Buying checklist Alfa Romeo Giulia & GT Tipo 105 (Limousine & Bertone GT)

Much becomes clear before you travel. If papers are missing without a good reason, that is already a price argument, or a reason to cancel.

• Registration document present, the Stammnummer matches the vehicle
• Latest MFK (periodic vehicle inspection): date, any conditions, and veteran entryVeteran status is tied to conditions (condition, mileage). Gaining it later can be expensive.Veteran status explained
• Look at the service book, invoices and restoration recordsPhotographs of a restoration are worth more than the words "just done".History and papers
• Matching Numbers: check engine and chassis numbers against the papersHistory and papers
• Are the number of previous owners and the location history plausible? (import, periods standing)Importing into Switzerland
• Read the value estimate and the weak points of the series beforehandBoth are in the buying guide for that series.

Sheet metal is the dearest item on a classic. Take your time, bring a torch and a magnet, and be twice as wary of fresh underseal.

• Rust in the usual places: wheel arches, sills, jacking points, window frames
• Inspect the underside. Fresh, thick underseal can hide rust
• Are the panel gaps even all round? Uneven gaps point to an accident or a poor repair
• Paint: colour differences, runs, masking edges, signs of a resprayA paint-thickness gauge costs little and shows filler at once.
• Doors, bonnets and lids close cleanly, and the doors do not sag
• Chrome, trim and rubber seals: condition and completenessA replacement looks trivial, but on a rare model it is often expensive or unavailable.
• Are the drains clear? (scuttle, sunroof, boot, fuel filler)

See the engine cold. A warmed engine hides starting trouble, rattles and smoke, so arrange the visit with the car cold.

• Cold start: does the engine fire willingly, and how is the idle in the first minutes?
• Check the oil level and colour, and look at the coolantStreaks in the coolant or pale foam on the oil cap point to the head gasket.
• Leaks at the engine, gearbox and differential (look from below)A light sweat is normal on an old engine. Drips are not.
• Exhaust smoke: blue = oil, white (persistent) = head gasket, black = mixture
• Clutch: bite point, judder, slip under load
• All gears including reverse; synchromesh on the downchange
• Ask about the service state of the expensive items: timing belt or chain, valve clearances, carburettor overhaul

Unspectacular, but it matters for safety, and the MFK is unforgiving. Electrics are the most often underestimated cost on a classic.

• Dampers, bushes and steering: play, knocks, worn joints
• Brake pipes and hoses: rust, porosity, age
• Tyres: check the DOT age (older than 8–10 years: replace), is the wear even?Wear on one side gives away geometry or accident damage.Tyres on a classic
• Try every electrical consumer: lights, indicators, wipers, instruments, heater and fan
• Look at the loom: bodges, flying fuses, added equipment
• Are the battery tray and earth points free of corrosion?

The interior often gives away the true mileage better than the odometer, and damp in the footwell is a warning of hidden rust.

• Seats: upholstery, bolsters, seams. Does the wear match the stated mileage?
• Dashboard: cracks (sun damage), and whether every instrument works
• Lift the carpets: damp or rust on the floorpan?A musty smell as you get in is a clear sign of water getting in.
• Headlining and, on a convertible, the hood: condition, mechanism, waterproofing
• Originality: wheel, radio, gear lever, pedal rubbers. Are changes documented and reversible?

No purchase without a drive, even if the seller hesitates. Drive it yourself, at least 20 to 30 minutes, with a cold start.

• Experience the cold start and the first minutes yourself (do not let it be warmed up)
• Tracking: on a straight, safe road, does the car pull to one side?
• Brakes: pedal feel, pulling to one side, judder under harder braking
• Listen on purpose: suspension knocks, gearbox whine, wheel-bearing drone in corners
• Watch temperature and oil pressure for the whole drive
• After the drive, look underneath again: fresh drips at the engine, gearbox or differential?

The critical points of the Tipo 105 series, in addition to the shared inspection catalogue. A lift or a pit is essential – hardly any series rusts so thoroughly and so out of sight as the Giulia and the Bertone GT, and the most expensive damage sits in the floorpan and the A-pillars.

• Check the floorpan over a wide area: tap the floor panels, the chassis rails and the mounts of the rear trailing arms. Fresh underseal and thick layers of wax are warning signsA proper floor repair with the rails quickly runs to five figures – this is where the purchase is decided.
• Check the sills inside and out: the Tipo 105 has multi-layer sills that rot from the inside out; stone-chip coating and trim strips often hide repair panels
• Check the A-pillars and the screen frame: blisters at the foot of the A-pillar and on the windscreen frame mean expensive welding with the glass removedRust in the A-pillar is structural – without a specialist workshop there is no lasting fix.
• Look for blisters, filler and reworked edges on the front and rear wheel arches (folded lips), the wing ends and the transitions to the sills
• Check the boot floor, the spare-wheel well and the tank area: standing water and leaking rear-screen seals flood the tail from the inside
• Allow for 1970s sheet quality: late 2000 GTVs and the Giulia Nuova rust faster from the factory than early cars. The year is not a rust-proofing argumentWhat counts is the quality of the restoration, not the year – ask for photo documentation of the metalwork.
• Cold-start the aluminium twin-cam: watch for timing-chain rattle, blue smoke on a change of throttle and oil pressure at hot idle. Moderate oil use is normal by designAn engine rebuild at a specialist costs 12'000–20'000 francs.
• Check the head gasket: oil traces in the coolant, white sludge on the oil-filler cap and temperature behaviour on the test drive. The aluminium head warps if it overheats
• Judge the carburettor set-up (Weber or Dellorto twin carburettors): a clean transition when accelerating, a stable idle. Worn throttle spindles draw unmetered airA carburettor rebuild with synchronisation costs four figures – the original set-up sets the value.
• Warm up the gearbox and test the synchromesh of second gear: crunching on a quick change is the classic Tipo 105 fault. Check for oil leaks at the gearbox and the differential
• Check matching numbers and originality: compare the engine number and the chassis number with the vehicle papers and, if there is one, the certificate from the Centro Documentazione Alfa RomeoMany Juniors were converted to 1750/2000 engines – that reduces the value if it is not documented.
• Check the interior and the fittings for completeness: original instruments, steering wheels, bumpers and trim pieces are rare and expensive. Question GTA replica conversions critically
• Clarify the Swiss papers and the history: look at MFK reports, the veteran registration and documented servicing. On Italian imports, check customs clearance and homologation

The most important step comes after the visit: judge it soberly instead of deciding in love.

• Judge the condition grade honestly (1–5). If in doubt, half a grade worseThe grades are explained in the knowledge article on condition grades.Condition grades explained
• Compare the price with the series estimate, and note the faults as a negotiating list
• If you are serious: arrange a short independent appraisal, or a second visit with a specialistAn appraisal costs a few hundred francs. Missed sheet-metal damage costs several times that.Appraisal before buying
• Do not rush: a serious seller allows time to think