My New Track Hack: Project Alfa

[Smity42]

I have decided in the near future I shall retire my HR31 car from track duties, as I love driving it as a daily too much.

So yesterday I picked myself up a car to build into a track car. It's not a Skyline, it's not a Nissan, hell it's not even Japanese.

Project Alfa: (1982 Alfa Romeo GTV)

It's going to be a grip car, although I may also take it out drifting for the lulz

I also expect it will be a fairly long term project... things will progress as time/money permits.

Why the Alfa?

a) It was cheap.

b) I like it.

c) It has some fancy engineering for an early 80s car (Double wishbone front suspension, deDion semi-IRS rear end. Also the gearbox and clutch are mounted at the back of the car with the engine at the front, much like a 35 GTR).

d) It isn't an R31

Stock it runs a 2.0L 4 cylinder DOHC carby making somewhere between 91 and 97 killer wasps. It wasn't running when we picked her up, but a half-a*sed effort while watching the F1 yesterday afternoon quickly sorted that out. The clutch is completely shot though so it still isn't mobile, and probably won't be for quite a while.

Here's the dirty old carby 4-banger:

Battery is located in the boot stock, winrar:

I love the stock guards, these won't need any flaring, just roll the lip up:

The airbox proudly announces that it is a "Technocar":

Dan_B, Certified Alfa Mechanic, at work:

Couple of interior shots:

And supremo F1 technology plywood headrests:

I'll try to grab some more pics this arvo, theres a few more cool features (that will be happily removed when it's stripped ).

I also got a couple of vids of the progress of getting her running:

First attempt to start her. Epic fail:

Some mechanicalising later:

Even more mechanicalising:

Still idles like a crop of sh*t, but the carbies need to be tuned and the timing also wasn't good. Not bad for a lazy afternoon's work .

In typical Italian fashion about the only electrical device that still works is the cigarette lighter. Never mind, most/all of it will be getting rewired anyway. Gotta give them some credit though - it sure is a nice sounding engine for a dirty 4 cyl.

In order to keep things interesting, I'm not going to announce any plans in advance (also, because I might change my mind alot ). I'll just update the thread as things progress.

But those that know me know that I'm not much of a fan of 4-bangers. Speculate away

I'll finish with the motto for the project (thanks to Sexy Dave for reminding me of the quote):

You cannot be a true petrolhead until you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo – it’s like having really great sex which leaves you with an embarrassing itch

[N1GTR]

Wow, certainly different! Good luck with it

[Brandon]

I like the plywood headrest

[zebra]

I love these things...I always wanted a GTV V6

Those dirty old 4 potters go bloody hard with some work done to them aswel.

There should be quite a few go hard goodies available for them from the UK / Europe as they love them over there.

Defiantly watching this thread

[Isola]

I am waiting for this car to be done so I can have sex with it

[Smity42]

Wow, certainly different! Good luck with it

Thanks Mate

I like the plywood headrest

Unfortunately, those have to go in favour of race seats

I love these things...I always wanted a GTV V6

Those dirty old 4 potters go bloody hard with some work done to them aswel.

There should be quite a few go hard goodies available for them from the UK / Europe as they love them over there.

Defiantly watching this thread

Yeah, I hear you can get a fair bit of power out of them.

I've already been scouting some UK sites for parts...

I am waiting for this car to be done so I can have sex with it

Bit old for you isn't she John?

[32_Dave]

sounds like a fvcking lawn mower, needs more rb

[Isola]

Bit old for you isn't she John?

I make exceptions from time to time

If you need help with stuff, let me know. It's not like I live too far away these days

[Smity42]

If you need help with stuff, let me know. It's not like I live too far away these days

Cheers kent

Moar pics, because I can:

Decided I didn't have any real pics of the outside 'as purchased'. Here they are:

Rear guards are just as epic as the front:

We managed to wreck the rear tow point getting it on the trailer:

The worst rust is the seperators in the rear windows:

The rear windows wind down...

...with these awesome round winders. I might use them for the front yet, except they are harder to wind than normal ones... (Also note: there's an ash tray for each passenger in the rear)

B pillar interior lights:

Back seats are buckets, and really confortable. Its almost a shame they'll be ripped out..

Typical italians, don't even need to reach forward to get to the cigarette lighter:

Only one instrument needed behind the steering wheel (Also big red button. NFI what it does?):

The rest are unimportant, chuck them in the center of the dash:

Hood release is on the passenger side (WTF). Also, I have no idea what that ring pull thing is below it. Passenger eject?

Engine bay shots:

Build plate lists all ADRs it complies to:

Anyone know if there is any benefit to tying the 'strut towers' into the cage with this suspension set up? I presume there is. The nut visible on the tower there is the top of the shock, the upper wishbone bolts on lower down (just visible in the second picture, under the brake line) and the lower wishbone seems to bolt on at the chassis rails)

Stock wheels:

Epic specs. 14x5.5"!

Safe from the elements...

On the weekend hopefully time to start stripping

[badhairdave]

I'm amazed at the lack of rust.

I remember going and looking at alfa's (sud's, sprints and GTV's) with my old man 15 years ago and 9 out of 10 were full of holes.

[Smity42]

yeah, aside from those window bits, and a bit in the engine bay i found yesterday (looks like the brake master has leaked and stripped the paint off underneath it which has rusted), its pretty much rust free.

There is a few spots where it has already been repaired though

[Isola]

This picture should be first in the thread:

The journey home

[Smity42]

This picture should be first in the thread:

The journey home

Damn, I can't edit the first post

[Dan_B]

wheels are in motion, parts are being sourced through my contacts....

[Ten Four]

Do like, will follow

[funkymonkey]

make it happen.

[Smity42]

make it happen.

too much bling...

[Isola]

too much bling...

far too much

The color scheme (minus the chrome) is good though... let's keep that in the maybe pile

[Smity42]

Got started stripping the alfa today, before rain interrupted the party

Progress:

Probably need to block up some of these holes in the wall between the back cabin and boot to put the fuel system in the boot. Didn't get on to the roof lining or dash before the rain came...

Can some one tell me what is going her? There is a hose going from the fuel filler neck to this box:

Then another hose out of the box to this filter looking thing on a T piece:

Then the other hose of the T piece runs up to the front of the car, I haven't managed to trace it further than that. WTF?

Found more rust, sneaky stuff hiding under carpets and interior trims

Shouldn't be too bad, I'll just cut it out for weight reduction. Cage should make up for any lost structural integrity.

Lots of this matting sh*t is still stuck to the floor . But it seems to be mainly stuck to the sound deadening, so hopefully when I clean that off with dry ice it will take care of it...

How much do you reckon this gas strut weighs? I'm thinking I'll replace it with a wood stick

Hopefully I can finish stripping her Tomorrow, then on Monday tackle the sound deadener with dry ice

[Smity42]

Lunchtime progress shots:

Dash out, loom removed. Only bits of loom left are the bits that go through the floor. They won't get in the way of dry icing though:

Engine bay is also more or less devoid of wiring:

Will probably tackle the roof lining this arvo, but she's all set for dry ice tomorrow regardless

Also, the ring pull thing next to the bonnet release I posted earlier, it also goes to the bonnet release. I guess they decided the main one would probably break, so there should be a backup

And the fuel thing, that hose runs into the engine bay and wasn't connected to anything. I guess it probably went to some sort of charcoal canister or something originally.

Questions for motorsport gurus:

Do I need to run a dash?

Can I run a plexiglass windscreen?