Giulias are great little cars that are legitimate sports sedans in the same way that we think of them today, which was pretty unusual in the early 60’s. This one one is available on Ebay and the Alfa Bulletin Board and has lots of potential but a few issues to be sorted as well, the most serious is two bum cylinders with lowish compression. The remaining issues are not too serious and are the kind of issues that are relatively easy and satisfying to sort out on a new acquisition.
These are neat looking cars, and one of my previous employers once told me that his mother and law liked his Giulia but thought it was silly because she could never tell if it was coming or going. Regardless of whether this one is coming or going, it has a nice stance with the 15″ replica GTA wheels and lowered suspension. The recent Konis and other work are good news, and the black plates are a nice touch that substantiates the seller’s claim that the car has been in California from new. The Marchal lamps look great and are expensive and difficult to find (particularly with the yellow bulbs), even if the seller notes that the inners are not wired at this time.
The S.E.V. Marchal sticker is a neat touch that would ordinarily be too much, but with this car’s orange paint and business-like stance, it works. The license plate lamps are a thoughtful detail that shows that someone cared (or got hassled by the police), and the custom exhaust replicates the angle of exit of the original system.
The interior has a great aesthetic with the replica GTA seats. The original ribbon speedometer remains, and is an amusing anachronism given the ethos of the rest of the car. Most of the difficult to find trim bits are present or included, which is great news since sourcing those bits is the sort of tedious and annoying work that doesn’t really end up adding a whole lot in the scheme of things.
The engine compartment is very tidy, and the seller reports that the engine is a 1750cc unit, which is larger than any Giulia came with from the factory. The twin DCOE 40 Webers with velocity stacks are predictably out of tune but are an exciting sight nonetheless. The black finish on the valve cover is incorrect but is a smart looking and common change. With a car like this, who cares about correctness anyway!
The seller is asking $18,000 on the Alfa BB and the bidding is up to $15,700 with a bit less than a day to go. From the standpoint of replicating this car, these numbers make good sense. This car has obviously had a good amount of money spent on it and the decisions about what to put on the car were well made. As is often the case, the last few percent are the hardest in a restoration, but they are also very satisfying and the new owner will likely be the sort of person who will enjoy getting there.