he drove for a long time, then got married and parked it next to the shed. I kept asking him what was wrong with it, always something simple, just never got to it. Years after that, I went to his house for an un-related reason, and saw it sunk up to the axles, and in just awful condition. A few years after that, he got divorced and the judge made him haul it out to the junkyard. No doubt it would still be there if not for the divorce.

[John Ulrich]

Obviously the guy has no interest in it and it'll rot where it's at.

[oldbike54]

 There is the remains of a real Ferrari that rotted to the ground sitting behind a barn in SE Oklahoma . I know two people who offered money for it 25 years ago . From what I understand between a tree that fell on it , 30 years of living outside in an area where it rains 65 inches a year , birds , mice , and the occasional coyote using it as a house , and a neighbor kid using it for target practice , there is only a pile of metal dust marking where it was .

 Dusty

[tris]

It stands for "Always Looking For Another".

They're fine cars.  Between my parents and my wife and I, we owned 10 of them between 1965 and 2010......

Plus 1 - we've only had 2 but they're always at the back of my mind

Alfas are a bit like Guzzis - if you bought them with your head instead of your heart you'd never buy one!

The Alfa Stelvio is a contender for our next car and if they ever build the Gulia Estate, the Skoda Octavia Estate I runaround in now should be "VERY AFRAID"!!

[wirespokes]

I had an alfa graduate with those ugly rubber bumpers, but at least it had the very dependable Bosch FI rather than the Spica. Very dependable car and fun to drive. Problem was I never drove it. I ride as my main transport, and when I did need to drive, it was a job for the PU. So it just sat. Hated to sell it and still have fond thoughts of it.

[Markcarovilli]

I had an alfa graduate with those ugly rubber bumpers, but at least it had the very dependable Bosch FI rather than the Spica. Very dependable car and fun to drive. Problem was I never drove it. I ride as my main transport, and when I did need to drive, it was a job for the PU. So it just sat. Hated to sell it and still have fond thoughts of it.

yep me too...  mine (ours) - bought for my wife.  Looks nice in garage but doesn't get moved or used and same rubber bumpers.

Mark

[Toecutter]

Sometimes, that stuff has a "value" that defies logic (and seems contrary to the way said stuff is being treated).

about 15 years ago, back in the city, there was a garage in my neighbourhood that had a dusty mid 80s Sportster sitting in it. I saw it for years. Never moved. Dust just got deeper on it. I finally approached to the homeowner one day, asked him about it. His son ride it to the bar one evening, tires got slashed. he hauled it to his dad's garage, and just left it there.

It was not for sale. Near 20 years of dust and neglect... and no amount of cash would get it to change hands.

I understand priceless emotional value, I really do. But, I expect that priceless emotional value would also demand priceless emotional value treatment of said item. It's when the owner sees it a "priceless", but treats it like trash, that I get really confused.

Hell, in town now, there's a guy with a 70s Beetle in his driveway. Never moves. Never covered. Never driven. Just... sits. Bugs me.


Vehicles need to be driven.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Near Frederick, MD, there's a '76 Porsche 911 Turbo (930) that's been sitting in front of the same house, slowly sinking into the ground, for the last 25+ years. Numerous friends have inquired about it and were told to basically "bugger off", that it would continue to sit there and rot away for as long as the owner was alive. No "I'm going to fix it up one day" or it belonged to my late son" story here. We get the feeling it's being punished for not starting one day...

It's not alone - there are several other more plebeian vehicles in various states of decay. Jeep in the driveway next to the Porsche. Ford truck buried up to it's rear axle in the back yard, same with an Econoline passenger van. Both of those seem to have gotten stuck during attempts at roofing "repairs" - there are bricks all over the roof of the house holding shingles down. It seems that when one vehicle breaks down or gets stuck, no attempt is made at fixing it or getting it unstuck, it's just left there and a replacement is purchased.

We've often wondered what might be inside the garage... 

[brider]

Never moves. Never covered. Never driven. Just... sits. Bugs me.

This is where I am. Maybe it's ME that needs the psychological therapy, and maybe it's this forum that lets my angst over meaningless stuff like this dissipate a little.

But I know some of my angst is due to the incredible sense of waste. If I have anything of use to someone else, anything, and I'm not using it, I'll sell it or donate it, I WON'T just throw it away. I view this vehicle as something the owner would probably just as soon throw away, it's just too difficult to throw away a car, and they may feel guilty over not devoting any time to it.

One other thing that drives me nuts about this neighbor: I am very familiar with his routine: Any day, every day, even today, on the coldest day of the year (2 deg F ambient), he will enter his car, and the second it fires, will put it in drive and head down the drive, and turn up the steep hill on the road and gun it up to the stop sign. I could never be married to him.

Thanks, I feel better now, I will stop posting to this thread and consider my therapy session over.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks, I feel better now, I will stop posting to this thread and consider my therapy session over.

