This listing for a pair of Alfa Romeo Spiders – one a 1978 and the other a 1983 model – showcases just how quickly one’s project car efforts can be turned upside down with the departure of a trusted mechanic. The seller notes his go-to-guy for working on Alfas left Florida for the chilly northern states, and he’s decided to sell the pair for $3,900 here on craigslist as project cars, one of which will run with starter fluid.

This duo is listed on the Orlando craigslist site, which makes picking up one or both of these cars fairly easy for any major transporter. Of course, you’ll likely spend more getting them home than the cars are worth, but that hasn’t stopped most of us. The seller notes that the ’78 is the runner but that the later car has far less rust. The ’78 will fire up with some help and features a rebuilt engine with Weber carburetor; new clutch; and a new brake master cylinder. The rest of it will still need total restoration.

The 1983 model looks far cleaner, and the seller mentions there’s just one small rust spot on the door. The body in general just looks tidier, and while no interior pictures are provided, the car just looks drier to me. When I glance at the pictures of the earlier Alfa, it strikes me as one that got wet inside, as the interior appears to have the hallmarks of suffering from rampant dampness. I could be wrong, but I’m sure at least the weather seals or top has given up on one or both cars.

If it were my desire to restore a Spider of this vintage, I could see swapping the good mechanical bits into the later example. The seller doesn’t say boo about the mechanical health of the ’83 car, which could be interpreted that it’s a non-runner bought to provide a final resting place for the drivetrain from the rustier member of this Italian duo. The asking price seems fair for two cars, but I have a feeling this seller is willing to wheel and deal. How would you tackle the restoration?