Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Alfa is a Furgone F12. It’s rare but also pretty rusty, so it’ll be up to you to say if it’s too damn far gone for its price.
Dat Ass. You know, as far as Alfa’s go it seems the older the better, possibly on the basis of if it’s lasted this long it won’t fold on me faster than Superman on laundry day. Yesterday’s Alfetta Sport Sedan was pretty old, being a ’79 and all. And it looked to be pretty appealing too, like a comfortable pair of old shoes. That is, until you got to the back end. Then the whole feet smell thing came up.
Junk in the trunk didn’t matter with this Alfa, it was the weird custom rear end that gave most of you pause, and probably quelled a bit the car’s 58% Nice Price win.
Still, a win is a win, and that makes it a thumbs up threepete this week. Because of that we’re going to just let it ride and have a gander at yet another 1979 Alfa Romeo today. Wait, what?! Another creaky old Italian from a beloved but frustratingly insouciant auto maker? What ever happened to variety? Isn't it the spice of life?
Well, considering that today’s candidate is a freaking 1979 Alfa Romeo Furgone F12, and said to be one of only two of that model currently residing in the U.S. I’d say it’s worth having the second verse be the same as the first. And if you want spice in your life, how about a dash or two of Ferrous Oxide?
This Furgone (Italian for Van) is being offered up on the AlfaBB and if you can’t peddle a triangle shield grille there, you’re pretty much SOL. Several of the BB responses note familiarity with the blue van, including one who has actually ridden it it. He said the experience was memorable for the shower of rust particles that rained down on him for its duration.
Yes, that's right, this Italian van is Swiss cheese. Okay people, pick your jaws up off the floor, it's not really that surprising, after all Italian iron is 60% oxide to begin with. Being a holey roller is the most likely reason this van hasn't yet sold, as it's been up the AlfaBB for a month or so now, and even made an appearance on Bring a Trailer back in June.
You'd think that Alfa owners wouldn't bat an eye over a little (okay, a lot) of rust, but so far no one has felt up to the challenge, or perhaps found a way to cart home the required 55-gallon drums of Bondo.
Aside from the cancer, it's a wicked cool van for those of us typically denied such pleasures. Plus its windowless body style would make for a super eclectic creeper van - Hey-a little bambino, you-a want-a some candy? It's-a goooood. You wanna' help-a me find my lost-a puppy? He's-a so cute and so lost, you climb-a in and help-a me, no?
Yeah, don't take rides from strangers kids. Especially ones in even stranger vans.
Mechanically, this Alfa isn't so much strange as awesome. Powering it - and it is claimed to run and drive - is a 1,760-cc Perkins diesel four, a 52-horse engine also commonly found - ahoy matey - in boats. That's backed up by a ZF 4-speed manual, albeit not from a boat.
The seller says that the engine was rebuilt in 2002, and the the van itself was privately imported a number of years ago. It's titled in Illinois as a 1971, so it should be clear to register pretty much everywhere. After all, what DMV drone could deny its charms.
By now you are probably enrapt by it as well and so it's now time to throw down the cards and see what you think about this cool but corroded Italian van's $2,300 asking price. Is that low enough to overcome the unwanted air conditioning? Or, is this one too far gone Furgone?
You decide!
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For $2,300, Is This Alfa A Furgone Conclusion?