Last year I went to Sandown to watch the v8's and when the classis cars came on I saw a 1750. Long story short I wanted one, it was too expensive then I saw an alfetta. The thing I want to know is, will it be a good track car? My plan is to strip it out to make it as light as possible, service the engine and put bucket seats in it. It would be good to get some info from someone who owns an alfetta instead of just reading the Wikipedia article.
If your not doing anything on Saturday come down to the club sprint at Philip Island. I was looking at the program at the office today and i think i counted 17 Alfetta's in all categories entered for the event. You will learn more down there in a couple of hours than you will ever learn reading & surfing the net.
I will post the program tomorrow for you. If you come dowm make sure you introduce yourself
I have got a road registered 1979 GTV Alfetta Twin Spark (car 43 for the weekend) and i have got to tell you. Philip Island on a nice sunny day in an Alfa is just about as much fun as you can have whilst you have still got your pants on.
Cheers
Gully
Bump,
Whilst not a GTV some thing like this could get you started in motor racing for a very modest budget. Just ask Mat Francis.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alfa-Romeo-Alfetta-2-0L-1984-4D-Sedan-5-SP-Manual-2L-Twin-Carb-/280817766532?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item41620b1084
Quote from: Paul Gulliver on February 01, 2012, 10:29:57 PM
I have got a road registered 1979 GTV Alfetta Twin Spark (car 43 for the weekend) and i have got to tell you. Philip Island on a nice sunny day in an Alfa is just about as much fun as you can have whilst you have still got your pants on.
Cheers
Gully
Huh? You're supposed to keep your pants on? I'm going about this all wrong, it appears.
Quote from: Engineer on February 01, 2012, 09:32:51 PM
The thing I want to know is, will it be a good track car?
That would depend on how you define good, but they're certainly a lot of fun to go club sprinting in. If you're looking for outright wins in open racing, maybe not so good.
Quote from: Paul Gulliver on February 01, 2012, 10:36:36 PM
Bump,
Whilst not a GTV some thing like this could get you started in motor racing for a very modest budget. Just ask Mat Francis.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alfa-Romeo-Alfetta-2-0L-1984-4D-Sedan-5-SP-Manual-2L-Twin-Carb-/280817766532?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item41620b1084
hey stop sharing this, im trying to get it on the cheap, i have a need to go back to where the passion for alfas started
Gully has it right. If you haven't done any motorsport before, come to Saturday's Phillip Island sprint, or to Winton on March 4th - and see the types of cars we run, the level of preparation (or lack thereof), and the fun being had. Say hello to folk and ask them questions - everyone will be happy to have a chat.
An Alfetta will make a great track car for club sprints, next step is the 6-hour relay, next step is the East coast challenge racing (half-cage, AASA passport). Only if you want to go further into improved production, Group N/S historics, or sports sedans you might find the Alfetta lacking.
That Alfetta sedan 2L looks pretty good, suspect it won't take much to get it sprint ready as a standard car. Worthwhile getting. The gearbox problem is an easy and cheap fix, get it.
But beware, this kind of fun sucks all your money and erodes your marriage (that is if you are married), and as you go faster and better, the more money you will need and less time for the wife.
My advice start slow, don't be a hero (or you WILL kill yourself or car) and go as fast as your wallet lets you. At whatever level, you will have fun. An Alfetta is a lot of fun and lots can be done, $$$ dependent of course.
Regards
Neil
Quote from: Jekyll and Hyde on February 01, 2012, 10:39:32 PM
Huh? You're supposed to keep your pants on? I'm going about this all wrong, it appears.
I must try racing without my pants on see if I can go faster ;D
I presume (hope) you disabled your in-car camera for those sessions!
Steve
Adelaide
Quote from: hmd on February 02, 2012, 11:56:11 AM
Quote from: Jekyll and Hyde on February 01, 2012, 10:39:32 PM
Huh? You're supposed to keep your pants on? I'm going about this all wrong, it appears.
I must try racing without my pants on see if I can go faster ;D
Mmmmm, freeballing, interesting, must go faster........
Quote from: dehne on February 01, 2012, 11:07:57 PM
hey stop sharing this, im trying to get it on the cheap, i have a need to go back to where the passion for alfas started
Well it looks like it'll end badly. I'm very interested in this car too................. ;)
I'm not a mechanic nor do I have any racing experience but I know a little bit on each topic, i want to know if it's worthwhile bothering with an alfetta gtv as a project car to turn into a track car. I would love a gtv6 but on car sales they are a bit pricey.
Can someone give me a guess at the price for a 2.0 and a v6 gtv?
I'm not bothered about the interior conditions as it would be ripped out to shed weight, just as long as there is not rust and the car is mechanically fine.
