[Dr. Lo]

I inherited this car from my father, who had bought it new in Rome in 1969. Shipped back to Canada in 1970, driven only summers. Had not seen light of day since 1978. During that time, it had been kept in a heated garage, but uncovered. We started the restoration process late summer, 2019 (41 years after it had started its long sleep in the garage!). Here are some pics of the progress made to date.

 

[Dr. Lo]

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[Dr. Lo]

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[dsnyder586]

Wow. Time capsule, thank you for sharing

 

[grapppa]

Truly a dream car! WOW

 

[joelynbeach]

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That is amazing. Great job with the restore!! Gives me the prod I need to get back on my '86 Spider project.

 

[Dr. Lo]

Thanks folks! It's been very interesting and rewarding. The body paint required (and still requires) significant buffing, but I've been impressed with how much I've been able to restore it so far. The soft top is ripping here and there. Nothing major, but I want to fix it. Thankfully, the interior was kept in a near-pristine condition all these decades simply because it was not used and the doors were kept shut. Almost all replacement parts (engine, clutch, suspension, and brake-related parts) were ordered from Centerline International. Quite satisfied with the quality. Time will tell.

 

[stasha]

Great story! A true true barn "find".
That dust in the first pic looks old enough for Carbon-14 dating!
Great looking paint.

 

[Alfajay]

The soft top is ripping here and there. Nothing major, but I want to fix it.

I'd suggest just replacing the top. That yellowed back window will split after you have raised & lowered the top a few times. If the black portion of the top has some rips, it isn't worth stitching in a new window. Restoring existing parts is great, but some things just have a finite lifespan.

 

[RFWicker3rd]

A great job - makes me want to get back to work.

 

[MOZZAFIATO]

Wow, Thank you for sharing this amazing find and piece of history. Do you still have those yellowed perspex covers? If so you can dip those in a commercial grade peroxide and they will come out as clear as new. Good Luck with the enjoyment of this fine example.

 

[stasha]

....you can dip those in a commercial grade peroxide and they will come out as clear as new....

GTK

 

[GTV-074]

Great story, great car, great result ... beautiful ... how nice is that engine bay!

 

[SpyderWeb]

Beautiful car, and great that it was your father's and is now yours! I'm sure your dad would approve of the love and care you're giving his old ride.

 

[GTA Alfa]

Great job! I love how well the engine compartment cleaned up. Don't forget to clean up the over spray and put on a correct rear Alfa emblem on the trunk lid.

 

[Dr. Lo]

Great looking paint.

It's actually surprising since it was re-painted barely two weeks after my dad took possession of it due to a fender-bender on the Italian riviera. Whoever did the paint job should have been shot for how bad it was. Orange peel and overspray all over the place.

 

[Dr. Lo]

I'd suggest just replacing the top. That yellowed back window will split after you have raised & lowered the top a few times. If the black portion of the top has some rips, it isn't worth stitching in a new window. Restoring existing parts is great, but some things just have a finite lifespan.

I'll definitely consider that, thanks!

 

[Dr. Lo]

Wow, Thank you for sharing this amazing find and piece of history. Do you still have those yellowed perspex covers? If so you can dip those in a commercial grade peroxide and they will come out as clear as new. Good Luck with the enjoyment of this fine example.

I sure do! I was planning on doing exactly that next summer. Cheers!

 

[Dr. Lo]

Beautiful car, and great that it was your father's and is now yours! I'm sure your dad would approve of the love and care you're giving his old ride.

He does indeed.

 

[Dr. Lo]

Great job! I love how well the engine compartment cleaned up. Don't forget to clean up the over spray and put on a correct rear Alfa emblem on the trunk lid.

That's the original emblem.