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kreb
kreb SuperDork
5/1/13 9:39 a.m.

I'm no expert, but it's clearly cosmetically superior, although if that's the original paint I'm Peter Pan. So danger could lie beneath... Have the Mechanicals looked at. If they look good, and there's not a bucket-full of rust, go for it!

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
5/1/13 10:38 a.m.

Drive it before buying it------

The engines do sound wonderful, and the chassis are well balanced, but calling the shift linkage vague and unsatisfying would be a compliment. (Porsche 914 level of bad) If you are a stickler for crisp shifting, and positive action you may not enjoy the driving experience. Think drumstick in a bowl of jello.

Cool cars, but be aware of their faults before making the leap. Don't let the mist of car lust totally cloud your judgement.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/1/13 10:59 a.m.

Understood. It's hard trying to keep my brain in charge when buying an Alfa, there are a lot of other organs that are vying for input.

We sent an e-mail to the seller as he didn't answer his phone. If his name is any indication he might speak Hungarian (as opposed to Slovak). If he doesn't, it's going to be a trip trying to get his address.

m4ff3w
m4ff3w UltraDork
5/1/13 8:11 p.m.
Joe Gearin wrote: Cool cars, but be aware of their faults before making the leap. Don't let the mist of car lust totally cloud your judgement.

Don't listen to the naysayers, Bill. Buy it as soon as you hear from the seller. Have a Slovak translater waiting by the phone.

There is hope for you yet, my friend.

You can't drive 60s American iron around Europe!

Travis_K
Travis_K UltraDork
5/2/13 12:40 a.m.

Is the shifter that much worse than a milano? After a couple weeks of driving mine I didnt even really think about it anymore, there was nothing that kept you from driving it like any other car.

kanaric
kanaric New Reader
5/2/13 4:03 a.m.

I wanted to buy one of these again but every one i've seen lately is like 944S prices, at which point I would rather buy a 944s. Better trans, more support and parts, though a bit more expensive to maintain.

If I saw a 3.0 GTV6 though with a 4.10 LSD trans I would love it. Only one of those I saw was priced like a 944S2..... which of course I feel I would rather buy a 944S2.

I like to compare those two cars because they seem very similar. Used to own a GTV6 a long time ago and the trans was sloppy to a point where it annoyed me. I wouldn't want to buy one again because some parts are hard to find and there is no aftermarket hardly at all. When it comes to a point where you have to MAKE replacement parts for a car is when I wouldn't buy one, lol. The interior parts if they go bad are unobtanium. My gauge cluster needles started to warp and I had to fabricate replacements.

IDK I just feel that if you want a cool/unique/rareish relatively cheap fun car there are better choices out there like a Triumph TR8 for example. Not just because that car is solid but because of sites like the wedgeshop which pretty much has any part you would ever need to fix or upgrade.

If you buy a GTV6 don't cheap out, buy the best one available. They are getting annoyingly expensive in a similar way that the 240SX has been getting. Annoyingly because I don't feel they are worth $7-8k for a clean car yet that is what i'm seeing them for.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/3/13 4:33 p.m.

Alright, so it's been a couple of days and no word from the Slovakian, and the original rusty red Alfa has been removed from the classified listings.

This morning my wife found this advertisement on the interwebs:

Take #3

It looks like this:

The seller says it's a 1982 GTV6, but M4ff3w noticed there was no "hood bulge". As engine swaps are not legal here (without a lot of engineering drawings, and $$$) this is a bit of a concern. So before I drive the 2 hours out there tomorrow (the guy'd like to meet at 5pm) I was hoping to get input from you guys.

Is this an original V6 and how can you tell? Begin:

  • no hood bulge

  • but it has 5-lug wheels, but does that make a difference?

  • old body. Looks like an older style than 1982

  • could this just be a euro weirdo?

  • it has the GTV panels on the windows, did the V6 get those?

  • No other badges on the car to indicate GTV 2.0 or 2.5

  • that air box?

  • is that a single radiator fan? didn't the V6 get dual fans?

  • the advertisement was a year old, and on a classified site that isn't popular for finding used cars. I do remember drooling over this car about a year ago on the popular car trading website though, it was closer to $5500 then.

(oh, it's listed at about $3500 with the exchange rate now)

Thanks

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 4:46 p.m.

This looks like the 2L bodystyle to me. I'd try to get a photo of the dash, that'll make it more obvious if you have the rev counter pod or not.

racerdave600
racerdave600 Dork
5/3/13 4:50 p.m.

My first response was that it was a Sprint Veloce (earlier 2-liter car). If not, it's been retrofitted with the bumpers and other body mods. It also has the earlier car's ride height in the front.

It does however have 5 lug wheels, which are GTV-6. It's a hybrid of some kind, it just depends on which way they went. Personally, I think it's an earlier car with a pretty complete swap.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/3/13 5:02 p.m.