That'll be a hundred dollars..

[Devildog]

Alfa Spiders (I've had 3) rust just sitting in a slightly damp garage.
A few miles from me is a red Porsche 944 in similar circumstances, weeds growing as high as the hood.

[twowings]

A lot of these amateur tycoons just don't see the dollar bills flying away every day the vehicle is exposed to the elements and not driven/ridden on a regular basis...I'd love to have them read some of the restoration threads on thesamba.com and see just what is involved in restoring/reconstructing something that has been totally neglected for years...there is NO way they could recoup their costs, much less make any profit...real geniuses...

[Chuck in Indiana]

Back in the day.. I saw a Luscombe Phantom tied down, and settling to it's axles at what is now the Indy Metro airport. I could probably have drug it home for free.. I think there are 5 or 6 left.
I don't want to know what it's worth..<shrug> but.. an old friend (RIP) told me that he bought 2 new P38s in the crates after WW2. He said, "Chuck.. I made a killing on those.. Three hundred dollars." 

[nobleswood]

Four were GTVs (2-door hardtop coupe), and five were Giulia sedans (4-door).
The only convertible was an unusual one; dad had a 1965 2600 Spyder (6-cyl) for a while.

PhilB

Growing up my Dad had an Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 4 cylinder dohc about the time I had my license & foolish enough to not know my limits. It was a wonderful romantic car, looked gorgeous, sounded wonderful, a taut suspension & it got attention. The first machine that I enjoyed driving rather than it just being a utility.

Unfortunately in the rainly English weather it rusted & leaked. Dad traded it for a pasteurized BMW. Like going from a passionate Italian girlfriend to the practical girl next door. I never warmed to the BMW.

[vonfilm]

A bright red 1995 Mustang GT has been parked in my driveway since 2015. It was running a little rough when it was parked. Exact mileage is unknown, but probably around 175,000 miles. My wife bought it new before we got married. My wife drove it as her daily driver for 20 years. We raised our son in it, proving that you can carry a baby seat in the back of a coupe. My wife has a strong sentimental attachment. She wants to get it up and running good again. She replaced it with a 15 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. She now has a 17 of the same model.

I was never a fan of the Mustang. It was too cramped for me and I did not really like the way it handled. The 215 HP 5.0 V8 is kind of weak. I think it needs a new or rebuilt engine. The body, interior, and wheels are in good condition.

The only way that I would be interested in investing my time, energy, and attention into the project is to have a more powerful engine. I proposed a rebuild with a Trick Flow Twisted Edge Kit, headers, and other enhancements to yield 370 HP. My wife wants to go stock. We are at an impasse and my wife will probably never take the time to go forward. I advocated getting rid of it for years. periodically people stop by and inquire about purchasing it. My wife says no. If Momma is not happy , no one is happy.

[s1120]

A bright red 1995 Mustang GT has been parked in my driveway since 2015. It was running a little rough when it was parked. Exact mileage is unknown, but probably around 175,000 miles. My wife bought it new before we got married. My wife drove it as her daily driver for 20 years. We raised our son in it, proving that you can carry a baby seat in the back of a coupe. My wife has a strong sentimental attachment. She wants to get it up and running good again. She replaced it with a 15 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. She now has a 17 of the same model.

I was never a fan of the Mustang. It was too cramped for me and I did not really like the way it handled. The 215 HP 5.0 V8 is kind of weak. I think it needs a new or rebuilt engine. The body, interior, and wheels are in good condition.

The only way that I would be interested in investing my time, energy, and attention into the project is to have a more powerful engine. I proposed a rebuild with a Trick Flow Twisted Edge Kit, headers, and other enhancements to yield 370 HP. My wife wants to go stock. We are at an impasse and my wife will probably never take the time to go forward. I advocated getting rid of it for years. periodically people stop by and inquire about purchasing it. My wife says no. If Momma is not happy , no one is happy.

They are really a nice ride even with a little more HP...  Maybe try to split the difference..  fresh motor, slightly more cam, and a more mild alloy head..  you will get a solid 300hp of driveable fun... and odds are better MPG to boot.  Or really...  look at it in cost.. if you are rebuilding it anyways... a basic alloy head will cost less then rebuilding the stock cast irons right....  You not going to find a good cheap OE cam, so might as well go mild aftermarket...  .030 motor, a little cleanup on the intake ports and your running cheap.

[vonfilm]

They are really a nice ride even with a little more HP...  Maybe try to split the difference..  fresh motor, slightly more cam, and a more mild alloy head..  you will get a solid 300hp of driveable fun... and odds are better MPG to boot.  Or really...  look at it in cost.. if you are rebuilding it anyways... a basic alloy head will cost less then rebuilding the stock cast irons right....  You not going to find a good cheap OE cam, so might as well go mild aftermarket...  .030 motor, a little cleanup on the intake ports and your running cheap.

I would consider this if she would.

What basic aluminum heads are you referring to?