Hi Fran,
Here’s a pic of me in my Sud , taken last year at a very wet Silverstone, before it came to grief later in the year. The guy who bought it has subsequently rebuilt the frontend and lightened it by about 75kg – so it does not now conform to Production Car regulations. As you say, these cars have a habit of simply dissolving (faster than rusting).Under the bonnet, my Sud was like a welded patchwork quilt and believe me, rust weighs more than sheet steel ! I have read that it was Alfa’s practice at the time of buying cheap and nasty Russian steel, full of impurities, and that led to the disastrous rust problems. However, if you were interested in getting a Sud, there are still quite a few around the UK in various states,from a concourse car at around £4000 to basket cases at about £50 ! I do know of one very quick road/sprint car (engine reputably 180bhp) in very crisp condition that the owner has been trying to sell for around £3000 – which I thought was a bit high, but if you were interested, I could make further enquiries. Alternatively, you could buy a basic sound car and uprate it yourself. All the necessary bits are still available, but the costs are high, so buying a complete racer is still the best financial bet.