Color code

Go to www.veloce.nu and click on color codes.

AR323 Bleu P.F. spider- Farina Blue (also Skipper Blue)
AR537 Blu Chiario Met. - light blue metallic
AR324 Blu Cobalto Medio - medium blue
AR342 Blu Francia - French Blue
AR343 Blu Olandese- Dutch blue (also NavyBlue)
AR477 Blue metallic
AR375 Blue metallic
KF17908/ 22343/ 20323 Bluette
AR327 Bluette - Petrol Blue

I believe MAX MEYER Paints supplied most of the original Alfa paint, so you might try and find them on the web or your local body shop.

I assume you've looked for the original body color code placard on the bottom part of the under trunk lid.

The data placard is a sticker on the underside of the trunk. Some dunce may have removed it in the past. Are you sure blue is the original color? Inside trunk and engine compartment the same color?

Here's another site with extensive paint codes.

http://www.veloceregister.net/pntcode.htm

I doubt you'll find anything on the web with color swatches. I'd recommend that you go down to a automotive paint supplier and give him some of the codes. They should be able to furnish some swatches that would be a lot more accurate than those you got off the internet.

Also, have you tried getting your cars build information from the Alfa factory? It's available with an email. When I get home I'll send you the email address to the lady at the Alfa Factory records department.

Be sure to check www.veloce.com and also click on FAQs. There's another section there with paint codes.

Opps. I meant:

www.veloce.nu

That blue is pretty rare. I've never seen an Alfa Spider in that color before.

With the amount of damage, it looks doubtful that you can economically rebuild it. Looks like the frame is badly bent also. What does your carrozorristi say about the practicality of fixing it?

I think new and used body panels are readily available, at least here in the U.S., but in France I'll bet they're tough to get. Engine hoods, fenders,and doors are easy to find on Ebay since they're interchangable across several decades of production. The body parts I think are available through Bruce's Parts Bin (www.fiatparts.com). With just a quick total for a nose section, right fender, and hood . . .. I come up with proabably about $1500 USD just for the basic body parts . . . not including suspension, engine/radiator, repainting, or the labor it'll take to straighten the frame. I'll bet to really restore it to pre-crash condition, you'd have to spend at least $6000 USD here in the US, and no telling what Paris prices are like.

I'm afraid you have a wonderful donor parts car for another Duetto project. Given the rarity of Spiders in Europe, I also think you'd have trouble locating a suitable donor car for cheap parts.

Good luck, however.

Repair cost - strategy

Roadtrip,
You are right.. right now I have estimated 6000 euro (same in $) and that is with a no surprises repair job.... I am still trying to lower that amount and might have found some solutions.... First I have found 2 duetto shells in France... Not seen them yet (one has floors rusted out and one supposedly in good condition). Both have been blasted and prepped. Now negotiations start. What would you consider a good price for a bare duetto shell in the US ?
My carrozorristi says there are 2 solutions:
Taking the front off the shell and putting it on my car (have to make sure body is straight etc..)
Or repairing the floors on the shell and migrating all the parts over... (he says less complex body work).
I yet have to see the shells and discuss it with my bodywork guy. But I was wandering if you had had any experience with migrating parts from an entire car to another shell. I was wandering if it was hell fitting parts due to non perfect fit from one shell to another ? Also I have a 1969, 1750 duetto. One shell is a 1966, 1600 duetto. Are there differences in the body (I assume not) ?
Many thanks for sharing your great experience.

Roland

I haven't really followed the cost of a Duetto body shell here in the US, but there a project car on US Ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2407918009&category=5356

It looks like it'll go for about $2000, looks like a good body with need of lots of mech work and, of course, paint.

I would think if you could get a good bare body over there for a $1500 to $2000 you'd be in good shape. If you can pick up the body with the rusted out floors really cheap, you can get replacement floor pans in the UK and have them welded in, assuming that the rest of the body compenents (and especially the inner rockers) are in good shape. What you don't want to do is pay a lot for a body that needs $2000 worth of restoration.

I don't have any experience with migrating mechanicals to a new body, but I don't see any problem, unless the new body is not straight (previous collision damage) and true. Of course, paying someone else to do it would be unbelievably expensive. Unless you have the time, tools, and a large garage, doing it yourself would be impossible.

In the end, it may be more worthwhile to find a really nice complete Duetto to replace yours. You may spend $10,000 or so, but might be able to offset it by parting out your car.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2408819971&category=5356

Also, that way, you know what you're getting ahead of time. Did you have collision coverage? How much is your insurance going to pay you for the car? That's another cost offset.

I'm afraid there's really no inexpensive way to get the blue beauty back on the road where it belongs.