alfasz.yourbb.nl

philip · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 115 Location: United Kingdom

Another UK SZ for sale at just £17,500:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/alfa-romeo/sz/alfa-romeo-sz-1992/935466

Claims to be the original UK press car and interestingly says it has Eibach suspension that has replaced system.

wrinx · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 243 Location: United Kingdom

Can't see it being for sale long at that price!

wrinx
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http://www.alfasz.co.uk/

philip · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 115 Location: United Kingdom

On ebay now as well -currently bid to 16k. Will be interesting to see where it finishes as I think that will be a truer reflection if what these cars are worth rather than those advertised at 30k that are not actually selling.

zag · Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 53

Firstly its an ex-press car (seen the way they drive them?), secondly,
he mentions micro-blisters, so has probably got them, thirdly, I for one
have never had a problem with the suspension and lastly it has done a hell of a lot of miles...

Must admit it looks good in the pictures...

Regards
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SZ #376

philip · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 115 Location: United Kingdom

All that is true, but the ad is pretty honest about the condition.

The one thing i'm not sure about is whether it is the UK press car. I find it odd that car number 591 would be the press car. I would have thought it would be a much earlier one?

robinsz109 · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 22:29 Post subject: UK SZ for sale

Hello Philip,

AR-UK used a number of cars for the press or at least a number of cars were used in British magazine articles.
- From my records they made extensive use of prova buildnumber 003 (chassis 3000025), number plate MI 3P8941, (this car did an extensive European tour [ao UK / France / Holland] and by the time it came to Holland: Autovisie 10-1990 it was already somewhat knackered (brakes / clutch))
- an unknown SZ with number plate SZ 100 of which it is mentioned it was the first UK registered car. I have a lot of pictures but none shows the chassis or build number, does anyone of you have info ?? and also
- this car #591, license plate SZ 6020 (ao in Performance Car January 1991 (top 10 Performance cars 1991).

Regarding the remarks on the condition of this car, from what I see in the pictures I think this is a nice car and I think the price is very favourable. I personally prefer a well maintained high mileage car to a garage queen that drives rubbish and depreciates with every additional mile driven. Most of these very low miles cars have had periods of several years of inactivity and I've never experienced this to be good for cars driveability.
BTW blisters have nothing to do with mileage, they are a common feature for the model and the materials and spraying process used by Zagato at that time. For me it is a sign of originality although there are large variations between original cars.
I see a lot of cars advertised for very optimistic prices but as stated by WRINX, they do not sell, so what is a realistic price ?
SZ's and RZ's in my view have not increased in price significantly after the big dip in prices of cars from the UK as a combination of the recession and the big drop in exchange rate of the Pound versus the Euro in 2008 / 2009 ? Britisch cars still seem cheap compared to mainland prices even with the current exchange rates.

greetings,

Robin

zag · Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 53

Oh no, my SZ has no micro-blisters... I didn't realise it was a sign of originality and probably worth less
because of the lack of them..

I always though they were a product of extra miles... as we all know the
SZ is capable of warp speeds which bubbles the paint...

On my way out now to apply a blow torch to certain areas in the hope it will make it look more authentic....

I will also take it for a world-wide tour to put an extra 66 thousand miles on it and bring its value up to this fine example..

Regards
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SZ #376

Yuri166 · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 17:11 Post subject:

My car does not hav any blisters either. But it has spent its time in sunny south of Europe. I think it is moist related. I had to discard my original left rear quarter panel as it did not survive an accident. Now, this panel was compleetely blister free, but after I removed it, I stored it in the garden for a while. After a typical Belgian (wet) summer, the panel was completely covered by blisters. So, as long as your car is garaged, and does not drive in the rain (too much), I think tou are safe from blisters.
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1993 Alfa Romeo RZ (Project)

robinsz109 · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 20:36 Post subject: SZ blisters

Hi Steve,

I think we misunderstand eachother. What I was trying to do is answer the question regarding the claim of the AR-UK press car.
Furthermore I made a personal statement about the way I look at these cars (and mine too). Some cars are very good, some are crap, some cars are original, some have been modified. Furthermore I do not think it is favourable for a car to be motionless pieces, unless very good care is being taken (which is difficult).

I did not say it is an advantage to have micro-blisters as a sign of originality, at least I did not intend to say so. I've seen a lot of SZ's and RZ's and paintquality (and buildquality) varies a lot from car to car. Some of this is also because of very different use of the cars, as Yuri explains with the effect wet climates can have.
My comment on this car was that it looks to be a very honest unspoiled (suspension is a ?) car for the drivers among us with an interesting history to match for a good price (to me).

I have seen your car (at Zandvoort a number of years ago) and can confirm that yours is an example that is at the top of the heap.
For me it is just that a good honest car that has been treated right is a very good option for someone that is interested in the car as a driver and do not necessarily need a showroom piece. Regular use is then often an advantage so very low mileage cars might not be the best answer for a lot of us enthousiast owners.
I know of a number of (Dutch) cars that were bought at a premium with very low miles that took a lot of effort and money to put right and make driveable again.
For me such very low mileage cars have only one advantage, the opportunity of originality. Disadvantages are also included, especially when they were not used for a number of years. Such "damage" is often very costly to put right (adding even more costs) which is depreciated when using them which is why I bought mine in the first place.

Again this is a personal statement and as I think most of us will know, an SZ or RZ is a very personal thing, you love it or hate it but in both cases it is something personal. Us owners will automatically fall in the love it category (what else) and we have very different things we enjoy from owning our cars.
I have a Giulia Sprint GT which I haven't used for a number of years now (kids growing up) but I still like watching it like watching a piece of art and can still look at it for an hour without becoming bored, even finding new things after all these years. Someday I'll revive it with my son and continue putting miles on the odometer.

greetings and let's enjoy our cars the way we like them,

Robin

wrinx · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 243 Location: United Kingdom

zag · Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 53

Hello Robin,

I was being sarcastic/funny....

Didn't mean to upset any other owners, really just laughing at what this guy had put in his advert like they were plus points..

I don't have any micro-blisters but think that is just a case of being lucky, always garaged (heated) and only washing it in Perrier water (still, never carbonated)..

Wrinx - Have you seen the new Turtle wax with added Clearasil... use nightly for a week, works wonders I'm told...

Regards
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SZ #376

wrinx · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 243 Location: United Kingdom

Mmm, might try that thanks. I only wash mine in Council Pop so that could be an issue too...

wrinx
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http://www.alfasz.co.uk/

Simon_SZ · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 124 Location: Switzerland

Great discussion guys. I also think there are too many over priced SZ on the market. In Switzerland many of the cars for sale have been on the market for years.

My car also has no blisters, as far as I know. Where do you normally find them? Doors, sills, wheelarches?

wrinx · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 243 Location: United Kingdom

Several of the panels in my case Rolling Eyes

Adds to the charm...

wrinx
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http://www.alfasz.co.uk/

philip · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 115 Location: United Kingdom

Well sold at £16,100....

Robin - I still have Car Magazine from June 1990 where Russell Bulgin took SZ100 to Wales. However as you say you can't see the number in any photo's and neither does it mention it in the article Sad

One of my other favourite articles was from Performance Car in in August 1990 - Brian Laban took an Italian registered SZ "MI-3P8941" to Scotland together with a Spider S4 but again no mention is made of the number.

More recently (well February 2007!) Chris Harris compared SZ "H435 EEU" to a 993 in Autocar - but again no mention of the cars number.