1985 Alfa Romeo Other

1985 Alfa Romeo GTV6

Just awakened from 10 year storage!

VIN# ZARAA6695F1007187

                                                                                                  Offered at No Reserve!                                                                                          

A very nice survivor that has cleaned up beautifully and performs much better than we expected after being parked in a garage for ten years. It's part of a small collection of Fiats and Alfas belonging to a long time aficionado. and we are selling this car for him. He put it in the garage when it stopped running one day. and he just started driving Milanos – and never got back to this car!  

Our honest assessment follows:

DRIVETRAIN: Car runs sweet and strong. It is not smoky. It does not have any apparent leaks.

Pre-emptive to attempting to start it. we turned the motor by hand to make sure that there were no stuck rings or sloppy tension on the timing belt – there were no issues evident. and no sign of any co-mingling of coolant and oil to indicate bad head gaskets. Next we drained the fuel tank completely and replaced rubber fuel lines and the fuel filter. We replaced the bad Bosch pump (the reason it stopped running in '06?) with a good used one. The old fuel was cloudy and bad. but there was no evidence of rust from the fuel lines or tank. We used fresh gasoline (“real gas”; non-oxygenated) with a dash of Techron to treat the injectors. We bled the system up to the fuel rails. and it fired up. We carefully. slowly warmed it at idle before gently nudging the throttle at all.

Yes. we know that “Job One” should be a new timing belt and tensioner on these cars. This car's belt is neither brittle nor oil soaked (the tell-tale signs of imminent failure). and I was told to leave it alone…So far. so good: I have driven the car around 25 very pleasurable miles. not exceeding 4500 rpm or 60 mph after careful warming. It starts easily. every time. and the cooling fans kick in at 180 degrees when the thermostat opens – exactly like it should. All gauges work (even the clock!). and oil pressure is healthy. The oil itself is clean and clear. but is ten years old. and we'd recommend a change with filter.

The car runs very. very nicely. It is strong and sounds great and tracks with perfect stability (indeed. all four tires are very evenly worn. indicating excellent alignment). There were no driveline vibrations to indicate decayed driveline joints. The clutch bites well. The shifter feels very tight. and no doubt the linkage could use some lubrication; it has loosened a bit with miles. but takes a very deliberate movement to slot each gear right now.

BRAKES: The brakes are very soft. and the pedal goes almost to the floor. It can be pumped up a bit. indicating air in the system. The servo seems healthy. with only light effort needed to stop. Brake pads are getting thin. The rusty rotors got cleaner with use. but all-in-all. the next owner will want to go through the brake system thoroughly: Full flush. new pads and hardware. and probably fresh rotors. if not a proper rebuild.

WHEELS and TIRES: Expert Alfisti will know that the '85 model GTV6 came with the very pretty one-year only “phone dial” TRX wheels (see picture of spare in the trunk). This car is fitted with wheels from a newer Milano. Many Alfisti feel distain for the metric diameter TRX wheels: It's true! The correct metric tires to fit them are costly and choices are limited in the extreme. BUT. they were also a cool. unique and really stylish feature of the '85 models that made them stand out. and TRX were considered cutting edge tech back in the day. Believe us: Someday. concourse judges will be adding points for correct and rare TRX wheels! All that being said. PLEASE NOTE: BUYER OF THIS CAR WILL HAVE THEIR CHOICE: Four (4) Milano wheels in the pics. or a complete set of five (5) TRX wheels and tires.

How cool is that? In either case. the tires will be roadable. but old and worn and should be considered ready for immediate replacement.

APPEARANCE: The car looks very presentable. but is not a show car by any means. As is usually the case. it looks better in pictures. “In person”. there are plenty of small scratches. nicks and imperfections in the paint and trim. Car was repainted once. and quite nicely: Black over an original black car. You won't want to take it to a concourse – there are many little flaws (like the missing door mirror on the passenger side). but it's great for a daily driver that will get many admiring comments at your local Saturday “Cars-N-Coffee” get-togethers. and would be warmly received at any AROC meet!

The interior show little wear. There is some torn piping on the driver's seat. and a couple small tears in the vinyl backs. There is some fading evident on the seat cloth underneath the rear window. where it got maximum UV. And there are the usual cracks in the top of the dash (time for a dash cap). – The pictures tell the story best (see photo link below for best view of everything). Glass is great. including the original windshield. the one with the slick radio antenna molded in (this keeps the bodywork so sleek and clean looking!)

UNDERNEATH: Alfa really did a credible job of rustproofing the GTV6s: They were as good as the Alfetta GTs were bad. This car is impressively solid underneath. There are plastic plugs in the sills too. so the first owner apparently sprayed some Waxoyl or Rusty Jones in the crevices. which no doubt helped a lot. Every GTV6 rusts first in the crevices just behind the front wheels. in the wheel wells: This one is no different. and the holes were patched with some spray in polyurethane. There is some very typical rust under the hood. by the seams. One jack point looks a little crunchy. but it holds the car up solid. All the painted surfaces around the chassis (sway bars. shocks. brackets. etc) show a lot of surface rust from long term storage – some of this is flaking paint. and it looks worse than it is. The floors are excellent (except for one missing plastic plug under the driver's footwell. The doors are solid. with some rust needing attention at the back corner of the passenger side door. The wheel arches and fenders are all clean. solid steel and very beautiful. Trunk. spare tire well. and the battery box are all super solid. I took A LOT of photos of the entire underside. trying to show everything as clearly as possible (see photo link below for best view of everything).

OVERALL: This GTV6 is an outstanding basis for either a full restoration. or it would make a sensational daily driver with just a little bit of attention. The odo reading can't be substantiated. but judging by overall wear and feel. the very low mileage is entirely credible. The car needs attention and love right away. but it's primarily maintenance and small things that will really lift it. It's NOT ready to drive home any distance: Brakes need to be settled. and it would be really prudent to replace the timing belt right now. as well as rebuild the belt tensioner. change the water pump and do a coolant flush as long as you're in there. And some new tires. But after that. you could just drive it and fettle the little things on weekends – that's what I would do with it if I could keep it.

OVER 160 MORE PHOTOS FOR YOU TO EXAMINE. SHOWING THE CAR IN DETAIL. INSIDE/OUT: http://s1317. photobucket. com/user/Kowalski111/slideshow/Alfa%20Romeo%20GTV6%20-%201985

This great Alfa offered at NO RESERVE – HIGH BID BUYS THIS CAR!!!

And If You're Serious About Bidding. Please Read….

The Fine Print:

GOOD LUCK! Please bid to the value this car may hold for you. Please feel free to ask questions or add comments. Please ask questions BEFORE you bid.  We will respond quickly and honestly. This vehicle is garaged in Independence. Minnesota 55357. nbsp;about thirty minutes west of downtown Minneapolis. Inspections are invited and encouraged!

CONDITIONS: Winning this auction constitutes a legal and binding agreement between the Buyer. the Owner and the Selling Agents. Please bid sincerely and sensibly. Zero-feedback bidders must contact us first before bidding to establish some level of seriousness-of-intent; It's nothing personal. just business: We. and many others. have been stung on eBay Motors by too many dead-beat auction winners.

Vehicle is sold "As-Is and Where-Is". If the Buyer comes to pick up this vehicle and is in any way dissatisfied. he or she will have the Option of walking away from the Deal with Full Refund of the Deposit and any Payments made to the Seller.  Otherwise. no warranty is expressed. implied or offered.  Neither the Owner nor the Selling Agents can or will take any responsibility for this car after it leaves the premises.

PAYMENT:  Buyer must make a $300 DEPOSIT by PayPal within 24 hours of the Auction Close. The Deposit will secure the Deal for all Parties involved. Failure to make Deposit within 24 hours will risk Cancellation of the Sale at Discretion of the Owner and Sellers.  BALANCE MUST BE PAID within 7 BUSINESS DAYS of sale by SECURE PAYMENT. Accepting US FUNDS via WIRE TRANSFER. CERTIFIED BANK CHECK. or CASH at PICK-UP.  DEPOSIT is NON-REFUNDABLE except under the specific promise regarding buyer satisfaction. outlined above under “Conditions”.

Deposit will be payable to this eBay seller. via PayPal. and the final balance will be made directly to the titled owner of the car (wire transfer preferred. but certified bank check or cash at pick up is also acceptable)

TRANSPORT: Buyer is responsible for all transportation arrangements and costs. This vehicle is garaged in Independence. Minnesota 55357. nbsp;about thirty minutes west of downtown Minneapolis. We do not offer quotes on shipping. There are many vendors to choose from offering vehicle transport. If you like. we will be happy to recommend some "preferred" carriers with whom we have direct experience. ALL EXPORT SALE DETAILS MUST BE ARRANGED BY THE BUYER. though we can recommend a freight forwarder if you like.

STORAGE:   While the Auction Winner sorts out pick-up or transport arrangements. nbsp;Seller can offer. free of charge. dry indoor storage for up to 30 days after auction termination. Longer periods can be arranged at cost if necessary. Seller cannot accept any liability during this storage period.

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Thank You for Looking! We are fluent in classic European cars. We are hobbyists. first and foremost. and happy to hear from you on the subject of cars or bikes. In addition to AUTOMOBILIA and PARTS. WE HAVE SOLD DOZENS OF VEHICLES ON eBAY. EACH DEAL A HAPPY ONE FOR ALL INVOLVED! >>MM1000auto>> was created to auction the THINGS WE LOVE MOST: CARS. PARTS. and AUTOMOBILIA     

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