Hi my name is dave and im relatively new to this forum.
Ive finally paid for my new project. A really clean 2600 coupe.
It was restored 15 years ago but never completed. Its been in storage ever since. All it needs is the engine assembled and refitted and a couple of ither small things.
I cant wait to give it a run.
Welcome!
I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine offer me a drive of his 2600 earlier this year. What a wonderful GT car, I can just imagine eating up many miles in a 2600.
WOW, I'd love one of these.
2600 engine with ITB and Megasquirt Scott ?
Yes P - I'd love to rebuild a 2600 engine and apply a little ITB/ECU magic :)
Beautiful car Dave - welcome to the forums ! There'll be a few sprints to drool over at Spetaccolo I'm sure, are you coming along ?
http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/component/option,com_jcalpro/Itemid,67/extmode,view/extid,514/
G'day Dave,
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on what looks like a very nice example of a 2600 Sprint. Is it a series II? What year is it?
Good luck getting her running. They are such a pleasure to cruise in and they sure turn heads. You are a man of very refined taste.
LR
Thanks for the welcome guys. Im located in sydney so as much as id love to go to that show its probably not going happen.
Sorry to sound a bit ignorant but im not sure what model it is.
It was sitting in the shed and I just bought it. It just looked like it needed a new home.
I run a small car restoration business (just myself and another guy) and im a bit of a car bike truck and antique boat collector.
There is no rhyme or reason to what I collect.
I have two 2600sprints now. This one and a wreck that I am using as a donor car for a maserati 450s replica I want to create.
some of my toys include a 66 427 corvette , 67ss396 impala coupe, a rolls merlin powered hydroplane..
I just finished a full restor of an eh holden panel van for myself.
I have a couple of italian toys also.
1958 fiat 500 race car that has been stretched three feet and fitted with an austin healy sprite engine. It held the oran park lap record in 61 and 62.
I also have two italian boats. A 1958 abbatte runabout and a 1950s 12 ft 6 hydroplane with an 1100 cc fiat engine with abarth internals.
My plan for the 2600 is to finally finish the resto. I hope to start assembling the engine next week. All the machining is
Done
congratulations - great cars indeed....if you need to see one that is complete for reference or measurements etc...........let me know, I have a couple.
Emmanuel
Quote from: EZEE on November 15, 2013, 11:10:41 PM
congratulations - great cars indeed....if you need to see one that is complete for reference or measurements etc...........let me know, I have a couple.
Emmanuel
Thanks ill take you up on that. The car is still at the guys place. Im trying to make room for it before I bring it home.
Here is my number 0413766501 or my email davehotboats@hotmail.com
I finally made a start on assembling the engine todsy. I havent put one of these together before so I had to get my head around italian engineering.
Anyway I laid everything out and took stock of what I have. Evrything is new.
The block had been modified to take ford main bearings.
When I bolted in the crank the shaft didnt turn on number six journal.
Dejected I pulled the crank back out, loaded the whole lot into the back of my car.
Tomorrow ill take it to my crankshaft guy and get him to do some measuring and see whats going on.
There is always next week.
I got the block back from my crankshaft guy.
Turns out the main bearings are off a triumph. Also they have been hand sized for each journal.
My guy spent four hours rearranging the bearings over and over till the crank spun freely.
Yesterday I picked up the head that came with the car. It had heaps of work done to it including sevral inserts and new hardened valve seats.
I wasnt real happy with the quality of the work so I grabbed a spare head I have and took the whole lot to another guy that does my head work.
The project came with new valves, springs etc. He should be able to build me a good head from all the parts.
Tomorrow ill start assembling the bottom end.
They really are a nice engine.
I got the crankshaft in today. It spins freely now.
I fitted the liners and checked the clearances of the rings. The gaps are a bit tight so ill have to clearance them all.
A job for next week. Hopefully ill have the bottom end finished by the time the head is ready.
Im making steady progress on my engine.
The head came back on thursday the guy did a great job. It seemed kinda expensive at $1100 but considering the mess the other guy made of the other head and what he charged im figuring I got what I paid for and I know its right..
Ive now fitted the crank and pistons into the block.
I also poured por tank sealer around the base of the liners.
It should prevent any water leaks Into the crankcase.
Ill get back to the engine after Christmas. Ive got customers projects to get out.
Good progress Dave, will be great to see running.
Thanks I cant wait to see it running. Ive never driven one.
Well I got started on the engine rebuild. The bottom end is all together now. Hopefully ill have the top end back on tomorrow and I can start detailing and hanging all the accessories off it.
Im hoping to take it to auto italia at the end of march. Fingers crossed.
Looking great ! Putting all the new shiny bits back in the engine is great fun.
Hey - is that a Colli rear hatch in the background there ? :)
Cheers,
SCott.
