I started on another project (and adventure) by importing a 1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super last week. Well, actually the car arrived last week, but it started a few months ago. I've been wanting a Giulia Super for several years. This car, unique and eclectic looking, has been very highly praised for drivability and its sporty handling characteristics since its release in the mid-60's.
The model replaced the Giulietta Berlina series as Alfa's family sedan, and keeping in their sporting tradition, they developed a model for racing, the Ti Super. The Super has been recently featured in cover articles in Vintage Racecar magazine and the British magazine Classic & Sports Car, and there is (was) a Dutch racing series for the model.
In order to make the car a daily driver, for my needs air conditioning is a must. Very few Supers had this option, and I'm not aware that any of the US models had it (although I could be mistaken). The Super has a carbureted motor, and they don't do well with an A/C compressor burden, nor is there much room in the engine bay for an A/C conversion. In order to meet this need, my car will be converted to mid-to-late '80s Alfa Spider mechanicals. This will add Bosch electronic fuel injection and corresponding engine management electronics, a relatively modern A/C system, and last but not least, 2 liters of power!
The difficulty with the conversion lies in the fact that the early cars (pre '69-'70) have the older brake circuit, a sideways-facing brake booster, and brake/clutch pedals that mount from the floor. This doesn't mesh well with the later motors which are of larger size, have different exhaust headers, and throttle & clutch were operated via suspended pedals. The later Supers (post 1970) have the more modern dual-brake circuit as well as suspended pedals, which makes the conversion much easier. The problem is that the Super wasn't imported in the US during this timeframe (as far as I can tell – they certainly aren't readily available here, as I've been looking for two years). They are readily available in Italy, though. I found an inexpensive Super from Portal Classic in Milan.
Knowing nothing about importing, I started doing research into how to import a car, and had been corresponding with several Alfa owners who had brought cars into the US. Coincidentally, two of the other Super owners I had talked to had bought cars from Matteo & Vittorio at Portal Classic. This was a tremendous help, as it not only eased some of the anxiety of a sight-unseen international transaction, but also gave me someone else's experience to learn from.
The Federal paperwork was very simple (can you believe that!) because the car is more than 25 years old. Cars older than 25 years do not have to meet emissions or bumper standards, which were the standards that kept the cars from being imported in the '70s! The only form that needs to be completed is an HS-7, which requires basic information about the car to prove that it is exempt from emission/safety requirements. For the first time importing I highly recommend using a professional customs broker (commonly called Freight Forwarder) to handle the paperwork for import and insure that the car will clear Customs. Shipping was arranged through Alemanno Spedizioni who handled the paperwork and put the car on a K-Line ship at the port in Livorno Italy.
The car arrived in the Galveston port about 5 days late (total trip took 27 days) due to weather, and I picked the car up at the Port after it cleared Customs. The release process took quite some time, as they have to clear the paperwork, the carrier has to release the car to Customs, and then Customs checks the car for contraband (drugs, weapons, and “dirty nuke” material – really!).
The car was supposed to be drivable, but that was probably an unreasonable expectation considering it is 31 years old and hadn't been driven in numerous months or maybe years, and of course the Italians are known to be generous with claims. So the shipping company (or dockworkers, not sure which) had to pull the car off of the ship with a tractor. I haven't yet titled or licensed the car, as I'm still sorting out problems. The car wouldn't start, as the carburetors were completely clogged. The floats and needle valves were stuck, as well as idle jets and emulsion tubes. Once I thoroughly cleaned these parts, replaced the battery and spark plugs, it started right up! Several other problems remain which I'll have to sort before I can license and title, but that's not far off. With respect to getting a title, either the freight forwarder or your insurance company should write a surety bond (or title bond) guaranteeing against title claims for up to 3 years. Most states require this in order to issue a title when the ownership documentation is unclear (or in Italian!). In order to make the state paperwork easier, I also recommend acquiring all the original documents from the car and a bill of sale in the name of the last owner of record. All states differ with respect to titling, so check with your authorities before importing.
Now the adventure begins (or continues?). The conversion to more modern electronics and increased output will be fantastic. I can tell from driving the car around the block (even in its current condition) that it is a really fun car to drive. Update: Now sold and on to its new owner!
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