1999 Alfa Romeo GTV V6 - Sensible daily...
Discussion
For various life reasons I’ve been devoid of something properly fun for a while. I sold my Hyundai I20N a couple of years to go diesel as my mileage was around 25k a year. My trusty Skoda Octavia VRS is still around but largely in use by my girlfriend so now the time has come for a new financial mistake in the shape of a slightly modified 90’s Alfa Romeo….
The spec:
3.0 V6 Busso
Metallic grey with red leather interior
Cup splitter
The plan:
Commuting…
Roadtrips
Autosolos
Trackdays
I bought it in March, as it had a great history and a folder load of receipts for modifications. The cambelt was changed in 2025, and it was resprayed in 2023, and still in almost perfect condition.
The modification list is a tick list of the must do modifications for these: Q2 diff, GTA clutch and lightened flywheel, stainless equal length manifolds, stainless catback system and some very expensive Alfaholics antiroll bars.
Too nice to daily? Maybe, but life is for living and cars are for using! I may end up getting a runaround for winter but in the meantime it's doing all my daily duties and drinking petrol at an alarming rate, luckily it sounds too good to care!
It was in excellent condition but with any older car there's always a snagging list. I’ve slowly been ticking some items off to do list, and that's where I discovered in the process there’s been even more care/expense lavished on the car than I originally knew about when buying it. It was never listed as having the diff or equal length manifolds, plus some extra bracing in the wings!
I’ve carried out a service and changed the thermostat so it’s getting up to temperature nicely now. I’ve adjusted the window twice, it’s still not quite perfect so hopefully when I go back for a third time i’ll nail it. I can strip the door trim off very quickly now though 🤣
I’ve been tidying up a couple of niggly bits, so have replaced a couple of broken trims. It has a rare remote key, as it’s originally a german sold car (but in RHD, which I believe is common as armed forces got a great discount), but it wasn’t working when I got it. A combination of new batteries and tracking down a second hand key case (the original was cracked and not holding the batteries against the circuit board) has got it working which is great.
I also bought a mat set, to protect the original and still very tidy red carpets.
I found some time to change the spark plugs, which thanks to some internet guides were actually very simple. Whoever the previous owners paid to change them must have thought differently as the rear plugs looked like they were at least 2 intervals old, and replacing them sorted a very intermittent misfire.
I took it to the Retro Rides weekender in May, there were so many fantastic and interesting cars there, my standard looking GTV felt very underwhelming in comparison. It absolutely wasn’t underwhelming out on track for the special stage session, in fact it exceeded all my expectations for what is a car with a reputation for understeer!
I managed 4 runs in the end, and it handled very nicely in both the slow and fast corners with only a bit of understeer in the hairpins at each end. The suspension work and LSD seem to be working very well together, and although I didn’t have high expectations, it really impressed me.
The only downside was the brakes, after the first session it started pulling to the right quite heavily as soon as they got warm. I suspect a sticky piston, but as soon as they cooled they were fine again so I’m reluctant at the moment to throw money at some refurbished calipers!
The only other issues is the exhaust is still rattly and a bit blowy, so i’m getting very close to spending some money on a replacement, I live near Infinity Exhausts who have a very good reputation so I’m tempted to get them to make one up for me. The AC has also stopped working so there must be a small leak somewhere, condensers are NLA for the V6 GTVs so I’m currently weighing up if it’s worth investigating further as it seems likely to be the condenser considering the age.
The spec:
3.0 V6 Busso
Metallic grey with red leather interior
Cup splitter
The plan:
Commuting…
Roadtrips
Autosolos
Trackdays
I bought it in March, as it had a great history and a folder load of receipts for modifications. The cambelt was changed in 2025, and it was resprayed in 2023, and still in almost perfect condition.
The modification list is a tick list of the must do modifications for these: Q2 diff, GTA clutch and lightened flywheel, stainless equal length manifolds, stainless catback system and some very expensive Alfaholics antiroll bars.
Too nice to daily? Maybe, but life is for living and cars are for using! I may end up getting a runaround for winter but in the meantime it's doing all my daily duties and drinking petrol at an alarming rate, luckily it sounds too good to care!
It was in excellent condition but with any older car there's always a snagging list. I’ve slowly been ticking some items off to do list, and that's where I discovered in the process there’s been even more care/expense lavished on the car than I originally knew about when buying it. It was never listed as having the diff or equal length manifolds, plus some extra bracing in the wings!
