Classic Alfa Forums

This is where you post details and lots of photos of your GTV6

LOL! You know I've only just found this! Was going to make a new thread as we've decided to get the ball rolling and get the old girl going again. If we don't do it now I don't think I we will ever get around to it.

We moved 'bleery' (don't ask) 3 years ago after my mum passed away. She had been housed at my mums house since 1999/2000 and had been stored under a pile of junk only to be kept under another pile at our place. Now our Sprint is just about complete and used when ever the weather is good the urge to get the GTV6 has grown stronger.

So yesterday we dug her out clearing all the stuff off and organised for a local guy who mainly restores Maserati's to come and have a gander. He's local and had looked at our Sprint previously for a wheel bearing problem. He was honest and said he was expecting a basket case! But was really surprised at the condition. The old girl is quite solid, yes there's rot around the rear arches and lower wings plus some bubbles at the base of the A pillars but the floor pan boot area bonnet and front wings seem solid.

The main problems seem to be mechanical, usual stuff, seized brakes and fuel pump. Seized clutch etc plus the last time I ran the car she smoked like a good un so the engine will need looking at. All the bushes will need replacing along with fuel lines and brake lines so there will be loads to do but he's willing to do it.

Next step is to agree a plan and approx. price for the work and a time for the work to start. So first pictures after we removed everything except for an old top box!

Good luck with the project.

Progress is being made. Went to have a look yesterday and the guys have got the engine and gearbox out. The engine bay came up well after a good steam clean



The car is surprisingly solid, the chassis rails are in good order on the main rot areas are confined to the rear wheel arches and rear lower sills. The garage managed to find a pair of replacement wheel arch panels NOS which was quite a find. Apparently they also found a company who had the press to remake these panels but when they went to find it they couldn't, apparently somebody had disposed of it as it hadn't been used for ages!

The engine is in bits, the crank and bores are v.good so just new bearings and rings. The bad smoke from when she last run was due to worn out exhaust valve guides and seals so the heads are away for rework.



The gear box will be overhauled but the clutch may be an issue. Replacements come in at 560 quid plus VAT! So they are going to see if this one can be made serviceable and relined.

I need to start sourcing bits, I need new outer headlights and indicator lenses plus some other bits of trim.....time to get googling......

NEG,

Outer headlights are rare as hens teeth. Go for LH drive versions.

Steve

Ok will do, how easy is it to separate the glass from the lamp unit and swap over?

NEG,

not tried it. I believe some people have done it though. I remember seeing threads on AO?

Rgds,
Steve

Hi Guys,
I believe the threads on here have done Sud light units by soaking overnight in petrol.

Not much been going on recently. Engine is back and fitted with new bearings and rings, heads skimmed and new exhaust valve oil seals etc. Gearbox was due back before xmas but not sure of the latest. The garage had managed to start work on the body though.

Things are progressing slowly. Gearbox is back and refurbished dual clutch is ready to go in. Rear wheel arch now finished and the guys are going to start on the other side soon.

The engine has proved to be a bit of an issue , well the conrods have. It seems on one bank they where installed incorrectly IE the offset was wrong so the main bearings on that side where wearing into a conical shape causing uneven wear. Also those same rods did not have an oil squirter hole but the other side did.....curious. Anyhow the guys have sourced three replacement rods with holes but couldn't understand why they had been installed incorrectly.

I dug back through my service receipts (I'm the second owner form new) and it transpires that not only have the head gaskets been replaced twice (once with the previous owner) the engine has been out to replace a leaking rear crankshaft oil seal...hmmmm.

I'd forgotten this had been done and unless the quality control at the Alfa factory was lacking then the garage (Amersham Motors, now no more) are to blame for the incorrect offset. I'm glad the guys decided to do the full monty on the engine as I was not going to bother!

Anyhow some pics. Front suspension cleaned up and painted. The old girl is surprisingly solid under neath.

Oh, the cause of the corrosion on the rear wheel arches seems to be due to the underseal not making its way into the arch lip. On the one they cut out part was undersealed and solid but where it stopped the corrosion had set in....

Coming along well body wise . I feel your pain as with the welding. As your see in my build

Engine has progressed! Now rebuilt and more beer vouchers lost from my bank account

Some pics from the rebuild, not mine....

Looking good !

She will be great when finished.
Nice one.

Many thanks Photobucket! I'll have to edit my posts above.

Small update just to keep a record. n/s rear arch and sill has be replaced. The boys found a bit more rot than expected so it took the a fair bit of time and fabrication to patch it all up, but it looks good. Getting close to having the engine and gearbox refitted. Running gear is done. She is starting to look better, pics to follow. There will be loads to do still when it comes back including finding a decent paint shop!

Crikey time does fly. Short update. Not much has happened since my last post above, I talk every three months or so to the garage and knew they where suffering from too much work but things are in danger of getting out of control. The guy who was working on my car has left the company so they have moved the car to a storage location and are in the process of looking for new staff.

My worry is do they know how to put the car back together (and have the skill), when are they going to do it and have they still got all the parts! I’ve been down this road before with our Alfasud and I don’t want a repeat of that nightmare. I need to talk to them on Monday and get some commitments and a plan of action.

Morning
That doesn't sound to good to me .the fact they've put the car into storage sounds like there in no rush to finish it. Sounds like a job for super kev

Trouble is it turns into doing a jigsaw with no picture on the box

Hope they have some better answers for you mate.

Had a positive chat with the garage and a plan is in place. They are aiming to get the car back to me by Christmas which is sooner than I expected. In fact it causes me a few issues as I have nowhere to keep it at the moment! The time scale will no doubt slip but it’s a positive step forward. There will be loads to do when it comes back, mechanically it should be sound and the main bodywork done but it will need respraying and all the trimm renovating.

The garage managed to well and truly miss the Christmas deadline for the return of my GTV6...there's a tale behind why which I may go into at some point but on the upside things have started to move forward. Yesterday it was dug out of its tarpaulin covered tomb, washed and put into the workshop.....whoohoo. 18months under a tarp is no good for any car but she seems to be in good nick still. There is some corrosion now visible on the sills that wasn't there before but other than that and the infestation of spiders she's looking OK. The previous welding work looks ok, some surface rust to clean off and treat nothing major. Brake lines look good apart from the flexi hoses and the tank may need to come out and be flushed through, along with numerous other jobs no doubt. Anyhow looking forward to keeping you updated...

Sorry to hear the project has become such an up hill journey.
Lets hope things get moving in the right direction now.

Always maddening when it gets taken out of your hands like that. Hope so smoothness comes into play now.

Progress! Things have finally moved on and I hope I’ll have the car back in Jan/Feb 2020.

Engine is back in, radiator has been recore’d, new callipers, disks, brake lines, master cylinder etc. Gearbox is back in, prop shaft with new bearings, exhaust, fuel lines etc.

She’s not running yet but getting close. I have no where to store the car just yet so need to get that sorted....nice problem to have.

Cosmetics and respray will be next once I get her back. Happy Xmas!

Silky