Old race-car spares have a way of outliving the race car. A Suffolk farmer named Robert bought two Alfa Romeo Alfetta coupes as spares in the 1980s and never broke them up. Then a car show host who posts as @TheLateBrakeShow came to help wake them, and a sealed 1990 World Cup Coca-Cola turned up inside one.
“I think they’ve been in there since the late 80s,” Robert says at 1:37.
He raced an Alfetta in the Alfa Romeo Owners Club championship, he says, and bought these two as spares for it.
Too Good To Break
One car arrived on the back of a scrap dealer’s van, and Robert says he paid 150 pounds for it. The other is officially his wife’s car. He stopped racing Alfas around 1991 and moved on to Honda CRX racing.
“They were too good to break and they’ve been here ever since,” he says at 6:05.
The second car, he says, was driven home from Leicester. Meanwhile, the host shares rarity figures while admitting they may not be exact. By his count, about three 1.8 GTs and roughly 78 to 80 GTVs remain in the UK.
Pulling Out The First Alfa Romeo Alfetta
First, they pump up the tires and push the 1976 1.8 GT into the sun for the first time in decades, according to the host.
Then the problems start. A spark plug snaps, the alternator won’t turn and the throttle linkage sticks. Even so, the engine turns freely on the starter, but there is still no spark.
Inside, it shows about 57,000 miles, and the trunk holds spare door cards and a new old-stock air cleaner.
According to the host, Robert’s daughter had never seen the car outside the shed. He also notes that the seats and pedal rubbers are in good shape.
The GTV And The World Cup Coke
Meanwhile, Robert turns to the 1979 GTV. A tap with a mallet frees a jammed starter, but this car also turns over without a spark.
Then the host checks the cabin and finds a 2-liter Coca-Cola bottle on the seat, labeled for Italia 90. “It’s best before January 91, apparently,” he says at 33:04.
In the GTV, the radio is out and fuses lie scattered on the floor. Even so, its crank turns freely, which gives them hope.
More Cars Around The Farm
The farm sits on an old World War II air base, Robert says, and it holds more. There is a stash of racing Honda CRX shells, an old Giulietta saloon where a shed collapsed and two more rough Alfettas.
One of those had its roof cut off for Robert’s race car. In total, he has four Alfetta coupes.
What To Check Before Waking A Car That Sat For Decades
Their day shows what usually goes wrong first:
- Expect old spark plugs to snap, so loosen them gently and have spares ready.
- Turn the engine by hand before using the starter, to make sure it’s free.
- Clean the distributor cap and points first when there’s no spark.
- Check the cabin and trunk carefully, because old cars often hold surprises.
Where The Alfas Stand
Neither car runs by the end of the day, and the host blames the old ignition parts. The farm also holds racing CRX shells and more rough Alfettas. He says that if Robert gets either Alfetta running soon, they’ll share it.
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