Well, I'm in sydney,
While i work a full time job most evening are free, if you're doing any work on it at night, and need a couple of relatively untrained but willing hands, id like to come see what it is you're doing to it, maybe pitch in if you need a hand.
Am doing a rolling restoration on an 81 gtv, so anything i can glen off you would be pure bonus :)
Im doing the work at tony mckones workshop at windsor. Its only daylight hours im afraid but im sure you would be welcome to drop in during the time im there. Just call first. I usually work on it one day a week.
He is selling up so pretty much everything is up for grabs at a garage sale price.
Dave 0413766501 davehotboats@hotmail.com
I fnally got another day in on my engine. Ive got two other projects on the go a 450 ducati and a vintage wooden raceboat.
Usually I have a rule of only one project at a time.
I pre oiled the block and got the head back on.
The cams are timed and last week I blasted all the parts under the bonnet and painted them.
Next week ill rebuild the carbs and get it all together.
Im hoping to take the car to moto italia in canberra at the end of the month.
Quote from: AikenDrum105 on January 28, 2014, 12:57:35 PM
Hey - is that a Colli rear hatch in the background there ? :)
It does look like it, indeed if you look closely at the pic there appears to be a dusty colli attached to the shiney white hatch....
Im not sure what you are looking at in the background but its all for sale.
The workshop is mckone automotive.
He is selling up so it all has to go.
Of course my 2600 is coming home with me.
Im not sure what you are looking at in the background but its all for sale.
The workshop is mckone automotive.
He is selling up so it all has to go.
Of course my 2600 is coming home with me.
The "Colli" being referred to is what appears to be a Giulia Wagon in the background. You can clearly see the white tailgate.
Colli was one of the Italian coachbuilders who did the conversions of sedans into wagons.
Cheers.
Sorry to sound nieve. Im not an alfa guy but I know the wagon you are talking about. My 2600 is the first alfa I have owned. The only other alfas ive tried to buy was a sprint speciale but I couldnt do a deal with the guy. Ive also tried to buy a montreal.
The wagon is a heartbreaker project but viable if you have the skills and money.
Im pretty sure tony wants to sell it. Give him a call if you like.
No problems.... The wagon is a pretty rare beast and they do surface every now and again, more likely overseas. Not a car for me though!
Keep up the great work on the 2600 ....
Cheers.
Yep - not many of them around. Neither are there well restored 2600s for that matter - really enjoying watching as yours comes back to life !
I spoke to Tony and they plan to restore the Colli.
He does still have quite a few bits and pieces for other cars left to sell as they clear everything out - most of the usual shinies are long gone - but he's happy to have a look for anyone who's after bits and pieces.
Cheers,
Sorry if I led anyone astray. Tony must have changed his mind on the wagon.
My engine had this distributor fitted to it at some stage. The base plate screws to the block and then its bolted to that.
The problem with using this is it fouls the water fitting to the inlet manifold.
Can anyone recognize the distributor and im hoping I can find the right one.
Not much happening over the last few weeks. I also race speedboats and have been putting an engine together for my hydroplane.
I have got the alfa engine basically done. Tonight I started rebuilding the carbs. Just cleaning them up ready to put the kits in them. Luckily I have a second complete manifold with carbs and linkages to use as a reference. Another 2600 owner I have recently met also allowed me to view his restored beauty and let me take several pics.
I dont have a date to get this running but its getting closer.
Once its running ill get the car home and work out what it needs to get it up to a presentable standard.
Even though the car was undergoing a restoration. 15 years of sitting around with dust all over it has taken its toll.
Having said all that im confident it will look great in the end.
Well for some reason I couldnt log in but im back on now. A lot has happened since I was last on here.
The engine is finally back in and the car was rolled out into the sunshine for the first time in 15 years.
I also repainted the engine bay back to silver.
I found out my car is the 3 rhd 66 model produced of a total of ten.
It was sold new in adelaide april 67.
I just have to connect evrything up and then finally found out how well I have put this engine together.
Im not happy with a couple of bits on the bodywork so once running right I might repaint it..
A nic shot of tony mckone and one of my friends who helped install the engine. An ongoing back problem is really knoceking me around now.
Tony seems pretty happy that this car is finally coming back to life after all these years.
I cant believe ive been off line since may last year.
Sadly july 2014 I had a major car accident which I still havent fully recovered from so basically my 2600 project is on hold. Even though its only a days work to get it running its been sitting in the corner of my workshop waiting its turn.
Hopefully before Christmas ill have it running and then ill assess what to do next with it.
Good luck and keep up the good work!
Cheers
Phil
Thanks. Whats on italian car related in nsw anytime soon?
http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,15031.0
Thanks. Thats show at tomago sounds great. I might put my boat on display.