This 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale has been customized in the style of the famous Tom Zat SSZ cars, and is offered by a SoCal alfa owner whose cars we used to see on offer quite often but haven’t seen in a couple of years. The bulk of the modifications are to the body and trim, and appear to be reasonably well done, if not to everybody’s taste. Give it TZ wheels and vintage seats and we might just keep the primer. Find it here on eBay in Pasadena, California. Special thanks to BaT reader Rob D. for this submission!
Custom body work included radiusing of the rear wheel wells, adding a fender lip on all corners, removal of bumpers and trim, and satin black paint. The radiused fenders are surprisingly effective, and we like that the wheels have been brought flush with the fenders. Some deep painted steel wheels in the style of the Zat cars would also be good to have at the ready.
On the interior, the seller has replaced the original seats with a set of Recaro KRs, shortened to fit. While the bolsters would certainly be welcome in spirited driving, we think the bulk of the new seat does not really suit the lithe little Alfa. Otherwise the interior appears to be unmolested.
Unlike the Tom Zat SSZ, this car’s drivetrain remains intact, as the seller states the car comes with its original 1600 DOHC four, 5 speed transmission, and rear end. The seller states it runs and drives well, but unfortunately no engine bay photos have been provided as of yet. The shot below shows the SSZ car.
What to do with this custom? The bodywork will make returning to stock appearance a challenge, but not impossible. On the other hand, the custom fenders and wheels make this one interesting and it is never a bad idea to make the Concours police a little nervous. The red car above is more exciting than many of the restored-to-original SSs we have seen recently.