I have been a fan of
Alfa Romeo since I was a wee young lad.
I recall sitting at Kyalami and watching Alfas fight with
Capri’s, Anglias, Dauphines, Gordinis, Escorts, Cortinas, 2002’s and
the like. Recently I
was looking through some photos and came across a picture that reminded me
of that special time in my life.
I decided that I had to get me a GTV.
1971 was the target year but anything from 69 to 74 would do.
I looked in my price
range and condition level for two years.
I found a red 71 that
was tricked and looked fabulous.
I bough it. The
owner stated that the car was rust free and I had the car inspected by a
reputable Alfa shop in San Diego who also reported that the car was rust
free.
Low and behold the
entire front end was rotting which was discovered after I had a chance to
spend some time under the car.
The car went back and I got my money back.
There is this thing called “Fraud by Inducement”.
It’s a legal term to protect you from a seller saying don’t
worry about this, it cool, and you believing him/her.
This seller committed this with possible collusion to commit fraud
by the Alfa Shop. Buyer
beware!
A nasty taste in my
mouth in my quest to own one of my most favorite motor vehicles of all
time.
Anyhow after another
lengthy period of search I decided that I would rather buy a known
quantity than risk someone else’s attempts.
I bought a 1974 GTV
as a rolling chassis. The
car has had two previous owners. The
original owner bought the car in 1974 and sold it in February 1980 to the
second owner who owned the car effectively until I bough it.
It is and always has been a Californian car.
Approximately two
years before I bough it, it was purchased by an individual as a project.
He stripped the car of the interior and mechanicals and claims to
have had it stripped to bare metal and then repainted.
He reported that the body shop that was doing the work went
insolvent and that he recovered the car from the body shop he used prior
to them completing all the bodywork.
It sat in his yard for nearly a year in this state.
I purchased the car
as it was.
1974 Alfa Romeo GTV Restoration
What am I
doing to the car?
Well, this car is not
going to be a concourse vehicle.
I am not spending enough on the restoration and I want the car to
have specific upgrades.
The car had a factory
air conditioner – It’s not going back in.
It was not originally silver, but its staying silver.
The majority of the
modifications that I am doing to the car are performance based.
From the outside it will look like a stock 1974 GTV.
I am retaining the original side markers, lights and badging.
The car will sit lower since I am replacing the entire suspension.
The following is a
summary of what will be done:
Body and Interior
-
Dash
is being restored by Just Dashes to a new condition.
-
New
interior including insulation, carpet, headliner, panels, etc.
Glass
and Trim
-
All
rubber seals and boots will be new.
-
All
trims and moldings will be replaced with new ones.
-
The
front and back bumpers will be polished.
-
New
badges will be installed on the car.
-
The
wheels will be cleaned and re-finished.
Clutch
and brakes
-
A
new brake master cylinder and brake pads will be installed.
-
New
brake lines will be installed.
-
New
clutch master and slave cylinders will be installed.
-
A
new clutch assembly will be installed.
Engine,
Driveline and Fuel System
-
Top
to bottom engine rebuild
-
A
new water pump will be installed.
-
The
Synchro’s, bearings and front and rear transmission seals will be
replaced.
-
The
differential seal will be replaced.
-
A
new exhaust system will be installed.
-
A
dual Weber conversion kit will be installed to Euro Specs including
the Euro airbox.
-
A
new fuel line will be installed.
-
A
new fuel pump will be installed
-
A
new distributor cap, rotor, condenser, coil, spark plugs and wire set
will be installed.
-
New
hoses and belts will be installed.
-
All
new filters will be provided.
-
The
steering box will checked, repaired if necessary, cleaned and painted
-
The
radiator and gas tank will be boiled out
Suspension
New
suspension components will be installed.
These include:
The
work has begun. It is
taking a lot more time that I ever imagined.
I am getting somewhat frustrated but am committed to the project
over my head!
I will update this
thread as I progress. Any
suggestions or questions are welcomed.
You can email me at: questions@74ARGTV.com
ENJOY!
