ALFAGTV6.COM

[SlewofDamascus]

As you folks know, I recently introduced myself on the introduction page of this forum after buying a 1982 Alfa GTV-6 Balocco on Ebay. I paid $3,050.00 and I thought that was okay.

Here is the car I purchased for those of you unfamiliar:

http://tinyurl.com/2ncbs2

Then today, I saw this 1986 GTV-6 on Ebay with a buy it now price of $4,000 and thought "uh oh, I think me done somethin' stupid." Here is is:

http://tinyurl.com/yrusny


Since my Carfax subscription gives me unlimited searcges for a month, I decided to lok it up.

Lo and behold, it has some suspect data.

06/30/1992 59,704 California
Inspection Station
Perris, CA Passed emissions inspection

06/22/1994 81,905 California
Inspection Station
Maricopa, CA Passed emissions inspection

07/03/1996 California
Inspection Station
Maricopa, CA Passed emissions inspection

07/27/1999 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
El Cajon, CA Title issued or updated

06/29/2002 69,718 California
Inspection Station
El Cajon, CA Failed emissions inspection
INCONSISTENT ODOMETER READING

07/05/2002 69,933 California
Inspection Station
El Cajon, CA Failed emissions inspection

07/09/2002 70,133 California
Inspection Station
San Diego, CA Passed emissions inspection

06/09/2004 91,531 California
Inspection Station
San Diego, CA Passed emissions inspection

04/20/2006 Georgia
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Moultrie, GA Vehicle purchase reported

04/20/2006 99,050 Georgia
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Moultrie, GA
Title #772854061104025 Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Vehicle color noted as Red


The seller says the odometer now reads at 17k+

As you can see there are some disturbing odometer reading issues here, open to all sorts of interpretations.

From '96 to '02 there were no emissions test, and given that in '99 the title was updated, something is going on during this period that is unsettling at some level perhaps.

The fact that between the last mileage reading in '94 - 81,905 - which was 22,200 miles more than the '92 reading (in itself a large number of miles in 2 years) and the next published reading in '02 - 69,718 - leads to all sorts of troubling questions about that six-year period, putting aside the large number of miles between '92 and '94 (it's more than average, anyway, I think we can agree on that).

This Carfax report would definitely prompt me to stay away from this GTV-6, which otherwise seems like a great deal, and at first glance I thought I made a really foolish decision when I bought the '82 (of course that remains to be seen, in any event), however my point here is that Carfax can really be an important tool in illuminating the past history, especially when the seller makes no mention of any irregularities (although he himself may be unaware in his defense).

If someone need a car run over the next few weeks let me know via e-mail, and I will run a report for you (I won't charge you too much either - smile).

Curious if anyone concurs or disagrees, in any event.

Thanks.

David B.

[x-rad]

buyer beware...caveat emptore..and such..

you still bought youself a nice vehicle..so what if it was the slutty sister


no matter what, you will still dump a ton of money into her for the few thrilling and rare moments of the driving passion of Alfa Romeo...

[SlewofDamascus]

buyer beware...caveat emptore..and such..

you still bought youself a nice vehicle..so what if it was the slutty sister


no matter what, you will still dump a ton of money into her for the few thrilling and rare moments of the driving passion of Alfa Romeo...

I hope it's a paradox that works out in my favor, anyway, and I hope those moments you wistfully refer to as "rare" are not so rare. Rare or not, I will appreciate them, I promise.

As for the sibling rivalry, I will have to tell you someday about a couple of 124 spiders I had a long time ago now.

The Italian 'thing" started innocently enough, I suppose with my father's purchase - during a family get together in Pismo Beach and Morrow Bay(with his brothers) - of a mustard yellow (golden?), 1969 (I think) Fiat 124 Sport Coupe with beautiful gold mag wheels, which he bought in San Luis Obispo, a bit south of our location on the pacific coast. Driving was such a passion with my father, an art, actually, in the way he approached every corner, every pass, and the Fiat was his new toy, and we kids, maybe it was just me, I don't know, but it was thrilling when he drove up to the seaside motel with this Italian "thing." He tapped the horn a few times, and it was like nothing I ever heard, loud yes, but not obnoxious loud, beautiful, trumpet-like loud. It was one of those car memories that kids hold onto. Maybe it's an American thing, or a kid thing, who knows.