I could understand the bumpers and hood being retrofitted if it had been smacked in the front...

And could it be possible they adjusted the torsion bars in an effort to lower it?

I need to find out where they tag the year stamp on these, they don't have the tags in the door jams like we do in the US.

I've also been pretty focused on that radiator. It seems to be about 3/4 the size of the GTV6 radiators I'm seeing when I type "GTV6" into yahoo images. I guess that could have been changed in an accident...

dammitall!!! (sorry gas is $8 a gallon here and it's gonna be a long ride home if that car cant be registered)

Tim: No Tach = No V6?

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 5:10 p.m.

No, they'll have a tach - IIRC the four bangers have a bit of a weird dash that has the pod housing only the rev counter in front of the driver.

This is the early dash:

This is the later dash:

IIRC the V6 only ever came with the later dash.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/3/13 5:12 p.m.

quick note: The blinkers above the grill like that are definitely circa-1976 Alfetta material. (yahoo images)

Now I'm thinking it was a front end accident and they replaced the grill, bumper, and radiator with older Alfetta goodies.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 5:13 p.m.

The V6s might not have the "GTV" emblem on the side either.

m4ff3w
m4ff3w UltraDork
5/3/13 5:13 p.m.
Hungary Bill wrote: I could understand the bumpers and hood being retrofitted if it had been smacked in the front... And could it be possible they adjusted the torsion bars in an effort to lower it? I need to find out where they tag the year stamp on these, they don't have the tags in the door jams like we do in the US. I've also been pretty focused on that radiator. It seems to be about 3/4 the size of the GTV6 radiators I'm seeing when I type "GTV6" into yahoo images. I guess that could have been changed in an accident... dammitall!!! (sorry gas is $8 a gallon here and it's gonna be a long ride home if that car cant be registered) Tim: No Tach = No V6?

Alfetta

GTV6

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/3/13 5:14 p.m.

In reply to BoxheadTim:

Man, that is perfect! thanks

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 5:15 p.m.

In reply to m4ff3w:

Funny that we ended up with the same picture for the V6 dashboard .

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 5:15 p.m.
Hungary Bill wrote: In reply to BoxheadTim: Man, that is perfect! thanks

The useless junk I carry around in my head scares me but it comes in handy occasionally.

Now I want a GTV 2000...

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/3/13 5:20 p.m.

sorry man. I didn't mean to re-spark the addiction

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
5/3/13 5:21 p.m.

I haven't had an old Alfa since the 90s, but I had a couple of the FWD ones in the UK. Might be time to get another one.

Mind you, I have to sell a few vehicles first.

Slippery
Slippery Reader
5/3/13 5:40 p.m.

I always like these cars.

The first one, I would be scared about rust. The second one has too much of the trim painted and the hood does not look proper, I would skip. The third one looks great, but its missing the 6 cylinder hood bulge ... looks almost like a 4 cylinders.

If I had to choose, it would probably be the third one.

J

m4ff3w
m4ff3w UltraDork
5/3/13 5:41 p.m.

I miss my 75/Milano. I really want a GTV6, or Alfetta Sport Sedan, or Alfetta GTV.

Travis_K
Travis_K UltraDork
5/3/13 6:04 p.m.
kanaric wrote: I wouldn't want to buy one again because some parts are hard to find and there is no aftermarket hardly at all. When it comes to a point where you have to MAKE replacement parts for a car is when I wouldn't buy one, lol. The interior parts if they go bad are unobtanium. My gauge cluster needles started to warp and I had to fabricate replacements.

As far as mechanical parts and performance suspension parts you can still get more than many American cars 10+ years newer. Try finding konis for a 1997 neon, but you can still get both bilstiens and konis for the GTV6.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill HalfDork
5/4/13 3:06 a.m.

This just in. The car is a 1977 body with a 2.5 V6 installed. An american military member owned it originally, he brought the body in from Italy, and built the rest from spares. He wanted to take it back to the US but had to leave it behind. The current owners used it for a daily driver but bought a Spider so it has been sitting for years. The person who answered the phone call said it has the 2000GTV dashboard and a 2.5L GTV6 engine.

My wife (who is much more clear headed about such things) suggests I let this one pass and wait until a "real GTV6" comes up for sale. Even though that old body and V6 make my heart go pitter-pat, I'm going to listen to her.

With the motor swap, I'm wondering what's going to happen if I try to bring it back to the states as it specifies "in original configuration" in the "bring back to states rule book". I'm guessing that the original owner had the same problems and that's why he left it behind when he returned to the states.

dammitalltoheck. My heart is seriously broken here

Here's hoping the Slovakian answers his e-mails...

m4ff3w
m4ff3w UltraDork
5/4/13 8:41 a.m.

Sad.

racerdave600
racerdave600 Dork
5/4/13 9:50 a.m.

can you pull the motor and ship them seperately

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