With the RustyButTrusty fleet manager recently missing out on an opportunity to pick up a 3-figure classic Italian coupe in decent shape, it’s time to feature one of the more readily available four-figure Italian coupes. While there are some 3-figure cars out there, it’s a good chance you’ll have to put in a fair amount of work to get them usable. And with this car, it looks to be a usable driver, but a detailed look will give you an idea of what you’re signing up for. Check out this 1977 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT for sale for $3500 in Astoria, OR.
Some truly period modifications as you might have seen advertised in the back of a 1977 copy of Road & Track include aftermarket turbine wheels that look closer to what you might have found on a BMW, and square fog lights mounted in the grill. The dual front spoilers are both present (if dinged up), and the bumper sports a line of red trim, but the seats wear seat covers. Its nose is in the “something smells in here” position (high), and all the black trim seems to be wearing a generous coat of Armor All.
What’s visible of the engine and its compartment looks fairly clean, though sections of the cam cover and its retaining bolts appear to be sprayed silver. The air conditioning compressor still has a belt running it – what are the chances the original compressor will still hold a charge and blow some slightly cool air at your knee? The car is said to run, shift, and brake well, and to be usable as a project daily driver.
Ordinarily, the other exterior shot would be a rear 3/4 view, but in this case, this hatch shot is more informative. According to the window sticker, the seller is a fan of a local slammed Mercedes 200d, but that’s not as important as the visible rust around the rear window and oxidation in the paint – note its somewhat dull sheen. If that’s the original paint, that’s actually not bad at all, but the rust leads to questions about where else there’s corrosion. At least one split in the bumper means you’ll want to start your search for some Euro-market pieces – their lighter look really lets the design shine.
Once you’ve got the mechanical bits up to snuff – yeah, it says daily driver, but there’s always something – you’ll want to take a trip to your favorite upholsterer. This explains the seat covers, and these are by no means savable. As an earlier 1977 car, it should have the cool molded plastic door panels, and if you can get close enough to original Alfa Romeo velour, you might do better converting to that, given the way the windows magnify the sun’s effect. After you’ve done the seats, pull the dash and send it down to southern California for refurbishment – that will cover 75% of the cosmetic damage on any Alfetta interior. From there, plan to spend the next 10 years of your life casually searching for bits and bobs – but don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of Alfa’s most balanced cars.
Tags: alfa romeo, alfetta gt, coupe, Feature, italian
Rusty But Trusty 
December 29, 2014 at 8:03 am |
This Alfetta GT has been a frequent guest of classifieds, namely ebay where it was presented as a daily driver with some minor needs. The CL ad is much more forthcoming and closer to reality. Just based on differing stories, I would really give this car a very close up-in-the-air inspection for rust. These had the propensity to rust at the corners of the rear glass – check, and the a-pillar/cowl areas below the windshield. While the lift gate rust repair is fairly straightforward, the cowl rust will require pulling the windshield (good potential of braking the glass) and more likely than not pulling the dash. That will take you from the daily driver while fixing it status right up to major repairs that will no doubt lead you to a complete resto – based “while I’m here might as well do it” mind set.
The wheels look something of a BMW, but to my knowledge no Bimmer was wearing a 4×98 lace pattern, so this Alfetta most likely is wearing 4×100 wheel adapters. The true OE Turbinas would look nicer here.
The Alfetta GT have often been overlooked and passed on in favor f their younger and much more powerful kin, the GTV6. However, these earlier 116 coupes have a lot of merit. The Nord engine is lighter than the V6 and thus allowed for great handling in the twisties. The GT engine is also much cheaper to rebuild than the V6 and with “floating” cylinders it’s almost infinitely rebuildable. The GT also has straight forward electricals.
Being a 1977 car, a California buyer must be sure that its state smog law compliant, both visually and via the emissions. Given that this car is described as a project even by the seller, I’d say that $3500 asking is a bit over the top here especially with the rust present. If this car runs and drives, good money should beno more than $2500 and that’s being fair to the seller. Keep in mind that a clean 116 GT could be bought for $5-$6k. That could be the cost of the paint job alone here.