In what I suppose is a truly Italian car memory, I can remember a few years later driving with my father near Jackson, Ca, in an oppressive late Summer heat wave, when I came up with the idea to put ice into the vents that were on each corner of the dash; we had to go under the hood to get access. My father, a man of The Depression, got real pleasure, I think, from his son's apparent resourcefulness, and by golly if it didn't actually cool us down with a bit of refreshingly cold air and sprinkles of ice water.

In another thrilling develoment, the fuel pump went out (or maybe it was the water pump), and we had to spend the night in Jackson, waiting for the Italian part to arrive. The man, who ran a small, main street garage, said it would arrive sometime in the morning. I can remember hoping it would take more than a day to arrive.To a child of 9 or so, who idolized his old man, it was quite a good piece of adventure, walking the the dusty town at sundown, seeing real barber poles, and men in white t-shirts sitting outside doing not too much of anything, getting our room in the town's only hotel. We were on the road by lunch the next day, as I recall, and my father said, "I think I've found a mechanic!" The Fiat ran better than ever, and as main street disappeared my father tapped his horn a couple times to say so long.

David B.

[Greg Gordon]

David,
I think you got yourself a nice car, the fact that it's a Ballaco is a real bonus.

GTV6 odometer readings are almost meaningless unless the history of the car is known. These odometers are electric and somewhat unreliable. They are also very easy to tamper with.

Greg Gordon,
www.hiperformancestore.com

[SlewofDamascus]

Thanks, Greg, you are undoubtedly correct, and seeing what committed Alfa owners have done with some of their vehicles, it's nothing short of inspiring, and condition is relative. I have decided to restore the car to its original specs as it relates to exterior particularly and to lesser extent the interior (custom wood steering wheel and gear-shift knob, and perhpas a few other mods).

I think I overreacted, and it's time to focus on what's in front of me.

That said, I spoke to Misty, and I can't wait for the air intake to find its way back into stock, and I will also add silicone hoses everywhere else I can. I have silicone hoses (Samco) on my Ducati. It's a must-do.

The pic's my Ducati 749s without recent upgrades to R&T Ohlins front forks w/SBK internals; Ohlins rear shock; BST C/F 5-spoke wheels. I also own an ST2.

David B.

[MALDI]

Why is it inconsistent?

"06/22/1994 81,905" followed a bit down by "06/29/2002 69,718"

Couldn't 69,718 really be 169,718?

That would be 87,813 miles in 8 years or about 11,000 miles per year, not an unreasonable figure.

So I ask the question, what wear items are the easiest way to tell the difference between 69,718 and 169,718?

[SlewofDamascus]

You make a good point, Maldi, and 11k/year had been the "average", but the lack of a smog record in those years and then the title update throws some cold water on that. I don't know.

If you're right, the car then would have 217k as it is being sold right now.

As for what to look for, one of the other guys would have to field that one.

Thanks.

D.B.

[mjr]

Have to echo the other guys comments here. i think you are worrying over nothing. Its a 26 year old car, probably having had several speedos by now, and who cares what the mileage is, what is important is that you have got a good GTV6 to build up here. AND its a baloco too. As for vaule of GTV's, throw the book in the garbage, values on these cars are not set in stone, it wholly depends on the car, not the year.

[SlewofDamascus]

Thanks for the replies, fellas, I think this one is ready to put to bed.

I will tell you that the winner of the auction listed backed out of the deal, and the GTV-6 was resold on Ebay for $3500, and that buyer left excellent feedback to the seller, so there ya go.

Onward and upward.

David B.
(Balocco Owner)
(smile)

[SlewofDamascus]

well, I got out of the deal on the alfa I "bought." It was just too messed up, too many problems, and frankly not worth half of what I bid.

Now I'm looking again.

3rd time the charm?

I'll let you know.

David B.
(ex-Alfa Balocco owner)

[x-rad]

I am pretty sure that unless you spend about 5000 or more for a 'good' Alfa, you will be putting money (much) into it...

sure you can find good deals...but anything cheaper will need work.

part of the experience... just be prepared

[SlewofDamascus]

I am pretty sure that unless you spend about 5000 or more for a 'good' Alfa, you will be putting money (much) into it...

sure you can find good deals...but anything cheaper will need work.

part of the experience... just be prepared

X-RAD, I took your advice to heart and I bought the following vehicle ($5500):


http://tinyurl.com/2ry94j

Thanks! I'm hoping for the best.

I will keep the forum updated - it's going to a secret location for classified upgrades to the engine and suspension. I mean I could tell you, but then I'd have to delete you.

David B.