When I rebuilt the front suspension of my Alfa Romeo over the winter of 2014-2015, the rebuild included replacement of the front shocks. The removed shocks appeared original to the car, which would have made them forty-eight years old! I also went “cheap,” purchasing a lower-priced pair from Classic Alfa, my usual supplier, instead of brand-name ones like Koni or Bilstein.

Jump to the spring of 2026, and not only are the replaced front shocks eleven years old, I haven’t touched the rear shocks. I decided it was time to replace all four with the ones most recommended on the Alfa Romeo bulletin board (the AlfaBB), which were the Koni “red” shocks. (The “yellow” shocks are stiffer, and the online consensus was that they were more appropriate for those who track or race their cars, which I don’t.)

I ordered the shocks and as is typical for Classic Alfa, they arrived in a matter of days. (Their shipping costs from the UK have always been reasonable, but now I’m also paying tariffs and “administrative fees” to DHL.) The front shock replacement was easy, as it’s a straightforward removal of nuts and washers at both top and bottom. The Alfa front suspension is upper and lower control arms, so there is no need to compress the springs.

It’s similar in the rear, except access is a little trickier. According to my service books, replacement of the rear shocks is made easier if the rear seat is removed. The implication in that statement is that it’s not required to do so. I saw that the issue is that the shocks’ top mounts are so far forward in the trunk that they are almost impossible to reach from outside the trunk. So, with some trepidation, I removed the rear seat bottom and backrest, concerned that it might be difficult, or that I might find deteriorated material. My concerns were for naught: not only did the seat cushions come out rather easily, but I was pleasantly surprised to take note of the fine condition of the undersides of the cushions.

With the seat out, I still couldn’t see the shock mounts, so I removed the package shelf, which took a little more effort. Pete, the previous owner, had installed an aftermarket 6×9 speaker in the shelf, and that needed to be removed first. As soon as I touched the speaker’s paper cone, it disintegrated, so a new speaker was ordered from Crutchfield. But removing the shelf turned out to be unnecessary. It was the trunk’s rubber matting, which covers both the trunk floor and the forward wall, that was blocking my access. Once I folded the mat out of the way, the shock mounts were exposed, and it was revealed to me that I could have done the job with the parcel shelf in place. Oh well, this just gave me an excuse to install a new speaker.

 

The rear shocks were 59 years old, and I was shocked that they had any resistance at all. The new Koni shocks went in without a hitch. Koni’s shocks are adjustable, and the installation instructions state that they leave the factory set to the softest setting. The consensus on the Alfa Bulletin Board is that most Giulia owners prefer to leave them at that setting, which is what I did. With all four Konis in place, I took the car for a drive. Ride comfort, which was always good, did not change at all. Road handling felt just slightly more “buttoned down,” meaning, the car’s steering responses and road grip were ever so slightly improved. Mainly, I was happy that the ride did not become harsh. The Koni red shocks were reasonably priced, easy to install, and provided a small but noticeable improvement in overall drivability. I would recommend them to anyone looking for shocks for their classic sports car.

 

 

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