1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Duetto Spider - Excellent Example of a Collectible Classic

FOR SALE

1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 (Duetto) Spider

The Alfa Romeo “Boat Tail” Spider remains one of the all-time classic sports cars to come out of Italy.   Pininfarina-styled. the eye catching art deco lines look like the car could have been designed in 1930. or could have come out of a design studio just yesterday.   The quintessential definition of timeless delsign.

In fact. the model was first introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1961 and entered production (essentially unchanged from the show car) at the end of 1965.   Initially called the “Duetto. the name of the model was dropped in favor of simply “Spider” due to copyright concerns.   Despite the official name change. all roundtailed Alfas are generally referred to as “Duettos” or by one of many nicknames such as “Boat Tail” or “Round Tail. ”

Early model Duettos were fitted with dual carburetors in engine displacements ranging from 1300 to 1600cc.   The last of the roundtailed series were produced in 1969 (just a few year run of this model) and came equipped with the SPICA mechanical fuel injection mated to a 1750cc engine.   Most Alfa fans consider the 1750 SPICA engine to be the most drivable of all the spider derivatives.   The engine is powerful. revs easily. and pulls strong from the lowest RPM on up.   Unfortunately. the SPICA-equipped roundtails (produced ONLY for the US market). were frequently converted to carburetors and. alas. few stock examples like this one still exist today.

Up for sale today is a classic example of a 1969 1750 Duetto spider.   I purchased the car about ten years ago and have undertaken the restoration process that brought the car up the level it is today – a show winner of many local Alfa Romeo gatherings.   I would hate to think how much I have invested in this restoration…suffice it to say that the new owner will get a bargain of a purchase no matter what the price paid!

Originally. like most new owners. I was going to convert the car to Weber carbs but. upon the advice of Alfa resoration expert Rick Lovecchio of RML Automotive. I decided to retain the perfectly operational and now rare mechanical injection system (still has the original single solenoid SPICA pump!).   I am glad I took Rick's advice since there are few unmolested examples of this model around today. and it is getting almost impossible to “reverse modify” a car to the stock SPICA-equipped condition.   Everything about this engine came with this car from the factory.   Only the ignition system upgrades discussed below differentiate this car from stock.

Permit me to point out some of the important details of the restoration history of this motorcar…

The body was stripped to bare metal and resprayed in the original ivory color. as withnessed by the paint code sticker on the bottom of the trunk lid.   This color is quite eye-catching. by the way. and perfectly compliments the classic art deco lines of the body.   The engine was removed during the painting process. so the engine bay was repainted along with the trunk. inner doors. etc.   The paint. though nearly 8 years old and not perfect. shows quite well having been stored covered in a climate-controlled garage since the repaint.   To be sure. there are some small areas that would need attention to bring the car up to a 100-point concours finish. but the car is highly presentable as is.

Any corroded areas found were cut out and factory replacement panels were welded in place.   The body received a complete treatment of the high-quality German-made Wurth corrosion preventative undercoating to prevent future problems.   As it now stands. this car represents both a clean. very attractive example of the breed that can be driven on a daily basis if desired.   The worst part about owning the car is answering all the questions from people in the parking lots!

True to the original concept of Pinin Farina. this car comes with factory headlight covers and the factory-correct mounting hardware – down to the plastic insert tabs that mate to the male extensions on the back of the covers.   The light buckets were removed. restored. and reinstalled behind the fender and stainless trim rings were properly fitted around the headlight opening.   This is a critical detail - very few spiders that I have seen have the covers installed properly.   I installed well nuts where the clamps screw into the body. however.   The original design had the screws inserted into painted metal which causes damage to the paint.

The car has twin door-mounted rear view mirrors – originally the model had a single driver mirror but the symmetry of two mirrors improves the look. in my opinion.

The stainless steel bumpers were polished (including the rare 1969 model only“nerf bar” bumper extension in the front between the bumper halves). new lollipop reflectors installed (now showing age). and all fasteners were replaced with stainless-steel fasteners if appropriate.   The Alfa badges. both front and rear. were replaced with enamel cloisonné emblems.   The block “ALFA ROMEO” badge that runs across the rear of the car was left off in the restoration (a marketing decision that made the rear too busy. in my opinion). but these badges are available and included and could be easily reinstalled if desired.

The wheels were sand-blasted and repainted in stock colors and refitted with the hubcaps that came with the car.   New tires (<1000 miles) are installed.   A second set of wheels. reproduction Minilites (made with original Minilite molds) in the a +1-inch 15-inch diameter (shown in some photos). are available (please inquire if interested).   These wheels are typical aftermarket upgrades for the car in its day and provide superior performance and aggressive looks to the car.

