It’s no secret that Italian built cars tend to suffer from rust issues. The steel that Alfa Romeo and other Italian manufactures used was highly prone to rust, leaving many of these great cars off the road. Finding a solid example is key to having a car that can be driven and fully enjoyed. With pricing climbing though, it can be difficult to find solid examples one can afford. This 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV might not look like a great candidate for a project, but after a closer examination, you might find that it has potential. Take a closer look at it here on eBay, with bidding still under $500. Special thanks To Jim S. for this tip!

It isn’t too difficult to see that this GTV has been in a fire. The seller doesn’t state whether it caught on fire or if it was the victim of a garage fire. Based on the condition of the engine bay and interior, we would guess it was the later. Speaking of the interior, it is in surprising condition for having been in a fire. It suffered major damage to the headliner and the dash is a little melted, but amazingly the seats, door panels, and carpets are all intact. We are sure they are all a bit crispy and smoked up, but the fact they aren’t charred suggests the fire didn’t start inside the car.

We doubt the motor itself suffered any damage from the fire, although anything is possible. We are however a little concerned about the electronics and wiring. A single burnt wire could wreak havoc to the entire wiring harness and could keep it from running. This twin cam 2.0 liter straight four has potential on the street or the track, but getting it back to peak performance could be a simple task or a major undertaking; it just depends on how much was damaged by the fire.

We are fans of the GTV and we hope someone will do something with this one before the surface rust turns into cancer, which will likely happen soon if it is left much longer as is. We just wonder if there is a way to keep this burnt and rough look, it would certainly be intimidating to see this coming up behind you on the race track. One major question remains though, is it worth saving? Let us know if you would take on the task of saving this crispy Alfa or not!