Restoring Alfetta Sedans?

fiatosca · #1 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:23 PM

I am just curious - is anyone out there restoring an Alfetta Sedan besides me? As anyone who has driven one knows, they are an exceptionally cool car. I purchased a first Series '75 off of eBay and am well into the bodywork portion. I love the first "Small Body" version because of its forward leaning front end and cool instrument panel. There is another thread going on right now comparing GTVs to BMW 2002s but I think the Alfetta is perhaps a better alternative to the BMW. It's got sort of a baby 5 Series thing happening and the price is laughably low. If you have one, restore it!

VeloceOne · #2 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:46 PM

Hi Bob,
The orphan of all sedans........I have a '76 that I have to do some body work on, and need a rear wheel arch....have yet to find it.
Good luck with yours, and keep in contact.
Regards Ian.

gt601 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:58 PM

I got this one a bit over a year ago from the Kirzingers. It needed a bit of mechanical work but I drove it home after about three or four hours of screwing with it and throwing a set of tires on it. It had been sitting for a number of years in one of the barns. I'm slowly getting all the bugs out of it. It is an almost daily driver in good weather. These are the most under rated Alfa out there.
Paul
I did have to switch the awful/boring dash out with a Sprint Veloce dash.

The body and underneath are free of rust except a small spot near the windshield and the rear glass. The paint is origional 78 paint excluding one of the fenders. Oh there is also a small spot you can see in the engine compartment. Its my favorite Alfa to date.

gt601 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 08:10 PM

I have lowered it a bit in the front, added a giant valve/ported and polished(Sperry??) head with nice cams. Big sway bar in front. And switched the wheels it came with to Panasports. The front spoiler is from a GTV-6 that I cut about six inches out of the center.The bumpers are from the Alfetta doner seen through the windshield.
Paul
Some before and after pics Unlowered and lowered. The stainless bumpers probably too a good 95-100 lbs off the car.they are ungodly heavy.

fiatosca · #5 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 09:06 PM

Paul
Interesting instrument panel substitution! I guess I would not have figured the planview curvature of the coupe and sedan to be the same at the base of the windshield. I always felt that the coupe panel was just quirky but, somehow in the sedan context it is really cool. I happen to like the original panal but perhaps that is only in comparison to the later Sports Sedan one which is usually brown, has unsightly gaps and reeks of the 1970s. My dad has a '76 coupe parts car so maybe I'll consider swapping that in.

As far as planned mods go, I have some Shankle suspension bits that I'll throw on and I just purchased an old wood Momo Montecarlo steering wheel for it. I also plan to slam it and put some modern 17" rims (preferable TSWs) in a resto-mod fashion. I found an NOS Euro front stainless bumper on eBay Italy which should take some weight out of it.

enri · #6 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 12:48 AM

gt601
the first lot (1974) had ply timber inserts in the dash with matching door trims
- very nice but hard to maintain
a year or 2 later they went to plastic inserts - very similar but with much improved dash instrumentation construction techniques
my favourite was black vynal with silver inserts

fiatosca ,try this website
http://www.geocities.com/psi_21/gallery_18stock.html

**ossodiseppia** · #7 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 08:11 AM

My car is a driver and still looks pretty good from the next county.

gt601 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 08:34 AM

It looks wonderful. All it needs is the Alfa Romeo block print on the rear trunk.I got an oe sticker for mine on ebay and might try to have it copied for a spare. I have it so that when it's painted it will have the origional on it. I wish that I could save the dealer sticker from New Mexico to keep it as it was new. Nice color of red!
Paul

fiatosca · #9 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ossodiseppia

My car is a driver and still looks pretty good from the next county.

gt601 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 09:10 AM

I'd love to know if he has spacers on those wheels or is that the offset of them. I have a set of those , but am too lazy to mount a tire on one to see if they fit nicely. Love the front turn signals. I am looking for a set of the euro rear turn indicators for mine. I have a buddy in Australia who can hopefully find a set for me and bring them when he visits in the spring.

**ossodiseppia** · #11 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt601

It looks wonderful. All it needs is the Alfa Romeo block print on the rear trunk.I got an oe sticker for mine on ebay and might try to have it copied for a spare. I have it so that when it's painted it will have the origional on it. I wish that I could save the dealer sticker from New Mexico to keep it as it was new. Nice color of red!
Paul

fiatosca · #12 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt601

I'd love to know if he has spacers on those wheels or is that the offset of them. I have a set of those , but am too lazy to mount a tire on one to see if they fit nicely. Love the front turn signals. I am looking for a set of the euro rear turn indicators for mine. I have a buddy in Australia who can hopefully find a set for me and bring them when he visits in the spring.

fiatosca · #13 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 11:03 AM

Here's a nicely restored motor compartment.

magista · #14 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 12:06 PM

I had no idea a Sprint Veloce dash would fit in the sedan. I like it. I may have to try and track down a good Sprint dash and swap 'em.

Right now my Momo steering wheel covers a portion of the speedo and tach which makes it hard to see while driving. A Sprint dash would take care of that rather nicely. Plus I like the idea of having the tach right in front of your face.

gt601 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 06:34 PM

It's about a half an inch less wide on both sides and you have to make a spacer from some trim for the area at the window to make it flush to the fire wall. You also have to have an Alfetta GTV speedo cable and completly rewire the dash. The mounting points are different so it has to be mounted at two different points in the center. Make sure that you heve all the plugs for the instruments. The wiring colers were the same for my 77 and the 79 donor car. The speedo gear has to be changed out also. Took me about 3-4 hours to switch it out and get it working.
Paul

Bob , I have the set of Campys. I see why they fill the fender so well now.Very nice.