I’ve carried out a service and changed the thermostat so it’s getting up to temperature nicely now. I’ve adjusted the window twice, it’s still not quite perfect so hopefully when I go back for a third time i’ll nail it. I can strip the door trim off very quickly now though 🤣
I’ve been tidying up a couple of niggly bits, so have replaced a couple of broken trims. It has a rare remote key, as it’s originally a german sold car (but in RHD, which I believe is common as armed forces got a great discount), but it wasn’t working when I got it. A combination of new batteries and tracking down a second hand key case (the original was cracked and not holding the batteries against the circuit board) has got it working which is great.
I also bought a mat set, to protect the original and still very tidy red carpets.
I found some time to change the spark plugs, which thanks to some internet guides were actually very simple. Whoever the previous owners paid to change them must have thought differently as the rear plugs looked like they were at least 2 intervals old, and replacing them sorted a very intermittent misfire.
I took it to the Retro Rides weekender in May, there were so many fantastic and interesting cars there, my standard looking GTV felt very underwhelming in comparison. It absolutely wasn’t underwhelming out on track for the special stage session, in fact it exceeded all my expectations for what is a car with a reputation for understeer!
I managed 4 runs in the end, and it handled very nicely in both the slow and fast corners with only a bit of understeer in the hairpins at each end. The suspension work and LSD seem to be working very well together, and although I didn’t have high expectations, it really impressed me.
The only downside was the brakes, after the first session it started pulling to the right quite heavily as soon as they got warm. I suspect a sticky piston, but as soon as they cooled they were fine again so I’m reluctant at the moment to throw money at some refurbished calipers!
The only other issues is the exhaust is still rattly and a bit blowy, so i’m getting very close to spending some money on a replacement, I live near Infinity Exhausts who have a very good reputation so I’m tempted to get them to make one up for me. The AC has also stopped working so there must be a small leak somewhere, condensers are NLA for the V6 GTVs so I’m currently weighing up if it’s worth investigating further as it seems likely to be the condenser considering the age.
Excellent, glad you are back in something that stirs the heartrate a bit, and congratulations on finding what looks to be an excellent example.
The door card and window adjustments... it is neverending... once you sort a window the central locking will start playing up, I promise!
How is the rear suspension? No holes in the spring pans or bushes about to pop out?
The door card and window adjustments... it is neverending... once you sort a window the central locking will start playing up, I promise!
How is the rear suspension? No holes in the spring pans or bushes about to pop out?
Spinakerr said:
Excellent, glad you are back in something that stirs the heartrate a bit, and congratulations on finding what looks to be an excellent example.
The door card and window adjustments... it is neverending... once you sort a window the central locking will start playing up, I promise!
How is the rear suspension? No holes in the spring pans or bushes about to pop out?
Haha yeah I have discovered that, I thought I had it perfectly adjusted then suddenly it wasn’t! And yes, I did then have a door locking issue which then resulted in the door card coming off again…The door card and window adjustments... it is neverending... once you sort a window the central locking will start playing up, I promise!
How is the rear suspension? No holes in the spring pans or bushes about to pop out?
Rear suspension is in very good condition. The pans have been replaced along with the bushes, and front subframe has been blasted and powdercoated too.
There was over £12k worth of receipts from the last 6-7 years in the folder that came with it….
MiniMan64 said:
Oh yes, amazing thing!
Recently decided I need one of these as a fun second car but there s not many out there, yours is stunning.
Oddly my other car is also an Octavia VRS!
Trusty VAG engineering complements Italian eccentricity!Recently decided I need one of these as a fun second car but there s not many out there, yours is stunning.
Oddly my other car is also an Octavia VRS!
There aren’t many good ones, you are right. Although the good ones don’t seem to move fast either, mine had been up for sale for over 3 months when I bought it.
Initially I disregarded it due to the colour, but actually in person it’s as nice as grey can get and the red interior really sold it for me as a contrast.
And when I’d seem the care lavished on it by the previous owner I knew I had to have it!
Beethree said:
MiniMan64 said:
Oh yes, amazing thing!
Recently decided I need one of these as a fun second car but there s not many out there, yours is stunning.
Oddly my other car is also an Octavia VRS!
Trusty VAG engineering complements Italian eccentricity!Recently decided I need one of these as a fun second car but there s not many out there, yours is stunning.
Oddly my other car is also an Octavia VRS!
There aren t many good ones, you are right. Although the good ones don t seem to move fast either, mine had been up for sale for over 3 months when I bought it.
Initially I disregarded it due to the colour, but actually in person it s as nice as grey can get and the red interior really sold it for me as a contrast.
And when I d seem the care lavished on it by the previous owner I knew I had to have it!
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