1978 ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD 1.5Ti, Series 2, Gloss black/black int.

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ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD 1. 5Ti SERIES 2 COUPE 2 DOOR

GLOSS BLACK (NERO) EXTERIOR WITH TWO-TONE BLACK CLOTH INTERIOR

We have decided to sell the "Little Alfa".  

There is a low reserve to avoid a total give-away!

This 1. 5Ti is one of only eleven left on UK roads. according to DVLA records.

With plans to keep and use this car forever. we have spent a relative fortune this year on extensive re-commissioning after nine years or so of very little use with the last long-term owner.  A LOT of work has been done to make the Little Alfa as useable and reliable as possible!

He (or she?) is a real survivor in amazingly clean and rust-free condition underneath. in the boot and under the bonnet. No signs of structural damage repairs and only very minor historic remedial welding carried out (drain holes plugged). Clearly rust-proofed from new and/or restored mid-life. a rare and exciting state of affairs for an Alfasud!

The bodywork is excellent and the gloss-black paintwork looks great if you are not too close. (read on) the interior is lovely and going for a drive is a real treat.

To summarise what I can remember of what has been done in the last few months:

Full service. lubrication and tune-up (obviously!) including new cambelts and tensioners. All other belts. fluids and hoses renewed as needed. New rear brake flexi-hose.  Complete rebuilt o/s driveshaft (gaitor was split).  Complete new (oem) radiator and water pump (just in case!). O/s ball joint. N/s wheel bearing.  New rear shock absorbers.  Fitted ‘antique' red ‘Alfa Romeo' rocker covers (black originals included with car).

And a whole load of other stuff that just got sorted along the way.  

(Plus. last year the car had a recon'd n/s driveshaft. new brake pads all round. and re-con callipers fitted as well as most of the exhaust replaced)

All parts sourced from the few but great Alfasud specialists that seem to have just about everything these cars need to stay on the road!

All work carried out by a professional mechanic (not me!) I have kept records for future admiration.

Inside. the front seats were stripped and rebuilt. Front and rear seats fully re-trimmed (including webbing. foams etc) in two-tone black mimicking original design but using better quality materials. Again. all carried out by an experienced trimmer who did a great job.

(So good that the really-OK-looking black carpets now look a little only-OK by comparison!)

 Also replaced front centre console with correct. unmolested one. Fitted correct blanking plate and ashtray.

 Heater controls removed and re-fitted with correct clips for temperature controls to work properly.

 Rear seat belts added. (New. after-market ones. not Alfa)

New. hand-made. fitted and trimmed boot carpet.  

Speedo shows 53. 00 miles. Can't prove for sure. but easy to believe. looking at the excellent condition of the steering wheel. pedals and so on.

MoT was carried out last month so is valid to JULY 2014

ROAD TAX valid to the end of JAN 2014

Back outside. a set of 5. 14"  '33' wheels was sourced. totally stripped and refurb'ed. fitted with 5 good tyres (Michelin at the rear. Firestone up front and for the spare). The set of five. 13" 'Sprint'  Cromadora's that came with the car will stay with it if buyer wishes (one of the 5. 13" tyres has a puncture though)

A hidden battery cut-off switch and wheel locks have been fitted for additional peace-of-mind.

Historic documentation includes some old MoTs (46. 84 miles in 1999!)  a few tax discs and copies of previous reg docs. my notes from conversations with previous owners. Not much else though. I have kept everything and added what I can along the way - now onto a second display book.

Now fit for the road. this Alfa is a real pleasure to drive. You sit in a well padded. supportive driver's seat. in the classic long-arm-short-leg Italian driving position and all controls fall to hand as you would hope.  It starts immediately and sounds just like it should when you fire it up - only the Alfa Romeo Flat Four makes this noise! Select first without fuss and drive steadily through the gears (yes. ) and once warm everything feels just as you would hope and nearly as good as you remember it did all those years ago.

My plan for the Little Alfa was to get everything mechanical sorted out first so we could confidently drive this car anywhere. anytime and enjoy every minute of it. Then move on to the interior and get it feeling like new (but actually comfortable too. ) and finally go for a proper bare-metal repaint.

However. while just about everything mechanical is now done. we jumped ahead with the interior because the original was in that special Alfa colour scheme we call "Granny's-stockings-brown-n-tan". Not only that but after 35 years. the foam had separated from the fabric. adding actual wrinkles to the effect!  It had to go.

While you could now most probably enjoy this cars for many moons to come with only basic maintenance. here are some thoughts on what is left to sort out or improve:

We have driven the car about 1900 miles since February without incident. with visits to the workshop along the way as described above.

Paintwork looks great from a short distance but up close you can see it will need help soon. I have taken the car to a trusted bodyshop for an estimate on a total strip and repaint. I was assured no new panels are needed. A simple freshen-up is probably enough but I wanted the fully Monty for which I no longer have the funds so have not committed.

All that said. the passenger door has had a fairly poor repair in the distant past. I have found a used complete door to fit when the car is painted and will include this door in the sale (see below).

The black carpet now looks a bit grey compared to the new two-tone black of the seats.  

Front and rear speakers are fitted but I don't know if they work as there is no stereo (crying out for an 8-track player in my book. )

The cigarettes lighter does not heat up and the interior roof light has stopped working.

Back to the good news: Getting ready for the paintwork to be done. I have been sourcing and collecting a multitude of things which will now be included with the sale of the car.

The passenger door mentioned above. NOS windscreen seal. NOS passenger door mirror. NOS door handles with spare keys. Correct. repro. fabric C-pillar stickers. Correct under-bonnet sticker. Correct '1. 5' boot lid sticker. Bonnet stay clip. Wheelbrace clips. Bonnet trim.

Also included are: a complete spare clutch. engine gasket set. original sales brochures. later owners manuals. Alfasud reference book and Haynes Manual.  

Basically. this is an Alfasud enthusiasts dream. an ideal first classic or a great retro daily driver.

The bossy bits:    

Please remember. not only is this car 35 years old. it is an Alfa Romeo. It's not a new BMW!

It pre-dates modern safety features so don't look for door beams. airbags. crumple-zones. ABS. PAS or other such life-saving wonders!                       

This is a LOW-reserve auction but the car is advertised elsewhere and I reserve the right to end the auction early.

Please do not bid without contacting me in advance if you have less than 10 feedback. Such bids will be cancelled.

£500 deposit required via PayPal within 48hrs of auction end. Full settlement with cleared funds and collection within 7 working days of end of auction.

(I cannot accept bank transfers as I will not give out my bank details)

Viewing is possible (by arrangement) near Marlow. Bucks or possibly Chobham. Surrey. I will ask for ID and do all the driving though.

Call 07836 542 065 for more information and/or to arrange to view (do bring an expert too!)

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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