I do like this car [the coupe], and its builder was much more sensitive in his selection of components and style of construction than has been shown by others.
Some quick observations. I like 1900's
:
Once again, this is
not one of the two Alfa 1900 chassis illustrated in the Gilco book or on their website. It "fails" the first test, in that the engine is not placed far forwards like in the two Gilco chassis, but is [better] moved behind the front crossmember. The crossmember is cut from a standard 1900 unibody, and then welded into the tube frame. This isn't how Gilco, or Alfa, did it. The frame tube configuration is also different from the two Gilco frames [or the C52 frame for that matter].
The engine is probably a 1900 Super,
1975 cc. The accessories suggest that it might be a berlina motor. The cylinder head is: 1/ wonderful 2/ not Conrero, I think.
Conrero made twin plug cylinder heads first for the 1900 and later for his 1500cc Giulietta-based F1 motors, and both long before the GTA.* Difficult, the work of a magician, especially back then.
But the two plug Conrero heads were made differently than this one. And this one started out on a standard
Super twin chain motor. Conrero used Ing. Landsberg's TI camshaft profiles, even on his ~150 hp race engines, and these camshafts required the use of the early engine's geared primary drive.
The twin chain motors had a different firing order, and the 102 series "2000" motors and some of the very last 1900 heads had the "1243" cast into the chain housing. The engine
appears to be a very late 1900, but then the front brakes are very early 1900.
So there are a few funky details, which mar the impression. And the 105 cam cover bolts gotta go. Etc. ... Etc.
This is not to say that the car is not interesting, even wonderful. And it isn't completely misrepresented by the seller. I'm just trying to clear up some unnecessarily misleading comments printed here, and to add some details that are there to be seen.
--Carter
* The 1900 engine is based on that of the 6C3000 prototype. and the factory 6C3000CM race engines had twin ignition. The relationship between Conrero and Alfa and some of the people at Alfa is ambiguous.