Which classic GT car would you pick to restore?

So I have my eye on three classic GT cars all around the same price point. All need work maybe some rust repair and interior refurbishing, but all things being equal which car would you choose to have in your garage and why?

Car one is an Alfa Romeo Montreal

Car two is a Fiat Dino Coupe

and car three is the Maserati Merak.

Montreal. Because it's an Alfa Romeo and those headlight eyelids are the coolest thing ever put on any car ever.

Montreal unless it's a merak ss.

The Montreal engine makes a magical noise. The maser is a nice driver and iirc the ss versions don't have the high pressure Citroen stuff and good power for the time

yup. alfa. best looking of the bunch.

the Maserati is probably the rarest, making for best investment potential.

Masarati by far but with the expectation that it will catch on fire and ruin your marriage.

That's a tough call. I think I'd go with the Montreal, then the Dino. The Maserati is probably the best looking and will get the most attention, but it's Citreon connection pushes me away.

Oh boy.....you are a brave one!

Any of those will be hard to find spares for. I'd think the Maser might have the best parts availability. IIRC, the Dino has very small parts availability and some of the trim pieces are unobtainable. I can't imagine there's much support for the Montreal either.

I think the Merak may have the best factory support for parts / etc. but I'm not sure.

If this isn't a concern, I'd go Montreal---- just to hear that V8, and to watch folks try to figure out what it is.

Montreal, no questions.

There's an article in the new Hemmings Sports and Exotics about the Dino coupes.

Valuation comparison: Alfa Fiat Maserati

Sound comparison (two links a piece): Alfa making such sweet music. I lied, Alfa gets 3.

Fiat and another.

Maserati It's hard to find sound videos for a Merak SS.

Because I got carried away searching for engine sound videos, and this one always warms the cockles.

The pinnacle of engine noises?

Well,.... A). I love the Alfa and the sound of that small displacement V8, (well small for a V8), but never driven one. They do seem awkwardly high off the ground, but practically speaking that gives precious clearance on todays crummy roads. B). Never driven the Dino either but it does have the magical Ferrari motor if you are into that name, though you will always have to explain you have a Fiat Dino, not just say you have a Dino. C). I love my Merak SS and have driven long distances in it w/o issues. They have been disrespected for a long time but now are feeling some love again.m They sound glorious at 6,000 rpms in third gear, other than the motor are pretty straight forward to wrench, handle very nicely and look amazing. So, I am biased towards the Maserati but as with all of them buying the best one you can and preferably one that is driven and hasn't sat is better than trying to enter the market low or trying to buy a low mileage car that has not been used regularly. IMHO

For me it would be an alfa romeo gtv
None for sale near me fortunately

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

Nice choice. But I'm a little biased.

On a related note- the Montreal and the GTV are very related cars. Other than the exterior body and interior style, the chassis are the same- live rear axle with trunion arm holding it (it does have an added oil cooler), and pretty good front suspension- both with disk brakes. Powertrain is, obviously, very different- but is close to a pair of short stroke 4 cyl engines in a V. Even the SPICA is pretty well known double GTV system. Trans is a unique to Alfa ZF box. And thanks to the size of the engine, the steering box is very unique and apparently not terribly strong (for no speed maneuvering).

So all of the trick hardware to make a GTV fast will work on a Montreal, very well.

I'd choose it out of familiarity.

That all being said, I've never really considered them exotic, or even borderline exotic. Like the Fiat- it's a pretty ordinary chassis with a very nice motor put in it. Yes, ordinary is relative- but the 105/115 cars are not terribly advanced WRT chassis.

They are amazing to hear.

I chased this car around Waterford Hills just after this picture was taken- fast car

Hmm so the Alfa is winning this by a long shot it would seem. And since apparently you can't call yourself a car guy until you have owned at least one Alfa, I guess that also adds to the list of reasons to pick it over the others.

t25torx wrote: So I have my eye on three classic GT cars all around the same price point. All need work maybe some rust repair and interior refurbishing, but all things being equal which car would you choose to have in your garage and why? Car one is an Alfa Romeo Montreal

I think the Alfa looks a bit too smug.

I'm actually digging the Fiat.

The Dino needs the least amount of work of the 3 that I'm eyeballing from afar. It is a pretty car, just not as pretty as the other 2.

I think the Dino has the best appreciation potential due to The Ferrari Effect. It's just not the one I'd choose to put in my own garage.

I've been a Dino fan since my neighbor(1960s-70s) owned one from new. His was a blue one... and as I remember it rarely was driven....

But as a whole... I've always loved the look of a long nose, GT/fastback body styled rwd with a sweet, sweet engine... so I built my own

I'd run and hide from all of them, all just too darn finicky, but if I had to pick one I do prefer the Montreal, maybe because its the only one of the three that I've ever sat in.

For me it would come down to the Alfa or the Fiat. I love the aesthetics and the noises from both, with my preference being for the slightly understated but handsome looks from the Fiat. I wouldn't be disappointed to "settle" for a Montreal, though! The Merak seems like an unfortunate combo of dated styling, Citroen influence, plus the hassles of a mid-engined Italian exotic that falls short of a Ferrari/Lambo.

The Dino would be the only one that made sense to me.

I am looking at all options as Garage Queens since the reality of owning one any of these would be like depending on your powerball winnings to pay the mortgage.

It's a toss up between the Dino and Montreal. I give the edge to the Montreal looks wise. Not sure how they compare in terms of driving/handling.

This is a great problem to have, because I don't think there is a bad answer here (assuming condition and completeness is not a major factor). I personally would go for the Alfa because I really like the marque in general, and there is something especially alluring about the atypically over styled Montreal. The V8 doesn't hurt either.

That said, the Fiat would probably be the easiest to wash and wax well. Maybe I should change my answer...