KEITH BOOKER
Features
Don't buy a car without this book!
Expert advice from a marque expert
Unique points scoring system to evaluate cars after inspection
Walk away or stay? - quick initial evaluation of a car
How to check the car's authenticity
Which models are best
The implications of restoration
Is it the right car for you? - will it fit your garage, will you fit in the car?
Running cost details
Detailed specifications
Description
Don't buy a car without this unique illustrated guide! Expert advice will help you to find the best car for your money.
Synopsis
With the aid of this book's step-by-step expert guidance, you'll discover all you need to know about the car you want to buy. Unique point system will help you to place the cars value in relation to condition. This is an important investment - don't buy a car without this book's help.
Independent Reviews
By Pete Vack at Velocetoday.com
Thumbing through this very handy new book from Veloce Publishing (our British friends who are not, however, in any way related to VeloceToday or VelocePress) we were reminded of the virtues of the Giulia coupé (the return of the accent mark over the e in coupe will be henceforth ignored). And conversely the foibles of the same lovely Alfa, from rust to brakes to leaks and poorly made interiors.
Dwarfed by a copy of Le Grandi Alfa Romeo, this buyer's guide has more useful informatin packed between its covers than the large book.
A very handy book indeed, measuring 7 _ by 5 _ inches and 62 pages long, it can be tucked into a large pocket, for it is designed to be taken along when that special Alfa Giulia Coupe is found. A guide actually meant to be used on site, and as such, offers a long chapter called "Serious evaluation", in which there are boxes to be checked after looking at the condition of the exterior, interior, mechanicals, etc. Booker does not seem to have missed a trick, covering every imaginable aspect of Alfa troubles from A to Z in a comprehensive and understandable manner. Good stuff!
While this chapter constitutes the majority of the book, there are also other helpful chapters. "Living with a Giulia Coupe" addresses the pros and cons of owning and driving a 40 year old Alfasuch a life may not be for everyone. There are chapters on restoration, how to buy at auctions, and how to quickly evaluate if a particular Alfa is worthy of further investigation. There is a list of clubs and key Alfa shops, but unfortunately mostly limited to those found in England. Another chapter provides vital statistics for each model, such as numbers built, the range of chassis numbers, and general mechanical specs.
One of the problems with such a small book is that the photographs, while clear, sharp and in full color, are nonetheless on the small side and a bit hard for old eyes to easily see. Ditto the paragraph headings and captions, which are printed in a light blue color.
In only 60 plus pages, Booker and the editors of Veloce Press have culled the essential information necessary to purchase an Alfa Giulia GT, not too much, not too little, and have left out nothing of great importance. The models covered include:
Giulia Sprint GT, GT Veloce, 1750 GTV/GT Veloce , GT 1300 Jr., 2000 GTV, GT 1600 Jr. Note that the Juniors were not imported to the US, but many made it to these shores before the DOT/EPA declared war on illegal cars.
From Classic Car Weekly
WITH summer well and truly upon us, all thoughts of rain and miserable weather are probably dim a distant memory. In fact with the current sweltering weather upon us you could even be thinking about buying yourself a classic Italian sports car. Fans of Italian exotica might think theres nothing much wrong in that, but as we all know, our more usual wet weather and Italian tin are not a good combination, so its best to know what to look out for when viewing a potential purchase. Obviously you should do your research first and thats where this handy buyers guide comes in.
Written by Keith Booker, this fascinating read shows you how 60 minutes of serious evaluation can save you an even more serious amount of hard work, heartache and money. Having owned Alfa Romeos for over 25 years, the author has drawn on his considerable experience to help Alfa virgins avoid the pit-falls and dodge the lemons. And lets face it, as a former bank manager he should know a sound investment when he sees one.
Broken down into 17 easy to follow chapters, the book includes sections on many useful topics, such as which model is best, how to check for authenticity, running costs and the implications of restoration.
This title sticks to the same format as other works in Veloces Buyers Guide series and provides a useful point scoring system that can be followed when viewing a potential purchase. Using the book as a guide, each section of the car can be awarded a potential four points, which are then be added-up to decide whether the Alfa is okay, or if its better to simply walk away and find yourself a better one.
There are 100 colour pictures sprinkled about the handy-sized 64 pages and show these beautiful cars in great detail, with particular emphasis on the generational differences, common rot areas and all the little bits and pieces most people forget to look at in the excitement of buying a new car.
