Giulietta Berlina restoration

[AlfistiSA]

Hi Andrew

After having travelled for 8 days across Northern France, sometimes driving for 9 hours in a day in Peter's '58 column shift Ti, I can assure you that a well adjusted column shift linkage is a joy to use. The action is light & very positive, the late Michael Payne was on the run with his 'bought new' 1957 column shift Sprint "Giulie" and after 200 000kms and a rebuild of the box & linkages, the action of the column shift was just as good as Peter's Ti with 33000kms on the clock from new. It was like driving a 50 year old brand new car !!!!!

I’ve driven both good floor shifts and ratty floor shifts & agree that a good shift is great, similarly if the column shift linkages are adjusted correctly. The bushes are subjected to heat & oil & if they end up spongy, the linkage action is “soggy” – Tony Stevens at Alfastop – Alfa Romeo car parts from AlfaStop: Brakes, Suspensions, Transmissions, Exhausts., has new bushes for tunnel case column shift linkages. When I bought the column shift box from Dave M, he generously included 3 x NOS bushings for the linkages, so 05262 will at least have a decent shifting action.

The box is on the water right now & once the 2 x 101 Sprints are finished, followed by Dad’s MG TC & my ’35 Renault Cabrio, we’ll start on the column shift & the floor shift 750 Sprints together. I’ll post pictures along the way.

Ciao
Greig

Some pictures - the Ti at 60 & 100km per hour with associated rpm's - remember that the Ti had the standard 9/41 diff ratio while your Berlina probably has the 8/41 or 5.125 to 1 ratio.

Giulie's dash & column shift linkages

[Andrew]

All bushings etc on mine are new or good. Partly it'll be just getting used to the feel of the box and the linkage; never had a tunnel case before.
Andrew

[AlfistiSA]

All Alfa boxes suffer from the 2nd gear "crunch" malady & the tunnel case is no different, having grown up with vintage crash boxes, double-declutching & revving on the downshift is ingrained in me & once you match the revs to the gear, the shift is smooth and silky.

At the end of the day it's what makes the car just that little bit more "quirky" & a friend asked me if I had to keep just one would it be the Spider or my SV Confortevole, I didn't even hesitate to reply, neither, it would be the column shift '57 Normale.

The best part is that it currently runs a 101 Abnormale engine & 5 speed box, courtesy of a PO - but I was so taken by Peter's TI, that I "want" a column shift car.

The '57 engine is on the shelf, the box is on-the-water & the final colour has been chosen, Nero 901, the original colour.

Roll on that lottery win...........

Ciao
Greig

[Andrew]

Funny car. I fired it up yesterday, after sitting almost two weeks, to move it into the garage to pull the WP to fix the seal. It had leaked maybe a pint in the last two weeks (quite a bit less than previously) and on driving and parking in the garage, it didn't leak at all. So maybe the WP seal has finally settled in? Dunno, but I'm not pulling the WP out just for fun. So for now I'll drive it and monitor.

My rebuilt Solex is working pretty well. It idles reasonably well and doesn't die at every stop sign. Progress.

Now to face the daunting task of getting a VIN check, then trying to register it.

Andrew

[Il Vecchio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Funny car. I fired it up yesterday, after sitting almost two weeks, to move it into the garage to pull the WP to fix the seal. It had leaked maybe a pint in the last two weeks (quite a bit less than previously) and on driving and parking in the garage, it didn't leak at all. So maybe the WP seal has finally settled in? Dunno, but I'm not pulling the WP out just for fun. So for now I'll drive it and monitor. My rebuilt Solex is working pretty well. It idles reasonably well and doesn't die at every stop sign. Progress. Now to face the daunting task of getting a VIN check, then trying to register it. Andrew

[Andrew]

Has a VIN, it's just an out-of-state car with a 46-year-old title document, no registration papers, and 31-year-old stickers on the non-Calif plates is not going to be the easiest. Calif requires a VIN check on an out-of-state cars in any case. When I drove a 73 Berlina from Phoenix to Berkeley and took it to the DMV, the inspector came out to verify the VIN.

I have a Berkeley PD officer friend (she drives a GTV) who stopped by last week and did the VIN verification for me on the DMV form. So I just need to make the DMV appt now.

Projects on this include figuring out why the generator doesn't charge (it isn't putting out any voltage) and sand-blasting and painting the TI air cleaner for the two-barrel carb, which is in progress now.

Weaving this with the 1600 TI project, stalled on piston machining this week while Dan Marvin is out doing silly stuff like racing. And selling my 2002, now on SF CL.

Andrew

[dretceterini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Funny car. I fired it up yesterday, after sitting almost two weeks, to move it into the garage to pull the WP to fix the seal. It had leaked maybe a pint in the last two weeks (quite a bit less than previously) and on driving and parking in the garage, it didn't leak at all. So maybe the WP seal has finally settled in? Dunno, but I'm not pulling the WP out just for fun. So for now I'll drive it and monitor. My rebuilt Solex is working pretty well. It idles reasonably well and doesn't die at every stop sign. Progress. Now to face the daunting task of getting a VIN check, then trying to register it. Andrew

[Andrew]

Trying to stay stock, within reason. I have a backup Weber in case the Solex doesn't work out, but I rebuilt the Solex and am pretty proud of how it's working. Plus I can use the stock TI air cleaner.

Andrew

[Il Vecchio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Has a VIN, it's just an out-of-state car with a 46-year-old title document, no registration papers, and 31-year-old stickers on the non-Calif plates is not going to be the easiest. Calif requires a VIN check on an out-of-state cars in any case. When I drove a 73 Berlina from Phoenix to Berkeley and took it to the DMV, the inspector came out to verify the VIN. I have a Berkeley PD officer friend (she drives a GTV) who stopped by last week and did the VIN verification for me on the DMV form. So I just need to make the DMV appt now. Projects on this include figuring out why the generator doesn't charge (it isn't putting out any voltage) and sand-blasting and painting the TI air cleaner for the two-barrel carb, which is in progress now. Weaving this with the 1600 TI project, stalled on piston machining this week while Dan Marvin is out doing silly stuff like racing. And selling my 2002, now on SF CL. Andrew

[dretceterini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Trying to stay stock, within reason. I have a backup Weber in case the Solex doesn't work out, but I rebuilt the Solex and am pretty proud of how it's working. Plus I can use the stock TI air cleaner. Andrew

[Andrew]

Progress on two fronts today. Finally got the charging system sorted. Even with new brushes, my gen was not charging, tested without the reg installed. So I took it to Alternators Unlimited here in Berkeley, who turned and undercut the commutator, and now it charges fine. That still didn't solve the problem, and the June 1955 Lucas regulator was not working. So I installed the basically identical original one I took out of my 59 MGA Twin Cam 20 years ago, installed it, and now it charges great. Allright.

TI-style air cleaner is painted and installed, and I made a clamp for it out of two hose clamps wound together. Anyone got a spare oval clamp? I will cut down a Spica air filter element to fit inside unless someone has the right one.

Now ready to drive to DMV under its own power without killing the battery.

Bought an 85 Spider this week for $160, which will keep me jumping from project to project, just like always. Don't want to get bored.

Andrew

[GTD]

Quote:

Bought an 85 Spider this week for $160

[Il Vecchio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTD Overpaid ... AGAIN!!! Andrew - you really should know better.

[Andrew]

I retrieved more than $7 in change from under the Spider's seats, and found a Heineken in the trunk, so now it's a $150 car. Got it to run briefly in the driveway, but now it's a nonstarter. Brushing up on my L-Jet diagnostics.

Andrew