58 Giulietta

[Matt Danning <mattd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had a completely different experience than Marc Mosko when I                                                                                   
restored my '57 Giulietta
Spider Normale a few years ago.  I spent a documented $13,500 on a car
that was a rolling chassis when I got it.  When it was finished, it looked
and ran as new.  Yes, I did much of the labor myself, including complete
engine, transmission (split case style), rear end, brakes, front
suspension, interior rebuild.  The only things I paid to have done were
chroming, paint and bodywork (I was lucky that my car had no rust on the
exterior panels, only the floor and trunk), and installation of the
convertible top. The quality of the job was first rate, although it was
not absolutely "concours", in that it had the wrong transmission, and
wrong seats, Weber carb, and urethane paint.  However, the car was no less
fun to
drive for these lapses.  In my opinion, unless someone is trying to
produce a show car in order to win awards, it makes no sense to drive
yourself nuts worrying that
every last nut has the Alfa logo on it.  I do agree, however, that it
takes a lot of patience to locate parts, and find good service, but
that can be part of the fun of restoring any old car.  If the gentleman
who bought the 58 (sorry, I can't remember your name) wants to contact me
off digest, I can pass along parts sources and any "survival tips".

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