The car has been fitted with a new canvas top. and has the original tonneau cover to hide the top when in the folded position.   The top frame was removed. sand-blasted. and repainted in original gloss black color.   The top goes up easily. looks sharp. and gives decent weather protection – particularly for a sports car of this vintage.

The windshield was replaced along with the windshield gasket ($1000 in parts alone!).   You may note the sticker on the windshield letting the driver know the maximum engine rev limits during break in!  This was on all new models from the factory.   The visors are stock.   The rear-view mirror was reworked and the interior courtesy light under the mirror works properly as does the light in the glove box.

The interior of the car has also received attention but every effort was made to maintain the stock 1969 appearance.   The seats were recovered in original specification vinyl. the floor is covered with the original carpet and vinyl pieces – not converted to all-carpet as with many examples today.   The floor mats. particularly the driver's side. shows some wear and could be replaced.   I've seen a few OEM-specification reproduction mats are available on the market if the buyer is interested.   The plastic steering wheel was replaced with a mahogany version off of a 1971 spider. but the original plastic steering wheel (in very good shape) is with the car.

The dash is all original. including the dash top.   Note that there is a crack in the dash at the base of the instrument binnacle. but is not visible to the driver.   All the instruments are in place. including the Italian fuel. oil pressure. and water temperature gauges.   Everything works as designed!

An original “Pininfarina” radio block-out plate is installed – a hard to find detail since these were often discarded by the owner once a radio was installed.

Note the interesting seat-belt arrangement. similar to those found in light aircraft.   This is a stock set-up found in only a few Alfa models.

The heater fan motor was replaced along with the heater valve.   The heater core was removed. sealed. and repainted.   The car even has the original three-position fan toggle switch for the stock two-speed fan (?)! Top down motoring is a pleasure even on a cool morning with the abundant heat this heater can provide!

The car's trunk was restored (repainted as mentioned above) and has the original trunk mat and spare tire in place.   The jack was restored and painted in stock colors.   Also. the original tool kit and Owner's Manual are there as you can see in the photos.

The engine was removed and rebuilt by RML Automotive in Daytona Beach. Florida.   Currently there is about 5000 miles on the engines since all the work listed here was performed.   New pistons and liners were installed. the head was resurfaced. all new valves installed. and new gaskets used throughout.   A new stock Alfa factory exhaust system was installed.

The twin brake boosters were replaced along with the pads and rotors. The braking system is completely stock and functional – a rare find today.   Included are the original owner's manual. factory tool kit. and custom-fitted car cover.

The radiator was removed. sealed. and replumbed.   NEVER an overheating issue with this car. even in heavy traffic.   Not something that can be said for most vintage sportscars!

The SPICA system was tuned by RML and operates flawlessly.   The stock ignition system was replaced by as stock appearing but far more reliable electronic ignition system (Performance Ignition System by RML Automotive. )  The car starts and idles perfectly even after sitting in storage for months!  You cannot beat a properly set-up SPICA injection system when it comes to performance. reliability. and maintenance ease!

The engine compartment has been detailed to transform it back to its 1969 looks.   Decals. wiring. etc. . are true to stock.   You may note that I fudged a bit from the stock theme and had the original head “acorn” nuts and radiator cap chromed – it looks great!  Also. the original canister-style oil filter was converted to accept spin-on filters (for ease of maintenance). but this. too. is an easily revertible modification.   Note the restored SPICA air filter box with the proper decals and badging.

The rear end of the car was recently worked through – bearings replaced. parts cleaned and repainted. fuel pump replaced. fuel tanks cleaned and resealed. new hoses. new axle limit straps. etc.   At some point. a future owner will want to provide the same attention to the front end suspension – new ball joints. bushings. etc. – to tighten up the front end. too.

All-in-all this is quite a rare find…a true affordable Italian classic sports car in near stock condition.   All aluminum twin-cam engine. mechanical fuel injection. five speed transmission. four-wheel disk brakes. dual F/R brake system. that sweet Alfa sound…. if this car had a prancing horse on the grill instead of a cross-and-serpent you could easily add $100. 00 plus to the price!

Alfas are highly collectible as a result. and the market is catching up to that fact.   Pre-Duetto spiders have gone way. way up in price and it will only be a matter of a short time before these equally rare Duettos get pulled into the vacuum and begin to show similar returns.   Wise investment. or just plain fun toy?  Either way. you can't lose owning a car like this!

I'll gladly help the buyer with any shipping details. the car is located in Ormond Beach. Florida. 32174.   If you have any questions. or want additional photographs. message me anytime.   Good luck with the bidding!!

Also published at eBay.com

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