Also if you know the weight of the cars as through looking online I've found values from 999kgs-1250kgs. And if you have ever driven one please tell me what it's like.
Easiest option is to buy a car that is already prepared and set up.
Cheaper and easier in the long run.
Again, start slow and easy.
Neil
Caveat: I know nothing.
Quote from: Engineer on February 02, 2012, 05:41:04 PM
I'm not a mechanic nor do I have any racing experience but I know a little bit on each topic, i want to know if it's worthwhile bothering with an alfetta gtv as a project car to turn into a track car. I would love a gtv6 but on car sales they are a bit pricey.
Can someone give me a guess at the price for a 2.0 and a v6 gtv?
I'm not bothered about the interior conditions as it would be ripped out to shed weight, just as long as there is not rust and the car is mechanically fine.
Also if you know the weight of the cars as through looking online I've found values from 999kgs-1250kgs. And if you have ever driven one please tell me what it's like.
As the guys say best to go down to PI on Saturday. If you say a GTV6 is a bt pricey then consider that the initial purchase price is a relatively small part of the overall cost. Having said that the "best value" GTV is the early plastic bumper, splt dash 2.0 from around 1981-83. Nobody really wants them, they are ineligable for historic events and weigh a bit more than the early cars.
Yes, most people who are responding to your questions have a lot of experience building and racing GTV's. Many of them will be at PI this weekend. They are fun cars when set up properly, not that powerful so hard to get into a lot of trouble, plenty of meat around the driver so when you do there is a lot of metal to help soften the blow, and there is a hell of a lot of hard earned experience and knowledge around to help you avoid making the same mistakes as people who have gone before.
Take Neil's advice - buy one that's been prepared. Always, always, always cheaper than building one yourself.
A stock engined GTV6 won't be any faster than a 4, so stick to the 4 is my 2 cents worth...
Quote from: 116gtv on February 02, 2012, 06:40:28 PM
A stock engined GTV6 won't be any faster than a 4, so stick to the 4 is my 2 cents worth...
Martin,
I remember a owner Of a black gtv that replaced his worked 2L with a stock 2.5L when he raced with us, and he was a lot faster with it.
Also, I think the best bang for your buck, is a twin spark 75, factory LSD, and that extra 100mm in the wheel base over the gtv's make them a great handling car, especially if you take weight out of them.
Good luck
Dave
I think you definitely need to get to the events to scope out cars. But also, it's s good idea to check just what kind of events and classes you would like to compete in. No point buying a fast car only to discover it's ineligible to half of the available events.
And, good luck finding anything older (pre '82) without rust.
Cheapest way to get an Alfa on the track would have to be a 75, 90, or a 33. If you are only going to be doing club sprints, basically any roadworthy car is eligable.
Actually, a 75 TS or a 33 twin carb would be hard to beat as budget track cars..
Yeah Dave, true but I'd call John's car an exception ;D
I prefer the look of the gt to the newer alfas. Anything I should know about them? Such as mechanical problems, performance issues, spare parts?
Quote from: Engineer on February 03, 2012, 02:14:05 AM
I prefer the look of the gt to the newer alfas. Anything I should know about them? Such as mechanical problems, performance issues, spare parts?
Yes, Not really, some, lots
'nuf said.
Weight will depend on era of the car but within the range you have quoted, later ones would be heavier due to extras such as air conditioning, sunroof, bigger bumpers.
First question to consider regarding price will be whether you want to drive to the track or trailer the car. RWC will include costs for things that don't add to the track value.
Neil is correct regarding best value overall but if you are looking at entry costs for a road / track car I would say $5,000 for a 2.0 which could be either $2,000 for car and $3,000 worth of work or $5,000 for a good car. In the following years you would probably want to spend another $5,000. The V6 would start at $10,000.
If it didn't have to be a road car there have been a few track car 2.0 ones fully set up advertised for around $10,000 .
I'm no. 16 at Phillip Island on Saturday.
Quote from: Engineer on February 03, 2012, 02:14:05 AM
I prefer the look of the gt to the newer alfas. Anything I should know about them? Such as mechanical problems, performance issues, spare parts?
The steel bumper Alfetta coupes are eligible for Sc historics (see the separate section in these forums). So this opens up another avenue of competition, as long as the car is prepped within the speceifications. When they became eligible their prices went up and availability down, overnight. They are pretty simple devices (no 'puters, no power windows etc) but the biggest concern is R U S T. Rust in the base of the A pillar, where it meets the guard and firewall, is pretty much fatal. Maybe less so on a fully caged competition car.
