As described by the seller on eBay Motors: This is a 1964 Giulia Spider Normale that has been in the same family since new and underwent a complete restoration in 1984. All of the mechanical systems were renewed during this time. The engine was totally rebuilt with all original Alfa parts including a new-stage two-head by Sperry Valve Works. A Weber 36 DCD carburetor and a Crane ignition system were installed. The front brakes were upgraded to series 105 discs. The body was stripped to bare medal and repainted an authentic red lacquer finish with matching paint codes to the original. […]
As described by the seller on eBay Motors:
This is a 1964 Giulia Spider Normale that has been in the same family since new and underwent a complete restoration in 1984. All of the mechanical systems were renewed during this time. The engine was totally rebuilt with all original Alfa parts including a new-stage two-head by Sperry Valve Works. A Weber 36 DCD carburetor and a Crane ignition system were installed. The front brakes were upgraded to series 105 discs.
The body was stripped to bare medal and repainted an authentic red lacquer finish with matching paint codes to the original. The top and interior have worn with time and do need to be restored. Overall, this is one of the finest Spiders around and is a very comfortable driver.
It is in need of some cosmetic restoration but very dependable and mechanically solid.
{analysis} This 1964 Giulia Spider Normale sold on eBay Motors (#2424457587), on July 26, 2003, for $10,300.
My first Alfa was a 1963 Giulia Spider, in red with a black vinyl interior. I was 17 years old at the time, living in San Francisco, and had already owned a ’59 Bugeye Sprite and a ’58 MGA roadster. The Alfa was listed in the San Francisco Chronicle, with an asking price of $1,000.
My good friend and fellow Alfa fanatic Bjarne Holm and I drove over to see the car in his ’57 Alfa Giulietta Spider Normale. The red car was straight, with no rust (after all, it was only five years old at the time), and had its motor upgraded through the installation of a 1700-cc piston and liner kit. The Porsche gang would probably call that a big-bore kit. I bought it for $920.
Compared to the MGA, the Giulia Spider was a luxury car. It had, among other wonders, roll-up windows. Its alloy mechanicals included a five-speed, split-case gearbox, a chain-driven dual-overhead cam engine and a finned sump.
There may be no better vintage sports car in its price range than an Alfa Giulia Spider. A first-rate Normale (generally identified by its Solex carburetor-equipped engine) will set you back $18,000-$22,000, and a Veloce (dual Weber carbs) $22,000-$26,000. True, that’s a lot more than an MGB, but you get a lot more car in return.
The knock on Alfas was the lack of qualified mechanics. While their engines are rugged when properly set up, they don’t suffer fools with tools gladly. Having no money, I tried every shortcut in the book while rebuilding my Alfa engine and gearbox. I got to the point where I could change out a head gasket in under two hours.
I drove my car to Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, for my sophomore year, and learned that straight 50-weight racing oil doesn’t do well in 25-degree weather. I fabricated a ski rack for the car, drove it to the nearby Mt. Hood Meadows ski area at least three times a week and discovered that stock, narrow-profile Pirelli Cinturatos were damned good in the snow.
Because I was driving back and forth to San Francisco several times a year (my best time was just a hair over nine hours for the 650-mile trip), I changed out the rear-end gear ratio from the buzzy 5.12 stock ratio to the more relaxed 4.56 that came standard on the Veloce model.
The car that was sold on eBay looks like a decent one. Unfortunately, the seller didn’t provide any pictures of the undercarriage and said nothing about corrosion. By now, unrestored Spiders often have rust in the footwells, in the rockers and, most dangerously, around the front attachment points of the traction arms.
This Spider Normale is missing its bumperettes in the front, and there is no picture of the rear. The camshaft cover is incorrect, coming from a later Giulia that had some emissions equipment on it. The upgrade to a Weber 36 DCD is a good one; the Solex had a vacuum-operated secondary, while the Weber opens both barrels at once. However, the stock air filter can be made to work with the DCD and allows for a minor cold-air ram effect. In this case, a cheesy Pep Boys filter has been installed instead.
The interior is tidy, with all the correct switches and gauges in place.
However, as with any eBay Motors listing where the seller is vague and the photos are non-specific, you’re really buying a pig in a poke (or, in this case, pasta in a basket). The car could be full of Bondo, with bad panel gaps, horrible compression, trashed synchros and a derelict suspension.
But if this Spider is as solid as the seller claims it to be, then this price was quite fair. The new owner can spend $5,000 or so attending to various things that need attention and still not find himself underwater.-Keith Martin{/analysis}
