Archive for March, 2011

Bav-nanza! Pair of 1972 BMW Bavarias

March 21, 2011

Well, I’ve talked in previous entries about my desire to own one of these old New Six sedans. I really do love the E9 coupes, but I already have an Alfa coupe, so this would help me maintain the full convertible-coupe-sedan lineup in my little collection. And there’s something really cool about old-school European luxury – just a big engine, some firm leather seats, and no modern distractions or toys, since the car’s able to keep you entertained in a more mechanical way. I could even go for an E12 5-series, but the smog testing most of them require, plus the big bumpers, mean the ownership experience is not as easy.

So let’s start with the first car for today. The word about writing proper descriptions of a car you want someone to buy seems to be getting out. This car is exceptionally well-described (as is the other one), although I’m not sure where the seller gets the idea his car has a slant six – maybe he’d popped the hood on his Dart and had temporary confusion. The car seems to have had a lot of work done, including a recently rebuilt engine with 1983 head, full fuel system service, recent brakes and tires, dual Weber carbs and electronic ignition. This Bavaria seems to be a steal at $3300 in Sacramento, CA.

1972 BMW Bavaria left

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Small & Pretty – 1967 Fiat 850 Coupe

March 17, 2011

Fiat really was at a high point back in the late 1960s. Okay, so they had a bit of a rust problem, but at that time most cars rusted rather readily. Just think of what they had coming out at the time, though – the 850 coupe, the 850 spider, the 124 coupe, the 124 spider, and the Dinos if you count those. Sadly, due to the aforementioned rust issue and the fact that the 850 and 124 were considered cheap daily driver cars, most of them have disappeared or been made into refrigerators. However, some were fortunate enough to end up in places like Texas, and even if their mechanicals didn’t hold up, their bodies lasted long enough so that with some love they could live on in the hands of nuts like us.

With that, I’ll share this example, which is available in Pasadena, TX for $3000. A little rich for an 850, maybe? Well, consider the body work that most of them need. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this Texas car (with period TX plates, so you can guess it’s been there for a while) has very limited rust, so you can postpone any body repairs and focus on the brakes and running gear.

1967 Fiat 850 coupe left

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How It All Started – Cheap Alfas!

March 15, 2011

No doubt you’ve often wondered to yourself, how can I be more like the guy that writes those posts on RustyButTrusty? Well, here’s your chance to be exactly like me! Step 1: Start with a couple of cheap Alfas. Step 2: Add lots and lots of money, without any expectation aside from the enjoyment of some fine Italian automobiles that nobody else except fellow oddball car nuts will see the value in. Step 3: Profit! I mean, Success!

And unlike me, there’s no need to spend time dilly-dallying about, with a 14-year gap between the acquisition of your transaxle Alfa and your convertible Alfa. You can go in head-first with this lovely pair. Let’s start off with the prettier of the two, this beautiful 1976 Alfetta GT from when Alfa was confidently relying on the past racing glory of the 159 Alfetta race car, instead of the past sales & racing glory of the Giulietta sprint veloce. The seller calls this color dutch blue (blu olandese), although to be honest, I thought that was a lighter shade. But what do I know, my Alfetta is (sadly) red, and this color seems to suit the car a lot better. At $500, I’m just thrilled he took the time to write such a thorough description of the car, which is listed in Sammamish, WA (near Seattle) for $500.

1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT

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