Beschreibung
This is an early, UK, step front model, low arch with flat dash. Tuned 1750 engine fitted. It's the same generation of GT as the Sprint GT and 1600GTV models. The car has undergone an extensive restoration and is finished to a very high standard but not quite concours, I would describe it as like the condition of a 2 or 3 year old car.
A principal aim of the restoration was to keep a look that is fairly original but with some subtle modifications to improve the driving experience.
The car was stripped to a bare shell and every trace of rust eliminated. There are a large number of photographs that show all the process. The car is finished in the original Hawthorn White. The underside is finished with Upol Raptor protective paint, tinted to body colour. All suspension parts are finished in satin black.
1750cc Engine, gearbox and rear axle have all been stripped and rebuilt. Gearbox and axle were done by Charlie Skinner of Clover Leaf Transmissions. The gearbox had a full syncro added to 1st gear. The engine has a reground crank, new pistons and cylinder liners. The cylinder head has been skimmed, valve seats recut, new valves, guides and springs fitted and fast road high lift cams installed.
The car still has a canister oil filter, dynamo, original air filter assembly and inlet manifold with a screw-in thermostat. The original gearbox with cable clutch is still fitted, so no out off place hydraulic reservoir. All this means the engine bay still retains an original appearance despite the engine change.
A programable 123 distributor is fitted. Exhaust is a Classic Alfa Stainless Steel Sports Exhaust.
It has a new radiator and hoses and waterless coolant has been used to eliminate the potential for corrosion.
The suspension is Eibach progressive springs and Koni Red adjustable shock absorbers. The front anti-roll bar is uprated to 29mm diameter. The car is NOT poly bushed, The car does sit a bit lower than standard.
Brakes are all standard. New front calipers, rears refurbed with new pistons and the master cylinder was sent to a specialist for refurb as replacements are not available for these rare non-servo cars.
Wheels are GTA replica alloys. Tyres are Vredestein Sprint Classics, a nice retro tread pattern but a modern compound.
The interior is a mixture of old and new. If it needing replacing it was. Whatever was in reasonable condition was kept to try to retain some character and not make the car seem over restored.
I have receipts for parts and specialist engineering works that add up to around £30k. I don't now a lot of the history of the car due to the way I acquired it.
I do know the car spent most of it's life in the South East of England in, I believe, the ownership of one family as the surnames of the first two owners are the same. At some point early in its life the colour was changed to yellow ochre.
From there the car went to Edinburgh and into the ownership of a local businessman. The colour was then changed to red.
At some point the car went to a well known local Alfa Specialist where it remained for a number of years sitting outside and deteriorating. I don't know the reason this happened.
Eventually the car was sold with a few others to Classic Alfa in London. They initially used the car for parts but I guess due to rising values they decided to sell what remained as a project car.
I won the car in an Ebay auction and it returned again to Scotland. When I got it it was in a bad way down low but I think the many layers of paint up top help preserve it. Generally one of tricky parts of restoring a car are unpicking all the previous poor repairs done by others years before just to get the car through an MOT. Although very rotten this car had had very little welding, a couple of floor patches, two cover sills to the drivers side, one front wing and half the front panel (one side that is!).
