IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME…. PART 1

READER IAN OF ALBERTA ASKED ABOUT ONE OF OUR LONG-TERM AFFORDABLE CLASSICS, an Alfa Romeo; the other was an MGB. Indeed, though I recalled the MGB, I barely remembered the Alfa.

This was back in 1987, when an R&T bound volume was sufficiently hefty that it’s difficult to scan pages because of losing text and photos in the layout gutter.

“Old Crocks and Englishmen (and Italians) Go Out in the Noon-Day Sun” appeared in R&T, August 1987. It seemed like a good idea at the time: Buy a decent used sports car and live with it, specifically a 1968 MGB Tourer and a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. However, the concept proved complex enough to warrant gleaned tidbits in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow.

How To Do It. “Whole books can be written on the subject,” R&T’s Peter Bohr observed. “Come to think of it, one of us has done just that (Road & Track Used Car Classics, Revised 2nd Edition). In fact, Peter edited the book and AbeBooks offers it 39 years later.

In his R&T article, Peter condensed the purchase process into 5 steps: “What kind of car? What condition? Where to look? How to screen the ads? How to inspect the car?”

“Was our 5-step strategy successful? We ultimately bought two cars well within our total budget of $10,000,” Peter noted. To put this investment in perspective, the CPI Inflation Calculator sets $10,000 in 1987 at $29,299.13 these days.

Our Alfa GTV. Peter bargained the owner’s $5000 down to $4500: no a/c, no Campagnollo alloys, paint a bit faded, a tired engine. “I made the deal contingent on a clean bill of health from Blake [an Alfa specialist pal] and a valid smog-inspection certificate.”

Peter continued “Blake replaced the thermostat, changed the oil and filter and adjusted the valves—two were tight. He also advised an ‘Italian tuneup’: driving the car in spirited fashion to burn off crud that accumulates in the engine after years of around-town puttering.”

“Before I delivered the Alfa to R&T’s parking lot,” Peter  described, “ I took it to Steve’s Detailing in Newport Beach and asked if they could possibly bring a shine back to the lackluster paint. I’m not sure what they used—mostly elbow grease, I suspect. I just know they weren’t cheap ($130) and the results were spectacular.”

For those with extended memories, this was almost two decades past “I’m Earl Schieb, and I’ll paint any car, any color, for $29.95.”

Still to Fix. “Two new rear springs,” Peter noted, “at $80 and an hour’s labor each, would be nice. Suspension bushings are going to need some attention. The exhaust system is buzzing, and one of the brackets needs repair. That small rust spot should be treated.”

The Alfa’s Notebook is Beginning to Fill. “Undoubtedly,” Peter noted, “some staff members, used to state-of-the-art cars, will hit a few forgotten potholes during their trip down memory lane in this 14-year-old Alfa. But others will surely find it entertaining.”

Tomorrow in Part 2, another Peter, surname Egan, introduces the other affordable classic, a 1968 MGB Tourer. Also, we’ll discuss the fate of this editorial concept. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2026