I bought a '79 model in 1984 and owned it for 14 blissful years. It proved versatile, reliable, fun, and being my first Alfa, somewhat morish..... ;D
There are some subtle differences between the GT and GTV (windscreens, steering rack) apart from the engine capacity, although these are more related to production year than the actual model. Most mechanical parts are readily available and shared with Alfetta/Giulietta sedans, and even down through the Giulia series. Some body/trim parts are becoming harder harder to source now, at least for a concourse rebuild.
Ok I'm starting to get an idea of what I want. Does anyone know what years the 2.0 was carbureted and injected? Which would be easier to modify?
FI wasn't offered on Australian-market 4cyl Alfetta coupes. I think there was a very late Alfetta sedan sold with motronic/injection, but I'd guess you could count them on one hand. Aussie cars were 99% Dell'Orto carburetted, with the odd Weber cars (rumoured) to sneak in occasionally. Can't say I've ever seen a factory Webered Alfetta myself.
The 2L didn't get FI until the Twinspark engine in the Alfa 75.
US-market cars had Spica mechanical injection.
No expert on track cars but...
Alfetta 2000 were all carburetted barring a very few oddities that crept in with the US market targeted Spica mechanical injection on them (only mentioned for completeness - not likely to find one).
The later 75 2L that were sold here were all twinspark (TS) and injected. The TS engine is essentially just a different head on the older block (don't try building one that way though - block is just enough different to make that not workable) and it (not to mention the rest of the drivetrain from it ie the LSD equipped transaxle) is an easy swap into an Alfetta.
It is probably easier to modify the carb engine (ie more proven worthwhile improvements to be found). But the injected twinspark out of the box already has better porting (completely different head with a better inlet tract especially) so an even easier and cheaper modification to an alfetta is to put the injected twinspark engine in ...
Finding a not rusted out Alfetta body is a bigger challenge...
PS Hi Beatle - simultaneous post... fwiw I've seen a few factory Weber steel bumper GTVs - I suspect a cluster around a year I can't now remember had them...
Quotefwiw I've seen a few factory Weber steel bumper GTVs
There also some sedans around as well ( do know how many) . Matt Francis has one.
Be aware that dropping a TS engine into an Alfetta coupe is not as straightforward as it sounds. The TS reqires more physical clearance for a start. But, there are quite a few around, so it's do-able.
If I were you I'd start collecting 75TS's now. At the rate they are donating their innards to other cars, they will become very rare in future.... ;-)
Here's a candidate to build up into a track car. If you got it for $500.00, threw $20K at it, it would worth around $8K ;)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alfa-Romeo-Alfetta-GT-1976-2D-Coupe-5-SP-Manual-1-8L-Twin-Carb-/250986945324?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item3a6ffcdb2c
Here's one which shows how rusty they can get. By the look of the phone on the seat though, the pics are at least 20 years old.........
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alfa-Romeo-Alfetta-GTV-2000L-1980-2D-Coupe-5-SP-Manual-2L-Twin-Carb-/320839042642?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item4ab37f4652
Right you are re fitting TS in a coupe due to extra height + a bit of a squeeze for the flapper MAF and airfilter - there doesn't seem to be too much of a problem in a sedan though. The electrics are pretty simple as such things go. None of this is completely trivial of course - but neither is modifying a non-ts engine to get the same performance...
So far as "project race cars" go you can't beat free but it is a sedan - see this post (http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=8332.msg51049#msg51049) and its definitely not as rusty as that second example on ebay (is anything - any more rust and it would be a stain on the ground not a car)....
Two steel bumpered cars plus an '82 on LPG.
http://darwin.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicles-Motorbikes-Parts-cars-Classic-Alfa-Romeo-GTV-Alfettas-There-are-three-Red-cars-W0QQAdIdZ349068596
Hi Engineer. I have just picked up a 2.5L 75 for my track car .... just because I am interested. I also have an immaculate 1984GTV. So with the car trailer and the falcon I unfortunately need to say goodbye to my 1976GT.
I planned to tidy it up for club sprints and it is nearly finished. Great paint. Already stripped out. Great strong body. Race seats and steering wheel. Koni yellows plus other bits. A good solid car and a great way to start. It has OK wheels and great track tyres (Yokohama Advan). Also a nice looking front air dam.
I am going to advertise it shortly but you are welcome to come and have a really good look at it. It is up on stands at the moment so you can have a good look. I am just puting in a new clutch master cylinder.
They say that the Alfetta GT is the next 'sought after' alfa. But this one is not perfect and the interior has all gone. But as I said it is a great solid car and nearly ready for the track.
More than happy for you to just have a look and a chat. ... You can click on the Personal Message icon if you want to contact me