1982 Alfa Romeo Balocco special edition - $1500 (NMNA)

1982 Alfa Romeo Balocco special edition - $1500 (NMNA)

I figure this is kind of like that Maserati Convertible I posted earlier. Still, the fact that it exists is kind of cool.

Over priced but you should see what these are going for in great condition. Really good driver's car, when they are running

I wonder if the body is in as good a shape as it looks in the pictures? Sure the paint's wrecked but I don't see rust holes like I would expect.

Edit: It's a GTV6. The Balocco thing was a cosmetic package only.

Super cool!

dculberson wrote: I wonder if the body is in as good a shape as it looks in the pictures? Sure the paint's wrecked but I don't see rust holes like I would expect. Edit: It's a GTV6. The Balocco thing was a cosmetic package only.

I was wondering the same thing about the condition- so many people here want a GTV6, and this one seems to be one that would make a great project.

These can be great cars.

I like Alfas, though I don't know much about them. I did some Googling to find out more about the Balocco edition and subsequently learned about the Maratona edition.

Back in 1987, I remember seeing a GTV6 at school. Alfas were never very common, but what really caught my eye was that instead of having the GTV6's black plastic hood trim, it had a clear plastic panel so you could see right into the engine bay. I was surprised that someone would fabricate something like that because the black trim never looked bad, and there wasn't much to see immediately behind it, just a closeup of part of the aluminum intake plenum.

Now, nearly 30 years later, I discover that I must have seen a Maratona Edition. One of 150.

That plexiglass looks cheap. They should have at least painted a black 'trim' bit around the perimeter of the plastic to imitate a windshield.

In reply to RossD:

I think that the plexiglass on the red car is aftermarket because the Maratona was only available in silver, but I couldn't find a decent picture of the hood on a silver car. I do remember that the one that I saw in 1987 looked pretty cheesy.

That doesn't seem unreasonable. It looks straight, v6 and runs. Even with problems... We're home shopping now for more space. That would be on my radar once we get the move sorted

agreed on potential.

It's one you'd have to judge in person.

Most of these cars succumb to rust. If this is really as dry as the sun fade suggests, it may be a solid contender for a refresh.

You'd end up with a car worth a little more than the average GTV6 due to Balocco rarity, and it's theoretically all there to start with. You can easily spend more than the asking price of this car on bodywork trying to get a rusty example back to non rusty condition, and nicely sorted GTV6's aren't getting any cheaper.

No I'm not saying this would be a profitable car to restore.

Jeepers. That's tempting.

That's not even overpriced IMO. There is at least a market of $4-5k for a driver and $10k for a nice one. No, you couldn't restore it for that but on the other hand when was the last time someone paid $5k for a running driving BiTurbo? Those are kind of the automotive world's punch line whereas GTV6's have a loyal following and OK parts support.

Looks very rust-free in the places that matter. I'd be tempted to do the headgasket and other mechanicals, and leave the 'patina' alone. Engines are also available for not-that-much. I sat on a $50 one for a few years just in case and then gave it away on here. Windshields, on the other hand - $600 if someone does a production run of them, otherwise buy a rusty parts car for the windshield.

Thankfully it is far away because I found this again last night and now I want one again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYDsg1az2wA&sns=fb

Heh. At 0:17 - brrrrrrrRRRRRRRrr GRIND bbbrrRRRRRRR!

Yeah, well, first drive = first time shifting to 2nd.

Crap, I'm driving to Nashville in a week....

The more I think about it, the more I wish I hadn't seen this

markwemple wrote: The more I think about it, the more I wish I hadn't seen this

You're welcome.....

I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to buy it.

markwemple wrote: I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to buy it.

So when are you going to pick it up?

Check the coolant reservoir for cracks or leaks, they are pressurized and eventually fail. New ones NLA but someone makes a spiffy aluminum one for $300 that will last forever.

Check the base of the windshield for rust bubbles, supposedly that can be indicative of a MESS hiding at internal firewall seams or something. Never encountered it myself. That car looks pretty rust-free though.

Have fun when you do the rear brakes.

Don't give it gas when starting, just crank. There's a cold start injector, it'll slowly rumble to life on its own. There's a reason for the sacrificial plastic tray above the intake plenum - when you open the throttle during cranking and backfire it, launching the plenum upwards, the hood won't get dented. Aren't Italian cars the best?