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My first Alfa! Giulia Spider Veloce

3K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  JohnB27 
#1 ·
I just purchased my first Alfa, it's a '65 Giulia Spider Veloce (390342).
I've been looking for one of these on and off for a number of years now, and as you know they are few and far between. I recently came across one with little to no rust and in good mechanical condition. The paint has some issues, and is a non-original color anyways, so it will probably be entitled to a respray in the not too distant future. In the mean time, for the next year or so I plan to just drive and enjoy it as I get to know it. It's been a California car most or all of it's life. I had a PPI done by a local Alfa expert and he actually said he's never seen an old Alfa with less rust and gave it a mechanical thumbs up as well. I believe the engine to be original to the car, so after pretty much eliminating all the reasons I shouldn't buy it, there was nothing left to do but pull the trigger.

Does anyone here know the car?
I look forward to leaning on the experience and knowledge of the board as I get to know it.
 

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#4 ·
These are great drivers cars. I've owned mine from new, 54 years now. Bought it new when I was 20. Had quite a few others, including Ferrari's, but still have this one, unrestored.
 
#7 ·
It is 106833. Thank you for checking! Just for your information, the cars were not built in sequence at PF, so even though you might have a chassis number next to mine, the PF number could be different. It just depended on when the panel was installed on the assembly line.

We know there are gaps in the PF numbering so we have often wondered what went down the line between?

Send me a PM as I have a couple more questions to ask of you about the car.
 
#9 ·
John, Congratulations and Good luck with it.
Chris, or whoever, It looks like this car has Positive Crankcase Ventilation, based on the tube running from the cam cover to the plenum. I saw another picture with the PCV in an ad for what I took to be a Normale conversion. Neither 390188 nor 390377 had/has that tube, crankcase ventilation being provided by a "Road Draft Tube" that runs from the rear of the engine. Was that a California requirement or were some US spec cars shipped like that? I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I am really curious. Thanks in advance.
lou
 
#10 ·
Lou, check to see if your car is Euro-spec by the turn signals on the front fenders. If that is the case then your car like mine (390685) has a road draft tube on the back of the block. US-bound cars had the crankcase vent on the valve cover, as did the Supers/GTv that came in. This was the first step in cleaning up emissions.

I can not recall where I saw it, but there was available a blanking plate for the back of the block for where the road draft tube went.

The first few years that CA had smog checks, you just had to have two carbs to be exempt. Single car cars had an additional vacuum tube placement to retard the ignition on acceleration (if I recall) My sisters Normale had that.

There was also the addition of a "smog sticker" in the lower right corner of the windshield so if you were to go through a checkpoint you were passed on through.

I think I got pulled over more often just to see what was under the hood. :)
 
#11 ·
Beautiful car. Congrats, John. Looks exactly like the one highlighted in the Netflix mini-series Spy, near the end of the series set in Syria. Very cool to see that Spider driving in the mountains so prominently.

Velocedoc, just curious. Besides the shift knob...and maybe the steering wheel. What do see that was "updated"?
 
#12 ·
Velocedoc, just curious. Besides the shift knob...and maybe the steering wheel. What do see that was "updated"?
When you click on the link to the car I posted earlier, you can compare. Someone has a nice Nardi steering wheel they replaced with the stock steering wheel. They left the shift knob, removed the green sticker on the glove box and changed out the door panels and upholstery. Looks like it needs the cover for the soft top behind the seats. Hopefully the over center clips can be found for the air duct over the engine. Car looks like it just needs some minor tweaks to make it show ready. :)
 
#13 ·
Hi John,

My first Alfa was a 1600 Spider Veloce as well, 43 years ago... (I still have it). Do you have any names of previous owners? There was a time when either Chris or I knew most owners in California. BTW, I like the original steering wheel. I also like real period Nardi's but much prefer the plastic wheel to modern Nardi's.

Nice car!
 
#14 ·
Hi John,

My first Alfa was a 1600 Spider Veloce as well, 43 years ago... (I still have it). Do you have any names of previous owners?

Nice car!
Hi Elsonite,
Wow! I find it interesting and telling that these have a tendency to stay in an owners hands for a very long time. You and Gordon still have the 1600 Spider Veloces you bought 40 and 50 years ago. The history in the registry indicates my car was previously owned by a fellow named Saul Rosenfeld in the LA area for about 35 years. Although it seems it remained in storage from about 1996 to about 2016. I’ll try to track down the subsequent owner, as I purchased it through a dealer.
 
#15 ·
Wonderful car John!

For what it is worth, my Veloce-390277 is a U.S. car and has a silver hammertone cam cover, no vent tube from the cam cover to the plenum (rather the tube at the rear of the engine) and a black "Bakelite" steering wheel with aluminum spokes . I am not as lucky as Gordon, but I am the second owner of my car. I have the sales receipt indicating it is a U.S. car.

My trunk lid (in yellow crayon), metal tag on the hood, trunk floor and body are all stamped 813 .

Interesting radiator cap

Ciao.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I bought my Veloce in 1970 and have managed to hang on to it through thick and thin. My son Ken is now the keeper of my car, so it can stay in the family.

My car is a European model as it has the turn signals on the front fenders. I am the 5th owner of the car having been from Frankfurt Germany via Denver, SF and then to Lompoc Ca (of all places). Back when records were kept, I was able to track the car from the factory to me, so if I was interested I could take the car to Italy with provenance for the Gold ASI plate. :)

These were unique for their time having 5-speed gearboxes and front disc brakes for standard in 1965. The car is easy to drive and can return 27 mpg on the highway.
 
#17 ·
I found out some more info about my car. The most recent owner over the prior three years was Jeff Wichmann of Sacramento, CA. Secondly, I heard back from the Alfa factory Centro Documentazione. Original colors: Grigio Mare with Rosso interior. Production date: May 7, 1965. Delivery Date: June 1, 1965 to Port Newark, NJ.

Although it seems a rare Alfa color, I was able to track down a pic of Grigio Mare / Rosso. That’s Keith Martin’s (Sports Car Market) car that was restored by Bill Gillham. I think it looks pretty nice. If and when the time comes it will be very tempting to put it back to it’s original colors.
 

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#19 ·
grigio mare = gray sea.I only know of Keith's car in this color and it wasn't in the standard list of colors that I have seen offered. Bill Gillham has the correct color code and where to get it. Good to know the trail of owers for provenance. :D
 
#20 ·
It arrived today and I'm very pleased. It's exactly as it had been described by Fantasy Junction. The paint and chrome are a little needy, but it's mechanically solid. I took it for my first drive, what a delightful little car! It's very light and nimble, yet very smooth and solid feeling. No shakes or rattles and it tracks straight. The engine loves to rev and doesn't smoke. Oil pressure is great, 55 psi+ and temps stayed below 190 degrees even when idling for a while in traffic. The gearbox is smooth and crisp and it brakes strong and straight. It kind of feels like it's new, although it's 54 years old. Thumbs up!
 

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