Alfaholics GTA conversion
Discussion
I can see the performance attraction of fitting an engine of some 20 years later
but I personally would not want a Lotus Elan fitted with a Zetec engine or an early e type fitted with a supercharged XJR6 engine or one of these Alfas with a later twin spark engine.
I suspect that in years to come as these cars become rarer, people will shake their heads and wonder why folk didn't stick with period engines.
As with all classic projects you get much better value if you can find a car
that somebody else has commisioned and pay to have it done to exactly their spec.
then buy that when they part with it.
This http://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-build... was in a classic car auction last year and I think was less than £30000.
but I personally would not want a Lotus Elan fitted with a Zetec engine or an early e type fitted with a supercharged XJR6 engine or one of these Alfas with a later twin spark engine.
I suspect that in years to come as these cars become rarer, people will shake their heads and wonder why folk didn't stick with period engines.
As with all classic projects you get much better value if you can find a car
that somebody else has commisioned and pay to have it done to exactly their spec.
then buy that when they part with it.
This http://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-build... was in a classic car auction last year and I think was less than £30000.
I'd tend to agree up to a point, but you have to bear in mind that the twinspark engine is really just a development of the same engine normally used in the 105 Coupe's. It's effectively just a new cylinder head and is often fed with carbs in the same way (though I guess most use the fuel injection), plus of course the original GTA had a twin plug head, albeit a totally different design of head.
I'm not sure about the Jag, but the Ford Zetec doesn't bear much resemblance to the Lotus Twincam.
I'm not sure about the Jag, but the Ford Zetec doesn't bear much resemblance to the Lotus Twincam.
Mound Dawg said:
As the Alfaholics "rep" here, first of all, thanks for the nice comments.
utterly gorgeous creations well done 
i came across your company on the harris/singer thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... where a number of people called for him to do a similar video (some of his best work imo) on your cars... might be worth a call!
for the first time in my life i'm about to have the space to take on a big project, there's 40%+ import tax on cars here and 'only' 20% on parts... i think we can see where this is going
We would build and have built one with the old style Nord engine (GTA-R 1006) if you're a purist but it costs a lot more money for less power and track use survivability.
The engine would also swap back out easily if you wanted to change it and put the 89 bhp 1300 back in, the mounts are all the same...
The engine would also swap back out easily if you wanted to change it and put the 89 bhp 1300 back in, the mounts are all the same...
Elderly said:
I can see the performance attraction of fitting an engine of some 20 years later
but I personally would not want a Lotus Elan fitted with a Zetec engine or an early e type fitted with a supercharged XJR6 engine or one of these Alfas with a later twin spark engine.
I suspect that in years to come as these cars become rarer, people will shake their heads and wonder why folk didn't stick with period engines.
As with all classic projects you get much better value if you can find a car
that somebody else has commisioned and pay to have it done to exactly their spec.
then buy that when they part with it.
This http://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-build... was in a classic car auction last year and I think was less than £30000.
You may well be right. But these cars need driving whatever engine you have. I have a 1966 Elan with a Sprint spec engine and it goes like the proverbial. Every trip is a revelation. I also have a project Bertone coupe which hasn't been driven for a quarter of a century - its engine could stay as is, but there's always that itch to make it even better than it was. Trouble is the kids take up too much time and money so if anyone wants to that decision off my hands please PM me for more details. I'm open to offers way below £30,000 ...but I personally would not want a Lotus Elan fitted with a Zetec engine or an early e type fitted with a supercharged XJR6 engine or one of these Alfas with a later twin spark engine.
I suspect that in years to come as these cars become rarer, people will shake their heads and wonder why folk didn't stick with period engines.
As with all classic projects you get much better value if you can find a car
that somebody else has commisioned and pay to have it done to exactly their spec.
then buy that when they part with it.
This http://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-build... was in a classic car auction last year and I think was less than £30000.
Bit of a thread resurrection....have always admired the tidy lines of the Alfa 105 but hadn't realised that Alfaholics "produced" these GTA's. They're just utterly stunning cars, they just look so "right".
Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
The steering is heavy at low speeds but lightens up to being finger tip sensitive at speed. It can be vague if not set up properly especially if there is play in any one of the six track road ends. The box itself can wear and cause vagueness too. I think if everything is set up right with the correct tracking Castor and camber it's very good for its era, but I do wish they had a rack it's perhaps the cars achiles heel.
How about this one for a bit less than an Alfaholics one? very nice.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C318429
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C318429
Cheib said:
Bit of a thread resurrection....have always admired the tidy lines of the Alfa 105 but hadn't realised that Alfaholics "produced" these GTA's. They're just utterly stunning cars, they just look so "right".
Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
Good lord, we've found something to agree on! Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
Alfahorn said:
Cheib said:
Bit of a thread resurrection....have always admired the tidy lines of the Alfa 105 but hadn't realised that Alfaholics "produced" these GTA's. They're just utterly stunning cars, they just look so "right".
Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
Good lord, we've found something to agree on! Definitely a candidate for the garage in two or three years in "fast road" spec if things go according to plan! Honestly I'd rather have one of these than many more modern cars for the same price.
We'd probably even agree on which colour to paint "our" GTA's. I'm currently building one of these using Alfaholics parts. It's based on a '69 stepfront GT Junior so, when done, should look like the first Alfaholics pic posted.
Body is currently in bare metal, a couple of repairs to do and then off to the paint shop.
I have a pile of shiny, powder coated and re-bushed suspension parts to go back on it, a rebuilt LSD, gearbox and twin spark engine and this thread is making me impatient. Maybe for next summer...
Body is currently in bare metal, a couple of repairs to do and then off to the paint shop.
I have a pile of shiny, powder coated and re-bushed suspension parts to go back on it, a rebuilt LSD, gearbox and twin spark engine and this thread is making me impatient. Maybe for next summer...
Hexagon (I know) have got a couple of tidy looking Alfa's in
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-G....
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-GT...
No idea what the right price is for those cars but both look quite tidy to me!
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-G....
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-GT...
No idea what the right price is for those cars but both look quite tidy to me!
Cheib said:
Hexagon (I know) have got a couple of tidy looking Alfa's in
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-G....
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-GT...
No idea what the right price is for those cars but both look quite tidy to me!
Didn't this GTAm replica sell on auction for around £20k not that long ago?http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-G....
http://hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Alfa-Romeo-GT...
No idea what the right price is for those cars but both look quite tidy to me!
Some fairly naive questions from someone who's never looked seriously into this, but is rather taken by the prospect of buying and restoring for road use only.
What sort of money are you looking at to pick up a fairly sound project base car for restoration? - may be 'pie-in-the-sky', but I won't know if I don't ask.
What would be a favoured model for fast road use (ie not competition)?
Any good recommended sources of such cars?
What sort of money are you looking at to pick up a fairly sound project base car for restoration? - may be 'pie-in-the-sky', but I won't know if I don't ask.
What would be a favoured model for fast road use (ie not competition)?
Any good recommended sources of such cars?
quick response....
all the 105 GT models are suitable for fast road conversions as the are essentially all the same mechanically with just a few reversable mods which went on over the decade or so.
Fastest engines are the 2000's, sweetest probably the 1750's. Most valuable Bodyshells the Step front's, pre 67 for FIA and MSA reasons.
Good project cars seem to getting fewer and fewer. It's only 4 years since I picked up a useable MOT'd 2000GTV for 3k on Ebay, I rallied it the week after and won the class. To do that now I'd need at least 8k I think.
all the 105 GT models are suitable for fast road conversions as the are essentially all the same mechanically with just a few reversable mods which went on over the decade or so.
Fastest engines are the 2000's, sweetest probably the 1750's. Most valuable Bodyshells the Step front's, pre 67 for FIA and MSA reasons.
Good project cars seem to getting fewer and fewer. It's only 4 years since I picked up a useable MOT'd 2000GTV for 3k on Ebay, I rallied it the week after and won the class. To do that now I'd need at least 8k I think.
velocemitch said:
quick response....
all the 105 GT models are suitable for fast road conversions as the are essentially all the same mechanically with just a few reversable mods which went on over the decade or so.
Fastest engines are the 2000's, sweetest probably the 1750's. Most valuable Bodyshells the Step front's, pre 67 for FIA and MSA reasons.
Good project cars seem to getting fewer and fewer. It's only 4 years since I picked up a useable MOT'd 2000GTV for 3k on Ebay, I rallied it the week after and won the class. To do that now I'd need at least 8k I think.
You won't get a better answer than that! Bargains are getting more financially and geographically challenging if that makes sense.....all the 105 GT models are suitable for fast road conversions as the are essentially all the same mechanically with just a few reversable mods which went on over the decade or so.
Fastest engines are the 2000's, sweetest probably the 1750's. Most valuable Bodyshells the Step front's, pre 67 for FIA and MSA reasons.
Good project cars seem to getting fewer and fewer. It's only 4 years since I picked up a useable MOT'd 2000GTV for 3k on Ebay, I rallied it the week after and won the class. To do that now I'd need at least 8k I think.
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff