Most often, sales of large collections are full of a bunch of junk, and only one or two gems. However, when the seller is a retiring European car mechanic, you’re bound to get some interesting finds. The seller’s father was in the business for 30 years, and clearly felt the same about cars as some people feel about dogs, cats, or friends with emotional trauma – they love the idea of a project. This project car collection is for sale in Olympia, WA, with no asking prices, aside from a request not to offer scrap prices (although what that is, is not clear). To start us off, here’s a 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6 with no obvious damage, although protracted outdoor storage in what looks to be a damp forest will mean it needs a lot.
Looking in the background, you can also see a first-generation Saab 9000, an Alfa Spider, an Audi A4, and an Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT. Our next photo shows a couple of Fiat spiders, the 1975 with a bad head and the 1981 with a hardtop and generally complete. The interesting thing about this picture is the nose of a Dino coupe that’s poking into the picture – put it away in a state of arrested decay and the day might come where it’s worth restoring.
Next up is a Volvo 240DL, needing a new heater core. A replacement core and fan are included, but it’s still a 240DL, which remains fairly common. But hey! Check out the background, where you’ll see a pre-1974 BMW E3 Bavaria.
A Fiat 124 coupe is pretty high on the RustyButTrusty wish list, as it’s both rare and a credible competitor to many German and Italian 2-doors of the same period. This one looks better than you’d have any right to expect, and is a second-series BC car. It’s said to have run when it was parked, which is a common line, but begs the question of why it was parked. What looks to be the bumper of an E12 5-series BMW is visible in the corner of the picture.
Last, but not least is a 1948 Austin Sheerline. The seller somehow accumulated 3 of these beautiful sedans, and amazingly, 2 are said to run and move under their own power. Will the engine tear itself out of the frame? Who knows? Perhaps this collection of cars is only good for parts, but if any of these cars would help support your collection, it’s worth a visit.
Tags: alfa romeo, austin, BMW, british, dino, Feature, Fiat, german, hoarding, italian, swedish, volvo
Rusty But Trusty 
December 18, 2013 at 8:55 am |
This guy was not a car lover. He was a mechanic that was able to amass several specimens that eased his hoarder compulsion. Had there been any “love” he could not have stored his treasure in a “damp forest”.